Indexed OCR Text

TRANSLATION: And (remember also) Ismaa'eel v, Idrees v and Dhul Kifl v. They were all
from the patient ones. We admitted them all into Our mercy. They were indeed from the
righteous.
Allaah also says:
وَ اذْكُرْ اِسْمَعِيْلَ وَ الْيَسَعَ وَ ذَا الْكِفْلِ * وَكُلٌّ مِّنَ الْآَخْيَارِ (٣٨٠)
TRANSLATION: (In addition to the above,) Remember Ismaa'eel v, Yasa v and Dhul Kifl v.
They were all from the very best (of creation).287
A lengthy Narration
Since the Qur'aan does not provide details of the life of Hadhrat Dhul Kifl v, the
Ahadeeth also do not contain much information either. Therefore, all that can be
said with certainty about him is that he was one of Allaah's chosen messengers
who was sent to guide some nation and, like all the Ambiyaa pal Auk, must have
suffered hardships and trials. Allaah rewarded him by enveloping him in His
mercy and including him in the list of the esteemed Ambiyaa pul alc.
However, the famous Mufassir Ibn Jareer al was, has reported a detailed narration
from the famous Taabi'ee Imaam Mujahid ai), which provides insight into his
life. Ibn Abi Haatim ulo, has also quoted narrations from Hadhrat Abdullaah bin
Abbaas t and Hadhrat Abu Moosa Ash'ari t concerning him. Although the
narrations are Mungati, they do share many commonalities in the story and are
worth narrating.
287
Surah Saad, verse 48.
640

The literal meaning of the name Dhul Kifl is 'one who has a large share',
meaning a large share of good character and good habits. This was a title and is
used as his name in the Qur'aan. Some Mufassireen state that his name was
Bishr and that he was the son of Hadhrat Ayyoob v, who was blessed with
Nubuwwah after him.
Allaama Aalusi il, writes that according to the Ahlul Kitaab, his real name was
Hizqi'eel and lived during the year 597 B.C. He was sent to guide the people a
colony that Nebuchadnezzar had established for the slaves of the Bani Israa'eel,
called Tilabeeb. He suffered much harassment in the course of his Da'wah here,
which was then multiplied when he started to preach to the leaders of
Jerusalem. It is therefore possible that he received the title of Dhul Kifl because
of the tremendous amount of patience he had to endure.
The lengthy narration of Imaam Mujaahid ail Ano, states that When Hadhrat Yasa u
grew old, he thought to himself, "I wish I could appoint someone worthy of
continuing my duty after me." He therefore called people to him and said to
them, "I wish to appoint someone as my successor, but he needs to fulfill three
conditions; (1) He should fast every day, (2) pray every night and (3) never lose
his temper."
When an unknown man volunteered, Hadhrat Yasa v repeated the conditions
and sought assurance that he would fulfill them. The man assured him that he
would fulfill them, but Hadhrat Yasa v turned him back on that day. When he
repeated the same announcement the second day and all others kept quiet, the
same man volunteered yet again. Hadhrat Yasa v therefore appointed him as his
successor.
641

Once the man was appointed successor, Iblees gathered Shayaateen and
instructed them do all they could to make the man break his undertaking.
However, as much as they tried, they could not get him to forsake the fasting,
the Ibaadah or get him to lose his temper. Eventually Iblees decided to do it
himself. He therefore disguised himself as an unkempt old man and approached
the man at the time of siesta. Since the man did not sleep all night, he did not
get any sleep except during the time of siesta. When Iblees knocked the door
and the man asked who it was, Iblees said: "A poor old man who has been
wronged!" The pious man got up and opened the door. Iblees started telling him
the story, saying, "There has been a dispute between my people and I and they
have perpetrated every injustice to me." He then prolonged the story until the
time for siesta had passed by. The man then said, "Come see me in the evening
and I will address your problem then."
However, when he went to his court that evening and looked for the old man, he
was nowhere to be seen. The next morning when he was again judging people's
disputes, he waited yet again for the old man, but he did not turn up. However,
when it was time for siesta and he went home to sleep, the old man arrived and
knocked the door. "Who is at the door?" he asked. "The old man who has been
wronged," came the reply. He opened the door and said, "Did I not tell you that
you should come to me when I sit in my court?" The old man replied, "My
people are the worst of people. When they knew that you are sitting in the
court, they told me that they would give me my right, but when you left your
court, they again refused to do so." He then continued talking until the time for
siesta ended. The man then said, "You may go now, but ensure that you come to
me when I am in court this evening. I will then settle this dispute between you
and your people." The old man then left with apologies and prayers for the man.
642

