The name is in Arabic
Elias, peace be upon him.
Title
The reformer of the children of Israel.
Chronological order
He came after Joshua bin Nun and before his brother Elisha and David, peace be upon them.
Mission location
He was sent to the people of Baalbek in present-day Lebanon (a region that belonged to the Children of Israel).
📜 Lineage and mission
Lineage: Elias, peace be upon him, is one of the prophets of the Children of Israel, and it is said that he is a descendant of Aaron, peace be upon him.
Time: It was sent after the children of Israel deviated from the law of the Torah and from monotheism, and the worship of idols appeared among them.
Baalbek: It was sent to the people of the city of Baalbek, which was famous for worshiping an idol called “Baal,” from which the name of the city came.
🔥 Calling his people to monotheism
Misguidance and idolatry: His people worshiped Baal, and their situation reached complete misguidance.
Call and argument: Elias began his call by denouncing their polytheism and warning them of the consequences of disbelief. He said to them: “Do you call upon Baal and forsake the best of creators? Allah is your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers” (Al-Saffat: 125-126).
Stubbornness and denial: They denied him and insisted on worshiping him, so they rejected all his arguments.
🌧️ The absence of rain and torment
Divine punishment: Because of their lies and stubbornness, Elias, peace be upon him, called on them to withhold the rain, so God withheld the rain from them, and drought and severe drought spread over their lands and livestock.
Their persistence: Despite this punishment, they did not return to God, but rather remained persistent in their disbelief.
Attempted murder: Fearing that anger would make them kill him, Elias, peace be upon him, disappeared from their sight.
🌾 Rain falls and salvation
Divine Mercy: After the torment became severe and the harm reached them, God inspired Elias to pray for mercy for them.
The return of the rain: Elijah called on his Lord, and He sent down rain on them, and provided good things.
Partial belief: Some of them believed in him, but the majority remained in their disbelief and denial, and they continued their attempts to harm and kill him.
🕊️ The end of despair, peace be upon him
Exodus and isolation: After Elijah despaired of his people’s faith, he asked his Lord to take his soul.
Raising to heaven: Stories differed regarding the end of Elias, peace be upon him. The most famous of them is that God raised him to heaven, and he did not die, and according to some, he is alive (which is a weak opinion). The most likely opinion is that God passed away just as the rest of the prophets died, but the details and place of his death were not mentioned.
🤝 His relationship with Elisha
His student: Elisha, peace be upon him, was his cousin or his sister’s son, his friend and his servant, then he became a prophet after him and his successor in calling the children of Israel.
⌛ His age and death
His age and death: His exact age or date of death was not mentioned, but he lived for a long time calling on his people.
Note: The story of Elias, peace be upon him, is an example of patience in the face of lies and stubbornness, and his concern for the interests of his people even after they lied to him.