ZAKARIYA AS

Before long, Allah responded to his prayer, confirming that his wife’s barrenness had been cured and that they were to have a son who would also become a Prophet. Moreover, this son had the honour of being named by Allah himself, with a name that had never existed in mankind’s history:

So We answered his call, and We bestowed upon him Yahya (John), and cured his wife (to bear a child) for him. Verily, they used to hasten on to do good deeds, and they used to call on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Us. (Al Qur’an 21:90)

So the angels called him while he was standing in prayer in the chamber, “Indeed, Allah gives you good tidings of Yahya (John), confirming a word from Allah [meaning, the word of Isa AS later on] and [who will be] honorable, abstaining [from women], and a prophet from among the righteous.” (Al Qur’an 3:39)

Nevertheless, Zakariya AS was astounded by the news. He burst out:

“My Lord, how will I have a boy when I have reached old age and my wife is barren?” The angel said, “Such is Allah; He does what He wills.” (Al Qur’an 3:40). This reaction is reminiscent of the earlier reaction given by his distant ancestor, Ibrahim AS when it was announced to him that he was to have a son. It was not a statement of disbelief, but rather an exclamation of surprise.

Zakariya AS continued:

“My Lord, make for me a sign.” He said, “Your sign is that you will not [be able to] speak to the people for three days except by gesture. And remember your Lord much and exalt [Him with praise] in the evening and the morning.” (Al Qur’an 3:41)

True to Allah’s promise, his wife soon delivered a son, and he was named Yahya AS (John the Baptist). We will set out his story in another chapter, insha Allah.

The Death of Zakariya AS

As mentioned earlier, the stories of Zakariya AS, Yahya AS and Isa AS are interconnected. Hence, the death of Yahya AS and Zakariya AS happened in close sequence to each other.

Yahya AS was brutally murdered, and the mode of his murder was a beheading, with his decapitated head presented to the king. We shall provide more detail in when we talk about his life, insha Allah.

Imagine the heartbreak that Zakariya AS must have felt. Yahya AS was born at such a late age in his father’s life, against all the odds. He led a life that was exemplary and fulfilled all of Zakariya’s AS supplications. He was the ideal son, for not only was he an exceptionally devoted servant to Allah, but he was also kind and generous to his parents.

Whether one is a Prophet or not, it is a terrible thing for a parent to endure the death of his or her child. To find that one’s child, who is innocent of all sin and wrongdoing, has been senselessly and violently slain, must have made the grief almost unbearable.

However, the crisis deepened. According to reports, emboldened by the murder of Yahya AS, Bani Israel decided to turn against his father too. A mob, bent on hatred and destruction, set out to kill Zakariya AS. Such was their arrogance and disbelief that they were willing to murder their own Prophets.

According to the Jewish traditions (and since there is nothing in Muslim reports which contradict this, which means we are neither to accept nor deny) Zakariya AS managed to flee. With Allah’s will, a tree opened up its trunk and allowed Zakariya AS to hide inside it, and then wrapped him up in its depths. However, Shaitan pulled a fragment of Zakariya’s AS clothes through the cracks, thus exposing him.

According to some reports, the pursuers initially wanted to set the tree on fire, but then decided instead to saw the tree in half, along with Zakariya AS in it. This was how his life abruptly ended: in the most brutal and bloodthirsty way, and by the evil hands of the very people he was trying to guide.

Lessons to be learnt

Allah is the Only Planner

We saw how, when Bani Israel were casting lots to claim guardianship over Maryam AS, that any human manipulation cannot withstand Allah’s plan. It was fated that Zakariya AS was to be appointed as the guardian of Maryam AS, despite the number of times Bani Israel re-casted the pens and changed the rules of the competition in order to deny Zakariya AS guardianship. Not only were Bani Israel stubborn in acknowledging the moral superiority of a Prophet over them, but they went further and denied each time the results of the draw were in Zakariya’s AS favour.

From here, we should realize that if something is meant to be, no amount of human effort can change the results. Allah is always the best planner, and while we as human beings, plot and plan, it is ultimately the plot and plan of Allah that overrides all else.

The Ultimate Legacy

Zakariya AS, like his distant ancestor, realized that the ultimate gift that one can hope for in a child is someone who can continue to spread the legacy of Islam. Zakariya AS did not want a son to inherit his wealth, land or financial empire, for he had none. However, he wanted his progeny to inherit the knowledge of Islam so that the legacy of da’wah can continue.

Today, we want children for the wrong reasons: to inherit our possessions, to keep the wealth within the family, and even to show off. Our children have become our playthings and trophies, brought into this world to draw attention and gasps of praise from others. When the intention of propagation is founded on the corrupted reasons, the consequence is that our children will just be trials for us: nothing more than trivial decorations which will lead to our destruction in this life and the next.

How many mothers have children for the sake of servitude to Allah? We have reached a point that even when Muslim women are with child, they can’t even be bothered to maintain their basic Muslim obligations such as prayer. When the children are born, the children are suffocated with dunia from all sides. The emphasis of upbringing is concentrated on secular education and worldly achievements, with little or no awareness of Allah. We should go back to the basics and remember how the great people of Islam, such as Ibrahim AS, Zakariya AS and the mother of Maryam AS yearned for children with the honest and sincere intention to please Allah.

The Power of Belief

Zakariya AS had waited so long for a child, but given that his wife was unable to conceive, it was not something that he made a supplication for. When he was inspired by Allah’s bounty during his guardianship of Maryam AS, he made sincere supplication to his Lord, hoping for something that defied all logic and biology. His wife conceived, and bore him a son: a Prophet who also enjoyed the privilege of being untouched by sin.

Allah can provide for whom He wants, at His own will. We learn the value of a person in Allah’s esteem when he gets closer to Allah and what Allah can do for him. The root and the conditions do not belong to this earth, but rather are in the hands of Allah. Allah can will anything to happen, and Allah can also erase any obstacles.

Yet, why are we so reluctant to turn to Him in the time of need, believing in the hopelessness of the circumstances instead of the unlimited power of Allah? It is because our faith is so weak that our first recourse is to rely on ourselves, or others, who are just as limited as we. We rarely rely on Allah because deep down, many of us disbelieve in Allah’s ability to deliver.

If we follow the stories of the Prophets, we shall see miracle after miracle, one impossible situation succeeding the next. All these demonstrate the supreme power of Allah, yet, like many of the Bani Israel, our faith is shaky even with all the signs and portents of Allah that surround us. Take inspiration from these stories to strengthen your faith, rely on Allah and you will see wonder.

May Allah guide us and our families to be His humble slaves, and protect us against the arrogance of self reliance and disbelief, ameen.