Did a Tree Grant Refuge to Prophet Zakariyya (علیہ السلام)?

Authored by: Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Amaanpuri (حفظه الله)

❖ Question:​

Is it true that a tree granted refuge to Prophet Zakariyya (علیہ السلام)?

❖ Answer:​

This claim is completely baseless, unsupported, and an outright fabrication. The Qur'an and authentic Sunnah do not mention such an incident. The story in question appears in a lengthy narration related to the Mi‘raj, in which Prophet Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) is reported to have said:
The Israelites claimed that Zakariyya's Lord was angry with him, and they incited one another to kill him. As they pursued him, he fled, and Iblis guided them to his whereabouts. A tree supposedly opened its trunk to offer him shelter. As he entered it, Iblis held onto the corner of his garment, leaving it exposed. Iblis then revealed his location, leading the Israelites to saw the tree—and Zakariyya—into pieces. When asked by the Prophet ﷺ whether he felt any pain, Zakariyya allegedly replied that he felt none, as his soul had been placed in the tree.
[Tārīkh Dimashq by Ibn Asākir: 19/56]

❖ Evaluation of the Report:​

This narration is fabricated, and the blame lies on Isḥāq ibn Bishr ibn Muḥammad ibn ʿAbdullāh Abū Ḥudhayfah al-Bukhārī, a narrator who is:

• "Matrook" (abandoned)
• "Kadhdhāb" (liar)
  [Refer: Mīzān al-Iʿtidāl by al-Dhahabī: 1/184–186]
  

❖ Similar Narrations and Their Weakness:​

① Narration of Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib
[Tārīkh Dimashq: 64/207]
– Contains ʿAlī ibn Zayd ibn Judʿān, a weak narrator.

② Narration of Wahb ibn Munabbih
[Tārīkh Dimashq: 19/55]
– Contains ʿAbd al-Munʿim ibn Idrīs, who is agreed upon as Matrook and a liar, and his father Idrīs ibn Sinān Abū Ilyās al-Ṣanʿānī is also weak.

③ Narration from Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn Yasār
[Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī: 1/536]
– Rendered weak due to the presence of Muḥammad ibn Ḥumayd al-Rāzī, an unreliable narrator.

Conclusion:​

The claim propagated by some individuals that Prophet Zakariyya (علیہ السلام) sought refuge in a tree is a fabrication with no basis in authentic Islamic sources. It is essential for Muslims to rely on the Qur'an, authentic Sunnah, and verified historical records when conveying stories of the Prophets.