The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 4) — Page 196
CH. 21 AL-ANBIYA' PT. 17 وَاسْمُعِيلَ وَإِدْرِيسَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ كُلٌّ And remember Ishmael. 86 مِّنَ الصُّبِرِينَ and Idris, and Dhu'l-Kifl. 'All were of the steadfast. 2415 "6:87; 38:49. 38:49. very severe affliction and distress has become proverbial. See also Jew. Enc. , under "Job" and Enc. of Islam under "Ayyub" and explanatory notes under 6:85 & 38:42. 2415. Commentary: For Ishmael see 2:128, 130; and for Idris 19:58. is The identity of Dhul-Kifl wrapped in uncertainty. Muslim commentators of the Quran identify him with several persons, chiefly with Biblical Prophets. But the Prophet known by this name appears to be Ezekiel who is called Dhul-Kifl by the Arabs. There seems to exist a close resemblance between the words and (Ezekiel), both in form and meaning, the former word meaning "possessed of an abundant portion" and the latter "God gives strength. " Thus the two words seem to possess an identical significance. Rodwell says that Ezekiel is called Dhul-Kifl by the Arabs. According to Karsten Niebuhr, a little town called Kefil which is situated midway between Najaf and Huila (Babylon) contains the shrine of Ezekiel which is still visited by Jewish pilgrims. He is further of the view that Kifl is the Arabic form of Ezekiel. The Jews too regard Ezekiel as Dhul-Kifl (Enc. of Islam under "Dhul-Kifl" and Carsten Niebuhr's "Travels through Arabia. . . " ii, 265). See also 38:49. Born probably about 622 B. C. in a priestly family Dhul-Kifl had spent the first twenty-five years of his life in Judah. In 592 B. C. at the age of thirty he received the Call and began to preach against idol worship and the injustice and immorality of his people. In the meantime, Babylon had taken the place of Assyria as the dominant power in Western Asia and Judah had acknowledged its over lordship. But Jehoiakim, the King of Judah under the influence of his evil councillors revolted against the authority of Babylon, thus drawing upon himself the vengeance of Nebuchadnezzar who successfully besieged Jerusalem in 597 and carried into exile many of her leading citizens, including Ezekiel and Jehoiachin, a king of three months' standing-his father Jehoiakim having meanwhile died. Jehoiachin was succeeded by his uncle, Zedekiah, who for a time remained faithful to Babylon, but foolishly depending upon the support of Egypt he renounced his allegiance to Babylon, an act which Ezekiel bitterly resented and denounced as treachery to Yahweh Himself. The result was that Jerusalem was invested by Nebuchadnezzar, and after a siege of eighteen months was destroyed amid horrors untold. The Temple on which such a passion of love had been lavished was reduced to ashes and the people deported to Babylon (586 B. C. ). 2110