SCROLL TO
Aaron Abel Abraham Adam Aram Arphaxad Benjamin Cain Daniel David Eber Eli Elijah Elisha Enoch Eve Ezekiel Isaac Ishmael Jacob Japheth Jesus Jethro Job John Jonah Joseph Joshua Judah Levi Lot Mary Methusaleh Midian Moses Muhammad Noah Phinehas Samuel Seth Shem Solomon Terah Zachariah
Aaron is mentioned in the Quran as a prophet of God.
God praises Aaron repeatedly, calling him a believing servant, guided and one of the victors.
Aaron is important in Islam for his role in the events of the Exodus, in which, he preached with his brother Moses to the Pharaoh of the Exodus.
When Moses was commanded by God to go to Pharoah, he prayed his brother Aaron would help him. Aaron was a gifted speaker, and would often speak for Moses who suffered from a speech impediment. He was responsible for teaching the Israelites the way of worship as it was laid out in the Torah.
Aaron's significance in Islam, however, is not limited to his role as the helper of Moses. Islamic tradition also accords Aaron the role of a patriarch, as tradition records that the priestly descent came through Aaron's lineage, which included the entire House of Amran.
Aaron lived for 123 years.
Adam and Eve were blessed with three sons, Abel, Qabil and Seth.
When they grew up, Abel, the younger brother, became a shepherd. He herded sheep, goats and other animals. The elder brother Cain, worked as a farmer.
Abel and Cain had a disagreement. Cain's anger got the better of him and he killed his innocent brother Abel.
Abraham, the Father of the Prophets, we learn that he was born in a house of idolaters, in the kingdom of Babylon.
His father Aazar was a well known idol sculptor.
As a young child, Abraham used to watch his father sculpting these idols from stone or wood. When his father was done with them, Abraham would use them as toys, riding on their backs, and kicking them at times. Then after a while, he would see these same statues to the temple, and people prostrated in front of them.
Abraham asked his father: "Why do you take these toys to the temple?" His father replied: "They are statues that represent our gods. We worship them, we ask favors from them, and we offer them presents." Abraham's mind rejected this idea, and he felt repulsion towards the idols.
As a prophet, Abraham tried to guide his nation to the true belief. Eventually he migrated to Harran, then to Egypt, and lastly to Palestine. He migrated with his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot and other true believers who believed in his teaching.
After Abraham migrated, the people of the nation left behind and Nimrod were attacked and destroyed by mosquitoes.
Abraham did not have any children. He was getting old and so he prayed to God for a child. His prayers were accepted. Hajar gave birth to Ishmael, who was to become an ancestor to Muhammad. Later, his other wife Sarah gave birth to Isaac, who become the ancestor to a succession of prophets sent to the Israelites.
After some time, God told Abraham to sacrifice his eldest son Ishmael. As Abraham was about do fulfil God's commandment, a sheep appeared in place of his son Ishmael. This event is marked by Muslims every year on Eid ul-Adha when a sheep or a goat is commonly sacrificed.
Abraham took his son Ishmael and his wife Hagar to Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Later, he built the Kaaba as a place of worship with his son Ishmael.
Abraham is regarded by the Jews as being the founder of the Hebrews through his son Isaac and by the Muslims as being the founder of the Arabs through his son Ishmael.
The story of Prophet Adam, the first man, the first human being.
God created Adam from a handful of soil containing portions from all its varieties on Earth. Angels were sent to earth to collect the soil that was to become Adam. It was red, white, brown, and black; it was soft and malleable, hard and gritty; it came from the mountains and the valleys; from infertile deserts and lush fertile plains and all the natural varieties in between.
The descendants of Adam were destined to be as diverse as the handful of soil from which their ancestor was created; all have different appearances, attributes and qualities.
Aram is a son of Shem.
He is recognized as a prophet in Mandaeism and as an Islamic prophet. Aram is usually regarded as being the eponymous ancestor of the Aramaean people of Northern Mesopotamia and Syria.
Arphaxad was one of five sons of Shem, the son of Noah.
His brothers were Elam, Asshur, Lud and Aram. He is an ancestor of Abraham. Arphaxad was born two years after the flood, when Shem was 100.
Benjamin is the last-born of Jacob's twelve sons, and the second and last son of Rachel who died shortly after childbirth.
He was the progenitor of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin. In the Quran, Benjamin is referred to as righteous young child, who remained with Jacob when the older brothers plotted against Joseph.
Adam and Eve were blessed with three sons, Abel, Qabil and Seth.
When they grew up, Abel, the younger brother, became a shepherd. He herded sheep, goats and other animals. The elder brother Cain, worked as a farmer.
Abel and Cain had a disagreement. Cain's anger got the better of him and he killed his innocent brother Abel.
Daniel is the hero of the Book of Daniel.
A noble Jewish youth of Jerusalem, he is taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and serves the king and his successors with loyalty and ability until the time of the Persian conqueror Cyrus, all the while remaining true to the God of Israel.
Six cities claim Daniel's Tomb, the most famous being that in Susa, in southern Iran, at a site known as Shush-e Daniyal. He is not a prophet in Judaism, but the rabbis reckoned him to be the most distinguished member of the Babylonian diaspora, unsurpassed in piety and good deeds.
The various branches of the Christian church do recognise him as a prophet, and although he is not mentioned in the Quran, Muslim sources describe him as a nabi, a saintly and righteous man.
David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel ruling in 10 BC.
Several stories are known of him. The most famous being the David and Goliath story, where he defeated the Philistine giant Goliath as a soldier in King Saul's army. He led the Israelites in war and won.
David was from the people of Israel and was father to Solomon. Solomon was also a king with great miracles. Both David and Solomon are buried in Jerusalem.
Eber was sent to the people of Aad in the area known as Al-Ahqaf near to Hadramaut, Yemen.
