Ishaq, known in English as Isaac (peace be upon him), was a son of Ibrahim (Abraham) and a prophet. Allah (﷾) gave him to Ibrahim and his wife in their old age, as good news from His angels. He was the father of the prophet Ya'qub (Jacob).
The Qur'an tells little about him; this is what it says. This guide follows the Qur'an, with one authentic saying of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), and does not fill the gaps with stories. It is the story as Islam tells it.
At a glance
- Angels brought Ibrahim and his wife the good news of Ishaq in their old age.
- His mother was astonished, and the angels answered: do you wonder at Allah's (﷾) decree?
- Allah (﷾) made him a prophet, and one of the righteous.
- Allah (﷾) made him and Ya'qub leaders who guided by His command, prayed, gave charity and served Him alone.
- He was the father of Ya'qub, and the grandfather of Yusuf.
- The Qur'an tells little else of his life, so this guide adds nothing to it.
- The guests
Angels visit Ibrahim and give him good news of a son. Qur’an 11:69–71Qur’an 51:24–28Qur’an 15:51–53
- The good news
His mother is astonished, since she is old. The angels remind her of Allah's (﷾) decree. Qur’an 11:72–73Qur’an 51:29–30
- A prophet
Allah (﷾) makes Ishaq a prophet and one of the righteous, and blesses him. Qur’an 37:112–113Qur’an 19:49
- His family
Ya'qub is born to him, and Allah (﷾) makes them leaders who guide by His command. Qur’an 21:72–73Qur’an 38:45–47
- His faith lives on
Ya'qub, near death, asks his sons what they will worship. They name the God (﷾) of Ibrahim, Isma'il and Ishaq. Qur’an 2:133
The Qur'an gives no dates for Ishaq's life, so these are the stages of his story that it tells.
The good news
Ishaq's story begins before he is born. Allah's (﷾) messengers, the angels, came to Ibrahim as guests. Ibrahim hurried to bring them a roasted calf. When they did not eat, he felt afraid. "Fear not," they said, and they gave him the good news of a son endowed with knowledge. Qur’an 11:69–70Qur’an 51:24–28Qur’an 15:51–53
Ibrahim's wife was standing there, and she laughed. The angels gave her the good news of Ishaq, and after him, of Ya'qub. She was astonished: Qur’an 11:71Qur’an 51:29
Alas for me! shall I bear a child, seeing I am an old woman, and my husband here is an old man? That would indeed be a wonderful thing!
The angels answered her:
Dost thou wonder at Allah's decree? The grace of Allah and His blessings on you, o ye people of the house! for He is indeed worthy of all praise, full of all glory!
They told Ibrahim not to despair. And Ibrahim replied: who despairs of the mercy of his Lord, but those who go astray? Ibrahim thanked Allah (﷾), who had given him Isma'il and Ishaq in his old age. Qur’an 15:53–56Qur’an 14:39Isma'il
The same messengers were also sent to the people of Lut. That story is in his own guide, and the rest of the visit is in Ibrahim's. Qur’an 15:57–60LutIbrahim
A prophet, one of the righteous
The Qur'an says that Allah (﷾) gave Ibrahim the good news of Ishaq, and names what he was:
And We gave him the good news of Isaac - a prophet,- one of the Righteous.
This verse comes just after the story of the dream in which Ibrahim was shown that he must offer his son. The Qur'an does not name that son. This site looks at the question on its own page. Qur’an 37:102–112Which son did Abraham offer for sacrifice, Ishmael or Isaac?
Allah (﷾) blessed Ibrahim and Ishaq. And the Qur'an adds a lesson for every family: some of their descendants do right, and some do wrong to their own souls. Being a prophet's child does not settle anyone's place. Faith does. Qur’an 37:113
Allah (﷾) gave Ibrahim Ishaq, and Ya'qub as an extra gift, and made each of them a prophet and a righteous man. Of them the Qur'an says: Qur’an 21:72Qur’an 19:49
And We made them leaders, guiding (men) by Our Command, and We sent them inspiration to do good deeds, to establish regular prayers, and to practise regular charity; and they constantly served Us (and Us only).
Elsewhere Allah (﷾) tells the Prophet (ﷺ) to remember Ibrahim, Ishaq and Ya'qub, "possessors of Power and Vision": Qur’an 38:45
Verily We did choose them for a special (purpose)- proclaiming the Message of the Hereafter.
The Qur'an tells little more of Ishaq's own life. It tells where his story passes to his son. When Ya'qub was dying, he asked his sons what they would worship after him, and they answered: Qur’an 2:133
We shall worship Thy god and the god of thy fathers, of Abraham, Isma'il and Isaac,- the one (True) Allah: To Him we bow (in Islam).
The Prophet (ﷺ) spoke of the honour of this family. He said that the noble one, son of the noble, son of the noble, son of the noble, is Yusuf. His father was Ya'qub, his grandfather Ishaq, and his great-grandfather Ibrahim. Sahih al-Bukhari 3382Yusuf
How the Bible tells it differently
The Bible tells Isaac's story in Genesis, chapters 17 to 35. The heart is the same. He was born to Abraham and his wife in their old age, after a visit from messengers. He was the father of Jacob. But some details are different. 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. Genesis 21:2 (KJV)Genesis 25:26 (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?
The news of the child. In Genesis, Abraham first falls on his face and laughs when God (﷾) tells him of the son. Later, Sarah laughs to herself in the tent, and when asked, she denies it. In the Qur'an, it is his wife who laughs. She strikes her forehead in astonishment and says she is an old woman. The angels answer her. Genesis 17:17 (KJV)Genesis 18:12–15 (KJV)Qur’an 11:71–73Qur’an 51:29–30
News of a grandson. In Genesis, the visitor tells Abraham that Sarah will have a son. In the Qur'an, the angels give Ibrahim's wife the good news of Ishaq, and after him of Ya'qub: she is told of her grandson too. Genesis 18:10 (KJV)Qur’an 11:71
The blessing. Genesis 27 tells that Jacob, helped by his mother, came to his old father, who could not see. He said "I am Esau thy firstborn", to receive the blessing meant for his brother. The Qur'an tells nothing of this. It calls Ishaq and Ya'qub righteous prophets, and this site looks at the question of prophets and sin. Genesis 27:1 (KJV)Genesis 27:19 (KJV)Qur’an 21:72–73Were the prophets sinless?
What we can learn
Allah's (﷾) promise comes true even when it seems impossible, and faith has to be passed on: it is not inherited.
- Allah's (﷾) promise comes true, even when it seems impossible. Ibrahim and his wife were old, and she wondered. The angels asked her: do you wonder at Allah's (﷾) decree?
- Never despair of Allah's (﷾) mercy. Ibrahim said that only those who go astray despair of the mercy of their Lord. Qur’an 15:56
- Faith is not inherited. Ishaq was blessed, and the Qur'an says some of his and Ibrahim's descendants do wrong to themselves. Each person answers for their own faith.
- Pass faith on. The faith of Ibrahim, Isma'il and Ishaq lived on in Ya'qub's sons, who said they would worship the one Allah (﷾).
Ishaq, Isma'il, Ya'qub and the prophets who followed all called people to the same Allah (﷾). We believe in what was revealed to them, and make no distinction between them. That call is still open to everyone. Qur’an 3:84