Yahya, known in English as John the Baptist (peace be upon him), was a prophet of Allah (﷾) and the son of Zakariya (Zechariah). The Qur'an tells us little about him; this is what it says. It is short, and every line of it is praise. Zakariya
His father's prayer is told in the guide to Zakariya. The guide to Jesus tells of the one he bore witness to. This guide follows the Qur'an, with one authentic saying of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Jesus according to Islam
At a glance
- He was the son Allah (﷾) gave Zakariya in his old age.
- Allah (﷾) Himself chose his name before he was born.
- Allah (﷾) gave him wisdom while he was still young.
- He was devout, pure and kind to his parents.
- He bore witness to a Word from Allah (﷾): Isa (Jesus).
- Peace is on him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he will be raised.
- The news
The angels bring Zakariya the news of a son named Yahya. Qur’an 3:39Qur’an 19:7
- The Book
Allah (﷾) tells him to take hold of the Book with might, and gives him wisdom while young. Qur’an 19:12
- His character
He is devout and pure, kind to his parents, never overbearing or rebellious. Qur’an 19:13–14
- Peace
Peace is on him the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he will be raised. Qur’an 19:15
The Qur'an gives no dates for Yahya's life, so these are the stages of what it tells.
The son who was promised
Yahya's story begins before he was born, with his father's prayer. While Zakariya stood in prayer, the angels called to him with good news from Allah (﷾). In Surah Maryam, the Qur'an's nineteenth chapter, Allah's (﷾) words are: Qur’an 3:39Qur’an 19:7Zakariya
O Zakariya! We give thee good news of a son: His name shall be Yahya: on none by that name have We conferred distinction before.
Allah (﷾) Himself chose his name. Then the angels described him:
witnessing the truth of a Word from Allah, and (be besides) noble, chaste, and a prophet,- of the (goodly) company of the righteous.
"A Word from Allah" means Isa (Jesus). He is called this because he came into being by Allah's (﷾) word "Be". Yahya would bear witness to him. The guide to Jesus tells that story. Qur’an 3:45Qur’an 3:59Jesus according to Islam
Wisdom while young
Then Allah (﷾) gave Yahya his task: Qur’an 19:12
O Yahya! take hold of the Book with might
He was to hold on to Allah's (﷾) Book firmly, and never let it go. And Allah (﷾) prepared him for it:
We gave him Wisdom even as a youth
Most of us grow into wisdom slowly. Yahya was given it while still young. Then the Qur'an paints his character in a few short lines:
And piety (for all creatures) as from Us, and purity: He was devout,
kind to his parents, and he was not overbearing or rebellious.
His father had prayed for him in old age. The Qur'an remembers that the son grew up kind to his parents, and never harsh or proud.
Elsewhere the Qur'an counts him among the righteous, with his father Zakariya, Isa (Jesus) and Ilyas (Elijah). Qur’an 6:85Qur’an 21:90
Peace on the day he was born
Then comes the line that Muslims remember him by:
Peace on him the day he was born, the day that he dies, and the day that he will be raised up to life (again)!
These are three moments every person passes through: coming into the world, leaving it, and being raised before Allah (﷾). Allah (﷾) promised His peace for all three. The Qur'an gives almost the same words to Isa (Jesus), whom Yahya bore witness to. Qur’an 19:33
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) told of meeting Yahya on the Night Journey. In the second heaven he met Isa and Yahya, who welcomed him as a brother and a prophet. Sahih al-Bukhari 3207
The Qur'an says no more about his life, and we add nothing to it.
How the Bible tells it differently
The Bible tells of John in the four New Testament Gospels, and of his birth in Luke 1. Luke and the Qur'an both call him a prophet, and both say his name was announced before he was born. But some points 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. Luke 1:13 (KJV)Luke 1:76 (KJV)Qur’an 3:39Qur’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?
Baptism. In Mark and Matthew, John baptised people in the river Jordan, "confessing their sins". The Qur'an does not say that Yahya baptised anyone, and does not mention the Jordan. Mark 1:4–5 (KJV)Matthew 3:5–6 (KJV)If Jesus had no sin, why did John baptise him for repentance?
Whose way he prepared. In Matthew 3:3, John is the "voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord". Christians take "the Lord" to mean Jesus. The Qur'an is clear. Yahya came to bear witness to a Word from Allah (﷾). Isa is a servant of Allah (﷾) and a prophet, not the Lord. Matthew 3:3 (KJV)Qur’an 3:39Qur’an 19:30What do Muslims believe about Jesus?
How his life ended. The New Testament Gospels tell that John was put to death at the order of King Herod. The Qur'an does not tell how his life ended. It says only that peace is on him the day he dies. Mark 6:17–29 (KJV)Qur’an 19:15
What we can learn
The few lines the Qur'an gives Yahya are a portrait of a good life.
- Hold firmly to Allah's (﷾) Book. "Take hold of the Book with might" was the command Allah (﷾) gave him. Qur’an 19:12
- Don't think you are too young. Allah (﷾) gave Yahya wisdom while he was still young. Qur’an 19:12
- Be kind to your parents. The Qur'an remembers Yahya for it. Qur’an 19:14
- Be devout, pure and humble. He was never overbearing or rebellious. Qur’an 19:13–14
- Peace comes from Allah (﷾) at every stage. At birth, at death and on the day of being raised, His peace was on Yahya. Qur’an 19:15
Allah (﷾) promised Yahya peace on the day he was born, the day he dies, and the day he will be raised. That is the peace every believer hopes for. Qur’an 19:15