Combien de prophètes sont mentionnés dans le Coran ?

Le Coran nomme explicitement 25 prophètes. Cependant, un hadith rapporté par Abu Dharr (r.a.) précise qu'Allah a envoyé environ 124 000 prophètes au total, dont 315 messagers (rusul) porteurs de lois nouvelles (Musnad Ahmad 21552). Seul un petit nombre est mentionné nommément dans les Écritures révélées.

Qui sont les 5 prophètes Ulu al-Azm (doués de fermeté) ?

Les 5 prophètes « doués de fermeté » (Ulu al-Azm) sont : Nuh (Noé), Ibrahim (Abraham), Moussa (Moïse), Issa (Jésus) et Muhammad ﷺ. Allah les distingue par la résilience dans leur mission prophétique, malgré les épreuves majeures rencontrées (Coran 46:35, 33:7).

Quel prophète a vécu le plus longtemps ?

Nuh (Noé) a vécu le plus longtemps. Le Coran mentionne qu'il a prêché à son peuple 950 ans (29:14). Selon la tradition, sa vie totale aurait atteint 1000 ans.

Quels prophètes ont reçu un Livre révélé ?

Quatre grands Livres sont mentionnés explicitement dans le Coran : la Torah (Tawrat) révélée à Moussa, les Psaumes (Zabur) révélés à Dawud, l'Évangile (Injil) révélé à Issa, et le Coran révélé à Muhammad ﷺ. Ibrahim a également reçu des « Feuillets » (Suhuf), mentionnés en 87:19.

Pourquoi Muhammad ﷺ est-il appelé le Sceau des prophètes ?

Allah dit dans le Coran : « Muhammad n'a jamais été le père de l'un de vos hommes, mais le messager d'Allah et le dernier des prophètes. » (33:40). « Sceau » (Khatam) signifie qu'aucun prophète ne viendra après lui — sa mission clôt définitivement le cycle des révélations.

Sacred history

The 25 prophets of Islam

A complete list of the 25 prophets named in the Quran, from Adam to the Seal of the prophets Muhammad ﷺ. Era, mission, biblical counterpart and a notable event for each.

The five Ulu al-Azm prophets

“Those of firm resolve” — set apart by their exceptional steadfastness in their mission:

Nuh · Ibrahim · Moussa · Issa · Muhammad ﷺ

Adam

آدَم

The origin of humankind

Mission: The first man and prophet, father of humankind

Notable event: Created by Allah from earth; Allah taught him the names of all things (2:31).

Quran reference: Surahs 2, 7, 20

Idris(Enoch)

إِدْرِيس

Antediluvian

Mission: Introducing writing and calculation

Notable event: Allah raised him to a lofty station (19:57).

Quran reference: Surahs 19, 21

Nuh(Noah)Ulu al-Azm

نُوح

The Flood

Mission: Warning his people against polytheism

Notable event: He preached for 950 years (29:14). The ark saved the believers from the flood.

Quran reference: Surah 71 (Nuh), 11, 29

Hud(Eber)

هُود

The people of 'Ad

Mission: Warning the people of 'Ad

Notable event: His people were destroyed by a devastating wind for their arrogance.

Quran reference: Surah 11 (Hud)

Salih(Salah)

صَالِح

The people of Thamud

Mission: Warning Thamud

Notable event: Allah sent him a she-camel as a sign. His people were destroyed by a mighty blast (sayha).

Quran reference: Surahs 11, 26

Ibrahim(Abraham)Ulu al-Azm

إِبْرَاهِيم

c. 1800 BC

Mission: The father of monotheism

Notable event: The intimate friend of Allah (Khalilullah). Ready to sacrifice Ismail. He built the Kaaba.

Quran reference: ~70 mentions

Lut(Lot)

لُوط

Ibrahim's nephew

Mission: Warning Sodom

Notable event: His wife was among those who perished. Sodom was overturned.

Quran reference: Surahs 11, 15, 26

Ismail(Ishmael)

إِسْمَاعِيل

Son of Ibrahim

Mission: Patient under the trial of the sacrifice

Notable event: He submitted to the sacrifice in obedience and was ransomed with a ram. Ancestor of the Arabs.

Quran reference: Surahs 2, 19, 37

Ishaq(Isaac)

إِسْحَاق

Son of Ibrahim

Mission: Continuing the prophetic line

Notable event: Ancestor of the Children of Israel. Father of Yaqub.

Quran reference: Surahs 2, 19, 21

Yaqub(Jacob)

يَعْقُوب

Son of Ishaq

Mission: Guiding his twelve sons

Notable event: He lost his sight from weeping over Youssef. Called Israel (servant of Allah).

Quran reference: Surahs 2, 12

Youssef(Joseph)

يُوسُف

Egypt, c. 1700 BC

Mission: Patience and the interpretation of dreams

Notable event: Sold by his brothers, a slave and then minister of Egypt. His surah is “the most beautiful of stories”.

