John the Baptist – Yahyâ
Bible
As the Precursor (forerunner) of Jesus, John the Baptist is an important figure in the New Testament. He is mentioned in all four Gospels.
The Gospel of Mark starts with the preaching of John the Baptist and with the baptism of Jesus as a prelude to the public ministry of Jesus (Mk 1:1-13).
Luke first recounts how the birth of John was announced:
In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah… and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron (Lk 1:5)
So Elizabeth too was of a priestly family.
Both were worthy in the sight of God and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord. But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years (Lk 1:6-7).
Zechariah is fulfilling his duties in the Temple when, surprising and frightening him, an angel appears to him. But the angel said to him:
“Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard” [this prayer is not mentioned explicitly in the Gospel but is supposed] “Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John” (Lk 1:13).
The particular nature of this son is then given more fully:
He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink. Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit… With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.” (Lk 1:14-17).
The evangelist then recounts the visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary to announce the birth of Jesus. The angel informs Mary that “her kinswoman Elizabeth” is six months pregnant. So Mary visits Elizabeth and greets her:
Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (Lk 1:41).
The child is born and on the eighth day he is to be circumcised and named:
They [the neighbours and relations of Zechariah and Elizabeth] were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up:
“No”, she said, “he is to be called John.” They said to her, “But no one in your family has that name, and made signs to his father to find out what name he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing –tablet and wrote ‘His name is John’. And they were all astonished (Lk 60-63).
People wondered what this child would become. Luke states:
And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him… Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit matured. And he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel (Lk 1:66, 80).
Matthew, Mark and Luke give an account of the preaching of John the Baptist (Mt 3:1-12; Mk 1:1-8; Lk 3:1-18), and also of the baptism of Jesus (Mt 3:13-17; Mk 1:9-11; Lk 3:21-22). The evangelist John also refers to the witness of John who, when asked to describe his mission, says:
“I am, as Isaiah prophesied, ‘a voice that cries in the wilderness: make
a straight way for the Lord’. “ (Jn 1:23).
The Baptist points out Jesus to some of his disciples as the one who is to come (Jn 1:29-36; 3:22-36).
The people held that John was a prophet (cf. Mt 21:26). He was imprisoned by Herod and put to death by him (Mt14:3-12). From prison he sends messengers to Jesus, and Jesus commends him (Lk 7:18-30):
“I tell you, of all the children born of women, there is no greater than John, yet he least in the kingdom of God is greater than he is” (Lk 7:28).
Qur’an
John (Yahyâ ) is mentioned among the righteous, together with Zakariyyâ, Jesus and Elijah, in the list of those whom God has guided (Q 6:85).
Zakariyyâ prays for a son:
“Lord, from Your grace grant me virtuous offspring: You hear every prayer.” (Q3:38)
A son is promised. The angel says to him:
“Zakariyyâ, We bring you good news of a son whose name will be John = We have chosen this name for no one before him (Q 19:7)
In Hebrew the name Johanan means ‘The Lord has been gracious’. The Arabic form Yahyâ suggests ‘life’.
The nature of this prophet is indicated:
He will be noble and chaste, a prophet, one of the righteous (Q 3:39)
[We said] “John, hold on to the Scripture firmly.” While he was still a boy, We granted him wisdom, tenderness from us and purity. He was devout, kind to his parents, not domineering or rebellious. Peace on him the day he was born, on the day of his death, and on the day he is raised to life again.
(Q 19:12-15)
Yusuf Ali comments: “An unbelieving world had either corrupted or neglected it [God’s revelation], and Yahya (John the Baptist) was to prepare the way for Jesus, who was coming to renew and re-interpret it.” We could note that the name ‘Baptist’ is not used in the Qur’an; there is no mention of the baptism that John was practising, probably because this was in the nature of a pre-sacrament, and Islam does not include sacraments
The same translator/commentator adds: “Ḥukm, translated Wisdom, implies something more than Wisdom; it is the Wisdom or Judgment that is entitled to judge and command, as in the matter of denouncing sin.” Yet the witness of John before Herod, a witness leading to death by beheading (martyrdom) is not mentioned in the Qur’an.
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