Since he was unable to get any rest for two consecutive days, the man was
exhausted. He then went to his court and again waited for the old man.
However, the old man was not there. The same thing happened in the morning
when he sat in his court. The man thought that the old man had perhaps come
to some settlement with his people, so because he was feeling drowsy and tired
that afternoon, he said to one of his household: "Do not let allow anyone in
because I desperately need to have some sleep today." However, the old man
appeared again at his usual time and knocked the door. When the person
watching the door refused to open because of the instruction, the old man said,
"I had been coming to him for the past two days for my need and he told me to
come at this time."
However, the person at the door insisted that he would not permit anyone in. A
moment later, the people in the house were startled to see the old man inside
the house, knocking on the man's room door. When the man opened his room
door and saw the old man there, he shouted to his house people, asking why
they had let the man in. They assured him that they had not. Noticing that they
were truthful since the door was still locked, he immediately realized who the
old man was. He therefore said, "O enemy of Allaah! You must be Iblees!" The
old man replied, "Yes, I am. When my army and I failed at every attempt, I
resorted to this last effort to get you to lose your temper. However, you have
frustrated me yet again."
Allaah therefore called him Dhul Kifl, because he took the responsibility of doing
something and he fulfilled it.
Critique
Because this narration of Imaam Mujahid ail ton, does not have a sound chain of
narrators, it will not be regarded as anything more than a story. Neither can it be
643

used as Tafseer of the Qur'aan, nor can it be used to prove anything about his
life. This narration describes Hadhrat Dhul Kifl v as a pious man and not a Nabi.
However, this will be deemed incorrect because the Qur'aan includes his name
in the list of Ambiyaa Sul peale ,
Hadhrat Shah Abdul Qaadir , has written that Hadhrat Dhul Kifl v was the son
of Hadhrat Ayyoob v and had to suffer imprisonment because he took the
burden of someone else's responsibility for the pleasure of Allaah. And Allaah
knows best.
644

Lessons and Conclusions
Was Hadhrat Dhul Kill U Gautama Buddha?
While some people are of the opinion that Dhul Kifl was the title of Hadhrat
Hizqeel v, there are some who hold the strange opinion that Dhul Kifl was really
the title of Gautama Buddha. The reason for this is that the capital of Gautami
was Kuppal, which is translated into Arabic as Kifl. Therefore, they maintain, Dhul
Kifl means the person from Kifl/Kuppal or the chief of Kifl/Kuppal. They say that
although his original teachings were about Towheed and Islaam, they were later
corrupted.
However, this opinion is mere speculation, which has no grounds in history. Of
course, new research is being unveiled all the time and if anyone can prove from
the Qur'aan and Ahadeeth or from reliable historical sources that some person
mentioned in the Qur'aan actually referred to some historical figure, there will
be no need to reject it. Nevertheless, there exists nothing concrete to support
the theory of Hadhrat Dhul Kifl v being the Buddha since it is based on mere
speculation.
This certainly does not rule out the fact that Allaah has sent warners to
every nation, as stated in verse 24 of Surah Faatir, "A warner (who
cautioned people about the consequences of kufr) passed in every nation".
The Qur'aan also makes it clear that each and every Nabi has not been made
mention of when it says, "(O Rasulullaah p!) Verily We have sent many Rusul before you.
645

Of them there are those whose narratives We have related to you, as well as those whose
narratives We have not related to you".288
Furthermore, the Qur'aan exhorts us to believe in all the Ambiyaa pulse and to
say, "We make no distinction between one and another messenger" .289 In the light of
these verses, it would be incorrect for us not to believe in any of the Ambiyaa Male
pu if we are certain that the figure is a Nabi. We therefore would believe in a
Nabi when it is proven that he was indeed a Nabi. However, in the case of the
Buddha being Hadhrat Dhul Kifl v, there is no convincing proof. It would
therefore be more wrong for us to believe in someone being a Nabi when he was
not.
The Narration of Kill
Imaam Ahmed al to, quotes from Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Umar t, who said that he
heard Rasulullaah p say, "Kifl was a man of Bani Israa'eel who never shied away
from committing a sin. A beautiful woman (once) came to him (on an errand)
and he coaxed her to let him perform the immoral act with her for sixty Dinaars.
After he had given her the money and he sat down with her to perpetrate the
immoral act, she began to tremble and shake violently in fear. He asked her why
she was behaving in this manner when she had agreed to the act. She said that it
was because she had never committed the sin before. "Why then did you agree
to it?" he questioned. She told him that it was because of her destitution and the
fact that her children were starving.
Kifl immediately left her, thinking that if she was capable of fearing Allaah when
she was in such desperation, why should he not do so when Allaah had blessed
him with so much. He then said to her, "Go away from here! That money too
288
Surah Mu'min, verse 78.
289
Surah Baqarah, verse 285.
646

