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Almighty Allah said:
Did you (O Muhammad) not think of those who went forth from their homes
in thousands, fearing death? Allah said to them, "Die." And then He
restored them to life. Truly, Allah is full of Bounty to mankind, but
most men think not. (Ch 2:243 Quran).
Mohammad Ibn Ishaaq stated of Wahb Ibn Munbah said
that when Allah took Kalih Ibn Yofra (Jephtha) after Joshua, Ezekiel Ibn
Buzi succeeded him as the prophet to the Israelites. The people had
fled from Palestine for fear of the plague and settled on a plateau.
Allah said to them: "Die you all," and they all perished. A few
centuries passed, and then Ezekiel, passing by, stopped over them,
wondering. There came a voice: "Do you want Allah to resurrect them
while you watch?" He said: "Yes." Then he was commanded to call those
bones to join one to the other and to be covered with flesh. So he
called them by the power of Allah, and the people arose and glorified
Allah in the voice of one man.
According to Ibn Abbas, this place was called
"Damardan." Its people were inflicted with plague, so they fled, while a
group of them who remained in the village perished. The Angel of Death
called to the survivors: "Die you all," and they perished. After a
long time a prophet called Ezekiel passed by them and stood wondering
over them, twisting his jaws and fingers. Allah revealed to him: "Do
you want Me to show you how I bring them back to life? He said: "Yes."
His idea was to marvel at the power of Allah over them. A voice said
to him: "Call: 'O you bones, Allah commands you to gather up.'" The
bones began to fly one to the other until they became skeletons. Then
Allah revealed to him to say; "Call: 'O you bones, Allah commands you to
put on flesh and blood and the clothes in which they had died.'" And a
voice said: "Allah commands you to call the bodies to rise." And they
rose. When they returned to life they said: "Blessed are You, O Lord,
and all praises is Yours." Ibn 'Abbas reported that the dead who were
resurrected were four thousand, while Ibn Salih said they were nine
thousand.
Regarding plague, Abu Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarrah related that
'Umar Ibn Al-Khattab was on his way to Syria and had reached Sarg when
the leader of the Muslim army, Abu Ubaidah Ibn Al-Jarrah, and his
companions met him and told him of a pestilence that had broken out in
Syria. 'Umar remember the Prophet's (pbuh) saying: "If it (plague) be
in a country where you are staying, do not go out fleeing it, and if you
hear it is in a country, do not enter it." Umar praised Allah and then
went off.
Muhammad Ibn Ishaaq stated that we do not know how long
Ezekiel (pbuh) stayed among the Israelites before Allah took him away.
After him, the Israelites deviated from the right way of life, as they
usually did, and deserted Allah's covenant with them. They worshipped
many idols, among them Ba'al, so Allah sent to them the Prophet Elijah
(pbuh).
And
remember Our slaves, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, (all) owners of
strength (in worshipping Us) and (also) of religious understanding.
Verily, We did choose them by granting them (a good thing ) the
remembrance of the home (in the Hereafter and they used to make the
people remember it, and also they used to invite the people to obey
Allah and to do good deeds for the Hereafter). And they are in Our
Sight, verily, of the chosen and the best! And remember Ishmael,
Elisha, and Dhul-Kifl, all are among the best. (Ch 38:45-48 Quran).
Ibn Ishaaq said that Elisha (pbuh) was sent to the
children after Elijah (pbuh). He lived among his people, calling them
to Allah and abiding by the message and laws of Elijah until he passed
away. Then dissension rose among them, and events took momentum. Sins
increased everywhere, and the tyrants increased and killed the prophets.
According to Al-Hafiz Abu Al-Qasim Ibn Asaker, Elisha
was Ibn Adi, Ibn Shultam, Ibn Aphraem, Ibn Joseph, Ibn Isaac, Ibn
Abraham. It was said that he was the cousin of Elijah. Other sources
said also that he had been hiding with Elijah in a cave in Mount Qasium
to escape from the King of Ba'alabak, and when Elijah died, he Elisha
succeeded him as a prophet among his people.
Ibn Jarir reported that the condition of
the Israelites deteriorated. They committed many sins and killed whom
they wished of the prophets. Consequently Allah sent them tyrannous
king who ill-treated them and spilled their blood, and set their enemies
from outside against them as well. They used to go war, taking with
them The Ark of the Covenant. They did this so that they would be
victorious by its blessings, and it became a symbol of calm and a relic
left behind by Moses's people. When they went to war with the people
of Gaza and Askalon, they were defeated because the Ark of the Covenant
was captured from them. When the king of the Israelites heard of this
he died on the spot.
The children of Israel remained like sheep without a
shepherd until Almighty Allah sent them a prophet named Samuel (Shammil)
(pbuh). They asked him to appoint a king over them to lead in a war
against their enemies.
According to Ibn 'Asaker, the Israelites believed their
Ark of the Covenant to be very holy and an important symbol of their
history. The carried the Ark even in battle and believed that, because
of it, Allah would protect them from their enemies. This belief gave
them peace of mind and great courage, and their enemies were terrified
by it. Their enemies also believed that it was given special power by
Allah. Gradually the Israelites started to ignore Allah's law; evil
habits became part of their lives. Allah sent upon them an enemy, the
Philistines, who defeated the Israelites, captured their Ark, drove them
out of their homes, and took away their children to use or sell as
slaves. Their power was broken. They separated from one another and
were very disheartened.
