Islamic Timeline of RevelationOpen in flowchart →Prophet Yaqub (Isra'il) (AS)
يعقوب (إسرائيل)
Son of Ishaq, also called Isra'il, father of the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel and of Prophet Yusuf. He is a model of 'beautiful patience' in grief and of trust in Allah.
Biography
Yaqub, son of Ishaq, is referred to as Isra'il in the Quran (3:93), hence 'Bani Isra'il' for his descendants. Before his death he gathered his sons and asked, 'What will you worship after me?' They answered, 'We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Ibrahim, Ismail and Ishaq, One God' (2:133), affirming that Tawheed was the religion of the patriarchs (2:132).
His story is told mainly in Surah Yusuf. He warned Yusuf not to tell his brothers of his dream (12:5). When the brothers claimed a wolf had eaten Yusuf, he responded with 'sabrun jamil' (beautiful patience) (12:18). Later, after losing Binyamin too, his eyes turned white from grief while he complained only to Allah (12:84-86) and told his sons not to despair of Allah's mercy (12:87). His sight returned when Yusuf's shirt was cast over his face (12:96), and the family was reunited in Egypt (12:99-100).
His sons and their descendants form the tribes (asbat) mentioned in 2:136. Zakariya prayed for an heir to inherit 'from the family of Yaqub' (19:6), showing the continuity of prophethood in this line.
The Biblical wrestling story that explains the name Israel is not part of the Quranic narrative.
Sources & explanation
۞ Qur'an
2:132 2:133 2:136 3:84 3:93 6:84 11:71 12:4 12:5 12:6 12:18 12:83 12:84 12:86 12:87 12:93 12:96 12:100 19:6 19:49 21:72 38:45
Links open quran.com.
📜 Hadith verified on sunnah.com
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Sahih al-Bukhari 3382 Sahih
'The honourable son of the honourable son of the honourable son of the honourable: Yusuf son of Ya'qub son of Ishaq son of Ibrahim.'
💬 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: The Quran (especially Surah Yusuf) and 2:132-133 are the basis; his patience is highlighted as a Quranic model.
Further references
- Quran 2:132-133
- Quran 3:93
- Quran 12
- Quran 19:6
Connections
Comes from
- Prophet Ishaq (AS) father of — Yaqub son of Ishaq (11:71)
Leads to
- Prophet Yusuf (AS) father of — Yusuf son of Yaqub (Surah 12)
- Prophet Musa (Kalimullah) (AS) ancestor of — Musa of Bani Isra'il; tribe of Levi per tradition
- Prophet Harun (AS) ancestor of — Harun of Bani Isra'il; tribe of Levi per tradition
- Prophet Dawud (AS) ancestor of — Dawud of Bani Isra'il; tribe of Judah per tradition
- Prophet Zakariya (AS) father of — Zakariya prays for an heir to inherit from the family of Yaqub (19:6)