[21].Al-Anbiya [The Prophets]: Ayat 89-90

Ayat 89. And (remember) Zakariya PBUH (Zachariah), when he cried to his Lord: "O My Lord! Leave me not single (childless), though You are the Best of the inheritors."

Ayat 90. So Allah answered his call, and bestowed upon him Yahya PBUH(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 Allah with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Allah.

[Tafseer] Zakariya was a priest; both he and his wife were devout and punctilious in their duties. They were old, and they had no son. He was troubled in mind, not so much by the vulgar desire to have a son to carry on his line, but because he felt that his people were not unselfishly devout, and there would be no sincere work for Allah unless he could train some one himself. He was given a son Yahya (John the Baptist), who added to the devout reputation of the family, for he is called "noble, chaste, and a prophet," (3:39). All three, father, mother, and son, were made worthy of each other, and they repelled evil by their devout emulation in virtue, It is not that I crave a personal heir to myself; all things go back to Thee, and Thou art the best of inheritors: but I see no one around me sincere enough to carry on my work for Thee; wilt Thou give me one whom 1 can train?' Aslaha = to improve, to mend, to reform, to make better. Here, with reference to Zakanya's wife the signification is twofold: (1) that her barrenness would be removed, so that she could become a mother; and (2) her spiritual dignity should be raised in becoming the mother of John the Baptist; and by implication his also, in becoming the father of John. 

Hazrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, "No one who weeps out of Fear of Allah will enter Hell until milk recedes to the udder, and the dust endured while striving in the Cause of Allah and the smoke of Hell will never subsist together.''

[At-Tirmidhi # 1633].  

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Al-Anbiya Ayat 90."call on Allah with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before Allah" This Hadith makes use of a metaphor to stress the impossible. One who weeps for Fear of Allah and one who is covered with the dust of the battlefield in the course of Jihad, will in no case enter Hell until the milk drawn from udder goes back to it. The dust of the battlefield of Jihad and the smoke of Hell cannot combine at one place. The mixing of the two is utterly impossible. However, this will apply only if one's `Aqeedah is correct and one's intention is correct (i.e., one participates in Jihad with the intention to please Allah Alone).

[21].Al-Anbiya [The Prophets]: Ayat 87-88

Ayat 87. And (remember) Dhan-Nun (Jonah), when he went off in anger, and imagined that Allah shall not punish him (i.e. the calamites which had befallen him)! But he cried through the darkness (saying): Lâ ilâha illa Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allah)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they associate with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong-doers."

Ayat 88. So Allah answered his call, and delivered him from the distress. And thus We do deliver the believers (who believe in the Oneness of Allah, abstain from evil and work righteousness).

[Tafseer] Dhu al Nun, "the man of the Fish or the Whale", is the title of Jonah (Yunus), because he was swallowed by a large Fish or Whale. He was the prophet raised to warn the Assyrian capital Nineveh. When his first warning was unheeded by the people, he denounced Allah's wrath on them. But they repented and Allah  forgave them for the time being. Jonah, meanwhile, departed in wrath, discouraged at the apparent failure of his mission. He should have remained in the most discouraging circumstances, and relied on the power of Allah; for Allah had power both over Nineveh and over the Messenger He had sent to Nineveh . He went away to the sea and took a ship, but apparently the sailors threw him out as a man of bad omen in a storm. He was swallowed by a big Fish (or Whale), but in the depth of the darkness, he cried to Allah and confessed his weakness. The "darkness" may be interpreted both physically and spiritually; physically, as the darkness of the night and the storm and the Fish's body; spiritually as the darkness in his soul, his extreme distress in the situation which he had brought on himself. Allah Most Gracious forgave him. He was cast out ashore; he was given the shelter of a plant in his state of physical and mental lassitude. He was refreshed and strengthened, and the work of his mission prospered. Thus he overcame all his disappointment by repentance and Faith, and Allah accepted him. 

Hazrat Abu Saeed & Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, "Never a believer is stricken with a discomfort, an illness, an anxiety, a grief or mental worry or even the pricking of a thorn but Allah will expiate his sins on account of his patience".

[Al-Bukhari Book 07, Chapter 70, Hadith # 545] 

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Al-Anbiya Ayat 87."Allah shall not punish him (i.e. the calamites which had befallen him)!" This Hadith mentions the special Grace and Mercy of Allah for the Muslims. It relates how Allah turns the hardships and troubles suffered by a Muslim into a means of expiation for his sins. But this is only possible if the believer exercises patience. However, if he starts wailing instead of showing patience then beside suffering hardships, he would be deprived of the reward which lies in bearing them patiently. Thus, he shall have to take the burden of additional sins also. 

[21].Al-Anbiya [The Prophets]: Ayat 85-86

Ayat 85. And (remember) Ismail PBUH (Ishmael), and Idris PBUH(Enoch) and Dhul-Kifl PBUH(Isaiah), all were from among As-Sâbirin (the patient ones, etc.).

Ayat 86. And We admitted them to Our Mercy. Verily, they were of the righteous.

[Tafseer] Ismail is mentioned specially, apart from the line which descended through Isaac, as he was the founder of a separate and greater Ummah. His steady constancy and submission to the will of Allah were specially shown when he earned the title of "Sacrifice to Allah". That was the particular quality of his constancy and patience. For Idris PBUH was in a high station in life, but that did not spoil him. He was sincere and true, and that was the particular quality of his constancy and patience. Dhu al Kifl would literally mean "possessor of, or giving, a double requital or portion"; or else, "one who used a cloak of double thickness," that being one of the meanings of Kifl. The Commentators differ in opinion as to who is meant, why the title is applied to him, and the point of his being grouped with Ismail PBUH and Idris PBUH for constancy and patience. The best suggestion is that afforded, as quoted in the Encyclopaedia of Islam under "Dhu al Kifl". He visited Meshed Ah in Iraq , and also the little town called Kefil, midway between Najaf and Hillah ( Babylon ). Kefil, he says, is the Arabic form of Ezekiel. The shrine of Ezekiel was there, and the Jews came to it on a pilgrimage. If we accept "Dhu al Kifl" to be not an epithet, but an Arabicised form of "Ezekiel", it fits the context. Ezekiel was a prophet in Israel who was carried away to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar after his second attack on Jerusalem (about B.C. 599). 

