THE PROPHET IDRIS (peace be upon him)
As a result of the efforts of the Prophet Sheth (peace be upon him) some people began to
believe in Allah. As the time passed they began to worship the statue of their prophet.
They became polytheists, irreligious and faithless. They adopted indecent ways of life.
Under such circumstances Allah sent the Prophet Idris (peace be upon him) for the
reformation and guidance of those who had gone astray. The Holy Qur'an makes mention of
him in the following Verse:
"Commemorate Idris in the Book, verily he was a man of truth and a Prophet and We
raised him to a lofty station." (19: 56)
Preaching and Opposition:
The Prophet Idris (peace be upon him) preached monotheism. He directed his people to
abandon idol-worship. He emphasised them not to be captivated by the love of wealth and
property. He advised them to abstain from drinking wine and other intoxicants. Only a few
men paid heed to his teachings but majority of the people opposed him bitterly. The
Prophet Idris (peace be upon him) did not lose heart and continued preaching with
unshakeable constancy. He is appreciated for his firm faith and forbearance in the
following Verses of the Holy Qur'an:
"All (Isma'il, Dhul-Kifl and Idris) were men of constancy and patience. We admitted
them into Our mercy, for they were of the righteous ones." (21:85,86)
Migration to Egypt:
In spite of untiring efforts the Prophet Idris (peace be upon him) could not attain
considerable success and felt disgusted with the indifferent attitude of the public. He
was directed to migrate to Egypt and settle on the bank of the river Nile. He preached the
religion of Allah among various tribes and admonished them to be good and civilised.
Consequently he brought about a remarkable change in the moral and social life of the
people.
Some Sayings of the Prophet Idris:
His lectures were full of admonition and good advice. Some of his sayings are given below:
1. Do not feel jealous of the prosperity of others.
2. He who has unlimited desires, is deprived of the wealth of contentment.
3. One should be sincere in acts of devotion.
4. It is an act of grave sin to take false oaths.
5. Patience is a key to victory.
6. He who controls his passions, is fortunate. Only a good act will be a living
intercessor before Allah on the Day of Judgement.
7. One who is desirous of attaining perfection in knowledge, should have no concern with
immoral acts.
The Learned Prophet:
The Prophet Idris (peace be upon him) was born one hundred years after the death of
Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). He was the first man who learnt to write. It is said
that thirty portions of Allah's sacred scriptures were revealed to him. He was the
inventor of the science of astronomy and arithmetic.
Death Event:
The Prophet Idris (peace be upon him) was taken alive to Heavens at the age of 365 years.
Ibn Jarir relates in Rauzatul Ahbab that the Prophet Idris (peace be upon him) was the
special friend of one of the angels of heaven. The angel took him up into the heavens and
when they arrived in the fourth heaven, they met the Angel of Death. The angel questioned
the Angel of Death how many years there were remaining of the life of the Prophet
Idris(peace be upon him). The Angel of Death said: Where is Idris because I have been
commanded to end his life. The Prophet Idris (peace be upon him) then remained in the
fourth heaven and he died in the wings of his angel friend who had taken him from earth.
Mutwaslah was one of his distinguished son who made his mark.
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