The Lineage of Light: The Genealogy of Prophets from Adam to the Seal
**Abstract**
This article examines the genealogy of the major and minor prophets from the perspective of Islamic and historical sources. Drawing on verses from the Holy Quran, authentic narrations, and books of Islamic history, this research demonstrates how the divine prophets are interconnected links in a single chain that began with Prophet Adam (AS) and reached its perfection and conclusion with Prophet Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH). The aim is to show the unity of the divine message and God’s meticulously planned program for human guidance.
**Introduction**
Familiarity with the lineage of the prophets is not merely a historical investigation; it provides a deeper understanding of divine wisdom and God’s strategies in sending messengers. This great family, whose lineal and spiritual honors are intertwined, has been emphasized repeatedly in the Holy Quran: “*Those are the ones whom Allah had guided, so from their guidance take an example*” (Surah Al-An’am, 6:90). This article seeks to chart this luminous genealogy through an analytical-historical lens, as far as reliable sources allow.
**Chapter 1: From Adam to Noah – The Beginning of Prophethood**
The first link in this chain is Prophet Adam (AS), who, as the father of humanity and the first prophet, undertook the responsibility of guidance. After him, Sheth (Hibatullah) was chosen as the successor and executor of his father’s will. Islamic narrations state that the divine tablets and wisdom were entrusted to Sheth. From the lineage of Sheth, Prophet Idris (AS) was sent. He is known as the first person to write with a pen and to practice tailoring. After a long period, corruption became widespread on Earth, and God sent Prophet Noah (AS) as the first Arch-Prophet (Ulu al-Azm). Noah was a descendant of Sheth and invited his people to monotheism for 950 years.
**Chapter 2: Abraham, the Friend of God (AS); The Turning Point and Division**
After Noah’s Flood, the lineage of the prophets continued through his son, ‘Sam’ (Shem). After generations, God raised Abraham (AS) from the city of Ur in Chaldea. Abraham, titled *Khalilullah* (the Friend of God), is a pivotal point in the history of prophethood. He had two sons:
* **Ishmael (AS):** Born from Hagar the Egyptian. By God’s command, he and his mother were taken to the land of Mecca (which was then a dry desert). Ishmael became the great patriarch of the Adnani Arab tribes and the ancestor of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
* **Isaac (AS):** Born from Sarah, he settled in Palestine. Isaac became the father of Jacob (Israel), and the lineage of the prophets of the Children of Israel continued through him.
**Chapter 3: The Branch of the Children of Israel from Isaac to Jesus (AS)**
This branch includes the largest group of prophets.
* **Jacob (AS):** The son of Isaac, who was given the title “Israel.” He had twelve sons, from whom the twelve tribes of Israel originated.
* **Joseph (AS):** The son of Jacob, whose magnificent story is told in the Quran, paved the way for the settlement of the Children of Israel in Egypt.
* **Job (AS):** A descendant of Abraham, he became the ultimate example of patience and perseverance.
* **Moses and Aaron (AS):** Sent to save the Children of Israel from Pharaoh. Moses was given the divine law and the book of Torah.
* **David and Solomon (AS):** In addition to prophethood, they established a great kingdom. David received the Psalms, and Solomon was a unique ruler.
* **Elijah, Elisha, Dhul-Kifl, and Jonah (AS):** Other prophets sent at different times to guide the Children of Israel.
* **Zechariah and John (AS):** They lived just before the birth of Jesus. John was a prophet known for his utmost purity and chastity.
* **Mary (AS):** Although not a prophetess, she was from the lineage of prophets (the sister of Aaron) and a woman who attained the station of being ‘chosen’ (Istifa).
* **Jesus (AS):** The son of Mary, born miraculously. He spoke to the dead and restored sight. He was given the book of Injil (Gospel) and is one of the Arch-Prophets. His mission was also primarily to the Children of Israel.
**Chapter 4: The Ishmaelite Branch to Muhammad Mustafa (PBUH)**
This branch, though fewer in the number of prophets, nurtured the most important prophet for all of humanity.
* After Prophet Ishmael (AS), the tribe of Jurhum settled in Mecca, and the descendants of Ishmael spread among the Arabs.
* The lineage of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was meticulously recorded by Arab historians and genealogists. His most notable ancestors, all adhering to the monotheistic faith of Abraham (Hanif), include:
* **Adnan:** A famous ancestor of the Arabs; the lineage of all Adnani Arabs traces back to him.
* **Ma’ad ibn Adnan**
* **Nizar ibn Ma’ad**
* **Mudar ibn Nizar** (The Quraysh tribe descends from him)
* **Qusay ibn Kilab:** He unified the scattered clans of Quraysh and assumed responsibility for the Kaaba.
