that Allah Almighty kept the name of Sayyiduna Yahya عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام Himself and no one before him was ever named Yahya. (Tareekh Dimashq, vol. 64, pp. 169)

Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Abbas رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُمَا states: Sayyiduna Yahya عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام used to be extremely obedient to his parents. He عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام was the one who would obey Allah Almighty. Allah Almighty had blessed him with intellect and wisdom in his childhood. (Tareekh Dimashq, vol. 64, pp. 173)

In his childhood, when children would call him to play, then he عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام would say: We have not been created to play. (Tareekh Dimashq, vol. 64, pp. 183)

Sayyiduna Yahya عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام would always remain restless out of the fear of Allah Almighty. He عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام would cry so abundantly that constant flowing of tears left marks on his blessed cheeks.

Trees and stones would also cry

It is stated on page no. 45 of the book called ‘Khauf-e-Khuda’, a publication of Maktaba-tul-Madinah, the publication department of Dawat-e-Islami: When Sayyiduna Yahya عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام would stand up to offer Salah, then he would cry so much (due to the fear of Allah Almighty) that trees and clods of earth would also start crying with him. Seeing this, even his honourable father, Sayyiduna Zakariyya عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام, would also start crying, to the extent that he would get unconscious. The constant flowing of tears had wounded the blessed cheeks of Sayyiduna Yahya عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام. His beloved mother would place woollen strips on his blessed cheeks. Whenever he عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام would stand up to offer Salah, he عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام would start crying which would result in those woollen strips getting soaked. When his beloved mother would squeeze out the woollen strips to dry them out and when he عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام would see his tears falling on the arm of his mother, then he عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام would implore in the court of Allah Almighty in the following words, ‘O Allah Almighty! These are my tears. This is my mother and I am Your bondman, whereas You are the most Merciful.’

(Ihya-ul-‘Uloom, vol. 4, pp. 225; summarised)