Could you give us some information about the Prophet of Allaah Yahyaa (peace be upon him)?
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
- Yahya, alayhi assalaam, is the son of the prophet Zakariyya, alayhi assalaaam.
- His birth was a miracle as his father was old and his mother barren. Allah says in the Quran:
هُنَالِكَ دَعَا زَڪَرِيَّا رَبَّهُ ۥۖ قَالَ رَبِّ هَبۡ لِى مِن لَّدُنكَ ذُرِّيَّةً۬ طَيِّبَةًۖ إِنَّكَ سَمِيعُ ٱلدُّعَآءِ (٣٨) فَنَادَتۡهُ ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ وَهُوَ قَآٮِٕمٌ۬ يُصَلِّى فِى ٱلۡمِحۡرَابِ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُبَشِّرُكَ بِيَحۡيَىٰ مُصَدِّقَۢا بِكَلِمَةٍ۬ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَسَيِّدً۬ا وَحَصُورً۬ا وَنَبِيًّ۬ا مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ (٣٩) قَالَ رَبِّ أَنَّىٰ يَكُونُ لِى غُلَـٰمٌ۬ وَقَدۡ بَلَغَنِىَ ٱلۡڪِبَرُ وَٱمۡرَأَتِى عَاقِرٌ۬ۖ قَالَ كَذَٲلِكَ ٱللَّهُ يَفۡعَلُ مَا يَشَآءُ
Then Zachariah prayed unto his Lord and said: My Lord! Bestow upon me of Thy bounty goodly offspring. Lo! Thou art the Hearer of Prayer. (38) 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. (39) He said: My Lord! How can I have a son when age hath overtaken me already and my wife is barren? (The angel) answered: So (it will be). Allah doeth what He will. (40)
(Surah Aal-Imran)
- Allah says in the Quran about him:
يَـٰيَحۡيَىٰ خُذِ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبَ بِقُوَّةٍ۬ۖ وَءَاتَيۡنَـٰهُ ٱلۡحُكۡمَ صَبِيًّ۬ا (١٢) وَحَنَانً۬ا مِّن لَّدُنَّا وَزَكَوٰةً۬ۖ وَكَانَ تَقِيًّ۬ا (١٣) وَبَرَّۢا بِوَٲلِدَيۡهِ وَلَمۡ يَكُن جَبَّارًا عَصِيًّ۬ا (١٤) وَسَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيۡهِ يَوۡمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوۡمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوۡمَ يُبۡعَثُ حَيًّ۬ا (١٥)
(And it was said unto his son): O John! Hold fast the Scripture. And we gave him wisdom when a child, (12) And compassion from Our presence, and purity; and he was devout, (13) And dutiful toward his parents. And he was not arrogant, rebellious. (14) Peace on him the day he was born, and the day he dieth and the day he shall be raised alive! (15)
(Surah Maryam)
- One day, it was reported to the Prophet Yahya, alayhi asaalaam, that Herodos, the ruler of Palestine fell in love with his niece, Herodia and wanted to marry her. Yahya, alayhi assalaam, condemned this marriage and declared it unlawful and impermissible. When Herodia heard this, she beautified herself and went to Herodos and agreed to marry him on condition that she would receive the head of Yahya, alayhi assalaam, in return. Upon this, Herodos killed Yahya, alayhi assalaam.[1]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Muhammad Haris Siddiqui
Student Darul Iftaa
Melbourne, Australia
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
[1] قصص القرآن ص. 272 – مكتبة التربية