* **Abd Manaf ibn Qusay**
* **Hashim ibn Abd Manaf:** The great-grandfather of the Banu Hashim clan and the one responsible for providing food and water to the pilgrims (Siqaya and Rifada).
* **Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim:** The leader of Quraysh, who rediscovered the well of Zamzam.
* **Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib:** The father of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
* Finally, **Muhammad ibn Abdullah (PBUH)** was born in Mecca in 570 CE. Known as “Al-Amin” (the Trustworthy), he received prophethood at the age of forty and began his universal call to Islam. The Quran was revealed to him, and he brought Islam as the complete and final religion for all of humanity.
**Chapter 5: Belief in the Awaited Savior; A Common Point of the Abrahamic Faiths**
One of the profound and shared doctrines among the major Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) is the belief in the appearance of a divine savior at the end of time. This promised one, known by a specific title in each faith, is destined to purge the world of evil and oppression and establish global justice. This commonality is a testament to the unity of the divine source of these religions and their convergence in a trans-religious state of anticipation.
**1. Judaism: The Expectation of Moshiach**
In Judaism, the ultimate savior is called “Moshiach” (the Anointed One). Based on Jewish sacred texts like the books of Isaiah and Ezekiel, his characteristics include:
* He will be from the lineage of David (AS) and the tribe of Judah.
* He will gather the Jewish people from exile and return them to the land of Israel.
* He will establish an era of world peace: “They will neither harm nor destroy…” (Isaiah 11:9).
* He will rebuild the Third Temple in Jerusalem.
* The entire world will worship the one God.
Jews believe the appearance of Moshiach will be preceded by a period of great turmoil and tribulation (the “birth pangs of the Messiah”), after which he will establish a unique divine kingdom.
**2. Christianity: The Second Coming of Jesus Christ**
In Christian theology, the promised savior is none other than Jesus Christ (AS), who will return to Earth for a second time. This belief, explicitly mentioned in the New Testament, is a fundamental tenet of the Christian faith:
* Jesus Christ will appear at the end of time with heavenly glory and majesty (Book of Revelation 1:7).
* He will defeat the satanic forces (the Antichrist) and cast them into the lake of fire.
* He will reign on Earth for a millennium (a thousand years) (Revelation 20:4).
* The resurrection of the dead and the final judgment will be carried out by him.
* The world will be renewed, and an earthly paradise will be realized.
Christians constantly pray for the second coming of Christ in their prayers, seeing it as the end of human suffering and the dawn of a golden age.
**3. Islam: Belief in the Mahdi (AJ) and the Return of Jesus (AS)**
In Islam, particularly in Shia doctrine, the belief in the Mahdi holds a central and detailed position. The Islamic concept of the savior combines two divine figures:
* **Imam Mahdi (AJ):** The Twelfth Imam of the Shia, who is from the lineage of Fatimah (SA) and Hussein (AS). He was born in 255 AH and entered a state of occultation (ghaybah). It is believed he is alive and in occultation and will reappear by God’s command when the world is filled with injustice.
* **The Descent of Jesus (AS):** A definitive Islamic belief (derived from Quranic verses and successive narrations) is that Jesus (AS) will descend from heaven, pray behind Imam Mahdi (AS), kill the false messiah (Dajjal), and assist in spreading Islam.
**Characteristics of the Era of Appearance in Islam:**
* The spread of justice across the globe: “He will fill the Earth with justice and equity, just as it is filled with oppression and tyranny.”
* The sovereignty of pure monotheism and the removal of all barriers between people.
* An unprecedented flourishing of knowledge and reason.
* The unity of all believers under the banner of Islam.
**Conclusion**
The lineage of the prophets is a mighty and blessed tree. Its roots lie with Adam (AS), its trunk is Abraham (AS), and its two main branches—the Children of Israel and the Children of Ishmael—have diverged from it. This tree reached the peak of its fertility and perfection with the blossoming of Muhammad (PBUH). Studying this lineage clearly shows that all prophets were united in a common goal: calling to monotheism (Tawhid), fighting polytheism, and establishing a just society. Differences in their specific religious laws (Sharia) were due to the requirements of their time and the gradual evolution of God’s program of guidance, which was ultimately manifested in the final and most complete religion: Islam.
**Sources for Further Study**
- The Holy Quran (especially Surahs Al-An’am, Maryam, Al-Anbiya, and Al-Qasas)
- Tarikh al-Tabari, by Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
- Al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh, by Ibn Athir
- Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, by Ibn Hisham
- Bihar al-Anwar, by Allama Majlisi (volumes related to the history of the prophets)
