Prophet Ishaq (peace be upon him) was one of the noble prophets of Allah and the son of Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham, peace be upon him) and Sarah. Allah gave Ibrahim the glad tidings of Ishaq when he and his wife had reached old age, making his birth a miraculous sign of Allah’s power. When Ibrahim (peace be upon him) received the glad tidings, he was one hundred years old, while his wife Sarah was ninety years old, other opinions have also been reported on their ages. This was fourteen years after the birth of his son Ismail (peace be upon him). Allah, the Exalted, says:
“And We gave him the good news of Ishaq, a prophet from among the righteous. And We blessed him and Ishaq. Among their descendants are those who do good and those who clearly wrong themselves.”
(وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ نَبِيًّا مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ (112) وَبَارَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى إِسْحَاقَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌ وَظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مُبِينٌ)
[As-Saffat: 112–113]
The Virtues Of Prophet Ishaq
Allah, the Exalted, mentioned His servant Ishaq with noble qualities and appointed him as a prophet and messenger. He cleared him of the false claims attributed to him by the ignorant and commanded people to believe in him, just as they are commanded to believe in all the prophets and messengers. Allah also praised him in several places in the Qur’an. Also, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly stated that Yaqub (Jacob) was the son of Ishaq, the son of Ibrahim (peace be upon them). Al-Bukhari narrated from Abdullah ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“The noble son of the noble son of the noble son of the noble: Yusuf, son of Yaqub, son of Ishaq, son of Ibrahim.”
One of the greatest virtues of Prophet Ishaq (peace be upon him) is that Allah honored him with prophethood and righteousness. When giving the glad tidings of his birth to Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), Allah said:
“And We gave him the good news of Ishaq, a prophet from among the righteous. And We blessed him and Ishaq. Among their descendants are those who do good and those who clearly wrong themselves.”
(وَبَشَّرْنَاهُ بِإِسْحَاقَ نَبِيًّا مِنَ الصَّالِحِينَ * وَبَارَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى إِسْحَاقَ وَمِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌ وَظَالِمٌ لِنَفْسِهِ مُبِينٌ)
[As-Saffat: 112–113]
This verse highlights the noble status of Ishaq as a prophet chosen by Allah and blessed along with his father Ibrahim.
Prophet Ishaq was also known for his devotion to Allah and his firm adherence to the worship of the One God. The Qur’an indicates that the faith of Ibrahim, Ismail, and Ishaq was passed on to their descendants. Allah says:
“Or were you witnesses when death approached Yaqub, when he said to his sons, ‘What will you worship after me?’ They said, ‘We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Ibrahim, Ismail, and Ishaq—one God, and to Him we submit.’”
(أَمْ كُنْتُمْ شُهَدَاءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ الْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ بَعْدِي قَالُوا نَعْبُدُ إِلَهَكَ وَإِلَهَ آبَائِكَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِلَهًا وَاحِدًا وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ)
[Al-Baqarah: 133]
This verse reflects the legacy of faith and monotheism that Prophet Ishaq helped establish and pass on to future generations.
His Mission and Death
Prophet Ishaq (peace be upon him) lived and carried out his mission in the land of Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), a region associated with the missions of many prophets. He called his people to worship Allah alone and to follow His guidance. It is traditionally said that he spent most of his life in the land of Palestine and that his shrine is located in the Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron. It is said that Prophet Ishaq (peace be upon him) lived for 180 years and died in Hebron, a town in Palestine. May Allah grant us the ability to follow the prophets and messengers, learn from their guidance, and remain steadfast upon faith and obedience to Him. Ameen.