When the people of Aad chose to disbelieve in Eber's teachings, God destroyed them by a fierce wind that blew for eight days and seven nights.
Eli is the father of Mary who was the mother of prophet Jesus.
Eli was a good righteous man who was known for his righteousness, goodness, knowledge and morals.
Elijah was a Hebrew prophet of the 9th century BC.
He lived in Baalbek during the reign of King Ahab and his queen, Jezebel.
The two Books of Kings in the Old Testament tell of his exploits, which culminate with him being carried to heaven in a chariot of fire.
Elisha was a descendant of Aaron.
He was appointed as a Prophet of Israel, following the death of Solomon.
Solomon's kingdom was divided when he died, and the current king of Israel was Ahab, had reverted to materialism.
The entire kingdom had fallen to a wave of evil and corruption. People who tried to teach the oneness of God were tortured and killed.
In the Old Testament, Elisha is the prophet who is the successor of Elijah.
Enoch was the son of Cain.
The story of prophet Enoch (Idris) is mentioned in the Quran (Surah Maryam). He is praised as highly upright, pious, and that God raised him to a high place. Some said this place was the fourth heaven and some said the sixth. What is confirmed is that Prophet Enoch then came back to Earth after being raised to the heavens. He came back to Earth and died on Earth. Enoch was a Prophet and Messenger, confirmed in the Quran. We must have a firm belief that Enoch was a Prophet of God and that he conveyed the message from God.
Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect freedom and happiness in Paradise.
God told them to eat of the fruits of the Garden with pleasure and delight as they pleased. He forbade them from approaching one tree, and warned them that if they did, they will both be of the wrongdoers. Satan came and deceived them, saying that God only forbade them from eating of that tree because it would make them immortal or they would become like the angels. They were thus deceived by Satan and ate of the tree.
Adam and Eve felt shame. They turned to God in sincere repentance and God forgave them.
Some scholars say Ezekiel was the son of Job, whereas others claim he is Ezekiel of the Bible.
Little is known about Ezekiel. His name in Arabic, Hizkeel means 'God will strengthen' or literally 'to fasten upon'.
Ezekiel is recognized as a prophet in Islamic tradition. Although not mentioned in the Quran by name, all Muslim scholars, both classical and modern have included Ezekiel in lists of the prophets of Islam.
Ezekiel is a major prophet in the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Ezekiel. He lived in Jerusalem until the Babylonian conquest and captivity of Israel, at which time he was taken to Babylon. The Book of Ezekiel describes his vivid symbolic visions that predict the restoration of the kingdom of Israel.
Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac.
Isaac was his second son born of Sarah, his wife. When Abraham passed through an ordeal of sacrificing his affectionate son, Ishmael a glad-tidings of the birth of another son, Isaac was conveyed to him.
Abraham had attained the age of one hundred years and Sarah was ninety. They had practically lost all hope of having an issue at this advanced age when the angel came to Abraham with the good news of the birth of a wise son, his wife laughed and did not believe it. She remarked that she had passed the age and now it was simply a folly to expect a child.
Isaac was born as God willed. He was the chosen servant of God and his descendants were men of high spiritual rank and character. He was inspired to do noble deeds and establish right warship. He was generous at heart.
Isaac fell ill and died when he was one hundred eighty years old in Hebron, Palestine. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him with his father Abraham in a cave which he had bought. It was said that Abraham died at the age of one hundred seventy five.
Abraham had two sons: Isaac and Ishmael.
God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael.
Ishmael went to Mecca and was left there with his mother. Abraham visited Ishmael several times in Mecca, and during one of those times, God ordered Abraham and Ishmael to build the Kabah (the Holy House) which they both did together.
Ishmael died in Mecca and was buried there. Today, Ishmael is considered the forefather of the Arabs.
Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel.
He was born in Palestine holding his twin brother Esau's heel.
Jacob (later called Israel) lived his life exactly in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He had full faith in the Oneness of God. Jacob directed his followers to do good and shun evil. He advised them to keep up prayers, give alms and was a man of wisdom.
Jacob was also known as Israel. The Children of Israel, or Israelites are named after him. All the Hebrew prophets came from him, the last of whom was Jesus.
Jacob is said to have travelled to north of Iraq, returned to Palestine and then settled in Egypt and died there. He was buried in Hebron, Palestine, along with his father according to his last will.
Japheth is one of Noah's three sons along with Shem and Ham.
He is regarded as the ancestor of the Gog and Magog tribes (China) and, at times, of the peoples of Europe, Turks, Khazars and Northern Asia.
Jesus was a prophet of God sent to guide the children of Israel with a new scripture, the Injil (Gospel).
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Palestine. The Quran states that Mary gave birth to Jesus without a man having touched her
He was made a prophet when he was 30, and he did his duty as a prophet for three years. He was the last prophet sent to the children of Israel.
Muslims believe that Jesus will return to earth near the end of time to restore justice and defeat the Anti-christ.
The people of Madyan were Arabs who lived in the country of Maan, part of which today is greater Syria.
They were a greedy people who did not believe that God existed and who led wicked lives. They gave short measure, praised their goods beyond their worth, and hid their defects. They lied to their customers, thereby cheating them.
God sent Jethro armed with many miracles. Jethro preached to them, begging them to be mindful of God's favors and warning them of the consequences of their evil ways, but they only mocked him. Jethro remained calm as he reminded them of his kinship to them and that what he was doing was not for his personal gain.
They seized the belongings of Jethro and his followers, then drove them out of the city. The Messenger turned to his Lord for help, and his plea was answered. God sent down on them scorching heat, and they suffered terribly. On seeing a cloud gathering in the sky, they thought it would bring cool, refreshing rain, and rushed outside in the hope of enjoying the rainfall. Instead, the cloud burst, hurling thunderbolts and fire. They heard a thunderous sound from above, which caused the earth under their feet to tremble. The evil-doers perished in this state of horror.
