Surah As-Saffat 37:114-138 - Quran Translation Commentary

79. “The Israelites were delivered by three steps mentioned in verses 114, 115, and 116 respectively; but the consummation of Allah’s favour on them was (verses 117-118) the Revelation given to them, which guided them on the Straight Way, so long as they preserved the Revelation intact and followed its precepts. The three steps were: (1) the divine commission to Moses and Aaron: (2) the deliverance from bondage; and (3) the triumphant crossing of the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh’s army” (Yusuf Ali).

80. As discussed earlier, there have been differences in opinion over Ilyas and Idris: whether they were the same persons or different (Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir). But majority of commentators believe that Ilyas, a descendant of Harun, was a Prophet in his own right (Razi) who was succeeded by Al-Yasa`, another Prophet (Qurtubi). Al-Yasa` on the other hand has been identified as Elisha of the Bible, who, as the Bible states was given the mantle after Elijah. See 2Kings, 2: 9-11 (Au.).

Majid writes: “Later commentators too have identified him as the Elisa of the Bible: ‘(He) was a prophet in Israel in the first half of the ninth pre-Christian century, under King Ahab.’ JE. V. p. 121). He ‘came from the land east of the Jordan, to wage war, in the name of the God of his fathers, against the worship of Baal.’ (ib) He ‘was among the greatest and most original of the Hebrew prophets; not unworthy of a place by the side of Moses.’ (EBi. C. 1270) ‘The loftiest prophet of the OT, raised up by “J” at a crisis in the history of Israel to save the nation from lapsing into heathenism.’ (DB.I. p. 687) ‘Foremost prophet of the Northern Kingdom, whose activity .. falls chiefly in the reign of Ahab (876-853). He was known as the Fishlite, probably because he was a native of Fishlite in Gibal ... He performed some miracles, among them the restoration to life of a poor widow’s son ... Elijah like Enoch, is said to have been transported to heaven .. apotheosis due no doubt to his great zeal for God and his insistence upon the spiritual and ethical value of Hebrew monotheism.’ (VJE. P. 201).”

We do not know whether the following has always been there, which Majid failed to notice, or is it a later introduction:

“Elijah (of the 9th century before Christ): also spelled Elias, or Elia, Hebrew Eliyyahu. Hebrew prophet who ranks with Moses in saving the religion of Yahweh from being corrupted by the nature worship of Baal. Elijah’s name means ‘Yahweh is my God‘ and is spelled Elias in some versions of the Bible. The story of his prophetic career in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reigns of Kings Ahab and Ahaziah is told in 1 Kings 17–19 and 2 Kings 1–2 in the Old Testament.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2005 edition) – Au.

Mawdudi offers some more details. Herewith a summary: “Elijah appeared sometime after Solomon (10th century before Christ), when the Israeli Kingdom had already broken into two: a northern piece called Israel with its capital in Samaria (present day Nabulus: Shafi`), and a southern (both within Palestine) called Judea with its capital in Jerusalem. Religious and moral corruption that had taken roots earlier, but which had subsided during the reigns of David and Solomon, began to reappear in full force now. Idol-worship spread along with tyranny. Ahab the King of the Israel married Jezebel the daughter of the polytheist King of Sidon, he adopted the religion of his wife and built a Temple for Ba`l in Samaria. Offerings were made publicly for Ba`l. That was the time that prophet Elias appeared. He was of course very unpopular with the religious class, and because of his denunciation of polytheism, was persecuted by Jezebel. Ultimately, he had to flee and took refuge in a cave at the foot of Mount Sinai where he lived for several years before coming back to Israel to once again try his hand at reformation, but to no avail. He died without having won many Israelis to his cause.”

To the above lines of Mawdudi, we may add: The present-day Bible tells us that Elijah (meaning “My God is Jehova“), who was fed by ravens when in hiding (1King, 17: 6), who parted river Jordan (2Kings, 2:8), and even raised a widow’s dead son (1King, 17: 21-22), was raised to the heaven alive on a fiery chariot:

“And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, ‘Ask what I shall do for you, before I be taken away from you.’ And Elisha said, ‘I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.’ And he said, ‘You have asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so unto you; but if not, it shall not be.’ And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind unto heaven.” (2Kings, 2: 9-11). It is this mysterious disappearance that led the Jews to the belief in the second coming of Elijah. (It was a Jewish belief that the prophet Elijah would return to earth to take part in the establishment of God’s kingdom: The Jerome Biblical Commentary, p.424, Originally pub. by Prentice Hall Inc., USA, 1968). When John the Baptist began to baptize, the Jews began to wonder what right he had to do it without being a Prophet: “And this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’ And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah? And he said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you that Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’” (John, 1: 19-21). [Incidentally, the above quote tells us that the Jews were waiting for three prophets: Jesus Christ, Elijah, and ‘that Prophet‘. Neither the Jews nor Christians are clear to this day about the identity of “that Prophet”] - Au.

