Prophets Stories In Islam

Prophet Yoosha (as)

Prophet Yoosha's full name was Yoosha ibn Noon ibn Efra'eem (Ephraim) ibn Yusuf ibn Yaqub Ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim (peace be upon them all). The Jews know him as Joshua, son of Prophet Hud's paternal uncle.
Allah (ﷻ) mentioned him in the Quran without actually using his name in the story of Musa (as) and Khidr (as) in the following verse:
"When Musa said to his servant (Joshua): "I will not give up till I reach the confluence of two oceans, or I will journey on and on." (18:60)
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The people of earlier scriptures unanimously agree that he was a Prophet. Infact, there is a Jewish sect called the Samaritans, who do not believe in the Prophethood of anyone after Musa (as) except Yoosha (as). The reason for this is that he has been mentioned explicitly in the Torah. They deny all the other Prophets who came after him.
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Ibn Khatir and some other Quran commentators have narrated a report from Muhammed ibn Ishaq concerning Musa (as) and the Prophethood of Yoosha (as). The story, which is not authentic, says that Prophethood was taken from Musa (as) and given to Yoosha (as) towards the end of Musa's (as) life. Supposedly, whenever Musa (as) would meet Yoosha (as), the latter would enquire about the latest injunctions that Allah (ﷻ) had revealed to him. Once, Yoosha (as) said to him:
"O Musa! I never ask you anything concerning what Allah has revealed to you until you yourself inform me of your own accord."
Upon hearing that, Musa (as) began to desire death.
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As mentioned earlier, that this story is not authentic because Musa (as) received injunctions and laws from Allah (ﷻ) upto his death. He had always been an honored Prophet and held a high status before Allah (ﷻ), as I have already mentioned in the incident between him and the Angel of death. Through that incident, we have learnt that Allah (ﷻ) said to him that if he wished to live longer, he should place his hand on the back of an ox. For each hair that his hand touches, he will be granted one year of life. Musa (as) asked what would happen at the end of those years. When informed that he would die, he said: "O my Lord, in that case, I want death now."
He then beseeched Allah (ﷻ) to enable him to come closer to the holy land, at a mere distance of a stone's throw. His request was answered. May the peace and blessings of Allah (ﷻ) be upon him.
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The narration of Muhammad ibn Ishaq might have been taken from the earlier scriptures. However, it is specifically mentioned in the Torah that the revelation used to come to Musa (as) whenever he needed it, right upto his death. Thus, the incident mentioned by Ibn Ishaq has not been taken from even the Jewish sources.
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The Bible has mentioned that Allah (ﷻ) ordered Musa (as) and Harun (as) to organize the Israelites according to their tribes, with each tribe having its own leader. This was done to prepare them to fight the tyrants after they had come out of their wandering. This order was given to them towards the end of the forty years of wandering. It is for this reason that some scholars have said that Musa (as) slapped the Angel of death and blinded him. This was because he did not recognize him, as he had not come to him in the form of an Angel. Also, since he was ordered to prepare the Israelites to fight, he had expected that it would happen in his life time. However, it was not decreed by Allah (ﷻ) that the fight would occur in Musa's (as) time. Rather, it occurred during the time of his attendant, Yoosha ibn Noon.
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This is similar to the incident in the life of our Prophet (ﷺ) when he first went to fight the Romans in Syria. He reached Tabook and then returned that year, which was the ninth year after the Migration from Makkah to Madina. He then went for pilgrimage in the tenth year. After He returned, he prepared an army under the command of Usamah (ra) to go to Syria. However, after he had prepared the army, the Prophet (ﷺ) passed away, while Usamah (ra) and his army had encamped in a place called Jurf, outside Madina.
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When Abu Bakr (ra) was chosen as the Caliph and the successor to the Prophet (ﷺ), he ordered Usamah (ra) and his army to proceed. After Abu Bakr (ra) had gained control of the situation in the Arabian Peninsula, he prepared and sent armies to conquer to Iraq, Syria, Rome, and other countries.
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This is similar to what happened with Musa (as), wherein Allah (ﷻ) had ordered him to arrange the Israelites in their twelve tribes to fight the tyrants.
Ibn Ishaq has claimed that Musa (as) conquered Bayt Al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) and Yoosha was only a soldier in his army. He has then mentioned the story of Balam ibn Baoora, about whom Allah (ﷻ) has mentioned:
"Relate to them the plight of the man whom We gave Our signs, but he passed them by, so that Satan came after him, and he went astray.
