Who Is the Father of Prophet Yusuf, and What Is His Full Lineage?
من هو والد النبي يوسف عليه السلام، وما نسبه الكامل؟
Yusuf, son of Yaqoub, son of Ishaq [correcting an omission in the original: this generation was missing from the English lineage though present in the Arabic and in the hadith quoted immediately below], son of Ibrahim (Khalil Al-Rahman, the Friend of the Most Merciful). The Prophet said, “The honorable, the son of the honorable, the son of the honorable, the son of the honorable, was Joseph, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham.”
يوسف بن يعقوب بن إسحاق بن إبراهيم خليل الرحمن. قال نبينا صلى الله عليه وسلم: الكريم ابن الكريم ابن الكريم ابن الكريم، يوسف بن يعقوب بن إسحاق بن إبراهيم عليهم السلام.
1. Four Generations, Three Prophets | أربعة أجيال وثلاثة أنبياء
Yusuf’s direct line runs through Yaqoub, Ishaq, and Ibrahim, three consecutive generations of Prophethood before reaching him. This concentration of Prophets in a single unbroken family line is rare even among the Quran’s own accounts, and it is part of why the Prophet Muhammad singled out this exact lineage for praise.
يمتد نسب يوسف المباشر عبر يعقوب وإسحاق وإبراهيم، ثلاثة أجيال متتالية من النبوة قبل الوصول إليه. وهذا التركز للأنبياء في نسب عائلي واحد متواصل نادر حتى بين روايات القرآن نفسها، وهو جزء من سبب تخصيص النبي محمد لهذا النسب بالذات بالثناء.
2. Why the Prophet Called Him “The Honorable, Son of the Honorable” | لماذا وصفه النبي بـ الكريم ابن الكريم
This hadith is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, one of the most authenticated hadith collections in Sunni Islam. Repeating “the honorable” four times, once for Yusuf and once for each of his three Prophetic ancestors, emphasizes that his noble character was not an isolated trait but the continuation of a family history of righteousness stretching back to Ibrahim.
هذا الحديث مسجل في صحيح البخاري، أحد أكثر مجموعات الحديث توثيقا في الإسلام السني. وتكرار “الكريم” أربع مرات، مرة ليوسف ومرة لكل من أسلافه النبويين الثلاثة، يؤكد أن خُلقه النبيل لم يكن سمة معزولة بل استمرارا لتاريخ عائلي من الصلاح يمتد إلى إبراهيم.
3. Ibrahim’s Title Attached to the Lineage | لقب إبراهيم المرافق للنسب
Ibrahim is identified here by his well-known Quranic title, Khalil Al-Rahman, the Friend of the Most Merciful, drawn from “And Allah took Ibrahim as a close friend” (Surah An-Nisa 4:125). Attaching this title to the head of Yusuf’s lineage underscores that this family’s honor traces back to the unique closeness Allah granted its founding Prophet.
يُعرَّف إبراهيم هنا بلقبه القرآني المعروف، خليل الرحمن، مستمد من “وَاتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلًا” (سورة النساء 4:125). ويؤكد إلحاق هذا اللقب برأس نسب يوسف أن شرف هذه العائلة يعود إلى القرب الفريد الذي منحه الله لنبيها المؤسس.
Scholarly Insight: This lineage, Yusuf son of Yaqoub son of Ishaq son of Ibrahim, is confirmed by an authentic hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and reflects three unbroken generations of Prophethood. Read more about this family’s story in the tafsir of Surah Yusuf.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Who was the father of Prophet Yusuf?
Prophet Yaqoub, son of Ishaq, son of Ibrahim.
How did the Prophet Muhammad describe Yusuf’s lineage?
As “the honorable, son of the honorable, son of the honorable, son of the honorable,” in an authentic hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari.
What is Ibrahim’s title mentioned in this lineage?
Khalil Al-Rahman, the Friend of the Most Merciful, from Surah An-Nisa 4:125.
Prepared by Eng. Ghada Homad, founder of IslamFAQ, researched and written in consultation with qualified scholars, reviewed by Professor Khaled Jassem Al-Houli, Associate Professor of Comparative Jurisprudence and Islamic Politics, Faculty of Sharia and Islamic Studies, University of Kuwait. Read more about the authors and this project →