Stories of the Prophets | Episode (32) | The story of Zechariah and Yahya, peace be upon them

0:00 Stories of the Prophets... stories of the Prophets, peace be upon them.

0:25 The story of Zechariah and John, peace be upon them.

0:33 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:36 All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

0:39 May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

0:42 and upon all his family and Companions.

0:46 To proceed:

0:48 Prophets and messengers were sent in succession to the Children of Israel;

0:52 no prophet passed away except that another prophet succeeded him,

0:56 and that was out of Allah’s mercy toward them.

0:59 Yet, despite that, they transgressed and grew arrogant,

1:03 disobeying the commands of their Lord’s messengers.

1:06 When a long time elapsed over them, their hearts grew hard,

1:10 wickedness and depravity intensified among them,

1:13 corruption and abominations spread throughout their society,

1:17 and wicked, tyrannical kings took dominion over them,

1:21 causing corruption across the land,

1:24 committing destructive sins and heinous crimes,

1:27 showing no reverence for their prophets,

1:29 nor for the righteous and pious among them.

1:33 In Jerusalem, there lived a righteous man

1:38 named Zechariah,

1:40 from the lineage of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham,

1:43 peace be upon them all.

1:46 He used to tend sheep in his youth,

1:49 and when he grew older, he became a carpenter.

1:52 He was never defiled by the wickedness that plagued his people;

1:56 rather, he was keen to adhere to whatever reached him of the sacred law of the prophets

2:00 before him,

2:02 sincere in his work and in the worship of his Lord.

2:05 So Allah Almighty sent him as a messenger to the Children of Israel.

2:10 Zechariah, peace be upon him, stood to call his people to the religion of Allah

2:15 and to worship Him alone, with no partner,

2:18 warning them of His punishment if they persisted in disobeying His command.

2:24 Zechariah, peace be upon him, suffered harm from the Children of Israel and their rulers,

2:29 and great terrors and heavy trials befell him one after another.

2:35 Yet he showed beautiful patience,

2:38 until his bones grew feeble and weak,

2:41 and gray hair spread across his head.

2:44 He carried deep concern for the Children of Israel after his time,

2:48 as the moment of his departure from this worldly life drew near,

2:52 while his kinsmen were wicked and corrupt.

2:55 They inevitably needed a restraining force to deter them from their deviance,

2:59 for if they were left without a messenger,

3:02 they would erase the divine law, spread corruption,

3:06 and alter the landmarks of the Scripture.

3:09 These thoughts continued to occupy Zechariah’s mind, morning and evening.

3:17 One day, he entered his place of worship, where he used to pray,

3:23 and found Mary, peace be upon her, secluded in her sanctuary,

3:28 devoutly obedient before her Lord.

3:31 He saw with her something he had never seen before:

3:35 he found summer fruits in her possession

3:38 during the winter season.

3:41 So he asked her, "O Mary, from where do you have this food?"

3:46 “And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

3:49 “And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

3:54 Thereupon, through his unwavering faith, Zechariah, peace be upon him, recognized the omnipotence of Allah,

4:00 and that nothing He wills can ever incapacitate Him.

4:04 So he turned to Allah with a present mind,

4:07 a humble heart, and a truthful tongue,

4:10 and said:

4:11 "My Lord, grant me from Yourself an heir

4:15 who will inherit prophethood from me

4:17 and be a reformer after me."

4:20 Zechariah, peace be upon him, called upon his Lord

4:23 despite all obstacles and the apparent impossibility of the circumstances:

4:28 for he was an elderly man, advanced in years,

4:32 and his wife was old and barren.

4:35 Yet the prophets' trust in Allah and their faith in His power

4:39 know no bounds.

4:41 In his supplication, Zechariah displayed the highest etiquette before his Creator:

4:47 he pleaded with Him, Exalted is He, through the frailty of his body,

4:51 his advanced age,

4:53 and the habit of having his prayers answered by Him in the past.

4:58 Allah answered the supplication of His prophet Zechariah, peace be upon him:

5:05 the angels came to him while he was standing in prayer in his sanctuary,

5:09 giving him good tidings of a boy named John (Yahya),

5:14 a name no one had borne before him.

5:18 Allah Himself undertook naming him with this name;

5:21 it is not known that Allah directly named anyone other than John, peace be upon him.

5:28 They also gave him good tidings that this boy

5:31 would confirm the Word of Allah,

5:34 be an honorable leader among his people,

5:36 chaste, abstaining from unlawful desires,

5:40 and a prophet from among the righteous prophets of Allah.

