Prophet Ilyas (peace be on him)
After the death of Prophet Sulaiman (Solomon) (peace be upon him) his kingdom was dismembered.
There was virtually the rule of Satan all around. The religious people were
mocked at. The ruler of Somaria killed a large number of learned people. When
the evil reached the saturation point, God sent the Prophet Ilyas (peace be upon him) to
reform mankind during the reign of the king Ahab of Israel. He tried his best to
save the people from polytheism. He forbade them to worship the Tyrian Bal. He
advised the people to ward off evil and worship One God. When his efforts bore no
fruit he suddenly appeared before the king and foretold him that severe draught and
famine would overtake his kingdom. He added that the Tyrian Bal would be powerless
to avert it. The people paid no heed to his warnings and did not mend their ways.
The prophecy of the Prophet Ilyas (peace de upon him) turned out to be true and
whole of the kingdom came under the sway of famine. The people began to starve.
After three years the Prophet Ilyas (peace be upon him) supplicated to show mercy
to the famine stricken people. They acknowledged the authority of God and felt penitence.
Soon after the rain ended the draught and God lifted his curses After this he was
directed by God to call upon al-Yasa to be his successor. The Prophet Ilyas (peace
be upon him) did so in obedience to His command and disappeared mysteriously. The
Holy Qur'an makes mention of Prophet Ilyas (peace be upon him) in the following Verses:
And Zachariah and John and Jesus and Ilyas all in
the ranks of the righteous; and Ismail and Elisha (Al-Yasa) and Jonas and
Lot; each have We preferred above the nations. (To them) and
their fathers and progeny and brethren, We chose them and We guided
them to a straight way. (6: 85-87)
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