The 25 prophets of Islam named in the Quran

Islam recognises many prophets (in Arabic: نبي, nabi) sent to guide mankind. The Quran names 25 prophets, although Islamic tradition holds that there were many more prophets through history. Here is a list of the 25 prophets named in the Quran with references to the surahs and verses where they appear.

Adam (آدم)

The first man and the first prophet according to Islam.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Al-Baqarah (2), verses 30-37
  • Surah Al-A'raf (7), verses 19-25
  • Surah Ta-Ha (20), verses 115-122
وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
Wa allama adama l-asma'a kullaha thumma aradahum ala l-mala'ikati faqala anbi'uni bi-asma'i ha'ula'i in kuntum sadiqin
And He taught Adam the names of all things, then He presented them to the angels and said: "Tell Me the names of these, if you are truthful!"
Surah Al-Baqarah (2), verse 31

Idris (إدريس)

Often identified with Enoch in the biblical tradition.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Maryam (19), verses 56-57
  • Surah Al-Anbiya (21), verse 85
وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِدْرِيسَ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَّبِيًّا
Wa-dhkur fi l-kitabi idrisa innahu kana siddiqan nabiyya
And mention in the Book Idris. He was a man of truth and a prophet.
Surah Maryam (19), verse 56

Nuh (Noah) (نوح)

Builder of the Ark and saviour of mankind after the Flood.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Al-A'raf (7), verses 59-64
  • Surah Yunus (10), verses 71-73
  • Surah Hud (11), verses 25-49
  • Surah Nuh (71), full surah
وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ فَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ
Wa-laqad arsalna nuhan ila qawmihi faqala ya qawmi budu llaha ma lakum min ilahin ghayruhu inni akhafu alaykum adhaba yawmin azim
We sent Nuh to his people. He said: "O my people, worship Allah. You have no deity other than Him. I fear for you the punishment of a terrible day."
Surah Al-A'raf (7), verse 59

Hud (هود)

Sent to the people of Ad in southern Arabia.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Al-A'raf (7), verses 65-72
  • Surah Hud (11), verses 50-60
  • Surah Ash-Shu'ara (26), verses 123-140
وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا ۗ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
Wa-ila adin akhahum hudan qala ya qawmi budu llaha ma lakum min ilahin ghayruhu a-fa-la tattaqun
And to the people of Ad, (We sent) their brother Hud, who said to them: "O my people, worship Allah. You have no deity other than Him. Will you not fear (Allah)?"
Surah Al-A'raf (7), verse 65

Salih (صالح)

Sent to the people of Thamud in northern Arabia.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Al-A'raf (7), verses 73-79
  • Surah Hud (11), verses 61-68
  • Surah Ash-Shu'ara (26), verses 141-159
وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًا ۗ قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنْ إِلَٰهٍ غَيْرُهُ ۖ قَدْ جَاءَتْكُم بَيِّنَةٌ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ ۖ هَٰذِهِ نَاقَةُ اللَّهِ لَكُمْ آيَةً
Wa-ila thamuda akhahum salihan qala ya qawmi budu llaha ma lakum min ilahin ghayruhu qad ja'atkum bayyinatun min rabbikum hadhihi naqatu llahi lakum ayatan
And to the people of Thamud, (We sent) their brother Salih: "O my people," he said, "worship Allah. You have no deity other than Him. A clear proof has come to you from your Lord: this is the she-camel of Allah, a sign for you."
Surah Al-A'raf (7), verse 73

Ibrahim (Abraham) (إبراهيم)

Patriarch of the monotheists and builder of the Kaaba with his son Ismail.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Al-Baqarah (2), verses 124-132
  • Surah Al-An'am (6), verses 74-83
  • Surah Ibrahim (14)
  • Surah As-Saffat (37), verses 83-113
وَإِذِ ابْتَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ رَبُّهُ بِكَلِمَاتٍ فَأَتَمَّهُنَّ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي جَاعِلُكَ لِلنَّاسِ إِمَامًا ۖ قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي ۖ قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ
Wa-idhi btala Ibrahima rabbuhu bi-kalimatin fa-atammahunna qala inni ja'iluka li-n-nasi imaman qala wa-min dhurriyyati qala la yanalu ahdi z-zalimin
And when his Lord tested Abraham with certain commands, and he fulfilled them, the Lord said to him: "I will make you a leader for the people." "And from my descendants?" he asked. "My covenant," said Allah, "does not extend to the wrongdoers."
Surah Al-Baqarah (2), verse 124

Lut (Lot) (لوط)

Nephew of Ibrahim, sent to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Al-A'raf (7), verses 80-84
  • Surah Hud (11), verses 77-83
  • Surah Ash-Shu'ara (26), verses 160-175
وَلُوطًا إِذْ قَالَ لِقَوْمِهِ أَتَأْتُونَ الْفَاحِشَةَ مَا سَبَقَكُم بِهَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ مِّنَ الْعَالَمِينَ
Wa-lutan idh qala li-qawmihi a-ta'tuna l-fahishata ma sabaqakum biha min ahadin mina l-alamin
And Lut, when he said to his people: "Do you commit this immorality that no one in all the worlds has committed before you?"
Surah Al-A'raf (7), verse 80