5:45 Allah Almighty said:

5:47 “And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

5:56 "He said, 'O Mary, from where does this come to you?'"

6:01 “And her Lord accepted her with full acceptance and vouchsafed to her a goodly growth; and made Zachariah her guardian. Whenever Zachariah went into the sanctuary where she was, he found that she had food. He said: O Mary! Whence cometh unto thee this (food)? She answered: It is from Allah. Allah giveth without stint to whom He will.” (3:37)

6:07 "'Indeed, Allah provides for whomever He wills without measure.'"

6:15 At that point, Zechariah called upon his Lord,

6:19 saying, "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring;

6:27 indeed, You are the Hearer of supplication."

6:32 Then the angels called out to him,

6:36 “And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allah giveth thee glad tidings of (a son whose name is) John, (who cometh) to confirm a word from Allah lordly, chaste, a prophet of the righteous.” (3:39)

6:42 "Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of John,"

6:48 “And the angels called to him as he stood praying in the sanctuary: Allah giveth thee glad tidings of (a son whose name is) John, (who cometh) to confirm a word from Allah lordly, chaste, a prophet of the righteous.” (3:39)

7:02 "and a prophet from among the righteous."

7:08 When Zechariah, peace be upon him, heard the glad tidings,

7:14 joy overwhelmed him,

7:16 yet he asked his Lord again, seeking reassurance,

7:21 saying, "My Lord, how can I have a boy when my wife is barren,

7:27 and I have reached extreme old age?"

7:30 Far be it from him to be unmindful of Allah's power

7:34 or despair of His mercy and the answering of his prayer.

7:38 So the angels replied to him:

7:41 Is not Allah—Who created you before when you were nothing—

7:46 fully capable of granting you a child?

7:49 Indeed, that is easy for Allah.

7:52 Thereupon, Zechariah, peace be upon him, asked his Lord for a sign

7:58 by which he would know that his wife had conceived this boy of whom he had been given glad tidings.

8:05 Allah answered his request,

8:07 and made the sign of pregnancy that his tongue would be tied,

8:12 so that he would not speak to the people for three consecutive days and nights except through gestures,

8:18 without any illness or muteness.

8:21 Allah Almighty cured the wife of Zechariah, peace be upon him,

8:26 by enabling her to bear children after she had been barren.

8:31 When she conceived John,

8:34 Zechariah, peace be upon him, came out to his people from the sanctuary,

8:39 and his tongue was tied, unable to speak,

8:43 so he began to communicate with the people by gesturing with his hand,

8:46 directing them to glorify Allah morning and evening.

8:51 Whenever he engaged in the remembrance of Allah Almighty,

8:53 whenever he engaged in the remembrance of Allah Almighty,

8:56 his tongue would be loosed by the will of Allah,

8:59 Who causes whomever He wills to speak by His omnipotence.

9:02 Allah Almighty said:

9:05 "[This is] a mention of the mercy of your Lord to His servant Zechariah,"

9:20 “When he cried unto his Lord a cry in secret,” (19:3)

9:25 "He said, 'My Lord, indeed my bones have grown feeble,'"

9:33 "'and gray hair has spread on my head,'"

9:38 “Saying: My Lord! Lo! the bones of me wax feeble and my head is shining with grey hair, and I have never been unblest in prayer to Thee, my Lord.” (19:4)

9:45 “Lo! I fear my kinsfolk after me, since my wife is barren. Oh, give me from Thy presence a successor” (19:5)

9:51 "'and my wife has been barren,'"

9:54 "'and my wife has been barren,'"

9:58 “Lo! I fear my kinsfolk after me, since my wife is barren. Oh, give me from Thy presence a successor” (19:5)

10:03 “Who shall inherit of me and inherit (also) of the house of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, acceptable (unto Thee).” (19:6)

10:08 "'and make him, my Lord, one with whom You are pleased.'"

10:12 "'O Zechariah,'"

10:14 "'indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name is John;'"

10:19 "'indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name is John;'"

10:26 “(It was said unto him): O Zachariah! Lo! We bring thee tidings of a son whose name is John; we have given the same name to none before (him).” (19:7)

10:31 "He said, 'My Lord, how can I have a boy'"

10:37 "'when my wife is barren?'"