belongs to you. I swear by Allaah that after this night I will never disobey Allaah."
He then spent the night repenting to Allaah in great remorse.
It then happened that he died that very night. In the morning there was an
inscription on his door, which read, "Surely, Allaah has forgiven Kifl."
Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Umar t said that he had heard this Hadith more than
seven times from Rasulullaah p.
Allaama Ibn Katheer al ., has stated that this Hadith is classified as Ghareeb.
However, there is no harm in narrating it since no injunctions of Deen are
extracted from it. The purpose of narrating this is to make it clear that this
person from the Bani Israa'eel was not the Nabi Hadhrat Dhul Kifl v, as many
people think. The confusion exists because of the similarity of name. However,
while the one is Dhul Kifl, the other is just Kifl.
Another reason proving that they were not the same person is that Hadhrat Dhul
Kifl v was a Nabi and it is unanimously accepted that the Ambiyaa pulle never
committed sins even before declaring their Nubuwwah. They remained pure
before just as they were after. A Nabi can never be described as someone who
never shied away from sin. One should therefore not confused Hadhrat Dhul Kifl
u with the man Kifl.
647

Sayyiduna Uzayr U
Hadbrat Uzays U in the Qur'an
The Qur'aan mentions only the name of Hadhrat Uzayr v, making it clear that he
was never the son of Allaah, as the Jews claimed. This claim is as false as the
claim of the Christians that Hadhrat Isa v is the son of Allaah. It is only in this
singular verse of the Qur'aan that his name is mentioned. Allaah says:
وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُوْدُ عُزَيْرٌّ ابْنُ اللهِ وَقَالَتِ النَّصْرَى الْمَسِيْحُ ابْنُ اللهِ ﴿ ذُلِكَ قَوْلُهُمْ بِأَقْوَابِهِمْ وَ يُضَابُوْنَ قَوْلَ الَّذِيْنَ
كَفَرُوْا مِنْ قَبْلُ ﴿ قَتَلَهُمُ اللهُ وَّنْ آَنَّى يُؤْفَكُوْنَ (٣٠)
Lineage
The famous Muslim historian Ibn Asaakir has written that the father of Hadhrat
Uzayr v was a man named Jarwa, while the book of Ezra states that his name
was Khalqiyaa. Although historians differ about the name sin his lineage, they all
agree that Hadhrat Uzayr v was from the progeny of Hadhrat Haaroon v.
Introduction
The tyrant king Nebuchadnezzar lived during the middle of the seventh century
before Hadhrat Isa v. He was a powerful foe and conquered all the neighbouring
countries in quick succession; he eventually launched his offensives against
Palestine and soon overran Jerusalem and all the surrounding areas. Not only did
he destroy the cities, but he also took the Bani Israa'eel to Babylon as slaves in
648

great humiliation. He destroyed all copies of the Torah until the Bani Israa'eel
were left with none. This all happened after the demise of Hadhrat Sulaymaan
0.
The Bani Israa'eel were forced to live in Babylon for seventy years, during which
time they lost their Deen, their culture and had even forgotten their language of
Hebrew. Hadhrat Uzayr v was a young lad living with the rest of the Bani
Israa'eel in Babylon during those years. He then declared his Nubuwwah at the
age of forty and continued to guide the Bani Israa'eel until after their freedom
from Babylon until they started to rebuild Baytul Muqaddas.
After securing their freedom from Babylon and returning to Baytul Muqaddas,
the Bani Israa'eel were concerned about regaining the Torah, which they had
lost. It was then that Hadhrat Uzayr v gathered the Bani Israa'eel together. Some
narrations from the sources of the Bani Israa'eel state that two flames
descended from the heavens at the time and settled within his chest. He then
started to recite the Torah to them from beginning to end as they wrote it
down. This miraculous deed caused the Bani Israa'eel to develop an even greater
admiration for Hadhrat Uzayr v. However, as time went on, this admiration soon
gave way to such adoration that a group from the Bani Israa'eel started to regard
him to be the son of Allaah. They said that whole they depended on the tablets
and scripts of the Torah to know what it contained; Hadhrat Uzayr v was able to
recite it word for word by memory. This, they said, was only possible for
someone who was the son of Allaah (Allaah forbid!).
An authentic narration states that when an ant once bit one of the Ambiyaa Male
pull, he burnt the entire heap. Allaah rebuked him for punishing them all because
649

