THE PROPHETS OF BANI ISRAEL (Children of Israel)

"O Children of Israel! Call to mind My favour which I bestowed on you and that I preferred you to all others (for my Message) <Qur'an Baqara 2:47>

The history of Bani Israel is full of favors from Allah and their constant ungratefulness to Him. The Qur'an (sura Baqara 40-108) contains a huge list of charges of crimes from Allah against their misdeeds. They never fulfilled their covenant with Allah and so “disgrace and homelessness" was destined for them as a mark of punishment from Allah.

• Characteristics of the Children of Israel

The Children of Israel liked to spread mischief and corruption on earth and strived hard to accomplish this "...they (ever) strive to make mischief on earth. And Allah does not like the Mufsidun (mischief-makers)." <Qur'an Maida 5:65> They refused to carry out the orders of the many prophets sent to them because they were afraid of death and too attached to this world. "But they will never seek for death, on account of the sins which their hands have sent on before them" <Qur'an Baqara 2:95>

God mentions how the Children of Israel rebelled and disobeyed the Command of Allah, and how they became extremely arrogant.
They were people of indignity, disobedience and transgression as stated by God in the Holy Book: "Indignity is put over them wherever they may be, except when under a covenant (of protection) from Allah, and from men; they have drawn on themselves the Wrath of Allah, and destruction is put over them. This is because they disbelieved in the Ayats (evidences) of Allah and killed the Prophets without right. This is because they disobeyed (Allah) and used to transgress beyond bounds (in Allah's disobedience, crimes and sins)" <Qur'an Al-Imran 3:112>
They were people of cowardliness, dismay and weakness.

They have returned to mischief by disbelieving in the last Messenger, by covering his characteristics that are mentioned in their books, and by breaking their covenant with him and supporting his enemies, and many of their other hideous habits. They treated their prophets with no respect whatsoever. Their disbelief and rejection of the Message of Allah with utmost arrogance was the true nature of the Jews. They killed many prophets such as Zakariya (pbuh) and his son Yahya (pbuh). They also wanted to kill Isa (pbuh), but Allah elevated him before they could burn him. That is why no deviant nation has been cursed by Allah more than that of the Children of Israel.

As a retaliation for the utter disobedience to the Commandments of Allah and His prophets, over time they suffered many calamities as a result of this disobedience. Plague broke out and numerous people died miserably. In spite of all the past, the Jews could still have obtained God's forgiveness if they had not obstinately rejected the greatest of the Prophet also. But as they persisted in their sins, God's punishments also continued to visit them.
(source: A.Yousuf Ali, commentary of the Qur'an)

• Stories mentioned in the Qur'an of their prophets

"We gave him Isaac, and Jacob: all We guided and before him, We guided Noah, and among his progeny David, Solomon, Ayub, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron :Thus do We reward those who do good. And Zakariya and Yahya, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of righteous. And Isma'il and Elisha and Jonah (Yunus) and Lut. And to all we gave favour above the nations." <Qur'an An'am 6:84-86>
The Qur'an contains many stories of the prophets sent to Bani Israel. We can read about the story of the rise of Daud (pbuh), who was the King of the Israelites , particularly of Saul's fight with Goliath (jalut) and Goliath's death at the hands of Daud (pbuh).The war broke out between the Israelites and the Philistines. The army of the Philistines was commanded by Goliath who was a man of lofty stature. The Israelites were overawed to see Goliath's army which was well accoutred. Daud (pbuh) called out his opponents to combat but none of the Israelites had the courage to accept the challenge. The people of Bani Israel had no courage, and the Prophet Daud could not bear this disgrace. So he decided to face Goliath for the sake of truth, honour and dignity. His story reveals that justice is an essential part of faith and, further, that God loves the just and abhors the unjust.

Also we know that Daud's yougest son, Prophet Sulaimán (pbuh) was a wise King. His efforts to first subdue the powerful Queen of Sheba and later to persuade her to take the right path also find a place in the Qur'an.

Similarly, the story of Zakariya (pbuh) and his son Yahya (John the Baptist) (pbuh) , and their unbounded faith in God and His Mercy. Zakariya (pbuh) was an illustrious prophet of the Israelites. He was one of the descendants of Prophet Sulaiman (pbuh). His people was so corrupted that he was desirous of having a son to become his good successor, in order to maintain the warmth of religious activities. His teaching had not only been ignored by the people of Bani Israel, but they also tortured him. The Holy Book mentions the cruel acts of Bani Israel saying : "Lo! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah and slay the Prophets wrongfully and slay those of mankind who enjoin equity, promise him a painful doom."
<Qur'an Al-Imran 3:21>

The story of Musa (pbuh) when he went to the mountain, is an other example.The Prophet Musa (pbuh) was much grieved to know that his followers had become addicted to praying to the cow instead of Allah. Whenever his brother Prophet Harun (pbuh) forbade them to do so, they made fun of him, and tortured him. Musa (pbuh) tried hard to uproot this form of idolatry from the hearts of the Israelites. Some men who had gone astray, repented but most of them insisted on worshipping a cow. Musa (pbuh) said to his people: "Surely, Allah commands you that you should sacrifice a cow." <Qur'an Baqara 2: 71> Gifted with patience, he kept on conveying to the people the message of God to his people.

 

Prophets of Arab origin

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