The Prophets Named in the Quran

The twenty-five named prophets

The Quran mentions twenty-five prophets by name. Many will be familiar to readers of the Bible under their English names, while a few, such as Hud and Salih, were sent to ancient Arabian peoples and appear only in the Islamic tradition. Listed here in the order commonly used, with their familiar English names where one exists:

• Adam; Idris (often identified with Enoch); Nuh (Noah)
• Hud; Salih; Ibrahim (Abraham); Lut (Lot)
• Isma'il (Ishmael); Ishaq (Isaac); Ya'qub (Jacob); Yusuf (Joseph)
• Ayyub (Job); Shu'ayb; Musa (Moses); Harun (Aaron)
• Dhul-Kifl; Dawud (David); Sulayman (Solomon); Ilyas (Elijah)
• Al-Yasa' (Elisha); Yunus (Jonah); Zakariyya (Zechariah)
• Yahya (John the Baptist); 'Isa (Jesus); Muhammad

Many more than these

The named prophets are only part of the story. The Quran itself says that God sent messengers whose stories He told the Prophet and others whose stories He did not. It also teaches that every nation has received a messenger. Muslims therefore believe that many more prophets were sent than are named, to peoples and places we may know nothing about.

Some reports give very large numbers for the prophets throughout history, though scholars discuss the strength of these narrations. What matters most is the principle: God's guidance has reached people everywhere.

A few other figures named in the Quran, such as Luqman the wise and Dhul-Qarnayn, are held in high honour, but most scholars do not count them among the prophets. The identities of some named prophets, such as Dhul-Kifl and Shu'ayb, are also discussed by scholars, and it is wise not to be too certain about links to figures in other scriptures.

The five of firm resolve

Among all the prophets, the Quran speaks of some as having particular determination and patience. Scholars call them ulul 'azm, meaning those of firm resolve. They are most commonly listed as five:

• Nuh (Noah), who called his people patiently for a very long time.
• Ibrahim (Abraham), the friend of God, who stood firm against idol worship.
• Musa (Moses), who confronted Pharaoh and led the Children of Israel.
• 'Isa (Jesus), the Messiah, born to Maryam (Mary) without a father.
• Muhammad, the final prophet, sent as a mercy to all the worlds.

A few stories in brief

The Quran does not tell the prophets' stories as complete biographies. Instead it returns to key moments again and again, drawing out lessons for the reader. Here are a few of the best known, told briefly in summary.

Nuh (peace be upon him) warned his people for many years, yet only a few believed. He was told to build an ark, and he and the believers were saved from the flood. His story is a lesson in patience when results are slow to come.

As a young man, Ibrahim (peace be upon him) questioned the idols his people worshipped and broke them to show they were powerless. His people threw him into a fire, but God made it cool and safe for him. He is remembered as a model of pure faith in the One God.

The story of Yusuf (peace be upon him) fills a whole chapter of the Quran. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery and wrongly imprisoned, he rose to high office in Egypt. When his brothers finally stood before him in need, he forgave them. It is often described as one of the most beautiful stories in the Quran.

Yunus (peace be upon him) left his people in frustration before being told to, and was swallowed by a great fish. In the darkness he turned to God, admitting his fault and praising Him, and he was rescued. Muslims often repeat his prayer in times of difficulty.

'Isa (peace be upon him) holds a special place in Islam. Muslims believe in his miraculous birth, his miracles and his status as the Messiah, while understanding him as a human prophet and servant of God rather than divine. His mother, Maryam, has a chapter of the Quran named after her.