إِسْحَاق
Ishaq (Isaac)
Glad tidings that made his mother laugh in disbelief, and a line of prophets after him
Ishaq's story in the Quran is almost entirely a story of announcement — messengers bringing Ibrahim and his wife news of a son in their old age, met first with astonishment and then with the reminder that nothing is beyond God's decree. What follows is brief but weighty: Ishaq named a prophet among the righteous, blessed alongside his father, and the ancestor of a line that carries prophethood and scripture forward through Yaqub and beyond.
A prophet from among the righteous
Immediately after the account of Ismail's ransom, the Quran adds: and We gave him good tidings of Isaac, a prophet from among the righteous. And We blessed him and Isaac — though the same passage notes, plainly, that among their descendants would be both the doer of good and the one clearly unjust to himself.
وَبَشَّرْنَٰهُ بِإِسْحَٰقَ نَبِيًّۭا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
And We gave him good tidings of Isaac, a prophet from among the righteous.
وَبَٰرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَىٰٓ إِسْحَٰقَ ۚ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِمَا مُحْسِنٌۭ وَظَالِمٌۭ لِّنَفْسِهِۦ مُبِينٌۭ
And We blessed him and Isaac. But among their descendants is the doer of good and the clearly unjust to himself.
Are you amazed at the decree of God?
When God's messengers came to Ibrahim with peace and did not touch the roasted calf he set before them, he felt apprehension, until they told him they had been sent to the people of Lut. Ibrahim's wife, standing nearby, smiled — and was given the tidings of Isaac, and after Isaac, Yaqub. Astonished, she said: shall I give birth while I am an old woman, and this, my husband, is an old man? They answered her: are you amazed at the decree of God? The mercy of God and His blessings be upon you, people of the house — indeed, He is praiseworthy and honorable.
وَلَقَدْ جَآءَتْ رُسُلُنَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ بِٱلْبُشْرَىٰ قَالُوا۟ سَلَٰمًۭا ۖ قَالَ سَلَٰمٌۭ ۖ فَمَا لَبِثَ أَن جَآءَ بِعِجْلٍ حَنِيذٍۢ
And certainly did Our messengers come to Abraham with good tidings; they said, "Peace." He said, "Peace," and did not delay in bringing [them] a roasted calf.
فَلَمَّا رَءَآ أَيْدِيَهُمْ لَا تَصِلُ إِلَيْهِ نَكِرَهُمْ وَأَوْجَسَ مِنْهُمْ خِيفَةًۭ ۚ قَالُوا۟ لَا تَخَفْ إِنَّآ أُرْسِلْنَآ إِلَىٰ قَوْمِ لُوطٍۢ
But when he saw their hands not reaching for it, he distrusted them and felt from them apprehension. They said, "Fear not. We have been sent to the people of Lot."
وَٱمْرَأَتُهُۥ قَآئِمَةٌۭ فَضَحِكَتْ فَبَشَّرْنَٰهَا بِإِسْحَٰقَ وَمِن وَرَآءِ إِسْحَٰقَ يَعْقُوبَ
And his Wife was standing, and she smiled. Then We gave her good tidings of Isaac and after Isaac, Jacob.
قَالَتْ يَٰوَيْلَتَىٰٓ ءَأَلِدُ وَأَنَا۠ عَجُوزٌۭ وَهَٰذَا بَعْلِى شَيْخًا ۖ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَشَىْءٌ عَجِيبٌۭ
She said, "Woe to me! Shall I give birth while I am an old woman and this, my husband, is an old man? Indeed, this is an amazing thing!"
قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَعْجَبِينَ مِنْ أَمْرِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ رَحْمَتُ ٱللَّهِ وَبَرَكَٰتُهُۥ عَلَيْكُمْ أَهْلَ ٱلْبَيْتِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ حَمِيدٌۭ مَّجِيدٌۭ
They said, "Are you amazed at the decree of Allah? May the mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, people of the house. Indeed, He is Praiseworthy and Honorable."
We placed in his descendants prophethood and scripture
Elsewhere the Quran sums up the gift in two brief statements. To Ibrahim, We gave Isaac and Yaqub in addition, and made all of them righteous. And: We gave to him Isaac and Yaqub, and placed prophethood and scripture in his descendants, giving him his reward in this world — and in the Hereafter he is among the righteous.
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ نَافِلَةًۭ ۖ وَكُلًّۭا جَعَلْنَا صَٰلِحِينَ
And We gave him Isaac and Jacob in addition, and all [of them] We made righteous.
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَجَعَلْنَا فِى ذُرِّيَّتِهِ ٱلنُّبُوَّةَ وَٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُ أَجْرَهُۥ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا ۖ وَإِنَّهُۥ فِى ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ
And We gave to Him Isaac and Jacob and placed in his descendants prophethood and scripture. And We gave him his reward in this world, and indeed, he is in the Hereafter among the righteous.