King Hezekiah ibn al-Ahaz was the ruler of the Bani Israil tribes. He was mentioned to be a just ruler, and a very diplomatic one as well. The king's advisor was none other than the Prophet Ishaya, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon Him. King Hezekiah was very obedient to Prophet Ishaya, and both of them were the best of friends. Meanwhile, at another faraway place in the globe, the ruler of Babylon was planning an attack on Al-Quds, the capital of the Israilites. This evil ruler was Sennacherib, king of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
King Hezekiah eventually fell into an illness. At the same time, King Sennacherib was coming with an army of approximately sixty thousand men towards Al-Quds. Everyone was terrified, and Hezekiah asked Prophet Ishaya if Allah had revealed to him anything regarding Sennacherib. Then, it was revealed to Ishaya that Hezekiah must choose a successor, as his life would end soon. So, Hezekiah was told this by the Prophet. Instantly, Hezekiah turned towards the direction of the Qiblah. Hezekiah wept and began to invoke Allah, saying, “O Lord of lords, and God of gods! O, Benevolent and Merciful One whom neither sleep nor nodding can overpower, remember me for my deeds and my just judgement over Bani Israil; and all that was from You, and You know it better than I do, my open acts and my secrets are with You.”
Allah had compassion for King Hezekiah's weeping, and answered his prayers. Allah had extended his lifetime for another fifteen years! Prophet Ishaya recieved this information, and he informed Hezekiah about this. Hezekiah was overjoyed, and he began to prostrate, and said, “O Lord, it is You, who grants kingship to whomsoever You wish and dethrones whomsoever You wish and elevates whomsoever You wish and degrades whomsoever You wish, knower of the unseen and the evident. And lo! You are the First and the Last; the Manifest and the Perceived; You grant mercy and answer the prayers of the troubled ones.”
When King Hezekiah had finished, Allah instructed Ishaya to ask the King to cut down a fig leaf and extract its water, then place the water on the site of his soreness. King Hezekiah did so, and he was instantly cured. He returned to being a very strong king of the Israilites. Then, Allah sent death upon the Neo-Assyrian army. Everyone in the army was reduced to mere corpses except for Sennacherib and his companions.
In the morning, King Hezekiah arrested the survivors and chained them in the town square. The surviving pagans, including Sennacherib, were humiliated in the town square, while people mocked them. They were only given a small piece of barley bread as a meal. This went on for seventy days, and after that, King Hezekiah threw the pagans into the prison of Al-Quds.
Allah soon revealed to Prophet Ishaya that King Hezekiah should release the prisoners and send them back to Babylon, so that they can warn their people what will happen to them if they continue to disbelieve. Hezekiah did so, and when Sennacherib came back to Babylon, he gathered the Babylonians to tell them of what had happened. The Assyrian priests chided him, saying, “We told you about their Lord and their prophets, but you did not listen to us! It is a nation which, with their God, nobody can overcome.”
Sennacherib was afraid of Allah, and he died around eight to seven years after the incident.
Source:
Qassas al-Anbiya by Ibn Kathir, under the chapter on Prophet Ishaya
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