After communicating to Mary God's answer that He will certainly make her conceive, the messenger proceeded by telling her that this miraculous birth will make of her child a sign to mankind 19:21. He continued telling her of his future attributes; he will be given in an unprecedented manner, the Wisdom of the Injeel and the knowledge of the Torah from infancy.
The NT depicts how that particularity manifested itself early on in his life Jn7:14-19. He will be a messenger to the Children of Israel with clear signs, and remain of the righteous ones well into maturity 3:48-49. For all these reasons, this future boy is described to Mary as
19:19"ghulam/boy zakiyyan".
The word stems from Z-K-W meaning the plant that grows well and gives fruits. The word and its derivatives is used for both animate and inanimate entities to mean proper growing and maturing. This thriving can be physical, as shown from the example of the plant, or spiritual 2:232,18:19,24:28,87:14,91:8-10etc. or even both as is the case here with Mary's future boy. Jesus will not only have a proper physical development well into maturity, but will also grow in spiritual eminence, by practicing among other things, prayer and charity 19:31. These 2 pillars representing man's duty towards His creator and the duty towards one's fellow man, are repeatedly mentionned as the recipe for spiritual fulfillement both in this world and the next.
The word Zakiyy, from Z-K-W, is thus used for future development and carries no indication as to the previous physical/spiritual condition of the entity on whom it is applied. Yahya/John, prior to Jesus was equally given divine wisdom in his childhood 19:12-13. This is the reason why God ascribes to Himself John's "zakaatan" his proper spiritual maturing, something God doesnt even do for Jesus. The word used for Jesus' development (zakiyy) stems from the same root as the one used for John (zakaatan), and means the same thing; proper physical/spiritual maturing. Due to his God-given wisdom, John had a proper spiritual development since his childhood just as Jesus had.
The use of the word zakat, steming from z-k-w is very appropriate in such context. Zakat is an act of charity causing the person to mature and bear spiritual fruit 2:261-2,23:1-4. That is why the hypocritical charity or the one done injuriously to the receiver are not only considered void but actually a sin; the aim of zakat isnt solely to answer an external abstract or concrete need but most importantly to raise the giver spiritually. It delivers one's soul from what the Quran considers as among the pitfalls of mankind; avarice and covetousness, the blind pursuit and attachement to worldy benefits. It creates a sense that such assets are in fact tools to achieve spiritual growth 64:15-16.
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