Elijah (AS) Elijah (AS) was one of the prophets of the Children of Israel. His name in the Holy Scriptures is recorded as "Eliya," which has become known in Arabic as "Elyas." The name of this prophet of God is mentioned twice in the Quran, where he is described as a believer, one of the righteous servants of God, and a sent prophet. According to some Islamic narrations, Elijah (AS) enjoys eternal life and every year accompanies Khidr (AS) on the pilgrimage. In the Holy Scriptures,
Elijah's name in Hebrew is derived from Eliya.)1)( Jawālīqī, Al-muʿrab min al-kalam al-aʿjamī.p13,,, arthur Jeffrey, wāzhihāy-i dakhīl dar qur'ān majīd.p127)(2)( James Hawkes, Qāmūs-i Kitāb-i Muqaddas.p144) Elijah is a prophet among the Children of Israel, whose name is recorded as "Eliya" in the Holy Scriptures.(3)( James Hawkes, Qāmūs-i Kitāb-i Muqaddas.p144-145) It is said that through his supplication, he revived Jonah son of Amittai after several days of his death, as well as he healed Elisha.(4)( Ibn Athīr al-Jazarī, ʿAlī b. Abī l-Karam. Al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh'.vol1.p213,,, Ibn Khaldūn, ʿAbd l-Raḥmān b. Muḥammad. Tārīkh Ibn Khaldūn.vol2.p102/112,,, James Hawkes, Qāmūs-i Kitāb-i Muqaddas.p145) In the Quran
The Quran mentions Elijah in two verses, acknowledging him as a believer, one of the righteous servants of God, and a sent prophet. It speaks of his efforts to combat the idolatry of his people and his call to them to piety and monotheism. (Surah As-Saffat, 123; Surah Al-An'am, 85-86). Some argue that the Elias mentioned in verse 130 of Surah As-Saffat is also the same Elijah.(5)( Bayḍāwi, ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUmar. Anwār al-tanzīl wa asrār al-taʾwīl'.vol5.p18,,, Suyūṭī, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakr al-. Al-Durr al-manthūr fī tafsīr al-maʾthūr.vol5.p286) Elijah in Islamic Sources Exegetical Sources(6)( Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Muḥammad b. ʿAbd Allāh. Jāmiʾ al-bayān fi tafsīr al-Qurʾān'.vol23.p109,,, Ālūsī, Maḥmūd b. ʿAbd Allāh al-. Rūḥ al-maʿānī fī tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm.vol23.p138) And Historical(7)( Ibn Athīr al-Jazarī, ʿAlī b. Abī l-Karam. Al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh.vol1.p212,,, Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya.vol2.p5,,, Ṣāliḥī Shāmī, Muḥammad b. Yusuf. Subul al-hudā wa al-rashād fī sīrat khayr al-ʿibād'.vol6.p318) Muslims consider Elijah as a descendant of Imran, the father of Moses (AS) and Aaron (AS).(8)( Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-.Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk.vol1.p461,,, Ibn Athīr al-Jazarī, ʿAlī b. Abī l-Karam. Al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh.vol1.p212,,, ,,, Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya.vol2.p5) According to narrations, he is known for his wisdom as a descendant of Aaron.(9)( Kulaynī, Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb al-. Al-Kāfī.vol1.p227) He belongs to the lineage of Abraham (AS), coming after the Prophet Ezekiel and preceding his disciple, Elisha(10)( Abū Riyḥān Bīrūnī, Muḥammad b. Aḥmad. Āthār al-bāqiya.p373,,, Māwirdī, Ab al-Ḥasan ʿAlī b. Muḥammad, al-. Aʿlām al-nubuwwa.p54,,, . Ibn ʿAsākir, ʿAlī b. Ḥasan. Tārīkh-i damishq.vol9.p206/209) He was stirred to prophethood.(11)( Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-.Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk.vol1.p461) He was sent to the people of Baalbek, a region of Syria, during the reign of King Ahab.(12)( Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-.Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk.vol1.p461,,, . Ibn ʿAsākir, ʿAlī b. Ḥasan. Tārīkh-i damishq.vol9.p209,,,, Ibn Athīr al-Jazarī, ʿAlī b. Abī l-Karam. Al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh.vol1.p212) He guided them and warned them about the worship of the idol Baal.(13)( Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-.Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk.vol1.p461,,, . Ibn ʿAsākir, ʿAlī b. Ḥasan. Tārīkh-i damishq.vol9.p209 ,,,, Ibn Athīr al-Jazarī, ʿAlī b. Abī l-Karam. Al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh.vol1.p212) He is known for destroying the idol of Baal.(14)( Ṭabarī, Muḥammad b. Jarīr al-.Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk.vol1.p464,,, . Ibn ʿAsākir, ʿAlī b. Ḥasan. Tārīkh-i damishq.vol9.p209 ,,,, Ibn Athīr al-Jazarī, ʿAlī b. Abī l-Karam. Al-Kāmil fī l-tārīkh.vol1.p212,,,, John Bayer Nas. Tārīkh-i jāmiʿ-i Abd adyān.p507) According to some sources, after his passing, he was buried in the region of Qalb, a land between Damascus, Homs, and Baalbek.(15)( Yāqūt al-Ḥamawī. Muʿjam al-buldān.vol1.p470,,, Ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥaqq Baghdādī, Ṣafīī al-dīn ʿAbd al-Muʾmin. Marāṣid al-ʾiṭṭlāʿ ʿlā ʾasmāʾi al-amkina wa al-buqāʿ.vol1.p211) The pilgrimage of Elijah According to some reports, Elijah is among those who are believed to have attained eternal life.(16)( Ibn al-Jawzī, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAlī. Al-Muntaẓam fī tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk.vol1.p361,,, Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya.vol1.p394-395,,, Makārim Shīrāzī, Nāṣir. Tafsīr-i nimūna.vol19.p144) They go for Hajj every year with Prophet Khidr, and after performing the Hajj rituals, they drink from the water of Zamzam.(17)( Ibn al-Jawzī, ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAlī. Al-Muntaẓam fī tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk.vol1.p361,,, Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya.vol1.p394) Also, in one report, the annual meeting of Khidr and Elijah at Arafat is mentioned.(18)( Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya.vol1.p394,,, Ibn Kathīr al-Dimashqī, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Qiṣaṣ al-anbīyāʾ.vol2.p242-243) Although some Muslim historians have expressed doubt about the accuracy of the narrations regarding Elijah's eternal life.(19)( Ibn Kathīr, Ismāʿīl b. ʿUmar. Al-Bidāya wa l-nihāya.vol1.p337)
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