Ismail (إسماعيل)

The elder son of Ibrahim and forefather of the northern Arabs.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Al-Baqarah (2), verses 125-129
  • Surah Maryam (19), verses 54-55
  • Surah As-Saffat (37), verses 102-107
وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ ۚ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صَادِقَ الْوَعْدِ وَكَانَ رَسُولًا نَّبِيًّا
Wa-dhkur fi l-kitabi isma'ila innahu kana sadiqa l-wa'di wa-kana rasulan nabiyya
And mention in the Book Ismail. He was true to his promise, and he was a messenger and a prophet.
Surah Maryam (19), verse 54

Ishaq (Isaac) (إسحاق)

The second son of Ibrahim and the father of Yaqub.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Hud (11), verses 71-72
  • Surah Maryam (19), verse 49
  • Surah As-Saffat (37), verses 112-113
وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ نَبِيًّا مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ
Wa-bashsharnahu bi-ishaqa nabiyyan mina s-salihin
And We gave him good news of Ishaq, a prophet among the righteous.
Surah As-Saffat (37), verse 112

Yaqub (Jacob) (يعقوب)

Son of Ishaq and father of Yusuf, also known by the name Israel.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Al-Baqarah (2), verses 132-133
  • Surah Yusuf (12), verses 4-18
وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَا بَنِيَّ إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ الدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
Wa-wassa biha ibrahimu banihi wa-ya'qubu ya baniyya inna llaha stafa lakumu d-dina fa-la tamutunna illa wa-antum muslimun
And Abraham enjoined this upon his sons, as did Jacob: "O my sons, Allah has chosen this religion for you, so do not die except in submission (as Muslims)."
Surah Al-Baqarah (2), verse 132

Yusuf (Joseph) (يوسف)

Son of Yaqub, known for his story with his brothers and in Egypt.

Mentioned in:

  • Surah Yusuf (12), full surah
  • Surah Ghafir (40), verse 34
نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ
Nahnu naqussu alayka ahsana l-qasasi bi-ma awhayna ilayka hadha l-qur'ana wa-in kunta min qablihi la-mina l-ghafilin
We relate to you the best of stories, through what We have revealed to you in this Quran, though before it you were among the unaware.
Surah Yusuf (12), verse 3




The prophets of Islam revealed in the Holy Quran

The Quran names many prophets sent by Allah to guide mankind. All these messengers brought the same fundamental message: the worship of Allah alone and the importance of leading an upright life.

Among the prophets most often named in the Quran are Adam, the first man and prophet; Noah, who survived the flood; Abraham, the friend of Allah; Moses, who received the Torah; Jesus, born of a virgin; and Muhammad, the last of the prophets. Each lived through particular trials and brought teachings suited to his time.

The Quran tells their stories in fascinating detail. The story of Joseph and his brothers fills a whole surah. That of Moses before Pharaoh is told several times. These accounts are not merely historical; they hold deep moral lessons for every believer.

All the prophets faced opposition from their people. They persevered despite the difficulties. Their patience and their trust in Allah are examples to follow. The Quran states that Allah chose these men for their purity and their uprightness.

Muhammad holds a particular place, for he is the seal of the prophets. His mission closes the cycle of prophethood. The message he received in the Quran is addressed to all mankind until the end of time.

La reading the Quran lets you deepen your knowledge of these remarkable figures. Their stories inspire and strengthen the faith of Muslims across the world. They remind us that the way of Allah has always existed, carried by these chosen spiritual guides .

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Frequently asked questions

You may be wondering…

How many prophets are named in the Quran?

The Quran names 25 prophets explicitly, from Adam to Muhammad ﷺ. Islamic tradition teaches, however, that Allah sent many other messengers through history whose names have not reached us. This page presents each of the 25 with his Arabic name, his biblical equivalent and the verses that name him.

Who are the 25 prophets of Islam?

Adam, Idris, Nuh, Hud, Salih, Ibrahim, Lut, Ismail, Ishaq, Yaqub, Yusuf, Ayyub, Shuayb, Musa, Harun, Dhul-Kifl, Dawud, Sulayman, Ilyas, Al-Yasa, Yunus, Zakariya, Yahya, Isa and Muhammad ﷺ. Several bear a well-known biblical name: Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Jonah, John the Baptist and Jesus.

What is the difference between a nabi and a rasul?

In Arabic, nabi means a prophet who receives revelation from Allah, and rasul a messenger charged with bringing a new law or a Book to his people. Most scholars hold that every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger. The Quran uses both terms for those Allah sent.

Who are the five greatest prophets of Islam?

Scholars call Ulu al-Azm, those of firm resolve, the five prophets who endured the greatest trials: Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Muhammad ﷺ. They are named together in Surah Al-Ahzab (verse 7) and, without Muhammad ﷺ, in Surah Ash-Shura (verse 13).

Why is Muhammad ﷺ called the Seal of the Prophets?

The Quran names Muhammad ﷺ Khatam an-Nabiyyin, the Seal of the Prophets (Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 40). His mission closes the cycle of prophethood: no prophet will come after him, and the message of the Quran is addressed to all mankind until the end of time, unlike the earlier prophets, who were sent to a particular people.