Jethro is the father of Moses's wife Zipporah.
Job was one of the descendants of Abraham and nephew to Jacob.
He was sent to reform the people who lived in the desert in the north eastern corner of Palestine, close to either the Dead Sea or Damascus.
He was an affluent prophet who was tested by God with poverty and sickness, but he was patient and helped by his loyal wife who stayed by his side through the hardship.
When Job was chosen to be the Prophet, he started to teach the people about God. He advised the people to do good and shun evil. In the beginning very few people believed in him, but gradually the number of followers began to increase. Eventually, they are rewarded by God for their patience.
John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic considered the forerunner to Jesus.
He was the only son of Zechariah. His birth was considered a miracle as he was born of a barren mother and an aged father. In the fagging part of his life, he prayed to God to bless him with a son who could prove to be a successful heir and preacher of the religion of God. His prayer was promptly granted.
John was born a stranger to the world of children who used to amuse themselves, as he was serious all the time. He supplicated to God with strength, energy and seriousness.
The young children would call him to play and he would reply, "Our purpose in life is not to play, it is not for this that we were created.". Most children took delight in torturing animals whereas, he was merciful to them.
He was dedicated to the noble work of leading men to the path of salvation. He exhorted his people to have faith in God. He moved among the humble and despised soft raiment. He was not arrogant and spent most of his life in wilderness. He was pure, devout, and dutiful towards his parents.
He found comfort in the open and never cared about food. He ate leaves, herbs, and sometimes locusts. He slept anywhere in the mountains or in holes in the ground.
He fed the animals from his food until there was nothing left for him, and he just ate fruit or leaves of trees.
Sometimes he would find a lion or a bear as he entered a cave, but being deeply absorbed in praising God, he never heeded them. The beasts recognized John as the prophet who cared for all the creatures, and so they would leave the cave, bowing their heads.
John sometimes fed those beasts, out of mercy, from his food and was satisfied with prayers as food for his soul.
He would spend the night crying and praising God for His blessings. They say John wept so much that tears marked his cheeks.
When John called people to worship God, he made them cry out of love and submission, arresting their hearts with the truthfulness of his words.
John the Baptist is different to John, regarded as the author of the fourth Gospel and Revelation.
Jonah lived in Nineveh, close to Mosul in Iraq.
He was sent to a people that had forgotten God's orders and did many things which God had forbidden.
Jonah found that people did not want to listen to him. He lost patience with them and left the town in anger and headed towards modern day Tunisia, but possibly ended up in Yafa.
Afterwards, Jonah decided to go across the sea, and boarded a ship for the voyage. But when the ship was in the middle of the ocean, Jonah suffered a great misfortune. He was thrown overboard and swallowed up by a whale.
After repenting to God, he emerged from fish alive three days later. He went back to his people in Iraq where all 100,000 of them repented and believed in him.
Joseph, is the eleventh son of Jacob.
He lived all his life confronting schemes made by the people closest to him. Because he was the favourite son of his father, his older brothers plotted to kill him, but they amended it to exiling him to Egypt and told their father he had died.
As a young boy, Joseph was sold into the slave market in Egypt, where he was bought for a nominal sum. Then he fell victim to the attempted seduction by a great man's wife who, when her wish was foiled, sent him to prison, where he remained for some time.
In spite of all of this, he attained a high rank in government close to the Egyptian throne and became the king's chief minister. He then began his call to God from the position of the ruling authority. Later, his father, Jacob, and brothers settled in Egypt.
This is the most detailed and fascinating story in the Quran, involving both human weaknesses such as jealousy, hatred, pride, passion, deception, intrigue, cruelty, and terror as well as noble qualities such as patience, loyalty, bravery, nobility, and compassion.
Joshua was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan by Moses, as told in the Old Testament.
After Moses died Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Israelites.
Judah was the fourth son out of twelve sons of Jacob and his first wife, Leah: his elder brothers were Reuben, Simeon and Levi, and younger brothers Issachar and Zebulun.
Judah also had six half-brothers.
He was the ancestor of the tribe of Judah. This tribe eventually formed the kingdom of Judah. King David and Jesus were descendents of Judah.
Levi is the third son of Jacob and Leah.
He is one of the twelve sons of Jacob. His mother Leah also gave birth to Reuben, Judah, Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun. Levi is the ancestor of the Tribe of Levi.
The Tribe of Levi was not included in the tribes who were given allotments of land during the conquest of Canaan, when the nation of Israel was first established. Instead, Moses singled out the Tribe of Levi to serve as the nation's priests.
Lot was the nephew of Abraham, the son of Abraham's brother.
Lot lived towards the southern tip of the Dead Sea. He was the resident of Ur, an ancient town in Mesopotamia.
His people were from Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot believed in Abraham and after their return from Egypt, they settled in separate locations.
God conferred prophethood upon Lot. He was commanded to leave his native land and go to Sodom and Gomorra to warn and reform the people who engaged in sexual acts, intercourse and robbery.
As punishment, rocks rained down on the people of Sodom and Gomorrah that crushed them.
Mary, the mother of Jesus is considered one of the most righteous women in the Islamic tradition.
Jesus was the result of a virgin birth, and so was born miraculously by the will of God without a father. Mary was a chaste and virtuous woman and is said to have been a virgin.
Mary is mentioned more times in the Quran than the entire New Testament.
Methusaleh was an Arab prophet sent to the people of Thamud who lived in an area known as Al-Hijr between Hijaz and Tabuk.
Today, this area is known as Madain-Salih in Saudi Arabia and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Here you will find magnificent structures literally carved into the mountains.
After the destruction of the Ad, the tribe of Thamud succeeded them in power and glory. They also fell to idol-worshipping. As their material wealth increased so, too, did their evil ways while their virtue decreased. Like the people of Ad, they erected huge buildings on the plains and hewed beautiful homes out of the hills. Tyranny and oppression became prevalent as evil men ruled the land.
