Prophet Isa(Alaihi salaam) Part 5 :

Prophet Isa(Alaihi salaam) Part 5 :

A) Isa(Alaihi salaam) Does Not Observe the Sabbath :

Isa(Alaihi salaam) grew up to manhood. It was Sabbath, a day of complete rest: no fire could be lit or extinguished nor could females plait their hair. Musa(alaihi salaam) had commanded that Saturday be dedicated to the worship of Allah. However, the wisdom behind the Sabbath and its spirit had gone, and only the letter remained in the Jews' hearts. Also, they thought that Sabbath was kept in heaven, and that the People of Israel had been chosen by Allah only to observe the Sabbath.They made a hundred things unlawful on Saturday even self-defense or calling a doctor to save a patient who was in bad condition. This is how their life was branded by such hypocrisy. Although the Pharisees(members of a Jewish sect ,noted for strict observance of rites and ceremonies of the written law and for insistence on the validity of their own oral traditions concerning the law) were guardians of the law, they were ready to sell it when their interests were involved so as to obtain personal gains. There was, for example, a rule which prohibited a journey of more than one thousand yards on the Sabbath day. What do we expect of the Pharisees in this case? The day before, they transferred their food and drink from their homes two thousand yards away and erected a temporary house so that from they could travel a further thousand yards on the Sabbath day.

Isa(Alaihi salaam) was on his way to the place of worship. Although it was the Sabbath, he reached out his hand to pick two pieces of fruit to feed a hungry child. This was considered to be a violation of the Sabbath law. He made a fire for the old women to keep themselves warm from the freezing air. Another violation. He went to the place of worship and looked around. There were twenty thousand Jewish priests registered there who earned their living from the place of worship. The rooms of the place of worship were full of them.

B) Isa(Alaihi salaam) Receives His Prophethood :

Isa(Alaihi salaam) observed that the visitors were much fewer than the priests. Yet the place of worship was full of sheep and doves which were sold to the people to be offered as sacrifices. Every step in the place of worship cost the visitor money. They worshipped nothing but money. In the place of worship, the Pharisees and Sadducees(people who were wealthy and held powerful positions, including that of chief priests and high priest) acted as if it were a market place, and these two groups always disagreed on everything. Isa(Alaihi salaam) followed the scene with his eyes and observed that the poor people who could not afford the price of the sheep or dove were swept away like flies by the Pharisees and Sadducees. Isa(Alaihi salaam) was astonished. Why did the priests burn a lot of offerings inside the place of worship,while thousands of poor people were hungry outside it?

On this blessed night, the two noble prophets Zakariyah (Alaihi salaam) and Prophet Yahya(Alaihi salaam) died, killed by the ruling authority. On the same night, the revelation descended upon Isa(Alaihi salaam). Allah the Exalted commanded him to begin his call to the children of Israel. To Isa(Alaihi salaam), the life of ease was closed, and the page of worship and struggled was opened.

To be continued..In sha Allah !