Prophet Isaiah, son of Amoz (Shuʿayā ibn Amṣiyā), lived before Prophets Zachariah and John (Yaḥyā), peace be upon them both. He was among those who foretold the coming of Prophet Jesus (ʿĪsā) and Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon them. During his time, a righteous king named Ṣidqiyyāh (Hezekiah) ruled over the Children of Israel in the land of Jerusalem (Bayt al-Maqdis). This king was obedient and attentive to the Prophet’s guidance in all matters of religion and state.
However, corruption had spread among the Israelites, and the king himself fell ill with a severe wound in his leg.
At that time, the King of Babylon, Sennacherib (Sanḥārīb), advanced toward Jerusalem with six hundred thousand soldiers, according to Ibn Isḥāq. The people were gripped with fear. The king asked the Prophet Isaiah, “What revelation has Allah sent to you concerning Sennacherib and his army?” He replied, “Nothing has been revealed to me about them yet.”
Soon after, revelation came to Isaiah: he was to tell the king that his appointed term had drawn near and to prepare his will and appoint his successor. Upon hearing this, the king turned toward the qiblah, prayed, glorified Allah, and wept. With sincere faith and patience, he supplicated:
“O Lord of lords, O Most Merciful, the Compassionate, the One whom neither slumber nor sleep overtakes — remember my deeds, my service, and the justice I have upheld among the Children of Israel. All of it was by Your guidance, and You know it better than myself, both my private and public acts.”
Allah accepted his supplication, had mercy upon him, and revealed to Isaiah the glad tidings that the king’s prayer had been heard — his life would be extended by fifteen years, and he would be delivered from his enemy, Sennacherib.
When Isaiah informed him, the king’s pain vanished, his sadness was lifted, and he fell in prostration, saying:
“O Allah, You give sovereignty to whom You will and take it away from whom You will. You exalt whom You will and abase whom You will. You are the Knower of the unseen and the seen — the First and the Last, the Manifest and the Hidden. You show mercy and respond to the cry of the distressed.”
Then Allah revealed to Isaiah to instruct the king to apply a paste made from figs on his wound, and he would recover. He did so and was cured.
Meanwhile, Allah sent death upon the army of Sennacherib. By morning, they were all dead — except the king and five of his officials, among them Nebuchadnezzar (Bukht-Naṣar). The king of Israel ordered them brought before him, bound in chains, and paraded through the cities for seventy days as a warning and humiliation. Each was given two loaves of barley bread daily.
Then Allah revealed to Isaiah to instruct the king to release Sennacherib and his men, allowing them to return to their land and warn their people of what had befallen them. When they returned, Sennacherib gathered his people and recounted the calamity. His priests and sorcerers said to him, “We told you about the might of their Lord and their prophets, yet you did not listen. They are a nation protected by their God — none can overcome them.” And so the warning was fulfilled. Seven years later, Sennacherib died.
The Martyrdom of Prophet Isaiah – Peace Be Upon Him
After the death of King Ṣidqiyyāh, disorder and corruption spread once again among the Israelites. Allah revealed to Isaiah to admonish them, warn them of His punishment, and call them back to righteousness. When he completed his preaching, they rebelled against him and sought to kill him.
He fled until he came upon a tree that miraculously split open for him to enter. But Satan seized the edge of his garment, leaving a small part visible. The pursuers saw it, brought a saw, and cut through the tree — and with it, the noble Prophet Isaiah was martyred. Truly, to Allah we belong and to Him we return.
Ibn Isḥāq narrated that Isaiah once said to Elijah (Ilyā) in a village near Jerusalem called Ūrī Shalam (Jerusalem):
“Rejoice, O Jerusalem! For soon will come to you the rider of the donkey — meaning Jesus, peace be upon him — and after him will come the rider of the camel — meaning Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him.”
Among the Israelites, every time a king ruled, Allah would send a prophet to guide and counsel him, commanding the people to follow the Torah.
