How Many Surahs Bear Prophets' Names, and Was Luqman a Prophet?
كم عدد السور في القرآن الكريم التي سميت بأسماء الأنبياء؟ وما هي؟
There are 6 Surahs: Nuh, Muhammad, Ibrahim, Yusuf, Hud and Yunus, and Luqman (if we consider him a prophet).
يوجد 6 سور: نوح ومحمد وإبراهيم ويوسف وهود ويونس، ولقمان (إذا اعتبرناه نبياً).
1. Was Luqman a Prophet? | هل كان لقمان نبيا؟
Allah says: We gave Luqman wisdom: be grateful to Allah (31:12). Ibn Kathir says the early scholars differed over Luqman: was he a prophet, or a righteous servant without prophethood? There are two views, and most held the second. Mujahid said: Luqman was a righteous servant and was not a prophet; Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib said: Allah gave him wisdom and withheld prophethood from him. Ibn Kathir concludes that the majority of the early scholars held that he was not a prophet, and that his being a prophet is reported only from Ikrimah, if the chain to him is sound, since it comes through Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ju’fi, who is weak. So Surah Luqman joins the six only on the view that he was a prophet.
وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا لُقْمَانَ الْحِكْمَةَ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِلَّهِ (سورة لقمان: 12)
قال تعالى: (ولقد آتينا لقمان الحكمة أن اشكر لله) (لقمان 31: 12)، قال ابن كثير: اختلف السلف في لقمان: هل كان نبيا، أو عبدا صالحا من غير نبوة؟ على قولين، الأكثرون على الثاني، وقال مجاهد: كان لقمان عبدا صالحا، ولم يكن نبيا، وقال سعيد بن المسيب: أعطاه الله الحكمة ومنعه النبوة، قال ابن كثير: ولهذا كان جمهور السلف على أنه لم يكن نبيا، وإنما ينقل كونه نبيا عن عكرمة إن صح السند إليه، فإنه من رواية جابر بن يزيد الجعفي، وهو ضعيف.
2. Luqman’s Wisdom in the Sunnah | حكمة لقمان في السنة
Luqman’s wisdom shows in his counsel to his son: O my son, do not associate anything with Allah; indeed, association is a great wrong (31:13). Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: when the verse Those who believe and do not mix their belief with wrongdoing (6:82) was revealed, we said: O Messenger of Allah, which of us does not wrong himself? He said: It is not as you say; mixing their belief with wrongdoing means with shirk; have you not heard what Luqman said to his son: O my son, do not associate anything with Allah; indeed, association is a great wrong? (Sahih al-Bukhari 3360)
وَإِذْ قَالَ لُقْمَانُ لِابْنِهِ وَهُوَ يَعِظُهُ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ (سورة لقمان: 13)
ومن حكمة لقمان وصيته لابنه: (يا بني لا تشرك بالله إن الشرك لظلم عظيم) (لقمان 31: 13)، وعن عبد الله بن مسعود رضي الله عنه قال: لما نزلت: (الذين آمنوا ولم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم) (الأنعام 6: 82) قلنا: يا رسول الله، أينا لا يظلم نفسه؟ قال: "ليس كما تقولون، لم يلبسوا إيمانهم بظلم: بشرك، أولم تسمعوا إلى قول لقمان لابنه: يا بني لا تشرك بالله إن الشرك لظلم عظيم" (صحيح البخاري 3360).
3. Twenty-Five Prophets Named, Six With Surahs | خمسة وعشرون نبيا وست سور
Allah says: messengers We have told you about before, and messengers We have not told you about (4:164). Ibn Kathir lists the prophets whom Allah names in the Quran: Adam, Idris, Nuh, Hud, Salih, Ibrahim, Lut, Isma’il, Ishaq, Ya’qub, Yusuf, Ayyub, Shu’ayb, Musa, Harun, Yunus, Dawud, Sulayman, Ilyas, al-Yasa’, Zakariyya, Yahya and Isa, and Dhul-Kifl too according to many exegetes, and their master Muhammad. Of these named prophets, six have a surah called by their name, set out with their numbers in the six surahs named after prophets; all the prophets named in the Quran are presented in the prophets mentioned in the Quran.
وَرُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ (سورة النساء: 164)
قال تعالى: (ورسلا قد قصصناهم عليك من قبل ورسلا لم نقصصهم عليك) (النساء 4: 164)، قال ابن كثير: وهذه تسمية الأنبياء الذين نص على أسمائهم في القرآن، وهم: آدم وإدريس، ونوح، وهود، وصالح، وإبراهيم، ولوط، وإسماعيل، وإسحاق، ويعقوب، ويوسف، وأيوب، وشعيب، وموسى، وهارون، ويونس، وداود، وسليمان، وإلياس، واليسع، وزكريا، ويحيى، وعيسى، وكذا ذو الكفل عند كثير من المفسرين، وسيدهم محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، ومن هؤلاء ستة سميت سور القرآن بأسمائهم.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How many Surahs are named after prophets?
Six: Yunus, Hud, Yusuf, Ibrahim, Muhammad and Nuh. Surah Luqman makes seven only if Luqman is counted as a prophet.
Was Luqman a prophet?
Most of the early scholars held that he was a righteous servant given wisdom, not a prophet, as Ibn Kathir reports; Mujahid said he was not a prophet.
What did Luqman tell his son?
O my son, do not associate anything with Allah; indeed, association is a great wrong (31:13). The Prophet quoted these words to explain 6:82 (Sahih al-Bukhari 3360).
How many prophets are named in the Quran?
Ibn Kathir lists twenty-five, counting Dhul-Kifl as many exegetes do, with Muhammad their master; six of them have surahs named after them.