HOLY KORANIC ORDER OF PROPHETS ‘From Prophet Saleh till Prophet Yusuf (Joseph)

The series of “Order of Prophets” inferred from Hebrew Bible completed and shared previously however now i am completing and extending second part of Holy Koranic Order of Prophets; From Prophet Saleh till Prophet Yousuf (Joseph).

Before proceeding to the Holy Prophets; I would like to relate the noteworthy names of prophets in Hebrew Bible and Holy Koran for better considerations and reference in article. The names written in Bold and Italic are prophets mentioned in Holy Koran while names in () are same prophets mentioned in Hebrew Bible.

Prophet ʾĀdam (Adam); Prophet Sheeth (Seth); Prophet ʾIdrīs (Enoch); Prophet Nūḥ (Noah); Prophet Hūd (Eber). Prophet ṢāliḥʾIbrāhīm (Abraham); Prophet Lūṭ (Lot); Prophet ʾIsmāʿīl (Ishmael); Prophet ʾIsḥāq (Isaac); Prophet Yaʿqūb (Jacob); Prophet Yūsuf (Joseph); Prophet Ayūb (Job); Prophet Dhul-Kifl (Ezekiel); Prophet Shuʿayb (Jethro); Prophet Mūsā (Moses); Prophet Hārūn (Aaron); Prophet Dāūd (David); Prophet Sulaymān (Solomon); Prophet Yūnus (Jonah); Prophet ʾIlyās (Elijah); Prophet Alyasaʿ (Elisha); Prophet Zakarīya (Zechariah); Prophet Yaḥyā (John); Prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus).

Prophet Saleh

From the son Sham, Prophet Nuh has two grandsons namely Arfakhshad and Eram. Prophet Saheh is believed to be the descendant of Eram (https://www.islamicity.org/source/useful-charts/).

In Holy Koran, Surah Al-A’raf 7:73-84; Allah Almighty narrates “And to Thamud, We sent forth their brother. Salih. He said to them: ‘0 my people! Serve Allah, you have no other god than Him. Truly there has come to you a clear proof from your Lord. This she-camel from Allah is a Divine portent for you. So leave her alone to pasture on Allah’s earth, and touch her with no evil lest a painful chastisement should seize you.”

Eventually people injured the holy camel and for this, their city was destroyed in an earthquake.

Prophet Hud or Hood

From the Prophet Nuh’s two grandsons namely Arfakhshad and Eram; Arfakhshad son was Shalikh and grandson was Prophet Hud.

It is pertinent to mention that Prophet Hud and Prophet Saleh, are not found in the Hebrew Bible. Prophet Hud likely correspond to a briefly mentioned descendant of Prophet Noah named Eber (Noegel, Scott B.; Wheeler, Brannon M. (2010). “Hud”. The A to Z of Prophets in Islam and Judaism. Scarecrow Press. p. 140.) but Prophet Saleh is not mentioned at all in Hebrew Bible.

In the Holy Quran, Phophet Hud name was mentioned Seven Times. Prophet Hud preached people of Tribe ʿĀd for a very long time. The majority of them kept ignoring and mocking. God Almighty, after plenty of warning, sent a thunderous storm to finish the ʿĀd. The destruction of ʿĀd is described in the Holy Quran (Surah Al-Ahqaf 46:21-26).

Prophet Ibrahim or Abraham

Although there is no direct reference from Holy Koran; the series of descendants from Prophet Hud mentioned by Islamic Historians (https://www.islamicity.org/source/useful-charts/) as Prophet Hud son Falikh, his son Rau, his son Sarukh, his son Nahur and his son Aazar. Prophet Abraham’s father was Aazar, could be a parallel of the Syriac Athar, (Geiger 1898 Judaism and Islam: A Prize Essay, p. 100 and https://archive.org/details/cu31924029170236/page/n118/mode/2up) who is known in the Hebrew Bible as Terah.

