Did The Israelites Kill Any Prophets (Al-Baqarah 2: 87)?

I have a question regarding a verse in the sublime Qur'an, its Surah Al-Baqarah verse 87 it says:

"We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of Messengers; we gave Jesus, the son of Mary, clear (Signs) and strengthened him with the Holy Spirit. Is it that whenever there comes to you a Messenger with what ye yourselves desire not, ye are puffed up with pride? Some ye called impostors, and others ye slay!"

My question is: from the context of this verse it seems that Allah was addressing the children of Israel, so if that is the case, whom did the children of Israel slay from the messengers of Allah??

Jazak Allahu khairan and May Allah bless you all.

Urs islamicly,

Faisal

Reply

You are absolutely right in interpreting that the addressees of the referred verse are the Israelites. As far as your question is concerned, the Qur’an has only referred to the heinous crime, but has not given any details about it. The reason is that the instances in which the Israelites were guilty of this crime were not unknown to the addressees and, therefore, there was no need to give any details or even the names of the prophets whom the Israelites actually killed or thought that they killed. The Bible also substantiates this fact. The general attitude of the Israelites toward the prophets of God has been referred to in a number of verses of the Bible. Some of the representative verses are reproduced below:

2 Chronicles 36: 16 reads as:

But they mocked God's messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the LORD was aroused against his people and there was no remedy.

Jeremiah 2: 29 – 30 reads as:

"Why do you bring charges against me? You have all rebelled against me," declares the LORD. "In vain I punished your people; they did not respond to correction. Your sword has devoured your prophets like a ravening lion.”

Nehemiah 9: 26 reads as:

"But they were disobedient and rebelled against you; they put your law behind their backs. They killed your prophets, who had admonished them in order to turn them back to you; they committed awful blasphemies.”

Matthew 23: 31 – 36 reads as:

So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers! "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.

Then again, Matthew 23: 37 reports Jesus (pbuh) to have said:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”

The same saying is ascribed to Jesus (pbuh) in Luke 13: 34:

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!”

Some of the more well known prophets killed by the Israelites include: Zechariah[1], John the Baptist[2], Uriah[3].

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Moiz Amjad

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[1]  2 Chronicles 24: 20 – 22 read as:

Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: `Why do you disobey the LORD's commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.' " But they plotted against him, and by order of the king they stoned him to death in the courtyard of the LORD's temple. King Joash did not remember the kindness Zechariah's father Jehoiada had shown him but killed his son, who said as he lay dying, "May the LORD see this and call you to account."

[2]  Mark 6: 17 – 29 reads as:

For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, whom he had married. For John had been saying to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him. Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, "Ask me for anything you want, and I'll give it to you." And he promised her with an oath, "Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom." She went out and said to her mother, "What shall I ask for?" "The head of John the Baptist," she answered. At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

[3]  Jeremiah 26: 20 – 23 reads as:

Now Uriah son of Shemaiah from Kiriath Jearim was another man who prophesied in the name of the LORD; he prophesied the same things against this city and this land as Jeremiah did. When King Jehoiakim and all his officers and officials heard his words, the king sought to put him to death. But Uriah heard of it and fled in fear to Egypt. King Jehoiakim, however, sent Elnathan son of Acbor to Egypt, along with some other men. They brought Uriah out of Egypt and took him to King Jehoiakim, who had him struck down with a sword and his body thrown into the burial place of the common people.