Abrahamic LineQur'an

Yaʿqūbعليه السلاميَعْقُوب

Also known as Israel

YūsufAl-BaqarahMaryam
About

The prophet son of Isḥāq, also called Isrāʾīl; his descendants are the Children of Israel. Father of Yūsuf, he bore the loss of his son with beautiful patience until their reunion in Egypt.

The name

Isrāʾīl (3:93) — the Children of Israel are his descendants

Source: Qur'an

The story, as the Qurʼan tells it
  1. The beginningThe son of Isḥāq, also called Isrāʾīl; the Children of Israel are his descendants.
    21:72

    وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةًۭ ۖ وَكُلًّۭا جَعَلْنَا صَٰلِحِينَ

    3:93

    ۞ كُلُّ ٱلطَّعَامِ كَانَ حِلًّۭا لِّبَنِىٓ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلَ إِلَّا مَا حَرَّمَ إِسْرَٰٓءِيلُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِۦ مِن قَبْلِ أَن تُنَزَّلَ ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةُ ۗ قُلْ فَأْتُوا۟ بِٱلتَّوْرَىٰةِ فَٱتْلُوهَآ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ

  2. The callOn his deathbed he asked his sons what they would worship after him, and they answered: your God and the God of your fathers, the One God.
    2:132-133

    وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَآ إِبْرَٰهِۦمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَٰبَنِىَّ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ

  3. The signHe understood Yūsuf's dream of eleven stars, the sun and the moon, and told him to keep it from his brothers.
    12:4-6

    إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّى رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًۭا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِى سَٰجِدِينَ

  4. The testTold that a wolf had eaten Yūsuf, he chose beautiful patience; years later grief took his sight, and he was told he had gone senile for still hoping.
    12:18

    وَجَآءُو عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِۦ بِدَمٍۢ كَذِبٍۢ ۚ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًۭا ۖ فَصَبْرٌۭ جَمِيلٌۭ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ

    12:84-86

    وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌۭ

  5. The outcomeYūsuf's shirt was cast over his face and his sight returned; the family came to Egypt and the dream was fulfilled.
    12:93-100

    ٱذْهَبُوا۟ بِقَمِيصِى هَٰذَا فَأَلْقُوهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِ أَبِى يَأْتِ بَصِيرًۭا وَأْتُونِى بِأَهْلِكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

The lesson'I only complain of my anguish and grief to Allah' — patience is not silence but turning the complaint to the right One.
12:86-87

قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Duʿāʾ — in their own words
Yaʿqūb when his sons told him to stop grieving for Yūsuf · 12:86
إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ

Innamā ashkū baththī wa-ḥuznī ila llāh

I only complain of my anguish and my grief to Allah.

Relationships
FatherIsḥāqHis father
SonYūsufHis beloved son
Key Qurʼan appearances

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Yaʿqūb (Jacob) in the Qurʼan — Anbiya