When this king took power, Allah sent Isaiah as his prophet. He ruled over Israel and Jerusalem for some time. Then, when corruption increased again, Allah sent Sennacherib with six hundred thousand soldiers, who surrounded Jerusalem while the king was sick with a leg wound. Isaiah came to him and said, “O king of Israel, Sennacherib the king of Babylon has come upon you with six hundred thousand banners.” The king was greatly distressed and asked, “O Prophet of Allah, has any revelation come to you concerning what Allah will do with us and with Sennacherib and his army?” He said, “Not yet.”
Then Allah revealed to Isaiah: “Tell the king to prepare his will and appoint a successor.”
Isaiah conveyed the message. The king turned toward the qiblah, prayed, glorified Allah, wept, and said, “O Lord, extend my life.” Allah revealed to Isaiah to tell the king that his Lord had shown him mercy, extended his life by fifteen years, and saved him from his enemy. The king then asked Isaiah to request a sign from Allah confirming what would happen to their enemy.
Allah revealed: “Tell him, I have destroyed your enemies; they will all die except Sennacherib and five of his scribes.”
The next morning a voice cried at the city gate, “O King of Israel, Allah has saved you from your enemy — go forth, for Sennacherib and his hosts are dead.”
When the king went out, Sennacherib was not among the dead. He sent soldiers to search, and they found him hiding in a cave with five of his scribes, including Nebuchadnezzar. They were brought before the king of Israel, who fell in prostration and said, “How do you see what our Lord has done to you? Has He not destroyed you by His power while we were unaware?”
Sennacherib replied, “Indeed, news of your Lord and His aid reached me before I left my land, but I did not heed the warning. My downfall came from my own foolishness.”
The king said, “Our Lord spared you and your companions so you may tell your people what our Lord has done and warn those after you.”
He ordered that they be bound in chains and paraded around Jerusalem for seventy days, each fed two barley loaves daily. Sennacherib said, “Death is better than this humiliation. Do as you will.”
The king ordered them to the prison of execution, but Allah revealed to Isaiah to tell the king: “Release Sennacherib and his men, treat them honourably, and send them home to warn their people.” The king obeyed. Sennacherib returned to Babylon, gathered his people, and recounted what Allah had done to his army. He lived another seven years before he died.
The Kings Afterwards
Some of the People of the Book claim that this Israelite king was lame and afflicted with sciatica, which emboldened Sennacherib to attack his kingdom. They also recount that before Sennacherib, another Babylonian king had marched against him but was destroyed by a wind sent by Allah, with only he and his scribe Nebuchadnezzar surviving. Later, Sennacherib followed, fought with another ruler named Salman the Left-Handed, and both armies perished, leaving their spoils to the Israelites.
Others say that the king whom Sennacherib fought was Hezekiah, companion of Isaiah, and that when his armies surrounded Jerusalem, Allah sent an angel who killed 185,000 of them in one night.
Hezekiah reigned for twenty-nine years before his death. After him, his son Manasseh (Manshā ibn Ḥizqiyyā) ruled for fifty-five years.
Then his son Amon ruled twelve years before being killed by his own servants. After him, Josiah (Yūshiyyā) ruled for twenty-one years until he was killed by the Pharaoh of Egypt.
Then came Jehoahaz (Yāhawāḥāz), who was captured and taken to Egypt, and his brother Jehoiakim (Yūthāqīm) ruled under Egyptian tribute for twelve years. His son Jehoiachin (Yūthāḥīn) succeeded him, but after three months, Nebuchadnezzar invaded, captured him, and took him to Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar then installed his uncle Zedekiah (Ṣidqiyyā) as king, who rebelled later. Nebuchadnezzar returned, captured him, slaughtered his sons before his eyes, blinded him, destroyed Jerusalem, and took the Israelites captive to Babylon. They remained there until Cyrus, son of Jamāsb, related to them through his mother, returned them to Jerusalem. Zedekiah’s reign lasted eleven years and three months.
Afterwards, Aḥtashasp (Ahasuerus), son of Bahrasb, ruled over Jerusalem and Syria, with Nebuchadnezzar as his deputy.
