Various traditions have come to our notice on this subject, but the reed of explanation will confine itself to the narrative of the most current one with reference to the murder of both these exalted prophets, in order to avoid prolixity, and weariness to the reader.
The majority of historians assert that when Mariam became pregnant, and no one except Zakria visited her, the Jews, who were mostly of a slanderous, defamatory and obstinate disposition, accused Zakria of having committed adultery [with her], and intended to kill him. His lordship became aware of their designs, left the people, and fled. On his way he saw a tree from which he heard a voice saying: ‘O Zakria, come to me!’ When he reached the tree it split, and allowed him to enter the cavity, whereon the aperture again closed itself; Satan, however, took hold of the skirt of his garment, so that it remained outside the tree. Those who had gone in pursuit of Zakria beheld Satan in human form, and asked him whether he had seen the fugitive, of whom they gave him a description. Satan replied: ‘I have not seen a greater sorcerer than that old man; for he has by magic split a tree and entered its cavity.’ They replied: ‘Thou art a liar!’ Eblis said: ‘The edges of his robe that have remained outside bear witness to the truth of my assertion.’ The people now wanted to set the tree on fire; Satan, however, induced them to saw it in twain, with Zakria therein; and those misguided people carried out the suggestion. It is said that when the august head of Zakria was being touched by the saw, he wished to draw a sigh, but the Divine allocution arrived: ‘Restrain thy breath, or else I shall blot out thy name from the list of prophets.’ Alas that He should sometimes see His friend within a tree, with a saw cutting his head, and not allow him to draw breath, whereas His enemies gather fruits from the tree of those endowed [with piety], and are not grateful for the blessing! nobody, however, can [venture to] say anything concerning events like these, and scrutinize the why and the wherefore, because Allah doth what He listeth and judgeth as He chooseth!
Wuhub Bin Muniah states that the prophet Sha’ia was killed in this manner, and that the Lord Zakria departed this life on his own bed, as has been narrated above in these pages.
According to the most current traditions, the murder of Yahia, the son of Zakria, took place as follows: At that time there reigned a king the unhallowed disposition of whose spouse was such that she hated prophets, saints, and pious men. She had a pretty daughter by a former husband, but as she had herself now become aged, and was apprehensive that the king might take another wife, whereby her influence would be diminished, she offered him her daughter in marriage. He replied: ‘I shall institute inquiries on this subject, and if it be permissible, I promise to comply with thy request.’ Thereon he consulted Yahia, the son of Zakria; but his lordship the prophet replied: ‘Such a union is vain, and such espousals are wicked.’* The king said to his flagitious consort: ‘Yahia is a prophet of God, and forbids this marriage.’ That worthless woman then conceived great aversion for Yahia, but waited [for an opportunity to manifest it] until one day when the king was drunk. On that occasion she adorned her daughter and sent her to him; no stranger being present, he wished to have sexual intercourse with her; the daughter, however, said: ‘I shall not obey thee until thou compliest with my request.’ The king asked: ‘What is thy desire?’ She rejoined: ‘The death of Yahia, the son of Zakria.’ In the height of his intoxication and lust, the king said: ‘Let thy wish be fulfilled.’ Accordingly the ill-fated monarch despatched a caitiff, who separated the head of Yahia from his body, placed it on a charger, and brought it into the assembly.* But the king heard from the head twice the following words: ‘This girl is not lawful for thee.’ According to one tradition, the earth swallowed the king and the girl by command of the Supreme Judge, but according to others the murder [of Yahia] was the second transgression of the children of Esrâil mentioned in the glorious Qurân,* as has been related above.
It is related that after this iniquitous event God— w. n. b. e.—sent a King of Persia named Kardûs [or Gudarz] to the children of Esrâil to avenge upon them the murders of Zakria and Yahia. Kardûs arrived, devastated Syria, and encamped near the Holy House. He ordered a general, whose name was Firûz, to kill such a number of Jews that their blood should flow as far as his camp. Firûz accordingly had a fosse dug from the gate of the Holy House to the camp. Then he entered the city, and arrived near a spot where blood was bubbling, but on inquiry was informed that it was gushing in that manner since the murder of Yahia.
In short, the general drew forth the scimitar of persecution from the scabbard of vengeance, and began the carnage. When the number of the slain amounted to seventy thousand, the blood ceased to flow [from the above-mentioned spot]. Firûz then reported this matter to the king, who said: ‘Do not stop the massacre, for the blood has not yet reached the camp.’ Firûz, however, feeling commiseration for those whom the sword had spared, slaughtered merely their cattle and other quadrupeds, that the desire of Kardûs might be accomplished.
Let it not remain hidden from the intelligent and the discerning that in this place a tradition has occurred to the mind of the author, which the split reed makes bold to narrate as follows: The prophet—u. w. b., etc.—has said: ‘The worst people are those who slay prophets or are slain by them.’ That model of verifiers, Shekh Sadr-ud-din— may his secret be sanctified—has related the subtleties and maxims of forty traditions of the Elected One [i.e., Muhammad], and the above is related among them. In the exposition of the first part of this tradition, that exalted individual informs us that, as the great prophets enjoy a high degree of felicity and perfection, those who kill them in consequence of their perverse disposition must be extremely miserable and ignorant. Explaining the second portion of that sentence, he says that prophets of high station are a mercy unto the inhabitants of this world, and they never destroy the existence of any man before they are fully convinced that not the least good quality has remained in him, but that he is only an incarnation of evil and iniquity. The author [of these pages] asserts that the wickedness [of the persons falling a prey to wrath in the manner mentioned] in the second part is greater, because the murder of a prophet may be perpetrated by ill-nature, inadvertence, or mistake; but prophets not being liable to the just-mentioned infirmities, everything done by them originates from perfect conviction and foresight.
Let it not remain unknown that to his majesty the king and refuge of Islâm—may the tent-ropes of his monarchy be fixed with the pegs of eternity—the Creator—whose name be praised—has vouchsafed the grace to exterminate, with the sword of chastisement and vengeance, a company of malefactors, from the defilement of whose existence the prophet would have purified the world if they had existed in his time; and it is hoped that the remnant of that tribe will in the same way be gathered to their brothers who have passed away, as just related, for that is not difficult to God.*
In short, the majority of historians deserving of confidence state that the murder of Yahia took place after the ascension of the Lord I’sa. The time of their births was nearly the same, and both these children of propitious advent were cousins. The blessings of Allah be on our prophet and upon both of them, as well as on all the prophets and inspired messengers [i.e., apostles] till the day of judgment.