Islamic Timeline of RevelationOpen in flowchart →Prophet Dhul-Kifl (AS)
ذو الكفل
A figure praised in the Quran among the patient and 'the best', named alongside Ismail, Idris and al-Yasa'. His identity, and even whether he was a prophet, are debated, though the majority count him among the prophets.
Biography
The Quran mentions Dhul-Kifl twice: 'And Ismail and Idris and Dhul-Kifl; all were of the patient. And We admitted them into Our mercy; indeed they were of the righteous' (21:85-86), and 'Remember Ismail, al-Yasa' and Dhul-Kifl; all are among the best' (38:48).
The name means 'possessor of the portion/pledge'. Exegetes reported different explanations: that he pledged to fulfil a responsibility (such as fasting by day, praying by night and judging without anger) and kept it; that he was a righteous man or judge rather than a prophet; or that he was a known prophet under another name. Proposed identifications include the Biblical Ezekiel (Hizqil), whose traditional shrine at al-Kifl in Iraq bears the name. None of these is confirmed by Sahih Hadith.
Some modern writers have speculated about a connection with the Buddha (via Kapilavastu); this is unfounded speculation and is not adopted in this dataset.
Because of these uncertainties, the dataset places him in the general line of prophetic succession after Musa only provisionally, with link confidence marked 'disputed'.
Sources & explanation
📜 Hadith verified on sunnah.com
No verified hadith attached yet. Only references checked against sunnah.com are listed.
💬 Explanation Unverified
Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's perspective
Methodological note (not a direct quote): Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza's widely known approach is to build narratives primarily on the Quran and Sahih Hadith, to set aside Israiliyat (Judeo-Christian lore absorbed into later tafsir) and weak or fabricated narrations, and to avoid sectarian framing. Applied to this node: Only the Quranic praise is certain; identifications and the stories explaining his name are opinion and would be presented as such.
Further references
- Quran 21:85-86
- Quran 38:48
- Tafsir al-Tabari / Ibn Kathir on 21:85 (differing opinions)
Connections
Comes from
- Prophet Musa (Kalimullah) (AS) prophetic succession — Placement provisional; identity disputed (e.g. Ezekiel)