We are always urging our children to be honest and kind, aren’t we? How about a story showing them that in the best way? Allah chose Prophet Yahya (AS) because his heart was so pure.
He always told the truth. He loved his parents. And he remained close to Allah in all that he did.
What’s beautiful about his story is its simplicity. Kids can relate to it. They look around and see that being a good person starts with small, daily decisions.
Who Was Prophet Yahya (AS)?
Prophet Yahya (AS), known as John the Baptist in the Bible, was the son of Prophet Zakariya (AS). The part of the story that comes here is really emotional, as his father was so engaged in praying to Allah for a righteous son to extend the message. Eventually, Allah granted those prayers and blessed them with Yahya. It was a huge moment for them.
So the angels called out to him while he stood praying in the sanctuary, “Allah gives you good news of ˹the birth of˺ John who will confirm the Word of Allah and will be a great leader, chaste, and a prophet among the righteous.” (Surah Al Imran 3:39).
From when Yahya was little, he was different. He was pure, gentle, and wise beyond his years. It was later said,˺ “O John! Hold firmly to the Scriptures.” And We granted him wisdom while ˹he was still˺ a child, (Surah Maryam 19:12)
He liked to understand and know more about God. He would spend time praying and helping others. It was featured in the news, a person of his kind. Honesty and an unselfish heart were his traits. He used to say the truth always and follow the golden rule to everyone, whether rich or poor. Without a doubt, he wanted to please God through his life.
That's basically what I tell my kids when we're winding down for the night, and honestly that's the version that matters to me because that's what I'm actually trying to teach them anyway, not to be perfect little robots or anything, just to be honest, to be respectful to us as their parents, to be kind to other people, to keep learning and growing, and that's what Prophet Yahya really showed us when you strip everything else away.
Help your child learn about the Prophets through fun, faith-filled stories. Ready to hear what made his life so special? Let's get into his story.
The Story of Prophet Yahya and His Mission
As Prophet Zakariya grew older, the absence of children began to trouble him more and more. It was a longing he held close to his heart, yet despite his hopes, it seemed like fatherhood was just out of reach.
When he cried out to his Lord privately, saying, “My Lord! Surely my bones have become brittle, and grey hair has spread across my head, but I have never been disappointed in my prayer to You, my Lord.
(Surah Maryam 19:3-4)
That night, he went to the mosque, and to Allah he spilled his whole heart. He prayed to Allah, "If you please, give me a son, a virtuous son who will keep up the legacy and make the world a better place."
And I am concerned about ˹the faith of˺ my relatives after me, since my wife is barren. So grant me, by Your grace, an heir, who will inherit ˹prophethood˺ from me and the family of Jacob, and make him, O Lord, pleasing ˹to You.
(Surah Maryam 19:5-6)
And here's the beautiful part, Allah heard him. God heard that supplication and conveyed to him through an angel the news that he would be blessed with a son, and his name would be Yahya. Zachariah was really surprised, like he couldn't even grasp it at first.
˹The angels announced,˺ “O Zachariah! Indeed, we give you the good news of ˹the birth of˺ a son, whose name will be John—a name We have not given to anyone before.”
(Surah Maryam 19:7)
Right from the very first day when Yahya was born, Allah did not hesitate to bless him a lot. He was totally different from all the other children in his neighborhood; just like Allah SWT had promised Prophet Zakaryia, he was an absolute love to every living thing, even animals; while children would catch them and sometimes hurt them, Yahya (AS) was giving his food to animals, even if it meant that he would have less for himself.
As he grew, he became a brilliant child, truly kind-hearted, and his faith in God was very strong. He was constantly praying, always getting new knowledge, doing good to the people around him, never doing wrong or going against what was right.
Your kids can also learn more about being kind and respectful. It's not just about these stories, but they can also watch fun animated videos that keep them engaged and leave them wanting to learn more.
