By Mufti Muhammad Shafi Usmani
Edited by IlmGate
“And (remember) Isma’il and Idris and Dhul-Kifl. Each one of them was of those who observed patience. And We admitted them to Our mercy. Surely, they were of the righteous.” (Qur’an, 21:85-86)
Was Sayyiduna Dhu al-Kifl a Prophet or a Saint
Three persons are mentioned in the above two verses. Out of these three, there is no doubt about the prophethood of Sayyiduna Isma’il `alayhi al-salam and Sayyiduna Idris `alayhi al-salam as they are mentioned in the Qur’an as such several times. Ibn Kathir is of the opinion that the mention of the name of Sayyiduna Dhul-Kifl along with the other two prophets in the above verse shows that he too was a prophet. However, some other versions do not include him in the category of prophets. They say that he was a saint or a pious person.