of the crime of one of them. Imaam Mujaahid al dan., Hadhrat Hasan Basri ail das, and
Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas t all say that this Nabi was Hadhrat Uzayr U.290
A Qu'aanic Incident Concerning Hadhrat Uzay V
Surah Baqarah relates that man riding his donkey was once passing by the ruins
of a town, when he thought to himself, "How shall Allaah restore life to this after its
death". Allaah then caused the man to die at the very place, where he remained
dead for a hundred years. Allaah then brought him back to life after a hundred
years had passed and asked him how long he thought he had slept. Since he
remembered passing by the area during midday and the sun started to set when
asked the question, he estimated that he had probably been there for a day or a
part of a day. Allaah then told him to look at his food, which was still fresh and
then to look at his donkey, which had died and had already decomposed into a
skeleton. Allaah then brought it to his attention that Allaah can preserve things
in their original state (like the food) when He wills and also cause other things
(like the donkey) to decompose into nothing. When he then looked at the city
which was in ruins, he saw that it was rebuilt and teeming with life and activity.
This was how Allaah demonstrated to him how Allaah is capable of bringing
things back to life.
In the Words of the Qur'aan
Allaah says in verse 259 of Surah Baqarah:
أَوْكَالَّذِى مَرَّ عَلَى قَرْيَةٍ وَّبِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَى عُرُوْشِهَا قَالَ أَنَى يُحْىِ بُذِهِ اللهُ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا فَآَمَاتَهُ اللهُ مِائَةَ عَامٍ ثُمَّ
بَعَثَّمَ ﴿ قَالَ كَمْ لَبِثْتَ ﴿ قَالَ لَبِثْتُ يَوْمًا أَوْ بَعْضَ يَوْمٍ ﴿ قَالَ بَلْ أَّبِثْتَ مِائَةَ عَامٍ فَانْظُرْ إِلَى طَعَامِكَ وَشَرَابِكَ لَمْ
يَتَسَنَّمْ وَانْظُرْ إِلَى حِمَارِكَ وَلِنَجْعَلَكَ أَيَةَّ لَّلنَّاسِ وَانْظُرْ إِلَى الْعِظَامِ كَيْفَ نُنْشِرُبَا ثُمَّ نَكْسُوْبَا لَحْمًا * فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ
لَمْ" قَالَ اَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيْرٌ (٢٥٩)
290 Al Bidaayah wan Nihaayah, Tabari.
650

TRANSLATION: Or (did you not see) the like of him who, on passing by a locality (Baytul
Maqdas) that lay overturned on it roofs (had fallen to utter ruin), exclaimed (in a lamenting
tone), "How shall Allaah restore life to this after its death (after its destruction)"? So Allaah
(demonstrated His power to him and) caused him to die for a hundred years, then brought him
back to life asking him, "How long have you remained (dead)?" He replied, "I remained
(dead) for a day or a part of a day." (He said this because his soul was taken during the morning
and it was towards sunset a hundred years later that he was brought back to life. ) Allaah said, "No,
you have remained (dead) for a hundred years. Just look at your food and drink which
have not rotted (despite the long period of time). And look at your donkey! (So he looked at it
and saw that its body had long decomposed and its bones lay scattered about.) And (We have done
this) so that We make you a sign (a lesson) to mankind (to prove the possibility of resurrection).
Look (also) at the bones, (and see) how We arrange them and cover them with flesh." (So
Allaah put all the donkey's bones together, covered them with flesh and skin and brought the donkey
back to life.) When the matter became apparent to him he said, "I know (I now have first-
hand knowledge) that Allaah is Able to do all things."
Critique of the Narration
The above verse of the Qur'aan does not name the man or the town in question.
As stated earlier, the objective of the stories narrated in the Qur'aan is to teach
valuable lessons. Knowing the finer details such as names and places are
unnecessary to this objective. The above verse is therefore explicit in the
lessons it endeavours to teach.
To grasp the full meaning of this verse, it is necessary to study the context. The
preceding verses make it clear that the Protecting Friend of the Mu'mineen is
Allaah, Who removes them from darkness and brings them into the light. On the
other hand, it is the Shayaateen who assist the Kuffaar and disobedient ones,
removing them from the light and dragging them into the darkness. The Qur'aan
then proceeds to narrate three incidents. Two concern Hadhrat Ibraheem v,
while this one is narrated in between.
651