At all events, writes Mufti Shafi`, the above were the stories in circulation during the time of the second and third generation Muslims and which influenced them to believe that Ilyas is still alive. Ka`b al-Ahbar for instance, thought that four Prophets are still alive, two in the heavens, and two on the earth: `Isa ibn Maryam and Idris in the heavens and Khadir and Ilyas on the earth. Some narratives say that the last two get together during Hajj; a few others in Ibn `Asakir tell us about people having met Ilyas. Ibn Kathir has declared all of them unworthy of any attention. Hakim has a report which claims that our Prophet had met Ilyas while on his way to Tabuk. Dhahabi emphatically declared it fake and was vexed that a scholar like Hakim placed it in his collection.

The above said, we (Au.) might now look into the Brill Encyclopedia of Islam for some amusement. The article on Ilyas is contributed by two Orientalists. It says:

“Ilyas is the name given in the Qur’an .. to the Biblical prophet Elijah; the form Ilyas derives from .. a Hellenized adjustment, but attested also in Syrian and Ethiopic, of the Hebrew name Eliyah."

The implication is clear. How could the Prophet know about Elijah, and its equivalent Ilyas to be able to mention him in a non-revelational work, which the Qur’an is? Surely, it needs an explanation. It is found. The word is there in Greek and Ethiopic languages. So, the implication is, the Prophet picked his name from there.

The two authors continue down the lines:

“In Muslim legend related by later authors there may be noted on the one hand the more or less faithful use of the Biblical facts (I Kings XVII to II Kings II), with a genealogical linking, inspired by the Jewish Aggada, of Ilyas to the priestly line of Harun through Pinhas; and on the other hand to the confusion of the character of Elijah/Ilyas with al-Khadir (Khidr) and Idris.”

We may ask, who else will fall upon fake reports with cupidity but the rejecters of trustworthy ahadith? Referring to Ibn Kathir at this point – who rejects the legends they speak of - perhaps did not suit the purposes of the two authors. So they promptly ignored him. A fact of greater interest is that the atheist authors suddenly reveal their true identity by assuming the role of Evangelists. Christian Scriptural stories that are treated skeptically - if not scorn - by learned Biblical scholars from among themselves become, to them, “Biblical facts.” It may also be noted that the “later (Muslim) authors” are declared here as being faithful to Biblical facts. But are these not the very “later (Muslim) authors”, who, according to the Orientalists, were not faithful to their own Prophet? According to them they manufactured the mass of the ahadith fastened on their own Prophet? However, since even those who were careless enough to reproduce Biblical stories, were never confused about Ilyas or Khadir, this remark might have its own political connotations.

81. “Ba`l” of the text is literally for master, possessor, chief, etc., so that a husband is his wife’s “ba`l” (as in the Qur’an 11: 72 – Razi), a family has a “ba`l” at the top, a nourisher or sustainer is a “ba`l” et al. At this point the occurrence has been explained as meaning “Lord”, or “deity.” Some others have said that “Ba`l” was actually the name of an idol they worshipped in a town called Ba`albak west of Dimashq and inhabited by a branch of the Israelites. Another report identifies it as a woman who was worshipped (Ibn Jarir, Razi, Qurtubi, Ibn Kathir).

Majid quotes: “’Ba`l is a primitive title of divinities which is found in all branches of the Semitic race.’ (ERE. II. P. 283)… The Particular Baal mentioned in connection with Elijah is the Ball of Tyre. ‘And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him… and went and served Ball and worshipped him. And he reared up an alter for Ba-al in the house of Ba-al which he had built in Samaria.’ (1Kings 16: 30-32).”

82. We could repeat a note offered by Asad at ayah 14 of Surah Al-Mu’minun (23) on the words “best of creators”: “As Tabari points out, the Arabs apply the designation ‘creator’ to every artisan (sani`) – a usage also current in European languages with reference to the ‘creation’ of works of art and imagination. Since God is the only Creator in the real, primary sense of this word, the phrase ‘ahsan al-khaliqin’ must be understood in this secondary sense of the term khaliq (cf., Taj al-`Arus, art. khalaqa).”

83. That is, Ilyas. Just as Ibrahim from Abraham or Seeneen from Sinaa’ (Tabari), or Mika`eel from Meekaal (Ibn Kathir) Ilyasin is derived from Ilyas.

84. Every sojourner to Syria had to pass by their ruins (Tabari).