Methusaleh was the son of Enoch, father of Lamech and grandfather to Noah. He lived to age 969 making him the longest living person in the Bible.
Moses was born in the land of Egypt 450 years after Joseph, and came from the people known as the Israelites.
Moses was the first prophet sent to the Israelites at a time when the Pharaoh of Egypt, a tyrant was enslaving, oppressing and using every means to demean and disgrace his people.
To flee persecution, Moses fled to Madyan. God made him a prophet at Mount Toor, situated in the Sinai.
Moses holds a special status because God spoke and revealed his verses to him directly. Also, he is the most mentioned prophet in the Quran.
Mohammad was born in Makkah in the year 570CE.
At the age of 40, Mohammad received his frst revelation from Allah through the Angel Gabriel. The revelations continued for 23 years, collectively known as the Quran.
Before Mohammad died, at the age of 63, the greater part of the Arabian Peninsula had become Muslim, and within a century of his death, Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China. Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the truth and clarity of its teaching.
For many generations Noah's people had been worshipping statues that they called gods.
They believed that these gods would bring them good, protect them from evil and provide all their needs. They gave their idols names such as Waddan, Suwaan, Yaghutha, Yaauga, and Nasran, (These idols represented, respectively, manly power; mutability, beauty; brute strength, swiftness, sharp sight, insight) according to the power they thought these gods possessed.
Noah is said to be from Kirk, Iraq. Polytheism appeared for the first time among his people who lived close to the present day city of Kufa, Iraq.
The Holy Books of Judaism, Christianity and Islam speak the same way about Prophet Noah and the great flood.
Prophet Noah lived for 950 years. He became a prophet at the age of 250. For the next 700 years he called the people to God, but had limited success and few heeded his calling.
Noah selfessly dedicated his life to preaching to his people the belief in one God, to leave worshiping idols and statues and to be merciful to the weak and the needy. He told them about God's signs and warned them about the Day of Judgment.
One of his miracles was the Ark which he built on God's command that rested on Mount Judi between Syria and Turkey. When he finished building the Ark, God ordered Noah to load therein two of every kind, a pair (the male and female); his 3 sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth; most of his household, and those who believed him onto the Ark.
Then, God punished the people in the great flood. After the flood, Noah sent his son Ham to India, Shem to Iran and Japeth to the North (China or Turkey).
Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was a grandson of Aaron.
Phinehas became the third high priest of Israel, serving for 19 years.
Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel.
He was a righteous son and a gift bestowed upon Adam after the death of Abel.
Although Seth is not mentioned in the Quran, he was a prophet like his father, and continued teaching mankind the laws of God after the death of his father Adam. Some sources even cite Seth as the receiver of a scripture.
Islamic literature holds that Seth was born when Adam was past 100 years and that, by the time Adam died, Adam had already made Seth the heir to him in guiding his people.
Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, traces the genealogy of mankind back to Seth, since Abel did not leave any heirs and Cain's heirs, according to tradition, were destroyed by the Great Flood.
Shem is one of Noah's three sons, along with Japheth and Ham.
He is a survivior of the great flood. Among Shem's descendants are the Arabs and the Hebrews, and he was the forefather of all the subsequent prophets.
Jewish tradition regarded Shem as the greatest, but youngest son of Noah, who was born circumcised and served as a prophet for 400 years.
Muslim tradition believes that Shem was given the 'middle of the earth' as his land, and he went on to become the father of the Arabs, Persians and Byzantines.
Solomon was the son of David and inherited the throne following his father's death.
Prophet Solomon ruled over the Kingdom of Isreal, renowned for his wisdom. Suppousedly, he wrote the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament.
Solomon is also well known for his encounter with the Queen of Saba.
Terah was Abraham's father, who was 70 years old when Abraham was born.
Terah was also, a high priest of the idol worshippers. He had twelve chief gods, one for each month of the year, and other idols. In fact, there was a workshop in Terah's house, where idols of wood, stone, silver and gold were made. People came to offer sacrifices to these idols, and Terah had a thriving business.
Eventually, Abraham persuaded his father Terah to give up his idolatry and he went with Abraham to the land of Canaan.
Zechariah was a righteous priest and prophet of God whose office was in the temple of prayer in Jerusalem.
He would frequently be in charge of managing the services of the temple and he would always remain steadfast in prayer to God.
As he reached his old age, Zechariah began to worry over who would continue the legacy of preaching the message of God after his death and who would carry on the daily services of the temple after him. Zechariah started to pray to God for a son, and God blessed him with the birth of John (the Baptist).
Aaron - Harun - Aharon "high mountain"
Aaron is mentioned in the Quran as a prophet of God.
God praises Aaron repeatedly, calling him a believing servant, guided and one of the victors.
Aaron is important in Islam for his role in the events of the Exodus, in which, he preached with his brother Moses to the Pharaoh of the Exodus.
When Moses was commanded by God to go to Pharoah, he prayed his brother Aaron would help him. Aaron was a gifted speaker, and would often speak for Moses who suffered from a speech impediment. He was responsible for teaching the Israelites the way of worship as it was laid out in the Torah.
Aaron's significance in Islam, however, is not limited to his role as the helper of Moses. Islamic tradition also accords Aaron the role of a patriarch, as tradition records that the priestly descent came through Aaron's lineage, which included the entire House of Amran.
Aaron lived for 123 years.
Abel - Habil - Hevel
Adam and Eve were blessed with three sons, Abel, Qabil and Seth.
When they grew up, Abel, the younger brother, became a shepherd. He herded sheep, goats and other animals. The elder brother Cain, worked as a farmer.
Abel and Cain had a disagreement. Cain's anger got the better of him and he killed his innocent brother Abel.