Quran reference: Surah 12 entiere (Youssef)

Ayyub(Job)

أَيُّوب

Unknown

Mission: Exemplary patience

Notable event: Tried with illness and the loss of his wealth and children. Rewarded by Allah.

Quran reference: Surahs 21, 38

Shuaib(Jethro)

شُعَيْب

Madyan

Mission: Denouncing commercial fraud

Notable event: Father-in-law of Moussa. His people of Madyan were destroyed.

Quran reference: Surahs 7, 11

Moussa(Moses)Ulu al-Azm

مُوسَى

c. 1300 BC

Mission: Freeing the Children of Israel from Pharaoh

Notable event: He received the Torah. He spoke directly to Allah (Kalimullah). He parted the Red Sea.

Quran reference: ~140 mentions

Harun(Aaron)

هَارُون

Brother of Moussa

Mission: Assisting Moussa in his mission

Notable event: Allah gave him eloquence to support his brother (20:29-32).

Quran reference: Surahs 20, 28

Dhul-Kifl(Ezekiel)

ذُو الْكِفْل

Unknown

Mission: Patience and prayer

Notable event: Identified by some with Ezekiel. Described as among the patient.

Quran reference: Surahs 21, 38

Dawud(David)

دَاوُد

c. 1000 BC

Mission: King and prophet

Notable event: He received the Zabur (Psalms). He defeated Jalut (Goliath). The mountains echoed his voice.

Quran reference: Surahs 2, 21, 38

Sulayman(Solomon)

سُلَيْمَان

Son of Dawud

Mission: Prophet-king, universal justice

Notable event: He understood the speech of birds and ants. The wind and the jinn were at his command.

Quran reference: Surahs 21, 27, 34, 38

Ilyas(Elijah)

إِلْيَاس

The kingdom of Israel

Mission: Fighting the cult of Baal

Notable event: He denounced the worship of the idol Baal in Israel.

Quran reference: Surahs 6, 37

Alyasa'(Elisha)

الْيَسَع

Successor of Ilyas

Mission: Continuing the prophetic mission

Notable event: Among the chosen and the good (38:48).

Quran reference: Surahs 6, 38

Yunus(Jonah)

يُونُس

Nineveh

Mission: Warning the people of Nineveh

Notable event: Swallowed by a fish for leaving his people without permission. Saved by his supplication.

Quran reference: Surah 10 (Yunus), 21, 37

Zakariya(Zechariah)

زَكَرِيَّا

c. 10 BC

Mission: Guardian of Maryam at the temple

Notable event: Allah granted him Yahya despite his great age and his wife's barrenness.

Quran reference: Surahs 3, 19, 21

Yahya(John the Baptist)

يَحْيَى

Son of Zakariya

Mission: Announcing Issa

Notable event: Allah blessed him from childhood (19:12-14). Truthful and temperate.

Quran reference: Surahs 3, 19, 21

Issa(Jesus)Ulu al-Azm

عِيسَى

c. 1 BC

Mission: Prophet to the Children of Israel, given the Gospel

Notable event: Miraculously born of the virgin Maryam. Miracles: raising the dead, healing. Raised to heaven by Allah.

Quran reference: ~25 mentions

Muhammad ﷺUlu al-Azm

مُحَمَّد ﷺ

571-632 AD

Mission: Seal of the prophets, a mercy to all creation

Notable event: The final prophet. He received the Quran. He founded the Muslim community in Medina. The night journey (Isra and Mi'raj).

Quran reference: The whole Quran

Why study the stories of the prophets?

Allah says in the Quran: “We relate to you the best of stories through Our revelation of this Quran, though before it you were among the unaware.” (Surah Yusuf 12:3). The prophetic accounts (Qisas al-Anbiya) are a pillar of Islamic education for several reasons:

✓ Models of patience and tawakkul (trust in Allah) — Ayyub tested, Yaqub waiting for Youssef, Nuh preaching for 950 years.
✓ Understanding human nature and the traps a people falls into — the arrogance of Thamud, the fraud of Madyan, the idolatry of the Children of Israel.
✓ Strengthening faith through miracles (mu'jizat) — parting the sea, speaking from the cradle, raising the dead — signs of divine omnipotence.
✓ Teaching children — powerful means of passing on Islamic ethics.

Belief in the prophets: a pillar of faith

Belief in the prophets is the fourth pillar of faith (iman) in Islam. A Muslim must:

• Believe that all the prophets are truthful and sent by Allah
• Make no distinction between them: “We make no distinction between any of His messengers” (2:285)
• Believe that Muhammad ﷺ is the Seal — the last — of the prophets
• Honour their memory by saying “'alayhi s-salam” (peace be upon him) after their name

Learn the prophetic stories with your children

BasiraLife's Family module includes a graded Islamic education programme for children, covering the 25 prophets with age-appropriate summaries, quizzes and audio.

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