1708 - يَحيى‏ عليه السلام‏

1708. JOHN THE BAPTIST (AS) [YAHYA]

(يَا زَكَرِيَّا إِنَّا نُبَشِّرُكَ بِغُلَامٍ اسْمُهُ يَحْيَى‏ لَمْ نَجْعَلْ لَهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ سَمِيّاً * ... يَا يَحْيَى‏ خُذِ الْكِتَابَ بِقُوَّةٍ وَآتَيْنَاهُ الْحُكْمَ صَبِيّاً * وَحَنَاناً مِنْ لَدُنَّا وَزَكَاةً وَكانَ تَقِيّاً * وَبَرّاً بِوَالِدَيْهِ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ جَبَّاراً عَصِيّاً * وَسَلَامٌ عَلَيْهِ يَوْمَ وُلِدَ وَيَوْمَ يَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ يُبْعَثُ حَيّاً) .¹

"O Zacharias! Indeed we give you the good news of a son, whose name is “John.” Never before have We made anyone his namesake… ‘O John!’ [We said] ‘Hold on with power to the Book!’ And We gave him judgment while still a child, and a compassion and purity from Us. He was Godwary, and good to his parents, and was not self-willed or disobedient. Peace be to him, the day he was born, and the day he dies, and the day he is raised alive!"²

6004.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : رَحِمَ اللَّهُ أخي يحيى‏ حِينَ دَعاهُ الصِّبيانُ إلَى اللَّعِبِ وهُو صَغيرٌ فقالَ : ألِلَّعبِ خُلِقتُ ؟ ! فكيفَ بمَن أدرَكَ الحِنْثَ مِن مَقالِهِ ؟ !³

6004.The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'May Allah be pleased with my brother John when he was invited by children to play, and he was small, and he said, 'Was I created to play?!' So, what will there be for those who perceive his statement as a sin?!' ⁴

6005.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام عن آبائهِ : - في ذِكرِ حَديثٍ ليحيى‏ عليه السلام مَع الشَّيطانِ - : قالَ يحيى‏ عليه السلام: فهَل ظَفِرتَ بِي ساعَةً قَطُّ ؟ قالَ : لا ، ولكن فيكَ خَصلَةٌ تُعجِبُني . قالَ يحيى‏ : فما هِي ؟ قالَ : أنتَ رَجُلٌ أكُولٌ ، فإذا أفطَرتَ أكَلتَ وبَشِمتَ فيَمنَعُكَ ذلكَ مِن بَعضِ صَلاتِكَ وقِيامِكَ باللَّيلِ . قالَ يحيى‏ عليه السلام : فإنّي اُعطِي اللَّهَ عَهداً أنّي لا أشبَعُ مِن الطَّعامِ حتّى‏ ألقاهُ . قالَ لَهُ إبليسُ : وأنا اُعطي اللَّهَ عَهداً أنّي لا أنصَحُ مُسلِماً حتّى‏ ألقاهُ ، ثُمّ
خَرجَ فما عادَ إلَيهِ بعدَ ذلكَ .⁵

6005. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) narrated from his fathers (AS) the conversation of John with the devil: 'John (AS) asked, 'Have you ever been triumphant over me for any moment?' He [the devil] said, 'No, but you have a feature that pleases me.' John asked, 'And what is that?' He said, 'You are a person who eats too much, so when you break your fast and fill yourself, it prevents you from performing some of your prayers and night vigils.' John (AS) said, 'Therefore I will make a pledge to Allah that I will never fill myself with food until I meet Him.' Satan said to him, 'I will make a pledge to Allah that I will never advise a submitter [muslim] again until I meet Him.' So he left and never returned to him after that.' ⁶

6006.الإمامُ الكاظمُ عليه السلام: كانَ يحيَى بنُ زَكريّا عليهما السلام يَبكي ولا يَضحَكُ ، وكانَ عيسَى بنُ مَريمَ عليهما السلام يَضحَكُ ويَبكي ، وكانَ الّذي يَصنَعُ عيسى‏ عليه السلام أفضَلَ مِن الّذي كانَ يَصنَعُ يحيى‏ عليه السلام .⁷

6006.Imam al-Kazim (AS) said, 'John, son of Zacharias (AS), cried and never laughed, and Jesus son of Mary (AS) would laugh and cry, and what Jesus (AS) used to do was better than what John (AS) used to do.' ⁸