Abraham - Ibrahim - Ebrahem "father of many"
Abraham, the Father of the Prophets, we learn that he was born in a house of idolaters, in the kingdom of Babylon.
His father Aazar was a well known idol sculptor.
As a young child, Abraham used to watch his father sculpting these idols from stone or wood. When his father was done with them, Abraham would use them as toys, riding on their backs, and kicking them at times. Then after a while, he would see these same statues to the temple, and people prostrated in front of them.
Abraham asked his father: "Why do you take these toys to the temple?" His father replied: "They are statues that represent our gods. We worship them, we ask favors from them, and we offer them presents." Abraham's mind rejected this idea, and he felt repulsion towards the idols.
As a prophet, Abraham tried to guide his nation to the true belief. Eventually he migrated to Harran, then to Egypt, and lastly to Palestine. He migrated with his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot and other true believers who believed in his teaching.
After Abraham migrated, the people of the nation left behind and Nimrod were attacked and destroyed by mosquitoes.
Abraham did not have any children. He was getting old and so he prayed to God for a child. His prayers were accepted. Hajar gave birth to Ishmael, who was to become an ancestor to Muhammad. Later, his other wife Sarah gave birth to Isaac, who become the ancestor to a succession of prophets sent to the Israelites.
After some time, God told Abraham to sacrifice his eldest son Ishmael. As Abraham was about do fulfil God's commandment, a sheep appeared in place of his son Ishmael. This event is marked by Muslims every year on Eid ul-Adha when a sheep or a goat is commonly sacrificed.
Abraham took his son Ishmael and his wife Hagar to Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Later, he built the Kaaba as a place of worship with his son Ishmael.
Abraham is regarded by the Jews as being the founder of the Hebrews through his son Isaac and by the Muslims as being the founder of the Arabs through his son Ishmael.
Adam - Adam - Adamu
The story of Prophet Adam, the first man, the first human being.
God created Adam from a handful of soil containing portions from all its varieties on Earth. Angels were sent to earth to collect the soil that was to become Adam. It was red, white, brown, and black; it was soft and malleable, hard and gritty; it came from the mountains and the valleys; from infertile deserts and lush fertile plains and all the natural varieties in between.
The descendants of Adam were destined to be as diverse as the handful of soil from which their ancestor was created; all have different appearances, attributes and qualities.
Aram - Iram - Aram
Aram is a son of Shem.
He is recognized as a prophet in Mandaeism and as an Islamic prophet. Aram is usually regarded as being the eponymous ancestor of the Aramaean people of Northern Mesopotamia and Syria.
Arphaxad - Arfakhshad - Arpakhshad
Arphaxad was one of five sons of Shem, the son of Noah.
His brothers were Elam, Asshur, Lud and Aram. He is an ancestor of Abraham. Arphaxad was born two years after the flood, when Shem was 100.
Benjamin - Binyameen - Binyaamem "son of the right hand"
Benjamin is the last-born of Jacob's twelve sons, and the second and last son of Rachel who died shortly after childbirth.
He was the progenitor of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin. In the Quran, Benjamin is referred to as righteous young child, who remained with Jacob when the older brothers plotted against Joseph.
Cain - Qabil - Qayin "acquired"
Adam and Eve were blessed with three sons, Abel, Qabil and Seth.
When they grew up, Abel, the younger brother, became a shepherd. He herded sheep, goats and other animals. The elder brother Cain, worked as a farmer.
Abel and Cain had a disagreement. Cain's anger got the better of him and he killed his innocent brother Abel.
Daniel - Daniyal - Daniel
Daniel is the hero of the Book of Daniel.
A noble Jewish youth of Jerusalem, he is taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and serves the king and his successors with loyalty and ability until the time of the Persian conqueror Cyrus, all the while remaining true to the God of Israel.
Six cities claim Daniel's Tomb, the most famous being that in Susa, in southern Iran, at a site known as Shush-e Daniyal. He is not a prophet in Judaism, but the rabbis reckoned him to be the most distinguished member of the Babylonian diaspora, unsurpassed in piety and good deeds.
The various branches of the Christian church do recognise him as a prophet, and although he is not mentioned in the Quran, Muslim sources describe him as a nabi, a saintly and righteous man.
David - Dawud - Dervid "beloved"
David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel ruling in 10 BC.
Several stories are known of him. The most famous being the David and Goliath story, where he defeated the Philistine giant Goliath as a soldier in King Saul's army. He led the Israelites in war and won.
David was from the people of Israel and was father to Solomon. Solomon was also a king with great miracles. Both David and Solomon are buried in Jerusalem.
Eber - Hud - Ever
Eber was sent to the people of Aad in the area known as Al-Ahqaf near to Hadramaut, Yemen.
When the people of Aad chose to disbelieve in Eber's teachings, God destroyed them by a fierce wind that blew for eight days and seven nights.
Eli - Imran - Ila
Eli is the father of Mary who was the mother of prophet Jesus.
Eli was a good righteous man who was known for his righteousness, goodness, knowledge and morals.
Elijah - Ilyas - Eliyahu "my God is Yahweh"
Elijah was a Hebrew prophet of the 9th century BC.
He lived in Baalbek during the reign of King Ahab and his queen, Jezebel.
The two Books of Kings in the Old Testament tell of his exploits, which culminate with him being carried to heaven in a chariot of fire.
Elisha - Al-Yasa - Elisha "my God is salvation"
Elisha was a descendant of Aaron.
He was appointed as a Prophet of Israel, following the death of Solomon.
Solomon's kingdom was divided when he died, and the current king of Israel was Ahab, had reverted to materialism.
The entire kingdom had fallen to a wave of evil and corruption. People who tried to teach the oneness of God were tortured and killed.
In the Old Testament, Elisha is the prophet who is the successor of Elijah.
