This alongside all the other articles on the stories of the prophets has been taken from Ṣaḥīḥ Qiṣaṣ al Anbiyāʾ (Authentic Stories of the Prophets) by Salim ibn ʿId al Hilali who revised Ibn Kathir’s (Qiṣas al Anbiyāʾ) Stories of the Prophets by removing weak, fabricated, repeated reports and unreliable Isra’ili reports, he only kept the Quran verses, sound hadiths and reports from the Salaf.

Summary

The miracle of Hizqil عليه السلام with the people who fled from death

Prophet Hizqil عليه السلام is linked to the Qur’an verses in al Baqara about those thousands who left their homes in fear of death and were told, “Die,” then Allah gave them life again. The report of Ibn Ishaq explains that they fled from plague to a wide high plain where Allah caused them all to die and they lay there for a long time behind a fence that kept away wild beasts.

Hizqil عليه السلام later passed by these dead bodies and stood over them reflecting, and it was said to him that if he wished, Allah would raise them while he watched. When he said that he did wish this.

Allah commanded him to call the scattered bones so that they would be joined, clothed with flesh, and brought back to life. Hizqil عليه السلام called them by the command Allah gave him, and they all stood up alive together, pronouncing the takbir like the takbir of a single man.

Different reports mention their numbers and where they were from, but all of this shows the miracle Allah gave to Hizqil عليه السلام and that no caution can protect anyone from the decree of Allah, who alone gives life and death.

Hizqil عليه السلام among Banu Israil and what happened after him

Muhammad ibn Ishaq relates that Hizqil عليه السلام lived among Banu Israil for a time, but the exact length of his stay is not known.

When Allah took Hizqil عليه السلام to Himself, Banu Israil soon forgot the covenant they had been given, serious changes appeared among them, and they fell into worship of idols, including an idol called Baal. Because of this turning away after the time of Hizqil عليه السلام.

Allah then sent to them the prophet Ilyas عليه السلام, and the story of Ilyas follows on from the story of Hizqil in the history of Banu Israil.

Full Article

The Story of Hizqil عليه السلام

Allah the Exalted said:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِينَ خَرَجُوا مِنْ دِيَارِهِمْ وَهُمْ أُلُوفٌ حَذَرَ الْمَوْتِ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ اللَّهُ مُوتُوا ثُمَّ أَحْيَاهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَذُو فَضْلٍ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ

“Have you not seen those who left their homes, and they were thousands, in fear of death, so Allah said to them, Die, then He gave them life again. Truly Allah is full of favour to people, but most people do not give thanks.” (al Baqara 2:243)

Ibn Ishaq said that they fled from plague, and they descended upon a high open stretch of land. Then Allah said to them, “Die,” so they all died. A fence was put around them to keep wild beasts away from them, and long ages passed over them. Then Hizqil عليه السلام passed by them, and he stood over them reflecting.

It was said to him, “Do you wish that Allah should raise them while you look on?” He said, “Yes.” So he was commanded to call those bones that they become covered with flesh and that the nerves and tendons be joined together. He called to them by the command of Allah which had been given to him in that matter, and the people all rose up and pronounced the takbir as the takbir of one man.

It is related from Ibn Abbas that they were four thousand. From him also that they were eight thousand. From Abu Salih that they were nine thousand. From Ibn Abbas again that they were forty thousand. From Said ibn Abd al Aziz that they were from the people of Adhriat.

Ibn Jurayj said from Ata that this is an example, meaning that it was presented as an example to make clear that caution will never avail anything against decree. The saying of the majority is stronger, that this actually took place.

Imam Ahmad and the two authors of the Sahihs narrated from Abdullah ibn Abbas that Umar ibn al Khattab went out towards ash Sham.

When he was at Sargh he met the commanders of the armies, Abu Ubaydah ibn al Jarrah and his companions, and they informed him that plague had broken out in ash Sham. He mentioned the report, meaning his consultation with the Muhajirun and the Ansar, and they differed in their views.

Then Abdur Rahman ibn Awf came, and he had been away attending to some need. He said, “I have some knowledge regarding this. I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, If it occurs in a land while you are in it, then do not go out fleeing from it, and if you hear of it in a land then do not go towards it.” So Umar praised Allah and then turned back. (Recorded by Ahmad 1/194, al Bukhari 5729 and 5730 and 6973, Muslim 2219.)

Imam Ahmad also narrated from Abdullah ibn Amir ibn Rabiah that Abdur Rahman ibn Awf informed Umar while he was in ash Sham that the Prophet ﷺ said, “This illness is a punishment with which the communities before you were punished. When you hear of it in a land, do not enter it, and when it occurs in a land while you are in it, do not leave it fleeing from it.” He said that Umar then returned from ash Sham. (In al Musnad 1/193 and its isnad is authentic.)

Muhammad ibn Ishaq said that the length of time Hizqil remained among Banu Israil has not been mentioned to us.

Then Allah took him to Himself. When he was taken, Banu Israil forgot the covenant of Allah that was upon them, serious changes appeared among them, and they worshipped idols. Among the idols which they worshipped was an idol called Baal, so Allah sent to them Ilyas. (See Tarikh al Umam wal Muluk 1/460–461.)

I say that we have already presented the story of Ilyas following the story of al Khidr, because they are usually mentioned together, and because it comes after the story of Musa in Surat as Saffat, so we brought his story forward for that reason, and Allah knows best.

Muhammad ibn Ishaq said, as was mentioned to him from Wahb ibn Munabbih, that after Ilyas, his trustee al Yasa ibn Akhtub عليه السلام was sent as a prophet among them, and this…