We wished to exalt him, but he loved baseness and followed his lust. His likeness is that of a dog who hangs out his tongue if you drive him away, and still hangs it out if you leave him alone. Such is the case of the people who deny Our signs. Narrate this history to them; they may haply reflect.
Evil is the case of those who deny Our signs and wrong themselves." (7:175-177)
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According to Ibn Abbas (ra) and others, Balam used to know the great name of Allah (ﷻ). If He was invoked with this name, He accepted the supplication. Balam's people asked him to curse Musa (as) and his people. Initially, he refused. But when they insisted, he mounted his she-donkey and went towards the camps of the Israelites.
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When he came close to their camps, his donkey sat down and refused to go further. He hit her until she stood up. However, she went only a small distance ahead and then sat down again. This time, he beat her more severely. As soon she stood up, she sat down again. When he beat her the third time, she asked him:
"O Balam, where are you going? Can you not see the Angels infront of me who are turning my face back? Are you going to go and curse the Prophet of Allah and the Believers with him?"
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Despite hearing this, he didn't dismount, and he hit her again until she moved. He reached the top of the mountain of Hisban from where  he looked down upon the camps of the Israelites. When he opened his mouth and tried to invoke Allah's curse upon Musa (as) and the Israelites, his tongue refused to obey him. Instead, it began to curse his own people and send prayers upon Musa (as) and his people.
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His people were furious and reprimanded him for this. He apologized and tried to explain that he had lost control of his own tongue. By that time, his tongue had lolled out so much that it reached his chest. Seeing this, he said to his people:
"I have lost both this world and the hereafter. Nothing is left for me except to use a trick."
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He then ordered his people to adorn their women and send them to the Israelites with merchandise. This way, they would not only sell their goods, but also lure them and incite them to commit Adultery. He encouraged them by saying that even if one of them commits the sin, it will be sufficient for them.
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The women did as ordered. When they arrived at the camps, one of the women, named Kasbati, passed one of the leaders of the Israelites, named Zamri ibn Shaloom. It is said that he was the chief of the tribe Shamoon ibn Yaqub. He took her inside his tent. But when they committed the sin, Allah (ﷻ) afflicted his whole tribe with a plague.
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When Fanhas ibn al-Eeazar (Eliezer) ibn Harun heard the news, he grabbed his spear and stabbed both of them. He then took them out of the tent with his spear and went to people's assembly. There, he lifted it towards the sky and said:
"O Allah, this is how we deal with those who disobey you."
Thereafter, the plague was lifted from them. As a result of the plague, the number of people who died were said to be seventy thousand. In another narration, it was said that those who died numbered twenty thousand.
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The Story of Balam narrated by Ibn Ishaq is correct and has been cited by a number of other scholars as well. Some parts of this story have also been stated in the Bible.
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Regardless of the story, the point to be noted is that according to the opinion of the majority of the scholars, Harun (as) died when the Israelites were still wandering. His death preceded his brother's by two years. Musa (as) also died when they were in wilderness, as already mentioned. Before his death, He had asked Allah (ﷻ) to bring him closer to Bayt Al-Maqdis and he was subsequently granted this request.
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From the aforementioned incidents, it can be concluded that it was Yoosha ibn Nun (as) who brought the Israelites out of their wandering and led them into the holy land. The Bible mentions that he crossed the Jordanian river and came to Areehah, which was, at the time, one of the most beautiful cities, containing a large population and huge palaces. He besieged it for six months, after which he ordered his army to march around the city and blow their trumpets. Then, they all recited, "Allah is the greatest" very loudly, which resulted in the collapse of the city walls. They all went in, took everything in it as booty, and killed twelve thousand men and women. They also fought against many kings, so much so that it has been said that Yoosha (as) himself overpowered thirty-one kings of Syria.
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It has been stated that the seige laid by the Israelites lasted until Friday, after mid-afternoon. When the sun was about to set, marking the beginning of a Saturday, which was a holy day for them at that time, Yoosha (as) turned his face towards the sun and said:
"You have been ordered and I, too, have been ordered. O Allah, withhold it from setting."
Thus Allah (ﷻ) prevented the sun from setting, until they had conquered the city. It has been mentioned that the moon was also stopped from rising.
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Imam Ahmad reported on the authority of Abu Huraira (ra) that Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Verily, the sun was never held back from setting except for Yoosha, when He was going to Bayt al-Maqdis."
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Imam Ahmad has also reported in another detailed hadith on the authority of Abu Huraira (ra) that Prophet (ﷺ) said: "One of the Prophets left for a battle. Before leaving, he said to his people: Those of you who have just gotten married, but have not yet slept with their wives; built a house but have not put on its roof yet; bought pregnant goats or camels, and are waiting for them to deliver should not come with me.
