Al – Muhtada.org – Nebuchadnezzar or Bukhtanashar was the king of Babylon from 605 BC to 562 BC. At that time, he succeeded in kicking the Jews out of Jerusalem.
Nebuchadnezzar attacked the city and crushed the Jewish army. He even took thousands of Jews, children of the prophets Jacob and David, prisoner.
In a book titled Qashash Al-Anbiya, Ibn Kathir quotes a number of narrations that before the attack of Nebuchadnezzar on Jerusalem, Allah sent His messenger, a prophet named Armiya or Jeremiah, to be among the Children of Israel.
At that time, Allah SWT also sent a message to Armiya because there were many sins committed among the Children of Israel.
The message from Allah contained a warning to the Children of Israel about their destruction. This destruction would come through Nebuchadnezzar.
Upon receiving the message, Armiya said: “O my Lord, You are Holy and all praise is due to You. You are the Most High. Will You destroy this land and its surroundings? This land is the home of Your prophets (of old) and the place where Your messages were sent down.”
“O my Lord, You are Holy. All praise is due to You. You are the Most High and the Most Great. For the sake of this mosque’s mihrab, as well as the surrounding mosques and houses of worship that have been built to remember and glorify You.”
“O Lord, You are Most Holy. All praise is due to You. You are the Most Great and Most High. Would You punish this people while they are descendants of Your beloved Ibrahim, the mother of Musa, and the chosen people of Daud?”
Allah SWT then said: “O Armiya, whoever disobeys and rebels against Me, he cannot escape or reject My punishment.”
“Indeed, I honored their ancestors because of their obedience to Me. If they disobey Me, I will surely send My punishment upon the land of the disobedient, unless they receive My mercy and compassion.”
Armia delivered this message to the Children of Israel. Upon receiving this warning, the Children of Israel considered Armia to be insane. They then arrested Armita and tied him up. Not satisfied with that, they then threw Armia into prison.
After that, Allah SWT willed to send Nebuchadnezzar to invade Jerusalem with his army. Nebuchadnezzar’s army invaded various parts of Jerusalem. This is also explained in the words of Allah SWT in Al-Quran Surah Al Isra 5.
“Then they ran wild in the villages! It is said that after a long period of siege, Nebuchadnezzar and his army finally managed to break through and occupy the country in accordance with Allah’s determination. They managed to enter all the gates and break down all the barriers. This event was His decree as mentioned in His words: ‘And that is the decree that will surely be fulfilled.”
Nebuchadnezzar’s army, which had great strength, then succeeded in destroying Jerusalem. The Children of Israel were scattered. Many were killed, fled, and many were taken prisoner.
The number of prisoners reached 90,000. These prisoners consisted of 7,000 people from the family of Daud AS, 11,000 people from the descendants of Yusuf bin Ya’qub and his brother Bunyamin, and 8,000 people from the descendants of Isy bin Ya’qub.
Then, there were 14,000 people from the descendants of Zebulun and Naphtali bin Ya’qub, 14,000 people from the descendants of Dan bin Ya’qub, 8,000 people from the descendants of Yastakhar bin Ya’qub, 2,000 young men from the descendants of Zaykun bin Ya’qub, 4,000 people from the descendants of Raubil and Lawi, and 12,000 people from all the descendants of Bani Israil.
Nebuchadnezzar and his army also destroyed places of worship in Baitul Maqdis. His army also killed the pigs there. After that, his army returned to Babylon with considerable spoils of war.
Then, after Nebuchadnezzar launched his attack, Wahab bin Munabbih said, “The Israelites you attacked have a spiritual leader named Armiya.”
“He has warned his people about you attacking them, committing genocide, destroying their mosques and places of worship. But they disbelieved him, bullied him, beat him, and threw him into prison.”
Upon learning this information, Nebuchadnezzar immediately ordered his army to release Armiya from prison.
Nebuchadnezzar then asked Armiya after he was freed, “Did you warn your people about the disaster that would happen to them?”
Armiya replied, “Yes.”
Nebuchadnezzar then said, “Indeed, I know that.”
Armiya explained that Allah had sent him to the Children of Israel. “Allah sent me to them, but they denied me.”
Nebuchadnezzar then asked, “Did they reject you, beat you, and throw you into prison?” Armiya answered Nebuchadnezzar’s question in the affirmative.
Armiya’s dialogue with Nebuchadnezzar continued. Nebuchadnezzar said, “The worst people are those who reject their prophets and reject the message of their Lord. Will you come with me? I will honor you and provide for all your needs. Or, if you prefer to stay in your country, I will truly guarantee your safety.”
Armiya replied to Nebuchadnezzar, saying, “Truly, I am always under Allah’s protection as long as I do not defer from His teachings even for a moment. If the Children of Israel did not defer from His teachings, they would not fear you or anyone else. You cannot rule over them.”
After hearing Armiya’s answer, Nebuchadnezzar hurriedly left with his army, leaving Armiya alone in the Jerusalem area of Iliya. [] Fahdina Dean Yustisia
