Friday 11 July 2014
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Dhul-Kifl
An engraving of Ezekiel,
by Gustave Doré (c.
1866), who remains the most commonly identified figure with Dhul-Kifl.
Dhul-Kifl, or Zul-Kifl, (Arabic:
ذو الكفل ; Possessor of a Fold) (ca. 1600?–1400? BCE), is an Islamic prophet who has been identified with various Hebrew Bible prophets, most commonly Ezekiel. It
is believed that he lived for roughly 75 years and that he preached in what is
modern day Iraq.
Dhul-Kifl is believed to have been exalted by God to a high station in life and
is chronicled in the Qur'an as a man of the "Company of the Good.[2] Although
not much is known of Dhul-Kifl from other historical sources, all the writings
from classical commentators, such as Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Kathir, speak of Dhul-Kifl as a
prophetic, saintly man who remained faithful in daily prayer andworship.
Dhul-Kifl in the Qur'an
And (remember) Isma'il, Idris, and Zul-kifl, all (men) of constancy
and patience.
We admitted them to Our mercy: for they were of the righteous ones.
We admitted them to Our mercy: for they were of the righteous ones.
In both cases,
Dhū'l-Kifl is mentioned in the context of a list of Qur'anic
prophets, including many others not mentioned in the ayat quoted above.
Etymology
The name Dhul
Kifl literally means "the one with a kifl",
using a type of name where dhū ("possessor
of") precedes some characteristically associated feature.[6] Such
names were used of other notable figures in the Qur'an, for example Dhū'l-Nūn "the
one with the fish", referring to Jonah, and Dhū'l-Qarnayn "he of the two horns",
referring to Cyrus the Great or Alexander the Great, who was transformed into a saint by peoples of the
Hellenic-era Near East. Kifl is an archaic Arabic word meaning
"double" or "duplicate", from a root meaning "to
double" or "to fold"; it was also used for a fold of cloth. The
name is generally understood to mean "one of a double portion". Some
scholars have suggested that the name means "the man with the double
recompense" or rather "the man who received recompense twice
over",[7] that
is to say that it is a title for Job, as his family was returned to him according to the Qur'an and
the Book of Job.
Identifications
Ezekiel
Some are of
the opinion that Dhul Kifl could be Ezekiel. When the exile, monarchy, and
state were annihilated, a political and national life was no longer possible.
In the absence of a worldly foundation it became necessary to build a spiritual
one and Ezekiel performed this mission by observing the signs of the time and
deducing his doctrines from them. In conformity with the two parts of his book,
his personality and his preaching are alike twofold, and the title Dhul Kifl
means "the one to double" or "to fold".
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, in his Qur'anic commentary says:
Dhul-Kifl
would literally mean "possessor of, or giving, a double requital or
portion"; or else, "one who used a cloak of double thickness,"
that being one of the meanings of Kifl. The commentators differ in opinion as
to who is meant, why the title is applied to him. I think the best suggestion
is that afforded by Karsten Niebuhrin
his Reisebeschreibung nach Arabian, Copenhagen, 1778, ii. 264–266,
as quoted in the Encyclopedia
of Islam under Dhul-Kifl. He
visited Meshad 'All in 'Iraq, and also the
little town called Kifl, midway
between Najaf and Hilla (Babylon).
Kefil, he says, is the Arabic form of Ezekiel. The shrine of Ezekiel was there,
and the Jewscame to it on pilgrimage. If we accept "Dhul al Kifl" to be not an
epithet, but an Arabicised form of "Ezekiel", it fits the context,
Ezekiel was a prophet in Israel who was carried away to Babylon by
Nebuchadnezzar after his second attack on Jerusalem (about B.C. 599). His Book
is included in the English Bible (Old Testament).[9] He
was chained and bound, and put into prison, and for a time he was dumb. He bore
all with patience and constancy, and continued to reprove boldly the evils in
Israel. In a burning passage he denounces false leaders in words which are
eternally true: "Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed
themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye
clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed: but ye feed not the flock.
The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was
sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken......".