10:44 “He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren and I have reached infirm old age?” (19:8)

10:49 "He said, 'Thus [it will be];'"

10:51 "'your Lord says: It is easy for Me,'"

10:55 “He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me, even as I created thee before, when thou wast naught.” (19:9)

10:59 “He said: So (it will be). Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me, even as I created thee before, when thou wast naught.” (19:9)

11:03 "'and you were nothing.'"

11:05 "He said, 'My Lord, make for me a sign.'"

11:08 “He said: My Lord! Appoint for me some token. He said: Thy token is that thou, with no bodily defect, shalt not speak unto mankind three nights.” (19:10)

11:16 “Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night.” (19:11)

11:21 “Then he came forth unto his people from the sanctuary, and signified to them: Glorify your Lord at break of day and fall of night.” (19:11)

11:36 John, peace be upon him, was born,

11:39 grew up in the household of prophethood,

11:41 and was raised by his father, the Prophet Zechariah, peace be upon him.

11:46 Allah Almighty commanded him to hold firmly to the Scripture:

11:51 to learn the Torah with diligence and earnestness,

11:55 to comprehend its meanings correctly,

11:58 and to practice the rulings and manners it contained,

12:02 for the blessing and power of knowledge lie in its implementation.

12:07 John, peace be upon him, complied with the command of Allah Almighty;

12:11 he devoted himself to the Torah, learning it and acting upon its rulings

12:16 while still a young boy of seven years.

12:20 Thus, he was granted deep understanding and devotion to worship.

12:23 It is mentioned that other boys once said to John, "Come play with us!"

12:29 He replied, "Were we created for play? Come, let us pray!"

12:36 Among the qualities that Allah Almighty bestowed upon His prophet John, peace be upon him,

12:41 was the quality of compassion,

12:42 as He placed mercy in his heart with which he showed tenderness to others.

12:47 He also granted him purity of soul,

12:50 which kept him far from committing what Allah had forbidden

12:54 and made him foremost in doing good.

12:57 He was obedient to Allah in all that He commanded him,

13:01 abstaining from all that He forbade him,

13:04 and He made him exceedingly dutiful and kind toward his parents.

13:08 Furthermore, he was neither arrogant, haughty, nor conceited,

13:14 nor was he disobedient or defiant toward the command of his Lord.

13:19 Then Allah decreed peace and security for him in three situations:

13:24 the day he was born, the day he died, and the day he will be raised alive.

13:29 Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah said:

13:33 "A creature experiences the greatest loneliness in three situations:

13:36 the day he is born and finds himself coming out of where he had been;

13:42 the day he dies and sees beings he had never seen before;

13:48 and the day he is resurrected and finds himself in a momentous gathering."

13:53 So Allah honored John in these situations,

13:56 bestowing peace specifically upon him in these three states.

14:01 Allah Almighty said:

14:02 "'O John, hold the Scripture with resolve,' and We gave him judgment while still a boy,"

14:06 "and We gave him judgment while still a boy,"

14:11 “And compassion from Our presence, and purity; and he was devout,” (19:13)

14:17 "and he was pious,"

14:20 “And dutiful toward his parents. And he was not arrogant, rebellious.” (19:14)

14:27 “Peace on him the day he was born, and the day he dieth and the day he shall be raised alive!” (19:15)

14:36 It is narrated that John and Jesus, peace be upon them,

14:41 met one day,

14:43 and Jesus said to John,

14:45 "Ask forgiveness for me, O John;

14:48 you are better than me."

14:50 John replied,

14:52 "Rather, you ask forgiveness for me, O Jesus;

14:55 for you are better than me."

14:58 Jesus said,

15:00 "Rather, you are better than me:

15:02 I invoked peace upon myself,

15:04 whereas Allah invoked peace upon you."

15:08 As for the affair of Zechariah, peace be upon him,

15:11 when he persistently admonished his people

15:14 and forbade them from the unlawful desires they craved,

15:18 they grew exasperated with him

15:20 and resolved to kill him.

15:22 When he sensed that,

15:24 he fled from them toward the woods.

15:27 He passed by a tree,

15:29 and it called out to him by Allah's command, saying:

15:32 "Come to me, O prophet of Allah!"

15:34 So it split open for him,

15:36 he entered inside it,

15:38 So the tree closed over him,

15:40 but Satan caught the edge of his garment.

15:43 The Children of Israel saw his garment,

15:45 so they placed a saw against the tree

15:48 and sawed through it until they cut him in two,

15:51 while he was inside it.