A Life of Simplicity and Asceticism
Prophet Yahya lived in such a simple way, man, like he really didn't need much at all. He ate and dressed simply. He loved spending time in quiet reflection and worship, away from distractions. He chose to keep it super simple because he wanted to stay focused on Allah. His whole life was about connecting with Allah, praying, and staying pure.
The Quran describes him as someone with real wisdom and compassion, humble and obedient to his parents. He never got proud or rebellious. And Allah gave him peace in his birth, his life, and his death.
Peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day of his death, and the day he will be raised back to life! (Surah Maryam 19:15)
Now the mission part is really important here. When Yahya got older, he started calling people back to Allah, telling them to stop doing wrong stuff and get back on the right path. He wasn't scared to do it either, even when people got mad at him or didn't listen.
He just kept at it because his whole purpose was to help people see the truth and come back to Allah. And he did it with real wisdom and compassion, like he genuinely wanted to help people find their way back to their Creator.
He lived at the same time as Prophet Isa (AS) and supported the same divine message, calling people to worship Allah alone.
Watch more stories come to life in our video series for kids, where it's actually fun and animated, and full of lessons kids can really get. But first, let me tell you about what actually made Prophet Yahya so incredible in the first place.
Prophet Yahya’s Qualities: A Role Model for Kids
When I think about Prophet Yahya as a role model for my kids, honestly, there's so much to talk about because he had this character that kids can actually relate to and look up to.
First off, he was truthful. Like genuinely truthful. Even if it would have been easier to lie or people didn't want to hear it, he would still tell the truth. This is the sort of honesty that I wish my children to have in school, with their friends, and anywhere.
His heart was pure, too, like he wasn't doing things for show or to impress people; everything came from a genuine place of wanting to do right.
He sincerely adored and honored his parents, not just putting it on, but really giving them his obedience and love.
And in spite of the fact that he was unique and intelligent, he kept being humble. He didn't behave like he was superior to others. He possessed the bravery to assert what was correct and to invite people to return to Allah, even if it was frightening or not favored.
The character of Prophet Yahya shows us that being a good person, having good manners in Islam, is not about one big thing; it's about living these values every single day. It's about the choices your kid makes when nobody's watching.
Moral Lessons from the Story of Prophet Yahya
Therefore, these are the major lessons from the story of Prophet Yahya, which you can practically explain to your children, and they will understand.
- Always tell the truth. Even when it's difficult or people are not willing to listen, be truthful. That's exactly what Yahya did.
- Obey Allah and your parents. Listen to them, respect them, follow what they tell you. It matters.
- Live simply and stay humble. You don't need fancy stuff to be happy. Being humble is way cooler than acting like you're better than everybody.
- Be kind to everyone. Doesn't matter who they are or what they have; treat people nicely. That's what Prophet Yahya did.
- Have the courage to do what's right. Sometimes doing the right thing is scary, but do it anyway. That's real courage.
Here's the thing, though, these Islamic lessons for kids aren't just about knowing them, they're about actually living them. The morals from Prophet Yahya show us that goodness is something you do every day in the small stuff.
Check out our guide on Islamic manners. Every child should learn to dig deeper into these values. Our Islamic games help kids practice honesty, kindness, and patience just like Prophet Yahya did. But let me show you the exact lessons you can pull from his story to teach your children.
Conclusion
Truthfully, the narrative of Prophet Yahya is a story that has been conveying to children the ageless morals of honesty and dedication, which are morals we really need our kids to understand right now, as if they were so crucial.
The moment you take time to tell this story to your children, it is not just a nice thing to do before sleep; it is actually planting those little bits of real faith and truth deep down in their hearts, I mean, don't you?
We wish our children to become adults who realize that the things that in fact matter are being good, being honest, and being faithful to Allah. That is all. That is what is real. That is what lasts.
May Allah grant our children to become pure, truthful, and shining like Prophet Yahya (AS).
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