Wary continued, "So, the Christians assert that Prophet Yahya, alayhissalam-or John the Baptist-was born six months before Prophet 'Isa, alayhissalam. The Qur'an says that Allah accepted Prophet Zechariah's du'a and as such Prophet Yahya was a very pious and righteous person. He never married and neither did any thought of committing sin ever pass over his mind, and like his father, he was also one of Allah's chosen prophets. Already in his childhood, Allah endowed him with knowledge and wisdom. His most excellent duty was that he gave the good news of the coming of Prophet 'Isa and he already prepared the ground with spreading guidance.
I have mentioned that Prophet Yahya has been called "Sayyid". The word has been given various interpretations, e.g, soft hasted, a knower, a scholar of jurisprudence, a leader of men in worldly and spiritual affairs, nobleman, god-fearing, well-beloved by Allah, and chosen by Allah because this last meaning is one which included all the other meanings.
Similarly, Prophet Yahya has also been described as being 'Hasoor', i.e. one who does not even go near to women and is safe from all kinds of sins and over whose heart not even the thought of sin passes. It is one who has full control over his soul and keeps all passionate desires away from him. All of these descriptions are ways of describing the same thing because etymologically 'Hasr' means to prevent and to prohibit and the word 'Hasoor' is the exaggerated from thereof. So in the above verse it means that he is one who stops the desires from every place where it should be stopped. Prophet Yahya is the one described as Hasoor and as such all the meanings of the word fit him.
Prophet Yahya was born a stranger to the world of children who used to amuse themselves, as he was serious all the time. Most children took delight in torturing animals whereas, he was merciful to them. He, alayhissalam, fed the animals from his food until there was nothing left for him, and he just ate fruit or leaves of trees. Prophet Yahya loved reading since childhood. When he grew up, Allah Ta'ala called upon him,
Allah taught him the Torah which they used to study among themselves. The Prophets who were sent to the Jews used to rule according to the Torah, as did the scholars and rabbis among them. He was still young in age when Allah gave him this knowledge. This is the reason that Allah mentioned it. Because of how Allah favored him and his parents. Allah ordered him to learn the Torah well, with zeal and studious efffort. He was given understanding, knowledge, fortitude, diligence and zeal for good and the pursuit of good. He blessed with these characteristics even though he was young.يٰيَحۡيٰى خُذِ الۡكِتٰبَ بِقُوَّةٍ ؕ وَاٰتَيۡنٰهُ الۡحُكۡمَ صَبِيًّا ۙ"[ Allah ] said, 'O Yahya, take the Scripture with determination.' And We gave him judgement [while yet] a boy." - (QS.19:12)
Hanaan means the love for affection and tenderness (towards others). Hanaanan means affection, compassion. This means that he was a compassionate man, who was righteous. The word Zakah means purity from filth, wickedness and sins. Qatadah said, “The word Zakah means the righteous deed.” Ad-Dahhak and Ibn Jurayj both said, “The righteous deed is the pure (Zakah) deed.” Al-‘Awfi reported that Ibn ‘Abbas said that Zakaatan means that he was a blessing.وَّحَنَانًـا مِّنۡ لَّدُنَّا وَزَكٰوةً ؕ وَّكَانَ تَقِيًّا ۙ"And Hanaanan from Us, and zakaatan, and he was fearing of Allah" - (19:13)
After Allah mentioned Prophet Yahya’s obedience to his Rabb, and that Allah created him full of mercy, purity and piety, Allah attached to it his obedience to his parents and his good treatment of them. Allah mentioned that he refrained from disobeying them in speech, actions, commands and prohibitions. Then, after mentioning these beautiful characteristics, Allah mentions his reward for this,وَّبَرًّۢا بِوَالِدَيۡهِ وَلَمۡ يَكُنۡ جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّا"And dutiful to his parents, and he was not a disobedient tyrant." - (QS.19:14)
This means that he had security and safety in these three circumstances. Sufyan bin 'Uyaynah said, "The loneliest that a man will ever feel is in three situations. The first situation is on the day that he is born, when he sees himself coming out of what he was in. The second situation is on the day that he dies, when he sees people that he will not see anymore. The third situation is on the day when he is resurrected, when he sees himself in the great gathering.وَسَلٰمٌ عَلَيۡهِ يَوۡمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوۡمَ يَمُوۡتُ وَيَوۡمَ يُبۡعَثُ حَيًّا"And peace be upon him the day he was born and the day he dies and the day he is raised alive." - (QS.19:15)
These three circumtances are great circumtances for a man. With these ciscumtances, each man will move from one realm to the next. He will feel the first loss of nature after he felt and knew it. He will move to another realm that he does not know at all. Therefore, he will shout loudly when he has to leave a world full of tenderness towards a world full of various problems. Likewise when he left this world to the realm of Barzah which lies between the natural world and the afterlife. From the splendor of houses and palaces to the silence of the tomb. There he will wait for the sound of the trumpet to face the resurrection day. Some of them feel happy and some feel sadness. Some are helped, some are mired in. One group will go to heaven and another group will go to hell. Some poets said,
You were born by your mother in a state of crying and screamingBecause these three circumtaces are the hardest places for the sons of Adam, Allah has exclusively honored Prophet Yahya, son of Prophet Zechariah, alayhimussalam, by granting him peace in these situations.
while the people around you laugh happily
Try yourself, when people (those around you) cry
at the moment of your death, you smile happily
According to an authentic Hadith, recorded by Imam Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah command Yahya bin Zechariah with five things which he should carry out and conveying to the Children of Israel. Therefore he called the Children of Israel Israel together in Bait Ul-Muqaddas and when the Mosque was full he said to them, 'Allah has ordered me to do five things that I should myself carry them out and convey them to you. The five things are the following,
Firstly, worship none except Allah and associate no one unto him. Associating anyone unto Him is like the slave of one of you whom the Master has bought with his own money and now the slave has adopted this action that whatever he earns he grants to another. Now tell me, will anyone of you like that his slave should do that. So understand that when Allah has created you, grants you sustenance, you should only worship Him and not associate anyone unto Him.