The first of the incidents narrates how Nimrood argued with Hadhrat Ibraheem v
about who Allaah is?, claiming that he also wielded the same power as Allaah.
However, despite the fact that the responses of Hadhrat Ibraheem v rendered
Nimrood speechless, he refused to submit and preferred to remain loyal to his
Shayaateen friends, thereby forever remaining in the darkness.
The next two incidents (this being the first) concerns two pious servants of
Allaah who had accepted Allaah as their friend. As a result, they were guided to
the light when Allaah removed the veils of the unseen from before them and
demonstrated to both of them exactly how is able to bring the dead back to life.
The manner in which Allaah spoke to the man in the verse indicates that he was
certainly a Nabi. However, it needs to be noted that the question posed by the
Nabi ("How shall Allaah restore life to this after its death") was not one of denial, but
one of wonderment and only to be able to see exactly how revival of the dead
and ruined takes place. Having such insight into such events is necessary for the
Ambiyaa pul , since they would need to preach to the people.
Hadhrat Ali T, Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Abbaas t and Hadhrat Abdullaah bin
Mas'ood t have all stated that the man referred to in this verse was Hadhrat
Uzayr v. Another narration states that he was a Nabi by the name of Hadhrat
Armiya v, whom Allaah had sent to rebuild Baytul Muqaddas. When he saw the
state of ruin that it was in, he said the statement quoted in the verse. When he
then saw the new city after a hundred years, he was astounded by the sight and
exclaimed, "I know (I now have first-hand knowledge) that Allaah is Able to do all things" .291
This was a natural exclamation of amazement when one sees something
wonderful. It is like exclaiming, "Subhaanallaah!" or "Allaahu Akbar!"
291
Ruhul Ma'aani .
652

Dispelling a Misconception
Some Jewish scholars nowadays claim that statement of the Qur'aan is
erroneous because the Jews do not regard Hadhrat Uzayr v to be the son of
Allaah.
This claim by the Jews is misleading. It is easy for people who have travelled
extensively to point out that even today in Palestine there are Jews who claim
that Hadhrat Uzayr u was the son of Allaah. Just as the Roman Catholics make
statues of Hadhrat Isa v, so do these people make statues of Hadhrat Uzayr u
and do the same with it as the Christians do.
Demise
Lengthy narrations from the likes of Hadhrat Ka'b Ahbaar Al., Hadhrat Wahab
bin Munabbih al das, and Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Salaam t make it evident that
Hadhrat Uzayr u had the Torah rewritten in Iraq and it was in one of the cities of
Iraq called Saa'ir where he passed away. Some other reports suggest that his
grave is in Damascus. And Allaah knows best.
653

Lessons and Conclusions
A Servant Remains a Servant Regardless of his Status
It needs to be noted that as a servant of Allaah gets closer to Allaah and his
status continues to escalate, he will always remain Allaah's servant regardless of
the heights he reaches. It is impossible for him to ever become the son of Allaah
because of his closeness to Allaah. Allaah is Pure and Exalted from being a father.
When someone performs a miraculous feat, people fall into the misconception
that the person must surely be Allaah in a human form, a partner to Allaah or His
son (Allaah forbid!). Little do they realise that these miraculous feats are signs
from Allaah to display His power. The people involved are merely acting as
mediums, with the miracle being a means to prove their truthfulness. Had it not
been for the power of Allaah, these people would also be as helpless as anyone
else.
Discussing the miraculous birth of Hadhrat Isa v, Allaah declares in the Qur'aan,
"Verily the likeness of Isa v (who was created without a father) with Allaah is as the likeness
of Aadam v (who was created with neither a father nor a mother). He (Allaah) created him (Aadam
v) from clay then said to him, "Be!" and he became (a living man). (Therefore, just as none
regard Aadam v to be a god because he was born without parents, Isa u should also not be regarded
as a god)" .292
Scholars have made it clear with their statement: "A slave remains a slave no
matter how high he ascends, while a master remains a master no matter how
low he descends."
292
Surah Aal Imraan, verse 59.
654

