ZS13:AK15 Prophet Yahya a.s.

Alhamdullillah. It was just like another dream came true when we were standing in front of the shrine of Prophet Yahya a.s. Ibn Prophet Zakaria a.s. inside the main prayer hall of the Ummayad Masjid, Damascus. It was not the glamorous and magnificent shrine that amazed me, but rather the shrine reminded us about the humbleness and patience of this prominent Prophet.

He was the only son of Prophet Zakariya a.s. His birth was considered a miracle; he was born of a barren mother and an aged father. In the fagging part of his life, he prayed to Almighty Allah to bless him with a son who could prove to be a successful heir and preacher of the religion of Allah. His prayer was promptly granted. The Holy Quran says:
"O' Zakariya! Lo! We bring you a glad tiding of a son whose name is Yahya. We have given the same name to none before him.'' (Surah 19: Verse 7)
Prophet Yahya a.s was born a stranger to the world of children who used to amuse themselves, as he was serious all the time. He supplicated to Allah with strength, energy and seriousness. The young children would call him to play and he would say, “ Our purpose in life is not to play, it is not for this that we were created.”
Most children took delight in torturing animals whereas, he was merciful to them. He fed the animals from his food until there was nothing left for him, and he just ate fruit or leaves of trees.
He was dedicated to the noble work of leading men to the path of salvation. He exhorted his people to have unstinted faith in Allah swt. He moved among the humble and despised soft raiment. He was not arrogant and spent most of his life in wilderness. He was pure, devout, and dutiful towards his parents. The Holy Quran says:
"(And it was said unto his son) 0' Yahya! Hold fast the scripture (Taurat). And We gave him wisdom when he was a child! And compassion from Our presence and purity, and he was devout. And dutiful towards his parents. And he was not arrogant, rebellious. Peace on him the day he was born and the day he dies and the day he shall be raised alive.'' (Surah 19: Verse 12-15 )
They say Prophet Yahya a.s wept so much that tears marked his cheeks. He found comfort in the open and never cared about food. He ate leaves, herbs, and sometimes locusts. He slept anywhere in the mountains or in holes in the ground. He sometimes would find a lion or a bear as he entered a cave, but being deeply absorbed in praising Allah swt, he never heeded them. The beasts easily recognized Yahya as the prophet who cared for all the creatures, so they would leave the cave, bowing their heads.
Prophet Yahya a.s sometimes fed those beasts, out of mercy, from his food and was satisfied with prayers as food for his soul. He would spend the night crying and praising Allah swt for His blessings.
When Prophet Yahya a.s called people to worship Allah swt , he made them cry out of love and submission, arresting their hearts with the truthfulness of his words.