Secondly, say your prayers with sincerity and earnestly for when in your prayers you are directed at Him alone, then Allah will continue to be directed in your direction with pleasure and mercy.
Thirdly, fast because the example of a fasting person is like him who sits among a congregation with a bag filled with Musk, because the fragrance of musk will permeate his companions. And do not pay attention to the smell emanating from the mouth of a fasting person is cleaner than the fragrance of musk.
Fourthly, take out charity from your wealth and possessions because the giver of charity is like that person whom his enemies have captured is like that person whom his enemies have captured suddenly and whose hands have been tied to his neck as they lead him to the place of execution and in that hopeless state he says, 'Can I present money to save myself. When he finds a positive answer to his request he offers all his wealth.'
Fifthly, abundantly remember Allah by night and by day because such a person is like the one fleeing from an enemy with the enemy on his heels and having fled he enters into a strong fortress for refuge to be safe from the enemy. Because surely, to be safe from man’s enemy, 'Shaitan is to enter into an impregnable fortress.”
There upon the Prophet (ﷺ) turned towards the Companion and said, 'I alsocommand you to follow five such things which Allah has commanded me; namely, to hold fast onto the congregation, to listen and obey your leader, to migrate and to perform Jihad in the path of Allah. Whenever has moved outside the congregation even one step, has surely taken the yoke of Islam from his neck. Hence hold onto the congregation. And whosoever calls towards the things of the Jahiliyya has made Jahannam his abode.
Haari Ashtomy said, 'Someone asked, 'O Messenger of Allah! Is it so even if that person is a regular Salah adn Fasting?' The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, 'Yes, even if he is a regular performer of Salah and fasting and believes that: I am a Muslim still will his punishment be Jahannam.”
Allah guided Prophet Yahya to read the Torah closely; thus, he became the wisest and most knowledgeable man of that time. Therefore, Allah Ta'ala endowed him with the faculties of passing judgments on people's affairs, interpreting the secrets of religion, guiding people to the right path, and warning them against the wrong one.
Prophet Yahya reached maturity. His compassion for his parents, as well as for all people and all creatures, increased greatly. He called people to repent their sins. There are quite a number of traditions told about Prophet Yahya. Ibn Asaker related that one time his parents were looking for him and found him at the Jordan River. When they met him, they wept sorely, seeing his great devotion to Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala.
Ibn Wahb said that, according to Malik, grass was the food of Yahya ibn Zechariah, and he wept sorely in fear of Allah. A chain of narrators reported that Idris Al Khawlawi said, "Shall I not tell you he who had the best food? It is Yahya Ibn Zakariyah, who joined the beasts at dinner, fearing to mix with men.
Ibn Mubarak stated that Wahb Ibn Al-Ward narrated that Prophet Zechariah did not see his son for three days. He found him weeping inside a grave which he had dug and in which he resided. "My son, I have been searching for you, and you are dwelling in this grave weeping!" "O father, did you not tell me that between Paradise and Hell is only a span, and it will not be crossed except by tears of weepers?" He said to him, "Weep then, my son." Then they wept together.
Other narrations say that Prophet Yahya said, "The dwellers of Paradise are sleepless out of the sweetness of Allah's bounty; that is why the faithful must be sleepless because of Allah's love in their hearts. How far between the two luxuries, how far between them?" They say Prophet Yahya wept so much that tears marked his cheeks.
He found comfort in the open and never cared about food. He ate leaves, herbs, and sometimes locusts. He slept anywhere in the mountains or in holes in the ground. He sometimes would find a lion or a bear as he entered a cave, but being deeply absorbed in praising Allah, he never heeded them. The beasts easily recognized Prophet Yahya as the prophet who cared for all the creatures, so they would leave the cave, bowing their heads.
Prophet Yahya sometimes fed those beasts, out of mercy, from his food and was satisfied with prayers as food for his soul. He would spend the night crying and praising Allah for His blessings. When he called people to worship Allah, he made them cry out of love and submission, arresting their hearts with the truthfulness of his words.
According to Ibn Ishaq, when Prophet Yahya came to Palestine, calling upon the people, he met Prophet 'Isa, and then parted after Prophet Yahya baptized Prophet 'Isa. It is said that Prophet 'Isa sent Prophet Yahya with twelve apostles to teach the people. Among their prohibitions was marriage to a niece.
According to Ibn Jarir from Ibn Abbas, that 'Isa, son of Maryam, sent Yahya with twelve apostles to teach the people. Among their prohibitions was marriage to a niece. Their king had a niece who excited him, and he wanted to marry her. Every day he carried out some wish of hers. When her mother learned of this, she told her daughter, "If you come to the king, and he asks you what your wish is, tell him, 'my wish is that you slay Yahya.' When she came to him, he asked what her wish was. She said, "I wish you to slay Yahya," whereupon he replied, "Ask me for something else. "But she responded, "I shall ask you for nothing else." Thereupon he summoned Yahya and called for a bowl. Then he slew Yahya and a drop of Yahya's blood fell upon the ground and kept boiling until Allah sent Nebuchadnezzar against the Israelites. An old woman of the Children of Israel came and showed Nebuchadnezzar that blood. Allah thus planted in his mind the thought to kill the Israelites over that spot until the blood came to rest; so he killed seventy-thousand of them who were of the same age, until the drop of blood came to rest.
[Part 1]
