نبي الله Elyas
Prophet Elyas
peace be upon him
4 sections · approx. 3 min read
Background Information
In the Qur'an, the depth of detail in the stories of the Prophets varies significantly. Take, for instance, Prophet Musa (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ); he is the most mentioned prophet by name, appearing 136 times. Others, like Prophet Yusuf (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ), have a full surah dedicated to documenting their entire life from beginning to end. Then, there's another category of prophets where not much detail is given. In Surah An-Nisa, ayah 164, "We revealed to the Messengers We have already told you of, and to the Messengers We have not told you of; and to Moses, Allah spoke directly." — (Surah An-Nisa, ayah 164) This verse is a clear indication that the Qur'an is not intended to be a complete historical record of every Prophet sent to each ummah. So, we rely on other sources such as hadith, tafsir, and other literature for further information regarding the known Prophets mentioned in the Qur'an. The Prophets that fall into the latter category include Dhul-Kifl, Al-Yasa (Elisha), and Prophet Ilyas (Elijah), may peace be upon them all. Prophet Ilyas (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) is mentioned in two places in the Qur'an, once in Surah Al-An'am and the other in Surah As-Saffat.
Prophet Ilyas A.S Character
In Surah Al-An'am, specifically ayat 84-88, we find Prophet Ilyas's name mentioned among a list of other Prophets where Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) praises them for their virtues. "We bestowed upon him Ishaq and Ya‘qub. Each one of them We guided to the right path. Earlier, We guided Nuh and, of his progeny, (We guided) Dawud and Sulaiman and Ayyub and Yusuf and Musa and Harun. Thus, We reward those who are good in deeds - and (We guided) Zakariyya and Yahya and ‘Isa and Ilyas - each one of them was of the righteous - and Isma‘il and Yasa‘ and Yunus and Lut, and all of them We made to excel over all the people of the world (in their respective times). We guided many among their fathers and their children and their brothers, and We chose them and led them on to the straight path."
Elisha’s Mission
“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.
The Family History of Elisha
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.