Names of the Prophets Mentioned in the Holy Quran
In the Holy Quran, Allah – the Exalted – has mentioned the names of twenty-five prophets and messengers. Among these, eighteen prophets and messengers are referenced together in a single location found in Surah Al-An’am.
This is outlined in the verse: (And those are Our proofs which We gave to Ibrahim against his people. We raise in degrees whom We will. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing. * And We gave to him Ishaq and Yaqub, each of them We guided. And Nuh, We guided before. And among his descendants, Dawud and Sulaiman and Ayyub and Yusuf and Musa and Harun. And thus do We reward the doers of good. * And Zakariya and Yahya and Isa and Ilyas; all were of the righteous. * And Ismail and Al-Yasa and Yunus and Lut; and all We preferred over the worlds.)
The names of these prophets are: Ibrahim, Ishaq, Yaqub, Nuh, Dawud, Sulaiman, Ayyub, Yusuf, Musa, Harun, Zakariya, Yahya, Isa, Ilyas, Ismail, Al-Yasa, Yunus, and Lut – peace be upon them. There are also seven other prophets including Idris, Hud, Adam, Dhul-Kifl, Shu’aib, Salih, and Muhammad – peace be upon him.
The Wisdom of Narrating the Stories of the Prophets in the Quran
There are several significant reasons for Allah – the Exalted – to mention the stories of the prophets and messengers in the Quran, including the following:
- Following Their Example
Allah – the Exalted – recounts the stories of various prophets in the Quran to serve as role models for others. He instructed Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – to follow their guidance after listing several of them, as seen in His words: (Those are the ones whom Allah has guided, so by their guidance, be guided. Say, ‘I do not ask of you for it any reward. It is not but a reminder for the worlds.’)
Among these prophets is Ibrahim – peace be upon him. Allah – the Exalted – shares details about various aspects of his life, including his call to his people and his complete submission to the commands of Allah, along with some of his virtues and characteristics.
- Sought Reward from Allah and Avoidance of Worldly Matters
Requesting reward from anyone other than Allah – the Exalted – while conveying the faith and message is contrary to the principles upheld by the prophets. Allah – the Exalted – informs us that the prophets would address their communities, saying: (O my people, I do not ask you for it any reward. My reward is with the One who created me. Will you not understand?) This aspect of their call is highlighted in the Quran for us to follow their path and be guided by their example.
- Consolation for the Prophet – peace be upon him – and Learning Lessons from Their Stories
These stories also serve as a source of comfort for the Prophet – peace be upon him – encouraging him to exercise patience and resilience amidst the challenges of his mission. As stated: (So be patient for the decision of your Lord, and be not like the companion of the fish when he called out while he was distressed. If not that a favor from his Lord had overtaken him, he would have been thrown onto the shore while he was blamed.)
- Demonstrating the Unity of Divine Revelation
The Quran elucidates that all heavenly messages originate from Allah – the Exalted -, and it is impossible for contradictions to arise among them, as indicated: (Indeed, this, your religion, is one religion, and I am your Lord, so worship Me.)
The Obligation of Belief in the Prophets and Messengers
Believing in the messengers is a fundamental tenet of faith. A person cannot be considered a believer unless they have faith in all the prophets, as stated: (The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His Books and His messengers, saying, ‘We make no distinction between any of His messengers.’ And they said, ‘We hear and we obey.’)
Furthermore, when the noble Prophet was asked by Gabriel – peace be upon him – about faith, he responded: (He said: ‘Inform me about faith.’ He said: ‘It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in predestination, both good and bad of it.’)