Then, that Prophet left for the battle and approached the town soon after he had prayed the mid-afternoon prayer.
He said to the sun: You have your orders and I have my Orders. O Allah! Withhold it for sometime.
Hence, the sun was prevented from setting until Allah (ﷻ) had helped him conquer that town.
Then, they all gathered the spoils of war. A fire came to eat the spoils, but didn't eat them.
Seeing that, the Prophet said: Someone amongst you has cheated from the spoils.
He then asked one man from each tribe to come forward and make a pledge to him. They all came and pledged to him except one man, whose hand got stuck to the Prophet's hand.
The Prophet said: The person who has cheated is from your tribe. Now, order everyone from your tribe to make a pledge to me.
They all came forward and when they offered their pledge to him, the hands of two or three people got stuck to the Prophet's hand.
He said: You are the ones who have cheated from the spoils of war.
The culprits retrieved the stolen spoils, which included gold, whose amount was equivalent to the head of a cow. They put it together with the other spoils and the fire came and ate it all.
The spoils of war were not permissible for anyone before us. But when Allah (ﷻ) saw our weakness and inability, He purified them for us."
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The point to be noted is that when the army entered the city of Areehah, it was ordered to enter it humbly, thanking Allah (ﷻ)  for granting them victory. They were further instructed to say while entering: Forgive our sins which we have committed in the past.
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For this reason, when our Prophet (ﷺ) conquered Makkah, He entered it humbly on his camel, thanking and praising Allah (ﷻ). In fact, He lowered his head so much that his beard touched the back of the came. After entering, He (ﷺ) took a bath and prayed eight units of prayer as prayers of gratitude.
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But the children of Israel disobeyed the instructions given to them. They entered the city while creeping on their buttocks and saying: "A Grain in a hair."
In another version, it has been mentioned that they were saying: "A wheat-grain in a hair."
Regardless of what they said, the point to be noted is that they changed what they were ordered to say and mocked at the instructions.
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Allah, the exalted, has mentioned this in Surah Al-A'raf, which was revealed in Makkah:
"And when it was said to them: "Live in this land and eat of its produce wheresoever you like, and ask for remission of your sins, but pass through the gates with submission (and not pride), We shall forgive your trespasses, and give to those who are righteous abundance,"
The wicked among them changed and perverted the word We had spoken to a word unpronounced; so We sent from heaven retribution on them for all their wickedness." (7:161-162)
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Ibn Masood (ra) said: "The way in which they entered was in direct contrast to what they had been instructed."
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It was reported on the authority of Abu Huraira (ra) that Prophet (ﷺ) said: "It was said to the children of Israel: Enter the gate while prostrating and saying: We beg Allah's forgiveness, so that we forgive you your sins. However, they disobeyed and entered it while creeping on their buttocks and saying: A grain in a hair." (Bukhari)
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Allah (ﷻ) punished them for their disobedience by sending a plague upon them. Twenty thousand of them died in one day. And they were certain people who tried to flee from the plague, they ran away from the plague and they were in their thousands. Where did they go? The top of the mountain a plateau and they settle there for a while and then Allah (ﷻ) instructed the Angel of death to cause their death, all of them should die, they were running away from death, Allah (ﷻ) can cause death without anything.
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It has also been established in an authentic report from Imams Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Usamah ibn Zayd (ra) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Those before you were punished through a plague."
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After the children of Israel had Conquered Bayt al-Maqdis, they were delivered to the holy land and they were victorious under Yoosha's (as) leadership. This did not happen with Musa (as) and Harun (as) rather it happened in the time of Yoosha ibn Noon (as). There is no doubt that Musa (as) is the greatest Nabi of Bani Israel, how come the victory happened in the time of Yoosha ibn Noon?
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Prophet (ﷺ) tells us a clue of the reason why this victory was delayed. The children of Israel who came out from Egypt were raised up in servitude and slavery so they were weak and not fit for victory. Allah (ﷻ) made them stay in the wilderness for forty years until all that generation passed away and a new generation  who was raised up in freedom under the leadership and the teaching of Musa (as) and Harun (as). These are the ones who were given the victory to enter Jerusalem. Allah (ﷻ) gave victory to Bani Israel. They resided in it for a long time.
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The Prophet of Allah, Yoosha (as) stayed with them and ruled over them in accordance with the book of Allah (ﷻ), the Torah. He did so until he passed away at the age of one hundred and twenty-seven years. Thus, he outlived Musa (as) by twenty-seven years.