The two martyrs

1. The two martyrs By: Momina Mateen

2. Zakariyaعليه السلامand yahyaعليه السلام These two Prophets were sent to the Children of Israel Click for more >>> Zakariyaعليه السلام Yahyaعليه السلام

3. Zakariyaعليه السلام • He was a servant of Allah sent in times where people were more involved with worldly pleasures. • He worked as a priest in the temple of Jerusalemand also watched over Maryam. • Zakariyah, along with his wife, was very keen on serving his Lord and mankind. • He was worried that because of his age, there would be no-one left to spread the message of Allah. So he dearly wanted a child who he could nurture for spiritual reasons. Why was Zakariyah Sad? Who was Maryam? Back to Prophets

4. Why was Zakariya sad? • He was saddened by the fact that the only reason why people were working at the the temple was for power and praise. • But Zakariya wanted to remain steadfast and so he prayed for a son that would carry on spreading the message of Allah. • So Allah gave him a son, Yahyaعليه السلام. Back to Prophet Zakariyah

5. Maryam • The future mother of Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ) • She was a relative of Zakariya’s wife • She grew up under the special protection of Allah • She used to spend a lot of time alone worshipping Allah under Zakriya’s special supervision. • Allah provided for her sustenance. How? Back to Prophet Zakariyah

6. Maryam’s sustenance When Zakariya would check up upon her he would always find her with sufficient food including types of fruit that were out of season. Proof (Surah Imran V37): And because of this Zakariya wished that he had an offspring like her. "O Mary, from where is this [coming] to you?" She said, "It is from Allah . Indeed, Allah provides for whom He wills without account." Zakariya’s Prayer

7. Zakariya’s Prayer Seeing Maryam was an encouragment for him as he believed that Allah could bless him with a child even in his old age. This belief, this trust, his Tawakkul (sincere reliance on Allah) therefore urged him to turn to Allah. Zakariya’s Prayer (Arabic) Zakariya’s Prayer (English)

8. Zakariya’s Prayer (arabic) Surah Maryam V4-6 Back to options

9. Zakariya’s Prayer (english) He said, "My Lord, indeed my bones have weakened, and my head has filled with white, and never have I been in my supplication to You, my Lord, unhappy. (4) And indeed, I fear the successors after me, and my wife has been barren, so give me from Yourself an heir (5) Who will inherit me and inherit from the family of Jacob. And make him, my Lord, pleasing [to You].” (6) The Conversation That Followed Back to options

10. Conversation [He was told], "O Zechariah, indeed We give you good tidings of a boy whose name will be John. We have not assigned to any before [this] name.”(7) He said, "My Lord, how will I have a boy when my wife has been barren and I have reached extreme old age?” (8) [An angel] said, "Thus [it will be]; your Lord says, 'It is easy for Me, for I created you before, while you were nothing.' ” (9) [Zechariah] said, "My Lord, make for me a sign." He said, "Your sign is that you will not speak to the people for three nights, [being] sound.”(10) So he came out to his people from the prayer chamber and signaled to them to exalt [ Allah ] in the morning and afternoon.(11) The Result

11. Result • Prophet Zakariya came out of his chamber and, by using signs, he told his people to praise and worship Allah. • Because Allah is so merciful, he accepted Zakariya’s prayerand granted him a son. Yahya, The Righteous Son

12. Yahya, the righteous son • Yahya was kind, obedient and not rebellious. • Allah wanted Yahya to learn and practice His guidance • His parents were very very proud of him. • The greatest thing about Yahya was that he kept hold of God’s teachings with all his might, not allowing any worldly affairs to distract him. • Prophet Yahya was unjustly killed at the hands of a tyrant Characteristics of Prophet Yahya Yahya’sDeath Yahya’s Mission Gifts to Prophet Yahya Similarity between Prophet Yahya and Prophet Isa Relating to modern time

13. Yahya’s mission and teachings Allah ordered Yahyaعليه السلام with five commands to establish amongst the Children of Israel. So Yahya gathered them all in Temple of Bayt Al-Maqdis. He started off by praising Allah and thanking Him and then ordered the five commands: • Worship Allah and worship none along with Him • Offer prayers • Observe fasting • Give charity • Continue your remembrance of Allah in your daily life. The fasting person is like a jar of musk from which all the people passing by can benefit from the beautiful aroma. When you give charity it is like a the prisoner who has been captured and ready to be executed, then asks his captor, “May I ransom myself?” Then he spends his own money to save his own neck. He continued… Back to Prophet Yahya

14. He continued… • Allah created you and provided for you and sustained you. Worship Him and do not ascribe partners with Him. The worshipper becomes closer to Allah when he prays to Him. • Always remember Allah in your daily affairs – one who is constant in the remembrance of Allah is like the man who is being chased by an enemy. After a tiring journey the man finds a fortress and seeks protection and security within it. The remembrance of Allah is one’s fortress from Satan. Back to Prophet Yahya

15. Gifts to prophet yahya • Wisdom and knowledge • Empathy and love for all God’s creatures • Humility in his manners and his clothing and his possessions (he despised luxury) • Piety Back to Prophet Yahya

16. Characteristics of prophet yahya • Active in serving Allah • He never used violence • He never mistreated any creature • He was particularly kind and merciful with his parents • He stayed away from people because he liked worshipping in solitude. • He gave up the world and went to live in the wildreness until his family came searching for him. Back to Prophet Yahya

17. Yahya and isa – spiritual brothers • They were both sent to the same group of people. • They were both brothers in spirit and were given the task of prophet-hood. • They were treated harshly by their people. • Yahya prepared the way for Isa who came to renew and re-interpret the Torah. • They both shared the same devotion to the five commands that Allah had ordered them to propagate amongst the people. Back to Prophet Yahya

18. Yahya’s death The story goes… • Herod(provincial leader under Roman Empire) wanted to marry his neice because she was very pretty and he wanted the approval of Prophet Yahya as marrying the neice was prohibited in Judaism. The Prophet didn’t approve of this. • Herod’s wife herself was evil and convinced him to kill(behead) the Prophet so she could marry her uncle. • Herod sent his soldiers to kill the Prophet whilst he was praying. And shortly after that the same group killed Prophet Zakariya. These two martyered Prophets were said to be “the Matyr, and the son of the Martyr” by Prophet Muhammad. Back to Prophet Yahya

19. Relating to modern time Don’t • Prophet Yahya did not “go with the flow”. • He followed the path of Allah despite how people treated him. • We have to learn to ignore the ‘flow’ and make the right choices. You could also make the following dua: حَسْبِ اللهُ لا إله إلا هو، عليه توكلتو هو ربَ العرش العظيم. God suffices me. There is no God but He: On him is my trust; He is the Lord Of the Throne, Supreme! Back to Prophet Yahya