Al Kifl
(Arabic: بن الكفل; ibn ul-Kifl) is a town in southeastern Iraq on
the Euphrates River, between Najaf and Al Hillah. Variant names for
the shrine within Al Kifl are: Dhu'l Kifl Shrine, Marqad Dhu'l Kifl,
Qubbat Dhu'l Kifl, Qabr al-Nabi Dhu al-Kifl, Dhu al-Kifl Shrine, Zul Kifl
Shrine, Qabr Hazqiyal, Hazqiyal Shrine. Hazqiyal is the Arabic
transliteration of the HebrewY'hezqel, which was mostly utilized
by Sephardi Jews after
they adopted Arabic. This indicates that the Jews equated Ezekiel and
Dhul-Kifl, and Muslim exegetes followed suit. The Iraqi authorities assert that
in 1316 (715-16 AH) the Ilkhanid Sultan Uljaitu acquired the rights of
guardianship over the tomb from the Jewish community. Consequently, the shrine
was renamed according to the Islamic nomenclature for the same prophet. Sultan
Uljaitu added to the structure by building a mosque and a minaret. As well he
restored the shrine implementing some alterations made clear by comparing its
present state with pre-Ilkhanid travelers' descriptions. The site remained a
Muslim pilgrimage place until the beginning of the nineteenth century when
Menahim Ibn Danyal, a wealthy Jew, successfully converted it back to a Jewish
site and restored it. The minaret remained as the only witness to its tenure as
an Islamic site. Although the mosque and minaret were built in the
14th-century, the antiquity of the shrine and grave cannot be determined.
Others
Although the
identification with Ezekiel is the most commonly held, it is to be noted that
Dhul-Kifl has also been identified variously with Joshua, Obadiah,
and Isaiah.[citation needed]
Mirza Tahir Ahmad, the Fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, identifies
Dhul-Kifl with the Buddha: Dhul-Kifl in this interpretation meaning
"of Kapeel".
Dawud
Dawud (Arabic: داود, translit.: ʾdāūd, pronounced [daːʔwd], Daud or Dawud), (circa 1043
BC - 937 BC?), known as David in
the Old Testament,
is recognized in Islam as
a prophet,
messenger (Rasul), and
lawgiver of God,
and as a righteous King of the United Kingdom of
Israel, which itself is a holy country in
Islam. David is perhaps most famous in Islam for defeating the Philistine giant
Goliath, when he was a soldier in King Saul's army.
His
genealogy goes back through Judah, the son of Jacob (Ya'qub), to Abraham (Ibrahim).
The figure of David is of extreme importance in Islam because he was one of the
few prophets to receive a named revealed book. It says in the Qur'an that the Zabur, the Biblical Psalms,
were given to David. David's son, Solomon (Sulaiman), took over the task of prophecy after his death and he was
made the subsequent King of Israel.
The Judeo-Christian and Islamic views of David, however, differ in some aspects.
Muslims do not accept the sins of adultery andmurder attributed
to David in the Hebrew Bible,
as they feel that prophets – in their belief the utmost chosen and elect
of God – would never commit such grave crimes. The story
of Bathsheba and Uriah is thus absent in David's Qur'anic narrative and plays
no role in Islamic tradition.
Historical narrative in Islam
Saul sets forth with his army
King
Saul set forth with his armies to
fight the Philistines.
There were, however, many doubtful unbelievers in his army. Thus, Godmade the wise king perform a test to see which of his
warriors were loyal and which were not.[3] They stopped by a flowing stream, and Saul, performing
a test similar to that of Gideon's before him,[4] warned
his people that whoever drank of the stream's water would not go forward with
the army. Even in the small band of warriors that remained faithful to God,
there were some that were appalled by the sheer size of the opposing Philistine army, and were startled when they saw the size and
strength of their commander, the giant Goliath. But there were a very small band of men that kept their
belief in God and were determined to fight against all odds. Among these believing
men was David.[5]
David slays Goliath
According
to Muslim tradition, Goliath challenged any soldier from Saul's
army to single combat, as was the custom of battle in those days.[6] The men were frightened, and no one had enough courage
to volunteer. The king offered the hand of his daughter in marriage to the man
who would fight Goliath, but even this offer did not change the silence among
his soldiers.[6] Then, to everyone's surprise, a youth stepped forward.
A roar of laughter echoed from the enemy's side, and even Sauls shook their
heads. The young man was David, from the city of Bethlehem.[6] David at this point was a mere youth.[5] He did not have much of a standing even in the
Israelite camp. Although he was not as experienced in warfare as some of his
contemporaries, his strong faith in God exalted him above any companion or
enemy, and his mastery of the slingshot[5] led
to the defeat of Goliath. David used his slingshot and used it to aim the
pebble at the mocking Goliath.[6] The pebble shot from the whirling sling with the speed
of an arrow and hit Goliath's head with great force. Blood gushed out, and
Goliath fell to the ground, lifeless, before he even had a chance to draw his
sword. When the rest of his men saw their mighty hero slain they ran for their
lives.[6] After David killed Goliath (Ǧālūt in the Qur'an), he became a
hero overnight, and the Israelites loved him. Before this victory, David was an
insignificant figure in the community, known only for his kind demeanour. Now,
however, the Children of Israel wanted him as the successor to King Saul(Tālūt). When David took the position, however, he became not only
the king of Israel but he was also given the gift of prophethood.
The Qur'an states:
By
the will of God they defeated them, and David killed Goliath, and God gave him
kingship and wisdom, and taught him whatsoever He pleased. If God did not make
men deter one another this earth would indeed be depraved. But gracious is God
to the people of the world.