At this point, there’s a very important split in the Holy Koranic order of prophets, as well as several major differences between the Holy Koranic version of events and the Biblical version. According to both traditions, Prophet Ibrahim had two main sons from two known wives. From Prophet Hajira (Hajar) the first born son Prophet Ismail and from Prophet Sara the second born son Prophet Ishaq. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301543249_Ibrahim_Encyclopedia_of_Islam_and_the_Muslim_World)

Prophet Ismail is the ancestor of the Arab people and of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), whereas Prophet Ishaq is the ancestor of Banu Israel which means The House of Israel. Holy Koran and Islamic tradition has many events about Prophet Ibrahim that are not found in the Bible.

Life of Prophet Ibrahim

Most noteworthy, in Holy Koran there is more information about Prophet Ibrahim’s life in Mesopotamia, before he travelled to the Land of Canaan. Important events in Holy Koran includes about his father Azar being idol-sculptor, discussion with his father against idolatry, breaking of idols, Nimrod and incident of fire.

There are some differences from Hebrew Bible. The most important difference between the Islamic version of Prophet Ibrahim’s life and the Bible concerns the sacrifice of his son. In the Hebrew Bible, Prophet Ibrahim is commanded to sacrifice his second-born son, Prophet Ishaq. In the Holy Koran, although the name of the son specifically not given, the son in the sacrifice was Prophet Ibrahim’s first-born son, Prophet Ismail (The Holy Koran 37:100–111)

Scrolls of Prophet Abraham

The Holy Koran refers to certain Scrolls of Prophet Abraham. All Muslim scholars generally agrees that no scrolls of Prophet Abraham survive, and therefore this is a reference to a lost body of scripture. (Surah Al Ala verse 18- And this is in the Books of the earliest (Revelation), 19- The Books of Abraham and Moses).

Prophet Lut

In Islamic Studies, both Prophet Ismail and Prophet Ishaq are considered as prophets, as well as Prophet Ibrahim’s nephew Prophet Loot. Prophet Loot is the equivalent of the Biblical Lot. In Holy Koran, the event of God Almighty destroying the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah pretty much mirrors the Biblical story.

Built of Al-Kaʿbah al-Musharrafah

According to Islamic Traditions, Prophet Ibrahim took Prophet Ismail to Mecca, where together they built the Holy Kaaba. Today it is the most sacred site in Islam. When Prophet Ibrahim was about to leave Prophet Ismail with his mother Prophet Hajra in Mecca. Prophet Hajra events, once she was alone at the site of Holy Kaaba with Prophet Ismail formed part of Hajj; the Annual Pilgrimage and Pillar of Islam.

Later on, Holy Kaaba was built by Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ismail as highlighted in Holy Koran, Surah Al Imran, Ayah 96; Surah Al-Hajj, Ayah 26 and Surah Al-Baqarah, Ayah 127. While Prophet Abraham was building the Holy Kaaba, an angel brought to him the Black Stone which he placed in the Eastern Corner. Another stone was The Maqam Ibrahim, the Station of Abraham, where Abraham stood for elevation while building the structure. The Black Stone and The Maqam Ibrahim are the only remnant of the original structure made by Prophet Abraham.

Prophet Abraham Descendants

All of the remaining prophets came from the line of Prophet Ishaq; the second born son of Prophet Ibrahim, with the exception of Prophet Shuayb and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). After Prophet Ishaq came his son Prophet Yaqub (Jacob). He had four sons  and Prophet Yusuf (Joseph).

Prophet Yaqub (Jacob) and His Son Prophet Yusuf (Joseph)

Prophet Yaqub had 12 sons, out of which Prophet Yusuf was his favorite. His other brothers were jealous and ended up throwing him in a well, where he ends up being sold as a slave to Egypt to a man named Al-Aziz, who, in the Bible, is known as Potipher.

After few years, Potipher’s wife becomes infatuated with Prophet Yusuf. In Christian tradition, the name of Potipher’s wife is not given but in Islam, it is Zuleykha. Because of Zuleykha, Prophet Yusuf is eventually put in prison, but ends up becoming known as a person who can interpret dreams. Later Prophet Yusuf ends up correctly interpreting the dreams of the Pharaoh, for which he is made Prime Minister of the entire country.