The Prophets in Islam

Islam teaches that Allah sent prophets to every people, and that 25 of them are named in the Qur'an, from Adam, the first human, to Muhammad ﷺ, the last. The exact number of prophets is known to Allah alone; a well-known narration counts 124,000. Muslims believe in all of them without making any distinction between them (Surah al-Baqarah 2:285). Below: how many there were, who they are in order, how they are related, and the questions children ask most.

How many prophets are there in Islam?

The honest answer, and the one to teach a child, is that we do not know the exact number. The Qur'an says plainly that Allah sent messengers whose stories were told to us and others whose stories were not (Surah Ghafir 40:78), and that every community received a warner (Surah Fatir 35:24). What the Qur'an does give us is 25 prophets by name. The narration that there were 124,000 prophets, of whom 313 were messengers, is widely quoted and sits outside the Qur'an; scholars treat it as a report rather than an article of faith.

Prophet or messenger: what is the difference?

A messenger (rasul) is sent to a people with a new law or a scripture: Musa with the Tawrah, Dawud with the Zabur, Isa with the Injil, Muhammad ﷺ with the Qur'an. A prophet (nabi) is sent to call people to the law of the messenger who came before him. Every messenger is a prophet; not every prophet is a messenger. Five messengers are singled out in the Qur'an as the ones of firm resolve, the Ulul Azm (Surah al-Ahqaf 46:35): Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, and Muhammad ﷺ.

All 25 prophets named in the Qur'an, in order

In the order they are conventionally taught. May the peace of Allah be upon them all. Names with an arrow open the full story for children.

01
Adamآدم
The first human being and the first prophet, created by Allah and taught the names of all things. Read the story →
02
Idris (Enoch)إدريس
A truthful prophet whom Allah raised to a high station (Surah Maryam 19:56-57).
03
Nuh (Noah)نوحUlul Azm
Called his people for centuries, built the ark, and was saved with the believers from the flood. Read the story →
04
Hudهود
Sent to the people of 'Ad, who were destroyed by a violent wind when they refused him.
05
Salihصالح
Sent to Thamud with the sign of the she-camel, which they killed. Read the story →
06
Ibrahim (Abraham)إبراهيمUlul Azm
The friend of Allah: saved from the fire, and raised the Kaaba with his son Ismail. Read the story →
07
Lut (Lot)لوط
Ibrahim's nephew, sent to a people who rejected him; he and the believers were saved.
08
Ismail (Ishmael)إسماعيل
Ibrahim's son, who helped raise the Kaaba; the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ descends from him.
09
Ishaq (Isaac)إسحاق
Ibrahim's son, given as glad tidings, and father of Yaqub.
10
Yaqub (Jacob)يعقوب
Also called Israel; father of the twelve tribes and of Yusuf, patient through years of grief.
11
Yusuf (Joseph)يوسف
Thrown in a well by his brothers, sold into Egypt, imprisoned, then raised to honour, and he forgave them. Read the story →
12
Ayyub (Job)أيوب
Tested with the loss of health, wealth, and family, and praised by Allah for his patience. Read the story →
13
Shu'ayb (Jethro)شعيب
Sent to the people of Madyan, who cheated in their weights and measures.
14
Musa (Moses)موسىUlul Azm
Spoke with Allah, stood before Pharaoh, and led his people through the parted sea. Read the story →
15
Harun (Aaron)هارون
Musa's brother, sent alongside him as his helper and spokesman.
16
Dhul-Kiflذو الكفل
Praised in the Qur'an among the patient and the righteous (Surah al-Anbiya 21:85).
17
Dawud (David)داود
Faced the giant Jalut as a young man, became a king, and was given the Zabur. Read the story →
18
Sulayman (Solomon)سليمان
Dawud's son, a prophet and king who understood the speech of birds and ants. Read the story →
19
Ilyas (Elijah)إلياس
Called his people away from the idol Ba'l and back to Allah alone.
20
Al-Yasa' (Elisha)اليسع
A prophet who followed Ilyas among the Children of Israel.
21
Yunus (Jonah)يونس
Swallowed by the great fish, he called on Allah from the darkness and was saved. Read the story →
22
Zakariya (Zechariah)زكريا
Cared for Maryam in the sanctuary and prayed for a son in his old age.
23
Yahya (John)يحيى
Zakariya's son, given wisdom as a boy and tenderness from Allah (Surah Maryam 19:12-13). Read the story →
24
Isa (Jesus)عيسىUlul Azm
Born to Maryam by Allah's word, he spoke from the cradle and was raised to Allah. Read the story →
25
Muhammad ﷺمحمدUlul Azm
The final prophet and Seal of the Prophets, sent as a mercy to all the worlds (Surah al-Ahzab 33:40).