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said to Ashaj Abdul-Qais (May Allah be pleased with him), "You possess two qualities that Allah loves. These are clemency and tolerance.''

[Muslim Book 01,Chapter 07, Hadith # 024]

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Al-Anbiya Ayat 85."all were from among As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.)" This Hadith teaches us to adopt a patient, mild and discreet attitude towards others. Moreover, there is a provision for praising somebody in his presence, provided there is no likelihood of his being conceited. The Hadith also provides inspiration for the cultivation of good habits.  

[21].Al-Anbiya [The Prophets]: Ayat 83-84

Ayat 83. And (remember) Ayyub PBUH (Job), when he cried to his Lord and seeks pardon : "Verily, distress has seized me, and You are the Most Merciful of all those who show mercy."

Ayat 84. So Allah answered his call, and removed the distress that was on him, and restored his family to him (that he had lost), and the like thereof along with them, as a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us.

[Tafseer] Job (Ayub) was a prosperous man, with faith in Allah, living somewhere in the northeast corner of Arabia . He suffers from a number of calamities; his cattle are destroyed, his servants slain by the sword, and his family crushed under his roof. But he holds fast to his faith in Allah. As a further calamity he is covered with loathsome sores from head to foot. He loses his peace of mind, but Allah recalls to him all His mercies, and he resumes his humility and gives up self-justification. He is restored to prosperity, with twice as much as he had before; his brethren and friends come back to him; he had a new family of seven sons and three fair daughters. He lived to a good old age, and saw four generations of descendants. In the Qur'an and the Hadith, which present him as a prophet and a brilliant example of dignified patience becoming of a great Prophet of Allah ever trustful in Him and His promises. Nothing could be further from the truth than saying that he lost his peace of mind during the period of his trial. So We listened to him: We removed the distress that was on him, and We restored his people to him, and doubled their number,- as a Grace from Ourselves, and a thing for commemoration, for all who serve Us. Job is the pattern of humility, patience, and faith in Allah. It. was with these weapons that he fought and conquered evil.  

Hazrat Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) said: The Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, "If anyone constantly seeks pardon (from Allah), Allah will appoint for him a way out of every distress and a relief from every anxiety, and will provide sustenance for him from where he expects not.''

[Abu Dawud Hadith # 1518].

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Al-Anbiya Ayat 83."(remember) Ayyub PBUH (Job), when he cried to his Lord and seeks pardon" By seeking forgiveness, a relationship with Allah is established between man and his Creator. So seeking forgiveness is a very good act. Allah likes those people who, after committing a sin, do not stick to it, but right away seek forgiveness for their sins from Allah. They weep and express sorrow before Allah.

[21].Al-Anbiya [The Prophets]: Ayat 81-82

Ayat 81. And to Suleiman PBUH (Solomon) (We subjected) the wind strongly raging, running by his command towards the land which Allah had blessed. And of everything Allah is the All-Knower.

Ayat 82. And of the Shayâtin (devils) (from the jinns) were some who dived for him, and did other work besides that; and it was Allah Who guarded them.

[Tafseer] (It was Our power that made) the violent (unruly) wind flow (tamely) for Solomon, to his order, to the land which Allah had blessed: for We do know all things. This has been interpreted to mean that Solomon had miraculous power over the winds, and could make them obey his order. Rationalists say that he had naval power on the Mediterranean, and through the Gulf of Aqaba on the Red Sea , and that he therefore figuratively commanded the winds, and we may say the same of airmen at the present day. In any case the power behind was, and is, from Allah, Who has granted man intelligence and the faculties by which he can tame the more unruly forces of nature. Evidently Palestine, in which was Solomon's capital, though his influence extended far north in Syria , and perhaps far south in Arabia and Ethiopia . In the Roman ruins of Baalbek , fifty miles north of Damascus , is still shown a quarry of huge stones supposed to have been cut for Solomon. This local tradition is interesting, even if invented. And of the evil ones, were some who dived for him, and did other work besides; and it was We Who guarded them the literalists and the rationalists take different views. The former say that Solomon had power over supernatural beings of evil, whom he compelled to dive for pearls and do other hard tasks. Rationalists refer this to hostile unruly races whom he subjected to his sway. It was Allah's power ultimately, Who granted him wisdom. Solomon tamed evil with Wisdom.

Hazrat Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: Messenger of Allah [SAWW](PBUH) said, "When Allah desires good for a ruler, He appoints for him a sincere adviser who will remind him if he forgets and helps him if he remembers. When Allah wishes for him the contrary, He appoints for him a bad adviser who will not remind him if he forgets, nor will he help him if he remembers.''  

[Abu Dawud, Hadith # 2932] 

Lesson : as mentioned above in Surah Al-Anbiya Ayat 82."did other work besides that; and it was Allah Who guarded them" In the recruitment of good and scrupulous aides lies the Blessing of Allah to a ruler because such aides will prove helpful to him in making sound judgements, reaching right conclusions and guarding him against leaning towards evil ways. Yet, if all of these aides are self-seekers, flatterers and corrupt, they will undoubtedly influence his decision-making in a bad way. And one can believe that the end of the ruler will be far from being desirable because history also supports this view. As for the Hereafter, he will be hardly safe from the infernal torment.