Al-Anbiya (The Prophets): (85-86) And Ishmael, and Idris, and Dhu...

It is known that when the Almighty mentioned the patience of Job (peace be upon him) and his turning to Him, He followed it by mentioning these individuals, as they too were among the patient ones enduring hardships, tribulations, and acts of worship.

As for Ishmael (peace be upon him):

• He was patient in submitting to being sacrificed.
• He was patient in residing in a land with no crops, no pasture, and no buildings.
• He was patient in building the House (the Kaaba).
• Consequently, the Almighty honored him and brought forth from his loins the Seal of the Prophets.

As for Idris (peace be upon him):

• His story has already been mentioned in Surah Maryam (peace be upon her).
• Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "He was sent to his people as a caller to Allah the Almighty. When they refused, Allah destroyed them and raised Idris to the fourth heaven."

As for Dhu al-Kifl (He of the Portion/Guarantee): There are several issues concerning him:

Issue 1: There are two discussions regarding his name.

The First Discussion:

1. Linguistically: Al-Zajjaj said that al-Kifl in the language means the covering placed on the back of a camel. Al-Kifl also means a portion or share. They differed on why he was named this:
   • The first view (held by the verifiers): He had double the deeds of the Prophets (peace be upon them) of his time, and double their reward.
   • The second view (reported from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him): A Prophet among the Children of Israel was given kingship and prophethood. Allah revealed to him that He intended to take his soul. He offered his kingship to the Children of Israel, saying: "Whoever guarantees for me that he will pray at night until dawn, fast during the day without breaking his fast, and judge between people without getting angry, I will hand over my kingship to him." That Prophet stood before the Children of Israel and informed them. A young man stood up and said, "I guarantee this for you." Some people in the gathering said, "He is older than you, so sit down." He called out a second and a third time, and the man stood up again and said, "I guarantee these three things for you." The Prophet handed over his kingship to him, and the man fulfilled what he guaranteed. Iblis became envious of him and came to him when he intended to take a nap, saying, "I have a debtor who has defaulted on my right, and I have summoned him to you, but he refused. Send someone with me to bring him." The Prophet sent someone with him, and he sat waiting until he missed his nap. The next day, Iblis came to him at nap time and said, "The man I asked you permission for is in such-and-such a place; do not leave until I bring him." So the Prophet went and waited until he missed his nap. Then Iblis came to him and said, "He fled from me." Dhu al-Kifl went to his prayer and prayed all night until morning. Then Iblis came to him, revealed himself, and said, "I envied you for Allah's protection of you, and I wanted to lead you astray so that you would fail in what you guaranteed." Allah the Almighty thanked him for this and made him a Prophet, so he was named Dhu al-Kifl (He of the Guarantee). In this context, al-Kifl means the guarantee/surety.
   • The third view (Mujahid): When Al-Yasa' (Elisha, peace be upon him) grew old, he said, "If only I could appoint a successor over the people during my lifetime to see how he acts." He gathered the people and asked, "Who will guarantee for me that I can appoint him as my successor three times, such that he prays at night, fasts during the day, and judges without anger?" Ali (may Allah honor his face) mentioned something similar to what Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) mentioned regarding Iblis's actions and causing him to miss his nap for three days. He added that Dhu al-Kifl told the doorkeeper on the third day, "Sleep has overcome me; do not let anyone approach this door until I sleep, for sleep has become difficult for me." Iblis came, but the doorkeeper did not grant him entry. So Iblis entered through a small opening in the house and climbed in, and then he knocked on the door from the inside. The man woke up and reprimanded the doorkeeper, who replied, "As for what is on my side, you were not reached." The man went to the door, and it was locked, and Iblis was in the form of an old man inside the house with him. The man recognized him and said, "You are Iblis!" He replied, "Yes. I exhausted all means against you and did these actions to make you angry, but Allah protected you from me." So he was named Dhu al-Kifl because he fulfilled what he guaranteed.

Issue 2: Was Dhu al-Kifl a Prophet?

• Abu Musa al-Ash'ari (may Allah be pleased with him) and Mujahid said Dhu al-Kifl was not a Prophet, but a righteous servant.
• Al-Hasan and the majority said he was among the Prophets (peace be upon them). This latter view is preferable for three reasons:
  1. The name Dhu al-Kifl can be a title or a proper name. It is more likely to be meaningful, as a name that can carry meaning is preferred over a mere title. If this is established, then al-Kifl means the portion/share. It appears that Allah the Almighty named him this as a form of glorification, meaning that portion was the portion of reward. He was named this because his deeds and the reward for his deeds were double the deeds and reward of others. It is narrated that there were Prophets in his time, and one who is not a Prophet cannot be superior to the Prophets.
  2. Allah the Almighty coupled his mention with that of Ishmael and Idris. The purpose is to mention the virtuous among His servants so that they may be emulated, which indicates his prophethood.
  3. The Surah is titled Surat al-Anbiya (The Chapter of the Prophets), so everyone Allah mentions in it is a Prophet.

Issue 3: The Identity of Dhu al-Kifl

• It was said that Dhu al-Kifl is Zakariyya (Zechariah).
• It was said he is Yusha' (Joshua).
• It was said he is Ilyas (Elias).
• Then they mentioned that five Prophets were named by Allah with two names:
  • Israel and Ya'qub (Jacob).
  • Ilyas and Dhu al-Kifl.
  • Isa (Jesus) and Al-Masih (The Messiah).
  • Yunus (Jonah) and Dhu al-Nun (The Man of the Fish).
  • Muhammad and Ahmad.

Regarding the Almighty's saying: {All were of the patient}: Meaning patient in fulfilling Allah's command and enduring harm in supporting His religion.

And His saying: {And We admitted them into Our mercy}:

• Muqatil said: Mercy means prophethood.
• Others said it encompasses all deeds of righteousness and goodness.

(The Eighth Story: The Story of Yunus, peace be upon him)