The story in short
- Arabic name
- اليسع
- English name
- Elisha
- Named in the Quran
- 2 times
- Sent to
- The Children of Israel, after Ilyas, according to historians
- In the list of 25
- 20 of 25
In short: the Quran names al-Yasa among the prophets whom Allah "preferred over the worlds" (6:86) and among "the outstanding" (38:48). Historians say he followed Ilyas and continued his call among the Children of Israel. The Quran and sahih hadith do not tell his story, so details about his life are not certain.
The story of Al-Yasa
What the Quran says
"And Ismail and al-Yasa and Yunus and Lut, and all of them We preferred over the worlds" (6:86). "And remember Ismail, al-Yasa and Dhul-Kifl, and all are among the outstanding" (38:48). Both verses come in long lists of prophets, which shows his rank even though his story is not told.
What historians say
Ibn Kathir and the historians before him report that al-Yasa was a companion and successor of Ilyas, and he is generally identified with Elisha. These details come from the books of history and earlier scriptures, not the Quran or sahih hadith, so we present them as reports.
Key verses
وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَٱلْيَسَعَ وَيُونُسَ وَلُوطًۭا ۚ وَكُلًّۭا فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى ٱلْعَٰلَمِينَ ﴿٨٦﴾
Wa Ismaa'eela wal Yasa'a wa Yoonusa wa Lootaa; wa kullan faddalnaa 'alal 'aalameen
And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot - and all [of them] We preferred over the worlds.
Quran 6:86 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Al-Anam
وَٱذْكُرْ إِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَٱلْيَسَعَ وَذَا ٱلْكِفْلِ ۖ وَكُلٌّۭ مِّنَ ٱلْأَخْيَارِ ﴿٤٨﴾
Wazkur Ismaa'eela wal Yasa'a wa Zal-Kifli wa kullum minal akhyaar
And remember Ishmael, Elisha and Dhul-Kifl, and all are among the outstanding.
Quran 38:48 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Sad
Lessons from the story
- Being counted among the best by Allah matters more than being well known among people.
- Continuing the work of a teacher, as al-Yasa did after Ilyas, is itself a great deed.
Where it is in the Quran
The main passages about Al-Yasa, with links to read and listen to each surah:
- Surah Al-Anam 6:86
- Surah Sad 38:48
What is authentic, and what is not
Nothing further about al-Yasa is established by authentic texts.
We follow Ibn Kathir's Qasas al-Anbiya only where it rests on the Quran and sound hadith. Isra'iliyyat are reports taken from earlier scriptures and storytellers. Scholars allow mentioning them only when they do not contradict the Quran and Sunnah, and they are never treated as certain.
Questions
How many times is al-Yasa mentioned in the Quran?
Twice: Surah Al-Anam 6:86 and Surah Sad 38:48.
Is al-Yasa the same as Elisha?
This is the common identification among scholars and historians.
What was al-Yasa's relation to Ilyas?
Historians say he was Ilyas's companion and successor. The Quran does not mention this.
Sources
- Ibn Kathir, Qasas al-Anbiya, chapter on al-Yasa.
- Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, English by Sahih International. In quotations within the text, the prophets' names are given in their Arabic form (Musa for Moses, Ibrahim for Abraham).
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.