Al-Yasa', known in English as Elisha (peace be upon him), is one of the prophets the Qur'an names. It names him twice, and says very little about him. This guide gives what it says, and does not fill the gaps.
It follows only the Qur'an. It is the story as Islam tells it.
At a glance
- The Qur'an names him in two places, both lists of prophets.
- Allah (﷾) says He gave him favour above the nations, chose him and guided him to a straight way.
- He is named among the Company of the Good.
- The Qur'an tells nothing of his life, and neither does this guide.
What the Qur'an says
The Qur'an tells us little about Al-Yasa'. It names him in two places. The English translation quoted here calls him Elisha. It is the same man. The first place is in Surah al-An'am, a list of prophets Allah (﷾) guided: Qur’an 6:83–86
And Isma'il and Elisha, and Jonas, and Lot: and to all We gave favour above the nations
In the next verse, Allah (﷾) says what He did for all of them: Qur’an 6:87
We chose them, and we guided them to a straight way.
The second place is in Surah Sad. Allah (﷾) tells us to remember him, with Isma'il and Dhul-Kifl: Qur’an 38:48
And commemorate Isma'il, Elisha, and Zul-Kifl: Each of them was of the Company of the Good.
Chosen, guided and good
That is all the Qur'an says about him. It does not tell where he lived, what he said to his people, or how his life ended. So this guide does not either. Nothing is added from other books.
What we do know, we know from Allah's (﷾) own words. He chose Al-Yasa'. He guided him. He gave him favour above the nations. He counted him among the good. That is high praise. Qur’an 6:86–87Qur’an 38:48
And the guidance he received is the same guidance given to every messenger: to worship Allah (﷾) alone. After naming him, Allah (﷾) tells the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) what to do with it: Qur’an 21:25Qur’an 16:36
Those were the (prophets) who received Allah's guidance: Copy the guidance they received
Allah (﷾) names Al-Yasa' in the verse right after Ilyas (Elijah). You can read about him in Ilyas. Qur’an 6:85Ilyas
How the Bible tells it differently
The Bible tells of Elisha at length, in 1 Kings 19 and 2 Kings 2 to 13. The Qur'an gives his name and Allah's (﷾) praise of him. So the points that differ are few. Muslims believe that Allah (﷾) revealed the Torah to Musa, and the Injil to Isa: the Gospel Jesus himself preached in his lifetime. The Injil is not the New Testament. The four New Testament Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, were written by others, decades after Jesus was raised up. None of them names its author: the names were attached later. And the Torah we have today is not exactly as it was revealed. So where the Bible tells a story just as the Qur'an does, we believe it. Where it differs from the Qur'an or contradicts it, we do not. Where the Qur'an says nothing, we neither believe it nor deny it, as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught. Here are the main differences, with the verses. 1 Kings 19:16 (KJV)Qur’an 5:48Qur’an 5:46Which of the four Gospels did Jesus preach from?Who wrote the Gospels?Sahih al-Bukhari 4485How should a Muslim read the Bible?
Elijah's successor. In the Bible, God (﷾) tells Elijah to anoint Elisha to be prophet in his place. Elijah is taken up, Elisha takes his mantle, and the sons of the prophets say that the spirit of Elijah rests on him. The Qur'an names Ilyas and Al-Yasa' as prophets in two verses side by side, and does not say how Al-Yasa' became a prophet. 1 Kings 19:16 (KJV)2 Kings 2:11 (KJV)2 Kings 2:13–15 (KJV)Qur’an 6:85–86
His wonders. The Bible tells of many wonders in Elisha's life. A dead boy comes back to life after Elisha prays to the Lord. Naaman is healed after dipping himself seven times in the Jordan, as Elisha told him. The Qur'an tells none of them. It gives his name, and Allah's (﷾) praise of him. 2 Kings 4:32–35 (KJV)2 Kings 5:14 (KJV)Qur’an 6:86–87Qur’an 38:48
What we can learn
All we know of Al-Yasa' is Allah's (﷾) praise of him, and that praise is what counts.
- Allah's (﷾) praise is what counts. The Qur'an gives no list of deeds for Al-Yasa'. It says Allah (﷾) chose him, guided him and counted him among the good. That was enough. Qur’an 6:87Qur’an 38:48
- Follow the guidance of the prophets. Allah (﷾) told the Prophet (ﷺ) to copy the guidance they received. It is one message, from Adam to Muhammad (ﷺ): worship Allah (﷾) alone. Qur’an 6:90Qur’an 21:25
- Be satisfied with what Allah (﷾) tells us. Where the Qur'an is silent, we do not need to fill the space.