Enoch - Idris - Hanokh "dedicated"
Enoch was the son of Cain.
The story of prophet Enoch (Idris) is mentioned in the Quran (Surah Maryam). He is praised as highly upright, pious, and that God raised him to a high place. Some said this place was the fourth heaven and some said the sixth. What is confirmed is that Prophet Enoch then came back to Earth after being raised to the heavens. He came back to Earth and died on Earth. Enoch was a Prophet and Messenger, confirmed in the Quran. We must have a firm belief that Enoch was a Prophet of God and that he conveyed the message from God.
Eve - Hawa - Hawwah
Adam and Eve enjoyed perfect freedom and happiness in Paradise.
God told them to eat of the fruits of the Garden with pleasure and delight as they pleased. He forbade them from approaching one tree, and warned them that if they did, they will both be of the wrongdoers. Satan came and deceived them, saying that God only forbade them from eating of that tree because it would make them immortal or they would become like the angels. They were thus deceived by Satan and ate of the tree.
Adam and Eve felt shame. They turned to God in sincere repentance and God forgave them.
Ezekiel - Dhul-Kifl - Jhezqel "God strengthens"
Some scholars say Ezekiel was the son of Job, whereas others claim he is Ezekiel of the Bible.
Little is known about Ezekiel. His name in Arabic, Hizkeel means 'God will strengthen' or literally 'to fasten upon'.
Ezekiel is recognized as a prophet in Islamic tradition. Although not mentioned in the Quran by name, all Muslim scholars, both classical and modern have included Ezekiel in lists of the prophets of Islam.
Ezekiel is a major prophet in the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Ezekiel. He lived in Jerusalem until the Babylonian conquest and captivity of Israel, at which time he was taken to Babylon. The Book of Ezekiel describes his vivid symbolic visions that predict the restoration of the kingdom of Israel.
Isaac - Ishaq - Yitskhak "he laughs"
Abraham had two sons: Ishmael and Isaac.
Isaac was his second son born of Sarah, his wife. When Abraham passed through an ordeal of sacrificing his affectionate son, Ishmael a glad-tidings of the birth of another son, Isaac was conveyed to him.
And We gave him the tiding of the birth of Isaac, a prophet among the righteous.[37: 112]
Abraham had attained the age of one hundred years and Sarah was ninety. They had practically lost all hope of having an issue at this advanced age when the angel came to Abraham with the good news of the birth of a wise son, his wife laughed and did not believe it. She remarked that she had passed the age and now it was simply a folly to expect a child.
And his wife standing by, laughed when We gave her good tidings (of the birth) of Ishaq and after Ishaq of Yaqub (Jacob). She said: Oh, Woe is me! Shall I bear a child when I am an old woman and this my husband is an old man? Lo! this is a strange thing. They said: wonder thou at the Commandment of God? (11: 71-73)
Isaac was born as God willed. He was the chosen servant of God and his descendants were men of high spiritual rank and character. He was inspired to do noble deeds and establish right warship. He was generous at heart.
Isaac fell ill and died when he was one hundred eighty years old in Hebron, Palestine. His sons Esau and Jacob buried him with his father Abraham in a cave which he had bought. It was said that Abraham died at the age of one hundred seventy five.
Ishmael - Ismail - Yishmael "God will hear"
Abraham had two sons: Isaac and Ishmael.
God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael.
Ishmael went to Mecca and was left there with his mother. Abraham visited Ishmael several times in Mecca, and during one of those times, God ordered Abraham and Ishmael to build the Kabah (the Holy House) which they both did together.
Ishmael died in Mecca and was buried there. Today, Ishmael is considered the forefather of the Arabs.
Jacob - Yaqub - Yaakov "holder of the heel"
Jacob was the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel.
He was born in Palestine holding his twin brother Esau's heel.
Jacob (later called Israel) lived his life exactly in the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He had full faith in the Oneness of God. Jacob directed his followers to do good and shun evil. He advised them to keep up prayers, give alms and was a man of wisdom.
Jacob was also known as Israel. The Children of Israel, or Israelites are named after him. All the Hebrew prophets came from him, the last of whom was Jesus.
Jacob is said to have travelled to north of Iraq, returned to Palestine and then settled in Egypt and died there. He was buried in Hebron, Palestine, along with his father according to his last will.
Japheth - Yafeth - Yapheth "enlarged"
Japheth is one of Noah's three sons along with Shem and Ham.
He is regarded as the ancestor of the Gog and Magog tribes (China) and, at times, of the peoples of Europe, Turks, Khazars and Northern Asia.
Jesus - Isa - Yeshua
Jesus was a prophet of God sent to guide the children of Israel with a new scripture, the Injil (Gospel).
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, Palestine. The Quran states that Mary gave birth to Jesus without a man having touched her
He was made a prophet when he was 30, and he did his duty as a prophet for three years. He was the last prophet sent to the children of Israel.
Muslims believe that Jesus will return to earth near the end of time to restore justice and defeat the Anti-christ.
Jethro - Shuaib - Yeter "abundance"
The people of Madyan were Arabs who lived in the country of Maan, part of which today is greater Syria.
They were a greedy people who did not believe that God existed and who led wicked lives. They gave short measure, praised their goods beyond their worth, and hid their defects. They lied to their customers, thereby cheating them.
God sent Jethro armed with many miracles. Jethro preached to them, begging them to be mindful of God's favors and warning them of the consequences of their evil ways, but they only mocked him. Jethro remained calm as he reminded them of his kinship to them and that what he was doing was not for his personal gain.
They seized the belongings of Jethro and his followers, then drove them out of the city. The Messenger turned to his Lord for help, and his plea was answered. God sent down on them scorching heat, and they suffered terribly. On seeing a cloud gathering in the sky, they thought it would bring cool, refreshing rain, and rushed outside in the hope of enjoying the rainfall. Instead, the cloud burst, hurling thunderbolts and fire. They heard a thunderous sound from above, which caused the earth under their feet to tremble. The evil-doers perished in this state of horror.