Sayyiduna Zakariya U
Hadhrat Zakariyya V in the Qur' aan
The name of Hadhrat Zakariyya v is mentioned in the following four Surahs of
the Qur'aan:
1. Surah Aal Imraan: verses 37-41
2. Surah An'aam: verse 85
3. Surah Maryam: verses 2-11
4. Surah Ambiyaa pul ale : Verses 89-90
Lineage
The Zakariyya mentioned in the Torah is not the Hadhrat Zakariyya v mentioned
in the Qur'aan. The Zakariyya (Zachariah) mentioned in the Torah lived during
the reign of Darius. The Torah states, "It was in the 8th month of Darius's second
year that the word of God reached Zachariah, the son of Barachias (Barkhiyyah),
who was the son of Addo (also spelt Ido)."
The Persian king Darius lived approximately 500 years before Hadhrat Isa v and
ascended the throne of Persia in the year 521 B.C. The Zakariyya referred to in
the Qur'aan was Hadhrat Zakariyya v, who was the guardian of Hadhrat Isa v's
mother Maryam Wie dil go). He was therefore a contemporary of Hadhrat Isa v and
also the father of Hadhrat Yahya v. Therefore, the Zakariyya (Zachariah) in the
Torah was someone else.
655

Historians differ about the name of the father of Hadhrat Zakariyya v and
Haafidh Ibn Hajar , Allaama Ibn Katheter , and the historian Ibn Asaakir have
listed various opinions. What is certain, however, is that he was from amongst
the descendants of Hadhrat Sulaymaan v.
His Life
Some parts of the life of Hadhrat Zakariyya u have been mentioned in the
Qur'aan and much has also been reported in the records of history. There were
priestly men from each tribe of the Bani Israa'eel who were specially appointed
to enact the rituals that took place in Masjidul Aqsa. These men were greatly
revered by the people and worked in turns. Amongst them was the Nabi Hadhrat
Zakariyya v, who is listed amongst the high-ranking Ambiyaa pull in the Qur'aan,
which states:
وَزَكَرِيًّا وَ يَحْيِى وَ عِيْسَى وَاِلْيَاسَ كُلٌّ مِّنَ الصَّلِحِينَ (٨٥)
TRANSLATION: And (We also guided and rewarded) Zakariyya v, Yahya v, Isa v and Ilyaas v,
all of whom were from the righteous (servants of Allaah).293
The Book of Luke in the Bible names him as a priest when it states, "In the days
of King Herod of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to
the priestly order of Abijah. His wife was a descendant of Aaron, and her name
was Elizabeth. Both of them were righteous before God, having lived blamelessly
according to all of the commandments and regulations of the Lord."
293
Surah An'aam, verse 85.
656

However, the Gospel of Barnabus clearly states that he was a Nabi when it
admonishes the people for assassinating him between the temple and the altar.
Allaama Ibn Katheer alda, states that Hadhrat Zakariyya v was indeed from the
progeny of Hadhrat Dawood v and his wife Eesha (Elizabeth) was from the
progeny of Hadhrat Haaroon v.
It has always been the practice of the Ambiyaa pul se to earn their own living even
though they were kings so that the people should never have to bear the burden
of supporting them. It is for this reason that the Qur'aan quotes them as saying
to the people, "I do not ask you for any payment for this (for preaching Towheed to you).
My payment (reward) is the responsibility of Allaah, the Rabb of the universe" .294
A Hadith from Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah t in Muslim makes it evident that
Hadhrat Zakariyya v earned his living as a carpenter.
There was pious man from the progeny of Hadhrat Sulaymaan u by the name of
Imraan bin Naashi. He and his wife Hanna bint Faagood were childless. She
therefore made a vow to devote the child she bears to the service of the Masjid.
When a daughter was born to her, her husband had already passed away. The
child therefore had to be handed over in custody to one of the priests appointed
to serve the Masjid. The priests all clamoured to have custody of this blessed
little girl, so lots had to be drawn to decide who will have the privilege. Each time
lots were drawn, it was drawn in favour of Hadhrat Zakariyya v. He was also best
suited to be her guardian because his wife Eesha was the real sister of Hanna.
Hadhrat Maryam wie dil go, therefore grew up in the care of her maternal aunt.
Details concerning the story of Hadhrat Maryam tal gia, will Inshaa Allaah be
mentioned in the discussion of Hadhrat Isa v.
294
Surah Shu'araa, verse 109.
657