Armor-making by David
Islamic
belief holds that God taught David the making of armour. the Qur'an says the 'iron was made soft for him', through which
David could make instruments for protection against enemies.[8] However, the rule in this story is to use weapons of
defense only in true war (e.g., if you are fighting for freedom of worship) and
not to simply use weapons for degenerate violence.[8] Later accounts in Muslim literature have references to
David's armor-making abilities. God says in the Qur'an:
We
favoured David with excellence, (and commanded): "O mountains and birds,
glorify the greatness of God with him." And We made iron pliable for him.
"Make long coats of mail," (We said), "and fix their links, and do the right. I surely see whatsoever you do."
"Make long coats of mail," (We said), "and fix their links, and do the right. I surely see whatsoever you do."
Remembrance of God
David
was a man of superb strength, slaying Goliath in his raw youth. But God
afterwards had bestowed upon him various gifts, including those of kingship and prophethood. Thus, the wise king would frequently
praise God, in unison with the nature around him. Many scholars believe he was
given the gifts of music as well, and would sing his prayers too, as he was
blessed with great eloquence. The Qur'an mentions David's praise of God:
Bear
with patience what they say, and remember Our votary David, man of strength. He
surely turned to Us in penitence.
We subjugated the chiefs (of tribes) to struggle day and night with him,
And the levied birds. They were all obedient to him.
We subjugated the chiefs (of tribes) to struggle day and night with him,
And the levied birds. They were all obedient to him.
Disputants of the chamber
David
would retire to his prayer chamber at various times in the day, to express his
devotion to God. One day, however, his privacy was invaded by two men, who had
obtained access into his palace by climbing over a wall. David was
frightened, by this supposed apparition.
But the two men soon told the king that they were brothers who had come to ask
him to resolve an argument between them. One of the brothers was more grieved
than the other. He told David that his brother had ninety-nine ewes while he only had one. He went onto describe his
brother's greed and told David that his brother wanted his ewe as well. The circumstances seemed mysterious to David,
as he was puzzled at why the unjust brother would risk climbing into his palace
and then not take any part in the argument. Nonetheless, he took the two men
literally and began preaching about the falsehood and fraud of men, who should
be content with what they have, but who always envy others. Although David, in
his mind, thought he was doing the right thing, he soon realized that this
whole vision was a test to see his wisdom and he fell down in prostration,
praising God.
The
two men were angels and send by God to test David. David did not hear both
sides to the story, and this was his mistake.
The Book of David
The Zabur was the Holy Book attributed to David by God, just
as Musa (Moses) got the Tawrat (Torah), Isa (Jesus)
got the Injil (Gospel) and Muhammad received the Qur'an. In the current Hebrew
Bible scriptures, the Zabur is
known as the Psalms.
However, like other scriptures of the past, the Psalms are believed to have
been corrupted over time, with some of the original message gone. Nonetheless,
Muslims are told to treat the present Psalms with immense respect because, in
their original form, they too were an inspired Book
of God. The Qur'an states:
Your
Lord knows whoever is in the heavens and the earth. We exalted some of the
prophets over the others; and to David We gave the Book of Psalms.
The
term Zabur is the Arabic equivalent of the Hebrew Zimra, meaning "song/music." It, along
with Zamir ("song") and Mizmor ("Psalm"),
is a derivative of Zamar, meaning "sing", "sing
praise", "make music". Thus, David is also usually attributed
the gifts of music and song.
Importance of David in Islam
David
is one of the few Islamic
prophets who received kingship as well.
While other prophets preached during the reign of kings, David, in his time,
was the king. Thus, he received an extremely large task, of making sure that
the people of Israel were
not only held in check spiritually but that the country itself remained strong
as well. His place as both leader and prophet is revered by all Muslims as one
of extremely high rank. The figure of David, together with that of his
prophetic son Sulaiman (Solomon),
are iconic of people who ruled justly over their land.
God
frequently mentions David's high rank as a prophet and messenger in the Qur'an.
He is often mentioned alongside other prophets, to show emphasize how great he
was. For example, God says:
And
We gave him Isaac and Jacob and guided them, as We had guided Noah before them,
and of his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and
Aaron. Thus We reward those who are upright and do good.
When
the caliph Umar visited Jerusalem, the Patriarch Sophronius accompanied him on the Temple
Mount, while he searched for the Mihrab
Dawud (David's prayer-niche) to perform a prayer. Later
commentators identified this site with the Tower
of David. In a hadith, the prayer and fasting of David is mentioned to be dear to
God.
Narrated
Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'As: Allah's Apostle told me, "The most beloved
prayer to Allah is that of David and the most beloved fasts to Allah are those
of David. He used to sleep for half of the night and then pray for one third of
the night and again sleep for its sixth part and used to fast on alternate
days."
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