The prophets' family tree

Many of the prophets are related. Two great lines run from Ibrahim, peace be upon him: through his son Ismail comes the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and through his son Ishaq come Yaqub, Yusuf, and the prophets of the Children of Israel, down to Isa. “Descendant” marks a line where generations are skipped; where the classical sources do not settle a lineage, the prophet is listed separately below the tree.

Adam
- Idris(Enoch)descendant
  - Nuh(Noah)descendant
    - Huddescendant
    - Salihdescendant
    - Ibrahim(Abraham)descendant
      - Lut(Lot)nephew
      - Ismail(Ishmael)
        Muhammad ﷺdescendant
      - Ishaq(Isaac)
        Yaqub(Jacob)
        Yusuf(Joseph)
        Musa(Moses)descendant
        Harun(Aaron)descendant
        Ilyas(Elijah)descendant
        Dawud(David)descendant
        Sulayman(Solomon)
        Al-Yasa'(Elisha)descendant
        Zakariya(Zechariah)descendant
        Yahya(John)
        Isa(Jesus)descendant
        Ayyub(Job)descendant

Lineage not settled in the sources: Shu'ayb, Dhul-Kifl, Yunus.

Teaching the prophets to your child

Start with the famous few. Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, and Muhammad ﷺ first; the rest fit around them over time.
Anchor each name to one image. Nuh's ark, Ibrahim's fire, Musa's sea, Yunus's whale. A picture in the mind fixes the name.
Tell the story before the list. Children remember the adventure long before the order, and the name comes with it.

The Sukun Kids stories tell many of these prophets' lives as narrated adventures a child can listen to or read along with, one figure at a time.

Questions about the prophets

How many prophets are there in Islam?+

The exact number is known to Allah alone. The Qur'an names 25 prophets and says that some messengers' stories were told to us and others were not (Surah Ghafir 40:78). A well-known narration puts the number of prophets at 124,000, of whom around 313 were messengers; scholars treat it as a report, not a Qur'anic figure.

What is the difference between a prophet and a messenger?+

A messenger (rasul) is sent with a new law or scripture to a people; a prophet (nabi) calls people to the law of the messenger before him. Every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger. Muslims believe in all of them without distinction (Surah al-Baqarah 2:285).

Who was the first prophet in Islam?+

Adam, peace be upon him, the first human being, whom Allah created and taught. He was the first prophet.

Who was the last prophet in Islam?+

Muhammad ﷺ, whom the Qur'an calls the Seal of the Prophets (Surah al-Ahzab 33:40). There is no prophet after him.

Is Jesus a prophet in Islam?+

Yes. Isa (Jesus), peace be upon him, is one of the five greatest messengers of Allah. The Qur'an teaches that he was born miraculously to Maryam, spoke from the cradle, healed by Allah's permission, was not crucified but raised to Allah, and is a servant and messenger of Allah, not divine (Surah an-Nisa 4:157-158, Surah Maryam 19:30).

Is Adam a prophet in Islam?+

Yes. Adam, peace be upon him, was the first human and the first prophet. Allah taught him the names of all things and commanded the angels to prostrate to him (Surah al-Baqarah 2:31-34).

Are the prophets in Islam related to each other?+

Many are. Ibrahim's sons Ismail and Ishaq were both prophets; Yaqub was Ishaq's son and Yusuf was Yaqub's son; Sulayman was Dawud's son; Yahya was Zakariya's son. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ descends from Ismail, and the prophets of the Children of Israel descend from Yaqub. See the family tree above.

Who are the five greatest prophets in Islam?+

The Ulul Azm, the messengers of firm resolve (Surah al-Ahqaf 46:35): Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, and Muhammad ﷺ, peace be upon them all.

Were there any female prophets in Islam?+

The mainstream position of Sunni scholarship is that prophethood was given to men (Surah Yusuf 12:109). Women such as Maryam, Asiya, and the mother of Musa received inspiration and are honoured in the Qur'an, and Maryam is praised as chosen above all the women of the worlds (Surah Al Imran 3:42).

Do prophets sin in Islam?+

No. Prophets are protected by Allah from sin in what they convey and in their character. They may err in a judgment (Yunus leaving his people before being told to), and the Qur'an records Allah correcting such moments, but never disobedience of the kind that would make them untrustworthy as guides.

Which prophets are mentioned in the Qur'an by name?+

Twenty-five: Adam, Idris, Nuh, Hud, Salih, Ibrahim, Lut, Ismail, Ishaq, Yaqub, Yusuf, Ayyub, Shu'ayb, Musa, Harun, Dhul-Kifl, Dawud, Sulayman, Ilyas, Al-Yasa', Yunus, Zakariya, Yahya, Isa, and Muhammad ﷺ, peace be upon them all.

Their stories, told for your child tonight.

Narrated stories of the prophets and companions, free to start in the Sukun Kids app.

Download on theApp Store