YAHYA (JOHN THE BAPTIST) AS

The Message of Yahya AS

The people of Bani Israel loved and respected Yahya AS greatly and his words used to touch their hearts.

Imam Ahmad reported that Allah commanded Yahya AS with five duties which he was asked to command Bani Israel with. Yahya AS delayed for a while in implementing this command, so he was reproached by Isa AS that he if he did not carry out his command, that Isa AS would do it instead.

In response, Yahya AS gathered the Israelites in Jerusalem and delivered the five commandments, which were to worship none other than Allah without associating Him with any partner, because the similitude is like the one who has bought a slave with the best of his wealth, silver or gold, but the slave started working for others.

The second was to offer prayers to Allah, and not to allow themselves to be distracted towards other things.

The third is of the commandment to fast, as its similitude was that of a man who has a bag of musk among a multitude of people, of whom everyone enjoys its fragrance.

The fourth was to give in charity, because the parable is like the one who was captured by an enemy, and they tied his hand up with his neck, and then wanted to behead him. The man at this point would ask his enemy: “Is it possible that I pay ransom and free myself? ” After his captors agreed, the man would pay his ransom with everything he had, until he was freed.

The fifth was the frequent remembrance (zikr) of Allah, the similitude being that of a man whom his enemy had chased out, but he had found a fortified castle and entered it. The man is more protected from his enemy (Shaitan) when he is in Allah’s remembrance.

The Death of Yahya AS

Accounts differ on the circumstances leading to the death of Yahya AS, although the outcome of these reports coincided. According to one report, the King at the time was incensed because Yahya’s AS popularity with the people exceeded his. The King also desired a woman, whom, because of their close blood relationship, was prohibited to him by the laws of Allah, and did not like it that Yahya AS made the people aware of this prohibition.

The woman in question, enraged that Yahya AS was an obstacle to their marriage, continued to entice the King. She kept on trying to lure and seduce him, until the King, inflamed by desire, promised to give her anything she wanted for her hand in marriage, regardless that the marriage was unlawful in Islam. She was so evil that she requested for the head of Yahya AS to be served to her on a platter. The King agreed to her demand, and deployed his army to Yahya’s AS mihrab (prayer sanctuary) where they decapitated him and brought his severed head to the King.

In another version, it is reported that Yahya AS was delivering a sermon when a very pretty prostitute desired him. He refused her advances, which left her furious and scheming for revenge. Over time, the King at that time grew to desire her. As a payback for spurning her earlier, she stipulated that if the King wanted her, he would have to deliver Yahya’s AS head to her. This story has the same ending, in that Yahya AS was brutally murdered because of the spite of one woman, and his head was delivered to them. Imagine how heinous the people were then, to have slain a Prophet and Messenger, without any fear of Allah.

Say: “Verily, there came to you Messengers before me, with clear signs and even with what you speak of; why then did you kill them, if you are truthful?” (Al Qur’an 3:183)

Lessons to be Learnt

The Physical Life

When we study the stories in the Qur’an, whether of Prophets and Messengers or of ordinary people, we should realize an important truth: no matter what our circumstances are, there is a story, or a character in the Qur’an, that matches our station in life. Whether we are rich or poor, with a high status or just a commoner, man or woman, these stories teach us how we are to behave, and also the behaviour we should avoid.

In the story of Yahya AS, the message is that there is nothing to be ashamed of if living a very frugal life, and that one does not have to indulge in a luxurious lifestyle to gain the pleasure of Allah. On the other hand, one should also not blame poverty or lack of means to stop from being thankful and appreciative to Allah. What made Yahya AS so beloved to Allah was his level of piety, devotion and humbleness, being totally disinterested and disconnected from any worldly pleasures. He did not worry that he owned virtually nothing – all of this was irrelevant to him in his journey of iman.

Therefore, even if we do not own very much in this life, what is our excuse? Lack of means should not be a barrier of our worship and devotion to Allah, as demonstrated time and time again by most Prophets. However, we get anxious, blame and complain and then use our lack of wealth as a justification not to be diligent in our devotion. The story of Yahya AS shows us that the opposite of this behaviour is the correct one.

The Physical Death

Yahya AS led a life close to perfection – and this is the behaviour and utter devotion that all of us should aspire to. He spurned dunia, and guarded his heart and limbs from any distraction that would divert him from the remembrance of Allah. Undoubtedly, he was one of the most beloved creations of Allah, living his life in complete and utter devotion to Allah from childhood.

Yet, despite his piety and status, Allah allowed him to die in the most hideous and brutal manner. Some of us may consider this to be a disgraceful and humiliating death. The point to be made here is that the humiliation of the physical body is not something that we should worry about, on the condition that our soul, status of the heart, and strength of our faith grants us the closeness and pleasure of Allah. Today, we see many brothers and sisters in Islam murdered, humiliated and brutalized at the hands of infidels and wicked and corrupted so-called Muslims – if they died with their iman intact and with the love of Allah embedded in their hearts, they are indeed the victors.

Death is beyond our control, and what is important is how we lived our lives, and how firm our faith in Allah is at the moment of our deaths. What we should strive for is to live for Allah, gain the honour in Allah’s kingdom and pray for Allah to honour us, despite how the moment of death actually arrives.

Continued Disobedience

Through the passage of time, Bani Israel became increasingly bold in their disobedience, to the extent that they were willing to murder Prophets with their own hands. As we come close to the conclusion of our series on the Prophets and Messengers, the question that remains for us is: Why did Allah grant us numerous examples of the disbelievers, the criminals and the disobedient, starting from the first generation of mankind born on earth, all the way to the despicable behaviour of Bani Israel, and later the behaviour of the Quraish (before they submitted to Islam)? These all provide stern warnings for us, for each of the stories describe their characteristics to the point that they became spiritually blind: arrogant, envious, stingy, leading to hypocrisy and disbelief. Allah will never guide those who are oppressors, or are stingy or arrogant. The Bani Israel during this time strayed so far from fear of Allah that they were willing to kill Prophets with their own hands and their actions are condemned by Allah until the end of time.

May Allah protect us from all these evil qualities, and make us amongst the rightly guided, ameen.