How many prophets are named in the Quran?
The Quran names 25 prophets, from Adam to Muhammad ﷺ. Many of them are also familiar from the Bible, like Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. The Quran also says Allah sent many more messengers whose stories it doesn't tell.
The 25 named prophets
Here they are with their Arabic names and the common English names:
- Adam, Idris (Enoch), Nuh (Noah), Hud, Salih
- Ibrahim (Abraham), Lut (Lot), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob)
- Yusuf (Joseph), Ayyub (Job), Shu'ayb, Musa (Moses), Harun (Aaron)
- Dhul-Kifl, Dawud (David), Sulayman (Solomon), Ilyas (Elijah), Al-Yasa' (Elisha)
- Yunus (Jonah), Zakariyya (Zechariah), Yahya (John the Baptist), 'Isa (Jesus), Muhammad ﷺ
Eighteen of them appear together in one passage, Surah al-An'am 6:83–86. The others are named in different places across the Quran. Abraham is one of the most-mentioned figures of all. See Do Muslims believe in Abraham?
There were many more prophets
The 25 are only the ones named. Allah tells the Prophet ﷺ that there were others whose stories were never told to him:
The Quran also says every nation received a warner (Quran 35:24). So Muslims believe prophets were sent all over the world, even if we don't know their names. A well-known narration gives a very large total number, but scholars differ on its authenticity, so it's best not to insist on an exact figure.
Some names scholars discuss
A few figures are named in the Quran but scholars differ on whether they were prophets:
- Dhul-Kifl: most scholars count him as a prophet, a minority see him as a righteous man.
- Luqman: a wise man with a whole surah named after him; most say he was not a prophet.
- Dhul-Qarnayn and 'Uzayr (Ezra): also mentioned, with differing views.
None of this affects your faith. What matters is believing in all of Allah's prophets without rejecting any of them. See Do I have to believe in all the prophets to become Muslim?
Why this matters for converts
If you grew up with Bible stories, you already know many of these names. Islam doesn't ask you to throw that away; it presents the same prophets as one family of messengers who all taught worship of the One God. Their stories, like Noah's ship or Jesus's miracles, appear in the Quran with their own details. See Do Muslims believe in Jesus?
- The Quran names 25 prophets, from Adam to Muhammad ﷺ.
- Eighteen are listed together in Quran 6:83–86.
- Many more prophets were sent whose names we don't know.
- Muslims believe in all of them equally as messengers of Allah.
People also ask
Why doesn't Surah at-Tawbah start with Bismillah?
Surah at-Tawbah doesn't start with Bismillah because it was never revealed with one. The two main reasons scholars give, and how to recite it.
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No special day is required to take your shahada; the best day is when you're ready. Why some choose Friday or Ramadan, and why not to delay.
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The Quran repeats stories to teach a new lesson each time, comfort believers and help memorization. See why Moses appears so often.
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