Asif Siddiqi- a student of Quran Academy

 Prophet Saleh (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) was a descendant of the great Prophet Nuh (may peace be upon him). He was chosen by Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) to help guide the Thamud people. This was an ancient tribe who settled in Al-Hijr, now known as Madain Saleh (the Cities of Saleh), located in northwestern Arabia. The Thamud people were successors of the previous community called Ad. As we covered in greater detail in the story of Prophet Hud (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ), the people of Ad were an extremely powerful and wealthy nation. They were built physically strong and tall. They were also excellent builders, constructing lofty towers. But Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) brought their downfall due to their arrogance when they repeatedly rejected Prophet Hud's (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) warnings. The Qur'an mentions, فَأَمَّا عَادٞ فَٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَقَالُواْ مَنۡ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةًۖ أَوَلَمۡ يَرَوۡاْ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَهُمۡ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِ...

 On the outskirts of the Hejaz region, near the Red Sea, was Madyan – a small town that belonged to wise but wicked merchants and business people. The Midianites bowed down to a tree called Ashab al-Aykah and cheated on one another to make a living. The evil-doers robbed, conned, and betrayed passersby. They would sell you milk but mix it with water, lie about their products to oversell, and tax travellers.  To end the culture of dishonesty and lying, Allah SWT sent Prophet Shuaib (AS) to call the Midianites to worship the Almighty and follow His commandments. But it wasn’t as easy as it sounds. While some accepted Islam, most of the Midianites paid no heed. Instead, they made fun of Prophet Shuaib (AS) and pushed him and the believers out of town only to face the punishment of Allah SWT.  In this article, we will walk you through the story of Prophet Shuaib (AS). Keep reading to learn more about the prophet of the Madyan community and his role and significance in the his...

 Prophet Sulaiman (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ), known as Solomon in Judeo-Christian tradition, was from the 19 sons of Prophet Dawud (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ). Prophet Dawud (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) was the wise King of Israel and a noble Prophet and Messenger of Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ). So, when Dawud (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ) passed away, he was succeeded by Sulaiman, who was chosen by Allah (سُبْحَٰنَهُۥ وَتَعَٰلَىٰ) to carry forth the legacy of his dad's prophethood. He was bestowed with many gifts and remained a just and wise ruler over the Israelite nation. In the Qur'an, it mentions, "And Sulaiman inherited Dawud" (Surah An-Naml, ayah 16) But, keep in mind this does not mean inheritance of wealth or property. In a narration in Sahih Bukhari 6725, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'Our property (meaning the material possessions of the prophets) cannot be inherited, and whatever we leave is to be spent in charity." Rather, what Prophet Sulaiman (عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ...

 Al-Qutb al-Rawandi mentions that his name was Ayaash, and that after Nuh he was the first ruler whose kingdom included (all) the countries of the east and west. It must be clarified that there is a difference of opinion among the historians and commentators whether Dhu’l-Qarnayn was same as Alexander of Rome. According to authentic traditions it wasn’t so. Whether he was a Prophet or not is another point of difference. Actually he was not a Prophet, he was an honorable personality who was guided by the Almighty. Why he is referred to as Dhu’l-Qarnayn is another topic of contention. There are many opinions in this regard. The first explanation is that he is named Dhu’l-Qarnayn (one having two ‘qarns’) is because at first the people hit him on his right side (qarn) of the head and killed him but the Almighty raised him, and again they hit him on his left side (qarn) and killed. Again Allah gave him life. Second: He lived for two epochs. Third: He had a pair of horns on his head, or ...