The Prophets: Nuh, Ibrahim, Ismail and Yusuf

The Prophets in Islam

In Islam, Allah has sent a series of prophets to guide humanity. All share the same core message: submit to Allah, worship him alone, and live justly. Each prophet faces opposition, suffers for his message, and ultimately depends on Allah rather than human approval. The Qur’an’s prophet stories are not simply biographical — they are theological templates for how every believer should respond to Allah’s call.

The Prophet Nuh (Noah)

Nuh is one of the earliest prophets in Islamic tradition. He is described in Surah 17:3 as a “grateful servant” (shakur) — his defining characteristic is thankfulness to Allah even when his mission was almost entirely rejected. Surah 71 (Nuh) is devoted entirely to his story. He preached to his people for 950 years — Surah 29:14 says he lived among them a thousand years less fifty. He called them day and night, publicly and privately, offering them forgiveness if they would turn to Allah.

They refused. They mocked him. They blocked their ears and put their fingers in them so as not to hear. Only a small group believed. Allah then commanded Nuh to build the Ark. The flood came, destroying the rest — including Nuh’s own son, who refused to board the ark and drowned. This detail is unique to the Qur’anic account: Nuh’s son is separated from him by his disbelief, and Allah tells Nuh that the son is not “of your family” because his actions were not righteous. Faith, not biology, defines the community of Allah.

After the flood, Nuh is told to disembark with “peace and blessing from us on you and on some of the peoples who will descend from you.” His significance as a messenger is confirmed in Surah 17:3: he is “a grateful servant” — a description that, in the Qur’an, connects thankfulness (shukr) with faith. To be ungrateful is a form of denial of Allah; to be grateful is a form of worship.

The Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham)

Ibrahim is the most important of the earlier prophets in Islam. He is described in Surah 37:109–111 as receiving Allah’s “peace and salutations” because he proved faithful, and as one of Allah’s “believing servants.” He is known as Khalilullah — the “Friend of Allah.”

Ibrahim’s story involves multiple tests. He was raised in a community of idol-worshippers — including his own father, who made idols. Ibrahim recognised the absurdity of worshipping created objects and challenged his community. In Surah 21:57–58, he is described as destroying the idols of his people, leaving only the largest standing so that people would have to ask “who did this?” — a dramatic act designed to make people think critically about what they were worshipping.

With his wife Hajra (Hajra) and son Ismail, Ibrahim established the sacred site of Makkah. In Surah 2:127–129, Ibrahim and Ismail together raise the foundations of the Ka’ba and pray: “Our Lord, accept this service from us… Our Lord, make us Muslims submitting to you, and of our descendants a Muslim nation submitting to you.” The prayer is answered in the community of Islam itself.

Ibrahim is also commanded to sacrifice his son. The Qur’an does not name which son in the sacrifice narrative itself (Surah 37:99–111). Most Muslim scholars traditionally identify the son as Ismail rather than Isaac (as in Genesis 22), based on the context of the narrative which places Ibrahim in the land of Makkah with Ismail. However, some Muslim scholars across history have argued it was Isaac, following the identification of the earlier revelation in the Tawrat. The debate is acknowledged in the spec. At the moment of sacrifice, Allah intervenes and ransoms the son with a great sacrifice — both are spared. This event is commemorated annually in Id-ul-Adha.

The Prophet Ismail

Ismail is mentioned in Surah 21:5–86 among the earlier prophets. His characteristics as described in the Qur’an include patience and perseverance. He is also described as obedient to his parents and as commanding his family to pray and give zakah. In the Ka’ba-building narrative (Surah 2:127–129), he works alongside his father, symbolising both physical labour in service of Allah and the passing of faith from one generation to the next.

Ismail’s place in the prophetic chain is significant: Islamic tradition holds that Muhammad descended from Ismail through the Arab line, fulfilling the prayer Ibrahim and Ismail made when building the Ka’ba: “Send among them a messenger from among them.” Ismail thus links the story of Ibrahim to the coming of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Prophet Yusuf (Joseph)

Yusuf’s story is told in Surah 12 — the only surah that tells one prophet’s life as a single continuous narrative. Verse 3 calls it “the best of stories.” The narrative is rich with human emotion: jealousy, betrayal, temptation, imprisonment, patience, forgiveness and reunion.

Yusuf has the gift of dream interpretation. His brothers, jealous of their father’s love for him, throw him into a well and lie to their father Ya’qub (Jacob), telling him Yusuf was eaten by a wolf. Yusuf is found by a passing caravan and taken to Egypt where he is bought as a slave. He is wrongly accused and imprisoned, but his faith and patience sustain him. In prison he interprets the dreams of fellow prisoners correctly.

The king of Egypt has a dream that no one can interpret. Yusuf’s ability is remembered, and he interprets it: seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. The king releases and honours him, placing him in charge of Egypt’s food stores. The famine brings his brothers to Egypt seeking food. After a series of tests, Yusuf reveals himself and forgives them: “No reproach on you this day; Allah forgives you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.”