Jethro is the father of Moses's wife Zipporah.
Job - Ayyub - Iyyov "persecuted, hated"
Job was one of the descendants of Abraham and nephew to Jacob.
He was sent to reform the people who lived in the desert in the north eastern corner of Palestine, close to either the Dead Sea or Damascus.
He was an affluent prophet who was tested by God with poverty and sickness, but he was patient and helped by his loyal wife who stayed by his side through the hardship.
When Job was chosen to be the Prophet, he started to teach the people about God. He advised the people to do good and shun evil. In the beginning very few people believed in him, but gradually the number of followers began to increase. Eventually, they are rewarded by God for their patience.
John - Yahya - Yochanan "Yahweh is gracious"
John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic considered the forerunner to Jesus.
He was the only son of Zechariah. His birth was considered a miracle as he was born of a barren mother and an aged father. In the fagging part of his life, he prayed to God to bless him with a son who could prove to be a successful heir and preacher of the religion of God. His prayer was promptly granted.
John was born a stranger to the world of children who used to amuse themselves, as he was serious all the time. He supplicated to God with strength, energy and seriousness.
The young children would call him to play and he would reply, "Our purpose in life is not to play, it is not for this that we were created.". Most children took delight in torturing animals whereas, he was merciful to them.
He was dedicated to the noble work of leading men to the path of salvation. He exhorted his people to have faith in God. He moved among the humble and despised soft raiment. He was not arrogant and spent most of his life in wilderness. He was pure, devout, and dutiful towards his parents.
He found comfort in the open and never cared about food. He ate leaves, herbs, and sometimes locusts. He slept anywhere in the mountains or in holes in the ground.
He fed the animals from his food until there was nothing left for him, and he just ate fruit or leaves of trees.
Sometimes he would find a lion or a bear as he entered a cave, but being deeply absorbed in praising God, he never heeded them. The beasts recognized John as the prophet who cared for all the creatures, and so they would leave the cave, bowing their heads.
John sometimes fed those beasts, out of mercy, from his food and was satisfied with prayers as food for his soul.
He would spend the night crying and praising God for His blessings. They say John wept so much that tears marked his cheeks.
When John called people to worship God, he made them cry out of love and submission, arresting their hearts with the truthfulness of his words.
John the Baptist is different to John, regarded as the author of the fourth Gospel and Revelation.
Jonah - Younus - Yona "dove"
Jonah lived in Nineveh, close to Mosul in Iraq.
He was sent to a people that had forgotten God's orders and did many things which God had forbidden.
Jonah found that people did not want to listen to him. He lost patience with them and left the town in anger and headed towards modern day Tunisia, but possibly ended up in Yafa.
Afterwards, Jonah decided to go across the sea, and boarded a ship for the voyage. But when the ship was in the middle of the ocean, Jonah suffered a great misfortune. He was thrown overboard and swallowed up by a whale.
After repenting to God, he emerged from fish alive three days later. He went back to his people in Iraq where all 100,000 of them repented and believed in him.
Joseph - Yusuf - Yosep "he will add"
Joseph, is the eleventh son of Jacob.
He lived all his life confronting schemes made by the people closest to him. Because he was the favourite son of his father, his older brothers plotted to kill him, but they amended it to exiling him to Egypt and told their father he had died.
As a young boy, Joseph was sold into the slave market in Egypt, where he was bought for a nominal sum. Then he fell victim to the attempted seduction by a great man's wife who, when her wish was foiled, sent him to prison, where he remained for some time.
In spite of all of this, he attained a high rank in government close to the Egyptian throne and became the king's chief minister. He then began his call to God from the position of the ruling authority. Later, his father, Jacob, and brothers settled in Egypt.
This is the most detailed and fascinating story in the Quran, involving both human weaknesses such as jealousy, hatred, pride, passion, deception, intrigue, cruelty, and terror as well as noble qualities such as patience, loyalty, bravery, nobility, and compassion.
Joshua - Yoosha - Yehoshua "Yahweh is salvation"
Joshua was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan by Moses, as told in the Old Testament.
After Moses died Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Israelites.
Judah - Yahutha - Yehudah "praised"
Judah was the fourth son out of twelve sons of Jacob and his first wife, Leah: his elder brothers were Reuben, Simeon and Levi, and younger brothers Issachar and Zebulun.
Judah also had six half-brothers.
He was the ancestor of the tribe of Judah. This tribe eventually formed the kingdom of Judah. King David and Jesus were descendents of Judah.
Levi - Lawi - Liva "attached"
Levi is the third son of Jacob and Leah.
He is one of the twelve sons of Jacob. His mother Leah also gave birth to Reuben, Judah, Simeon, Issachar and Zebulun. Levi is the ancestor of the Tribe of Levi.
The Tribe of Levi was not included in the tribes who were given allotments of land during the conquest of Canaan, when the nation of Israel was first established. Instead, Moses singled out the Tribe of Levi to serve as the nation's priests.
Lot - Lut - Lot
Lot was the nephew of Abraham, the son of Abraham's brother.
Lot lived towards the southern tip of the Dead Sea. He was the resident of Ur, an ancient town in Mesopotamia.
His people were from Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot believed in Abraham and after their return from Egypt, they settled in separate locations.
God conferred prophethood upon Lot. He was commanded to leave his native land and go to Sodom and Gomorra to warn and reform the people who engaged in sexual acts, intercourse and robbery.
As punishment, rocks rained down on the people of Sodom and Gomorrah that crushed them.
Mary - Maryam - Miryam "sea of bitterness"
Mary, the mother of Jesus is considered one of the most righteous women in the Islamic tradition.