When Hadhrat Maryam alg, came of age, Hadhrat Zakariyya v allocated a room
close to the Masjid for her to use as a place of seclusion for the purpose of
Ibaadah. One day he noticed that there was fruit in her room, which was not in
season295. When he asked her where the fruit had come from, she replied that it
was from Allaah, Who provides as He pleases (and is not restricted to seasons).
In the Words of the Qur' aan
The above episode is related in the Qur'aan in the following words:
Allaah says in verse 44 of Surah Aal Imraan:
ذُلِكَ مِنْ أَثْبَاءِ الْغَيْبِ نُؤْحِيْمٍ إِلَيْكَ ﴿ وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ يُلْقُوْنَ آَقْلَامَهُمْ أَيُّهُمْ يَكْفُلُ مَرْيَمَ. وَمَا كُنْتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ
يَخْتَصِمُوْنَ (٣٣)
TRANSLATION: These are from the narrations of the unseen that We inspire you with (O
Muhammad &). You were not present with them (with Zakariyya v and the other caretakers of
Baytul Maqdas) when they cast their pens (into the river as a form of drawing lots to determine)
who will be the guardian of Maryam. You were not (also) present with them when they
disputed (about who should care for her).
Verse 37 of Surah Aal Imraan states:
وَكَفَّلَهَا زَكَرِيًّا ن كُلَّمَا دَخَلَ عَلَّيْهَا زَكَرِيًّا الْمِحْرَابَ " وَجَدَ عِنْدَبَا رِزْقًاٌ قَالَ يُمَرْيَمُ أَنَّى لَكِ بُذَا - قَالَتْ بُوَ مِنْ
عِنْدِ اللهِ ﴿ إِنَّ اللهَ يَرْزُقُ مَنْ يَّشَآءُ بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ (٣٧)
TRANSLATION: ... and (Allaah) placed her in the custody of Zakariyya v. Whenever
Zakariyya v went into the chamber (her room where she lived and worshipped Allaah), he found
food by her (including fruit that was not in season). He said, "O Maryam, from where did you
295 The food refers to out of season fruit according to Imaams Mujaahid, Ikramah, Sa'eed bin Jubayr,
Dahhaak, Qataadah and Ibraaheem Nakha'ee al 24-43 ).
658

get this?" She replied, "It is from Allaah. Allaah provides for whom He pleases without
count (without limit, in a manner that is beyond one's comprehension and imagination)."
Du'aa for Children
Because he had no sons to succeed him, Hadhrat Zakariyya v was concerned
about who would guide the Bani Israa'eel after he passed away. Ibn Katheer al das y
says that Hadhrat Zakariyya v was 70 years old at the time, while Tha'labi
states that he was 90 to 99 years of age. Because of his advanced age and the
fact that his wife was barren, there appeared to be no hope of them ever
begetting a child.
However, when he saw that Allaah provided fruit for Hadhrat Maryam wie al gouda, in
manner that completely contradicted the norms, the realisation was renewed
within him that Allaah can also grant him a child despite the fact that the natural
odds seemed stacked against it. It was then that he made du'aa to Allaah saying,
"O my Rabb! My bones have weakened (aged) and my hair has turned white because of
old age. I have never (before) been unfortunate (unsuccessful) in my du'aa to You (I therefore
have great hopes that this du'aa will also be accepted). I fear for my relatives after me (I fear
that they may forsake the Deen after I die). My wife is barren (unable to bear children), so grant
me an heir (a son to help me in propagating the Deen) who can inherit (my knowledge) from me
and inherit from the family of Ya'qoob v (so that he can guide my people if they stray from their
Deen) . And, O my Rabb, make him beloved unto You (by making him a person who practises
the knowledge of Deen that he possesses)" .296
The du'aa of a Nabi is never self-centred. This du'aa of Hadhrat Zakariyya v was
made for the benefit of his people since they required someone to continue the
work of reformation and Da'wah. This du'aa was therefore accepted by Allaah
and an angel delivered the good news to him when he was engaged in Ibaadah
296
Surah Maryam, verse 4.
659