15:53 Then, leadership passed after him

15:58 to his son Yahya (peace be upon him),

15:59 who began calling his people to Allah and admonishing them.

16:03 He used to judge among the people,

16:05 clarify for them the deeper truths of the religion,

16:08 show them the path of righteousness,

16:10 and warn them against the path of error.

16:13 He would call people to repent from sins

16:17 and supplicate Allah on their behalf.

16:19 There was not a single person who hated Yahya

16:23 or wished harm upon him;

16:25 he was beloved for his tenderness, purity,

16:29 piety, knowledge, and virtue.

16:32 Whenever Yahya (peace be upon him)

16:34 stood before the people to call them to Allah,

16:38 he moved them so deeply that he brought them to tears through the sincerity of his words.

16:42 One day, Yahya (peace be upon him) gathered

16:45 the Children of Israel in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem),

16:48 until the mosque became full

16:50 and they were seated on the balconies.

16:52 He said, "Indeed, Allah has commanded me with five teachings,

16:57 that I should act upon them:

16:59 The first is that you worship Allah and associate nothing with Him.

17:05 For the parable of the one who associates partners with Allah

17:08 is like a man who bought a slave using his own wealth of gold or silver,

17:14 and said to him, 'This is my house and this is my work,

17:18 so work and remit the earnings to me.'

17:21 But he worked and remitted the earnings to someone other than his master.

17:25 Which of you would be pleased to have his slave

17:29 behave like that?

17:32 And Allah commands you to perform prayer;

17:35 so when you pray, do not look around,

17:38 for Allah directs His Face toward the face of His servant during prayer as long as he does not look around.

17:44 And He commands you to fast;

17:47 for the parable of that is like a man among a group who carries a pouch containing musk,

17:53 all of whom are delighted by its fragrance,

17:56 and the breath of a fasting person is sweeter to Allah than the scent of musk.

18:02 And He commands you to give charity;

18:05 for the parable of that is like a man captured by the enemy,

18:09 who bound his hand to his neck

18:12 and brought him forward to strike his neck,

18:15 so he said,

18:17 'I will ransom myself from you with little or much,'

18:21 and so he ransomed himself from them.

18:23 And He commands you to remember Allah;

18:26 for the parable of that is like a man pursued swiftly by the enemy in his tracks,

18:32 until he reached an impenetrable fortress and protected himself from them;

18:38 likewise, a servant cannot protect himself from Satan except through the remembrance of Allah."

18:44 The king during the time of Yahya (peace be upon him) wished to marry his own niece,

18:51 as her beauty captivated him,

18:54 and she too coveted him and his royalty,

18:57 encouraged by her mother in this pursuit.

19:00 Yet they knew that this was forbidden in their religion,

19:04 so the king wanted to obtain permission from Yahya (peace be upon him).

19:09 They went to seek his legal ruling, trying to entice him with wealth so he would make an exception for the king,

19:15 but Yahya (peace be upon him) forbade him from doing so

19:19 and warned the king against marrying his unmarriageable kin (mahram).

19:22 The king became enraged with him.

19:24 His niece was a wicked, immoral woman,

19:28 and she still coveted him and his royalty.

19:32 One night, she came to the king

19:36 and began singing and dancing before him.

19:39 When he attained what he desired from her,

19:44 she demanded the blood of Yahya.

19:46 He granted her request

19:48 and dispatched his soldiers to him.

19:50 They found Yahya (peace be upon him) standing in prayer in his sanctuary,

19:56 and they murdered him,

19:58 bringing his head to her on a platter.

20:01 On the authority of Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him and his father),

20:07 the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

20:11 "There is not one among the children of Adam who has not sinned

20:15 or intended to commit a sin,

20:17 except Yahya, the son of Zakariyya."

20:20 And 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated

20:23 that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

20:27 "Every son of Adam will come on the Day of Resurrection with some sin,

20:32 except Yahya, the son of Zakariyya."

20:36 Noble brothers,

20:38 the name of the Prophet of Allah Zakariyya (peace be upon him) is mentioned in the Qur'an seven times,

20:44 and the name of Yahya (peace be upon him) is mentioned in the Qur'an five times.

20:49 Among the most important lessons and morals derived from their stories:

20:54 First, the story of Zakariyya (peace be upon him) establishes a universal principle:

21:00 namely, that Allah Almighty does whatever He wills,

21:05 unbound by secondary causes, effects, or normal habits,

21:10 for He is the absolute Doer of whatever He intends,

21:13 and His power, Glorified is He, is incapacitated by nothing.