Jesus was the result of a virgin birth, and so was born miraculously by the will of God without a father. Mary was a chaste and virtuous woman and is said to have been a virgin.
Mary is mentioned more times in the Quran than the entire New Testament.
Methusaleh - Salih - Metuselah "man of the dart"
Methusaleh was an Arab prophet sent to the people of Thamud who lived in an area known as Al-Hijr between Hijaz and Tabuk.
Today, this area is known as Madain-Salih in Saudi Arabia and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Here you will find magnificent structures literally carved into the mountains.
After the destruction of the Ad, the tribe of Thamud succeeded them in power and glory. They also fell to idol-worshipping. As their material wealth increased so, too, did their evil ways while their virtue decreased. Like the people of Ad, they erected huge buildings on the plains and hewed beautiful homes out of the hills. Tyranny and oppression became prevalent as evil men ruled the land.
Methusaleh was the son of Enoch, father of Lamech and grandfather to Noah. He lived to age 969 making him the longest living person in the Bible.
Moses - Musa - Moshe "deliver"
Moses was born in the land of Egypt 450 years after Joseph, and came from the people known as the Israelites.
Moses was the first prophet sent to the Israelites at a time when the Pharaoh of Egypt, a tyrant was enslaving, oppressing and using every means to demean and disgrace his people.
To flee persecution, Moses fled to Madyan. God made him a prophet at Mount Toor, situated in the Sinai.
Moses holds a special status because God spoke and revealed his verses to him directly. Also, he is the most mentioned prophet in the Quran.
Muhammad - Muhammad - Machamadim
Mohammad was born in Makkah in the year 570CE.
At the age of 40, Mohammad received his frst revelation from Allah through the Angel Gabriel. The revelations continued for 23 years, collectively known as the Quran.
Before Mohammad died, at the age of 63, the greater part of the Arabian Peninsula had become Muslim, and within a century of his death, Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East as China. Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the truth and clarity of its teaching.
Noah - Nuh - Noach
For many generations Noah's people had been worshipping statues that they called gods.
They believed that these gods would bring them good, protect them from evil and provide all their needs. They gave their idols names such as Waddan, Suwaan, Yaghutha, Yaauga, and Nasran, (These idols represented, respectively, manly power; mutability, beauty; brute strength, swiftness, sharp sight, insight) according to the power they thought these gods possessed.
Noah is said to be from Kirk, Iraq. Polytheism appeared for the first time among his people who lived close to the present day city of Kufa, Iraq.
The Holy Books of Judaism, Christianity and Islam speak the same way about Prophet Noah and the great flood.
Prophet Noah lived for 950 years. He became a prophet at the age of 250. For the next 700 years he called the people to God, but had limited success and few heeded his calling.
Noah selfessly dedicated his life to preaching to his people the belief in one God, to leave worshiping idols and statues and to be merciful to the weak and the needy. He told them about God's signs and warned them about the Day of Judgment.
One of his miracles was the Ark which he built on God's command that rested on Mount Judi between Syria and Turkey. When he finished building the Ark, God ordered Noah to load therein two of every kind, a pair (the male and female); his 3 sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth; most of his household, and those who believed him onto the Ark.
Then, God punished the people in the great flood. After the flood, Noah sent his son Ham to India, Shem to Iran and Japeth to the North (China or Turkey).
Phinehas - Fahnaz - Pinehas "Nubian"
Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, was a grandson of Aaron.
Phinehas became the third high priest of Israel, serving for 19 years.
Seth - Sheeth - Set "appointed"
Seth was the third son of Adam and Eve and brother of Cain and Abel.
He was a righteous son and a gift bestowed upon Adam after the death of Abel.
Although Seth is not mentioned in the Quran, he was a prophet like his father, and continued teaching mankind the laws of God after the death of his father Adam. Some sources even cite Seth as the receiver of a scripture.
Islamic literature holds that Seth was born when Adam was past 100 years and that, by the time Adam died, Adam had already made Seth the heir to him in guiding his people.
Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, traces the genealogy of mankind back to Seth, since Abel did not leave any heirs and Cain's heirs, according to tradition, were destroyed by the Great Flood.
Shem - Sam - Shem "name"
Shem is one of Noah's three sons, along with Japheth and Ham.
He is a survivior of the great flood. Among Shem's descendants are the Arabs and the Hebrews, and he was the forefather of all the subsequent prophets.
Jewish tradition regarded Shem as the greatest, but youngest son of Noah, who was born circumcised and served as a prophet for 400 years.
Muslim tradition believes that Shem was given the 'middle of the earth' as his land, and he went on to become the father of the Arabs, Persians and Byzantines.
Solomon - Sulaiman - Shlomo "peace"
Solomon was the son of David and inherited the throne following his father's death.
Prophet Solomon ruled over the Kingdom of Isreal, renowned for his wisdom. Suppousedly, he wrote the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament.
Solomon is also well known for his encounter with the Queen of Saba.
Terah - Azar - Tarah "wild goat"
Terah was Abraham's father, who was 70 years old when Abraham was born.
Terah was also, a high priest of the idol worshippers. He had twelve chief gods, one for each month of the year, and other idols. In fact, there was a workshop in Terah's house, where idols of wood, stone, silver and gold were made. People came to offer sacrifices to these idols, and Terah had a thriving business.
Eventually, Abraham persuaded his father Terah to give up his idolatry and he went with Abraham to the land of Canaan.
Zachariah - Zakariya - Zekharya
Zechariah was a righteous priest and prophet of God whose office was in the temple of prayer in Jerusalem.
He would frequently be in charge of managing the services of the temple and he would always remain steadfast in prayer to God.
As he reached his old age, Zechariah began to worry over who would continue the legacy of preaching the message of God after his death and who would carry on the daily services of the temple after him. Zechariah started to pray to God for a son, and God blessed him with the birth of John (the Baptist).
