Prophet Aramaya (Jeremiah) (a.s) Part 4

 Prophet Aramaya (Jeremiah) (a.s) Part 4

The Children of Israel Do Not Repent

He said to them: "Woe to us! We have disobeyed Allah. We must repent to Allah, Great and Majestic, for what we have done, and I shall pray to Allah to accept our repentance." He prayed so, and Allah revealed to him that He would not accept it: "If they are sincere, they must stay with you in this country (or town)." He told them what Allah had revealed. They said: "How can we stay in this town when it has been devastated and Allah is angry with its people?" So they refused to stay.

Ibn al-Kalbi said that since that time, the children of Israel were dispersed the world over. Some of them went to the Hijaz, Taif and Medina, and others settled in Wadi al Qura. Some went to Egypt, and Nabuchadnezzar wrote to its king, demanding those who had escaped thither, but he refused. So Nabuchadnezzar mounted his army and fought him. He defeated him and captured their children. Then he marched to the extreme of Morocco. He returned from Morocco, Egypt, Jerusalem, Palestine, and Jordan with many captives, and among them was Daniel.

Ibn al-Kalbi said that it appears that it was Daniel, the youngest son of Ezekiel, and not the elder Daniel, according to Ibn Munbah. Allah knows best.

Jeremiah Sleeps for 100 Years, Jerusalem is Rebuilt

Hashim ibn Al-Kalbi reported that Allah the Exalted revealed to Jeremiah: "I am going to reconstruct Jerusalem, so go there." He went and found it devastated. He said to himself: "Exalted be Allah! Allah told me to come to this city and that He was reconstructing it. When will Allah rebuild it? And when will He bring it back to life?"

Then he slept, and his donkey with him, for seventy years until Nebuchadnezzar and the king over him - Laharasab, who had ruled one hundred twenty years - had perished. Laharasab was succeeded by his son Bashtaasib (According to the Bible, Ezra 1, this would be King Cyrus of Persia). News of the death of Nebuchadnezzar had reached Bashtaasib through Sham (Syria), which was in utter ruin. the wild beats had multiplied in Palestine, for it had become empty of men. Bashtaasib therefore called to the children of Israel in Babylon: "Whoever wants to return to Sham (Syria/Palestine) may do so." It was ruled by one from the House of David, who was ordered by Bashtaasib to rebuild Jerusalem and its temple, so they returned and rebuilt it. Then Jeremiah opened his eyes, blinked from the seventy year sleep, and saw how the city was being reconstructed. He remained in that sleep of his until he had completed one hundred years. When Allah awoke him, he thought that he had slept no more than an hour. He had known the city as a devastated land; when he saw it rebuilt and populated, he said:

"He grants wisdom to whom He pleases, and he, to whom wisdom is granted, is indeed granted abundant good. But none remember (will receive admonition) except men of understanding." [2:269]

The History of Israel After its Rebuilding

Ibn Al-Kalbi said that the Israelites settled it, and Allah rebuilt their glory. It remained so until

Rome vanquished them in the era of the tribal kings; then they lost their community and their authority after the appearance of Christianity.

This is how Ibn Jarir tells their story in his History of Jerusalem. He said that Laharasab was a just king and diplomatic. The people, cheifs, and kings obeyed him, and he was gifted in the construction of cities, canals and institutions. When he grew too weak to rule, after more than one hundred, his son Bashtaasib ascended to the throne. During his reign the religion of Zoroastrianism (alMajusia) appeared. A man named (Zoroaster) (Zordahst) had been a companion of Jeremiah and had angered him, so Jeremiah cursed him. Zoroaster became a leper. He went to the land of Azerbaijan, joined Bashtaasib forced peolple to embrace it and killed many people who disobeyed him.

After Bashtaasib, his son Barman ruled. They were among the famous and heroic kings of Persia, and Nebuchadnezzar had been deputy to all three of them. He lived a long time, may Allah torment him!

The essence of what has been written by Ibn Jarir is that the person or wayfarer passing through this village was Jeremia. Others say that it was Hosea (Ozir), and this is the consensus of the ancients and those after them, but Allah knows best.