21:16 Second:

21:19 The One who provided Maryam with out-of-season fruit

21:23 is the One who provided Zakariyya (peace be upon him) with an unexpected child in old age.

21:28 This illustrates the power of Allah, Glorified is He,

21:31 Who says to a thing, "Be," and it is;

21:35 so let the servant place full trust in Allah and never despair of His mercy.

21:40 Third:

21:42 The encouragement to constantly remember, glorify, and praise Allah,

21:47 for through the remembrance of Allah, hearts find peace, souls find tranquility, and misdeeds and sins are washed away;

21:55 and this was the counsel of Allah Almighty to Zakariyya (peace be upon him).

22:00 Fourth:

22:02 Discerning people turn to their Creator, Mighty and Majestic,

22:07 asking Him to grant them righteous offspring and upright children

22:11 who dedicate their worship sincerely to Allah,

22:14 sacrifice their wealth and lives to elevate the word of truth,

22:20 and promote virtues while eliminating vices.

22:23 Fifth:

22:26 Whenever supplication springs from a sound heart and a truthful tongue,

22:31 it is most hopeful of acceptance and worthy of an answer.

22:35 Sixth:

22:37 Supplicating quietly is among the observed etiquettes of prayer,

22:40 for Allah praised Zakariyya (peace be upon him) with His words:

22:43 "When he called out to his Lord in secret."

22:47 The early Muslims used to strive earnestly in supplication

22:51 without any voice being heard from them;

22:53 their prayers were nothing but a whisper between them and their Lord.

22:59 Seventh:

23:02 Among the means of having supplications answered

23:04 is what Allah Almighty mentioned in the story of Zakariyya (peace be upon him):

23:09 "And Zakariyya, when he cried out to his Lord, 'My Lord,

23:14 do not leave me alone and childless,

23:17 “And Zachariah, when he cried unto his Lord: My Lord! Leave me not childless, though Thou art the Best of inheritors.” (21:89)

23:20 though You are the best of inheritors.'

23:24 So We answered him, granted him Yahya,

23:29 and cured his wife for him.

23:32 “Then We heard his prayer, and bestowed upon him John, and adjusted his wife (to bear a child) for him. Lo! they used to vie one with the other in good deeds, and they cried unto Us in longing and in fear, and were submissive unto Us.” (21:90)

23:36 They used to call upon Us with hope and fear,

23:40 and they were humbly submissive to Us."

23:45 Eighth:

23:47 Al-Qurtubi said:

23:49 The supplication of Zakariyya (peace be upon him),

23:52 "My Lord, grant me from Yourself a good offspring,"

23:55 indicates the lawfulness of seeking offspring,

23:57 which is the Sunnah of the messengers and the truthful.

24:01 Al-Bukhari titled a chapter on this:

24:04 "Chapter on Seeking Children."

24:06 And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to Abu Talhah,

24:10 when his infant son passed away:

24:12 "Did you spend the night together as husband and wife?"

24:13 He replied, "Yes."

24:15 He said, "May Allah bless you both in your past night."

24:20 And so his wife became pregnant.

24:22 There are numerous narrations carrying this meaning,

24:25 urging and recommending the pursuit of children

24:28 due to the benefit one hopes to receive from them in this life and after death.

24:34 Ninth: The believer must take matters with seriousness and responsibility,

24:40 which is an essential trait of Allah's faithful servants;

24:43 this is derived from the words of Allah Almighty:

24:47 "O Yahya, hold firmly to the Scripture."

24:50 Tenth: Showing mercy to people,

24:55 purifying the soul by directing it toward virtues and good deeds,

24:59 curbing its impulses away from lusts and destructive sins,

25:03 being mindful of Allah, showing filial piety toward parents,

25:06 and shunning acts of disobedience

25:08 are noble qualities that a believing servant should adorn himself with,

25:14 be utmost keen to uphold,

25:17 strive diligently to attain,

25:19 and make an active practice in daily life.

25:26 To be continued, if Allah wills.

25:29 And Allah knows best; all praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds.

25:33 May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,

25:37 and upon all his family and Companions.

25:42 You were listening to Stories of the Prophets.

25:44 May Allah bless him, his family, and Companions.

Stories of the Prophets | Episode (32) | The story of Zechariah and Yahya, peace be upon them

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