Then came Prophet Samuel (pbuh) among them to bring some
relief. They asked the prophet's help in appointing a strong leader, a
king under whose banner they could unite and fight the Philistines.
Prophet Samuel (pbuh), knowing their weakness, told them: "I fear that
when the time comes to fight you may refuse." But they assured him that
they had suffered enough insults and were now ready to fight in the way
of Allah, even if they lost their lives.
Prophet Samuel prayed to Allah for guidance. Allah
revealed to him that He had chosen one, Saul (Talut), to be their king.
The prophet wanted to know how to recognize the future king. He was
told that Saul would come to him by himself and that they should then
hand over the control of kingdom to him, for he would lead them in
battle against the Philistines.
Saul was tall and sturdy, pious, and very intelligent.
He lived and worked with his father on their farm. One day, several of
their donkeys were lost. Accompanied by his servant, Saul went in
search of them. They traveled for many days and were very tired. Saul
said to his servant: "Let us rather go back, for I am sure that my
father will be worried by now, and the other animals must also be cared
for." His servant suggested that as they were already in the land of
Samuel the prophet, they should go to him to inquire about the lost
donkeys.
Saul agreed, and they carried on. On their way, they
asked directions from some maidens carrying water. They were told to go
in the direction of the mountain. Here, a vast crowd was waiting for
the Prophet Samuel. When Saul set eyes on him, he instantly recognized
him as a prophet by his holy men. Samuel also recognized Saul as the
king that Allah had chosen for them. Saul greeted the prophet
respectfully. When he asked about his missing donkeys, Samuel told him
not to worry, his donkeys were already on their way to his fat's farm.
He then told Saul that Allah had chosen him as the king
of the children of Israel. His duty would be to take charge of their
affairs, to unite them under one banner, and to protect them from their
enemies. If he carried out Allah's commands, he would be given victory.
Saul was surprised by this sudden honor offered to him. It was also a
heavy responsibility. He protested to the prophet that he was a of the
children of Benjamin, the least famous of the tribes of Jacob; he did
not know anything of leadership or kingship and had no wealth. Samuel
told him that it was the will of Allah that he should be the king, that
he should thank Allah for His favor and be strong in faith.
Taking Saul by the hand, Samuel led him to the children
of Israel, but they insisted on a direct sign from Allah. Prophet
Samuel told them to go outside the city to see the sign, which they did.
Almighty Allah revealed: "Have you not thought about the group of
children of Israel after (the time of ) Moses? When they said to a
Prophet of theirs: "Appoint for us a king and we will fight in Allah's
Way."
He said: "Would you then refrain from fighting, if fighting was prescribed for you?"
They said: "Why should we not fight in Allah's Way
while we have been driven out of our homes and our children (families
have been taken as captives)?"
But when fighting was ordered for them, they turned
away, all except a few of them. And Allah is All-Aware of the Zalimeen
(polytheists, and wrongdoers).
And their Prophet (Samuel) said to them: "Indeed Allah has appointed Saul as a king over you."
They said: "How can he be a king over us when we are
better fitted than him for the kingdom, and he has not been given enough
wealth."
He said: "Verily, Allah has chosen him above you and has
increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature. And Allah grants
His Kingdom to whom He wills. And Allah is All-Sufficient for His
creatures' needs, All-Knower."
And their Prophet (Samuel) said to them: "Verily! The
sigh of His kingdom is that there shall come to you At Tabut (a wooden
box), wherein is Sakinah (peace and reassurance) from your Lord and a
remnant of that which Moses and Aaron left behind, carried by the
angels. Verily, in this is a sigh for you if you are indeed believers."
Then when Saul set out with the army, he said: "Verily!
Allah will try you by a river. So whoever drinks thereof, he is not of
me, and whoever tastes it not, he is of me, except him who takes
thereof in the hollow of his hand."
Yet, they drank thereof, all, except a few of them. So
when he had crossed it (the river), he and those who believed with him,
they said: "We have no power on this day against Goliath and his hosts."
But those who knew with certainty that they were to meet
their Lord, said: "How often a small group overcame a mighty host by
Allah's Leave?" And Allah is with the patient.
And when they advanced to meet Goliath and his forces,
they invoked. "Our Lord! Pour forth on us patience and make us
victorious over the disbelieving people." (Ch 2:246-250)
Saul set about organizing his army with strong faith
and wisdom. He ordered that only men free from responsibilities should
join. Those engaged in building homes, men who were about to be
married and those occupied with business should not join.
After establishing a well-trained army, he decided to
put them to the test. He told them that along the route they would pass
a river where they should drink enough water to quench their thirst but
not more than that. To his disappointment, he discovered the majority
of them drank more water than they should have. He discharged them for
disobedience and kept only the few who had obeyed him, as they were the
ones who proved their sincerity. This resulted in a split in the army,
but he was not bothered. He believed in quality and not numbers; better
a small band of true believers he could rely on than a huge army of
unreliable men.
Saul's men sighted the enemy on the other side of the
river. Their opponents appeared physically strong and were armed with
better weapons. They were led by the mighty warrior Goliath (Galut),
known for his huge build and brute strength. A great number of Saul's
men ran away on seeing this strong force. The small band that remained
was willing to fight, whatever the outcome, for they had heard that
there had been many incidents in the past in which Allah had caused a
small force to defeat a larger one.
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