Saint Idris the Prophet
An imagining of Idris visiting Heaven and Hell from an illuminated manuscript version of Stories of the Prophets
Prophet, Mystic, Prophet of the Philosophers
Honored in	Islam
Controversy	Idris is often identified with Enoch, but other Muslims see the two figures as two different prophets
Influenced	Countless Muslim mystics, philosophers and scientists including Ibn Arabi and Suhrawardi

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Idris‘ (Arabic: إدريس‎) is an Islamic prophet mentioned in the Qur'an whom the Qur'an says was exalted by God to a high station in life.^[1] Although Idris is, at times, identified with the Biblical Enoch, the true Biblical identity of Idris remains uncertain. According to hadith, narrated by Malik ibn Anas and found in Sahih Muslim, it is said that on Muhammad's Night Journey, he encountered Idris in the fourth heaven.^[2] The traditions that have developed around the figure of Idris have given him the scope of a prophet as well as a philosopher and mystic.^[3]

In the Qur'an[link]

Idris is mentioned twice in the Qur'an, where he is described as a wise and great man. In sura 19 of the Qur'an, God says:

Also mention in the Book the case of Idris: He was a man of truth (and sincerity), (and) a prophet:
And We raised him to a lofty station.

—Qur'an, sura 19 (Maryam), ayat 56-57^[1]

The mention here of "raised him to a lofty station" is why some scholars believe Idris to be the patriarch Enoch, who according to the Book of Genesis, was raised by God to heaven.

Later, in sura 21, God again praises Idris, saying:

And (remember) Isma'il, Idris, and Dhul-Kifl,^[4] all (men) of constancy and patience;
We admitted them to Our mercy: for they were of the righteous ones.

—Qur'an, sura 21 (Al-Anbiya), ayat 85-86^[5]

In Muslim literature[link]

Islamic literature narrates that Idris was made prophet at around 40, which parallels the age when Muhammad began to prophesy, and lived during a time when people had begun to worship fire.^[6] Exegesis embellishes upon the lifetime of Idris, and states that the prophet divided his time into two. For three days of the week, Idris would preach to his people and four days he would devote solely to the worship of God.^[6] Many early commentators, such as Tabari,^[7] credited Idris with possessing great wisdom and knowledge. Exegesis narrates that Idris was among the first men to use the pen as well as being one of the first men to observe the movement of the stars and set out scientific weights and measures.^[6] These attributes remain consistent with the identification of Enoch with Idris, as these attributes make it clear that Idris would have most probably lived during the Generations of Adam,^[6] the same era during which Enoch lived. Ibn Arabi described Idris as the "prophet of the philosophers" and a number of works were attributed to him.^[8] Some scholars wrote commentaries on these supposed works,^[9] all while Idris was also credited with plenty of inventions and the art of making garments.^[8]

Identification[link]

Enoch[link]

Classical commentators used to popularly identify Idris with Enoch, the patriarch who lived in the Generations of Adam. An example is İsmail Hakkı Bursevî's commentary on Fusus al-hikam by Muhyiddin ibn ʻArabi.^[10] Modern scholars, however, do not concur with this identification because they argue that it lacks definitive proof. As Qur'anic translator Abdullah Yusuf Ali says in note 2508 of his translation:

Idris is mentioned twice in the Quran, viz., here and in Chapter 21, verse 85, where he is mentioned as among those who patiently persevered. His identification with the Biblical Enoch, may or may not be correct. Nor are we justified in interpreting verse 57 here as meaning the same thing as in Genesis, v.24 ("God took him"), that he was taken up without passing through the portals of death. All we are told is he was a man of truth and sincerity, and a prophet, and that he had a high position among his people.

—Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an: Text, Translation and Commentary^[11]

Hermes[link]

Bahá'u'lláh, founder of the Bahá'í Faith, wrote in one of his tablets:

The first person who devoted himself to philosophy was Idris. Thus was he named. Some called him also Hermes. In every tongue he hath a special name. He it is who hath set forth in every branch of philosophy thorough and convincing statements. After him Balínús derived his knowledge and sciences from the Hermetic Tablets and most of the philosophers who followed him made their philosophical and scientific discoveries from his words and statements...

See also[link]

• Biblical narratives and the Qur'an
• Legends and the Qur'an
• Prophets of Islam
• Stories of The Prophets

Bibliography[link]

• Ibn Khaldun, Mukkadimma, tr. Rosenthal, i, 229, 240, n. 372; ii, 317, 328, 367ff.; iii, 213
• Ya'kubi, i, 9
• Kissat Idris, c. 1500, MS Paris, Bibl. Nat. Arabic 1947
• Djahiz, Tarbi, ed. Pellat, 26/40
• Sahih Bukhari, Prayer, I, Krehl, i, 99-100; Prophets, 4, Krehl, ii, 335
• A.E. Affifi, Mystical Philosophy of Ibn Arabi, Cambridge, 1939, 21, 110
• Tabari, History of the Prophets and Kings, I: From Creation to Flood, 172-177
• Balami, tr. Zotenberg, i, 95-99
• Tabari, Tafsir Tabari, xvi, 63ff., xvii, 52
• Masudi, Murudj, i, 73
• D. Chwolsson, Die Ssabier und der Sabismus, St. Petersburg, 1856

References[link]

External links[link]

• prophets (a.s.) - when & where

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. This biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since March 2011. It includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Tagged since March 2011. Very few or no other articles link to it. Please help introduce links to this page from other articles related to it. Tagged since May 2011.

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Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman was born in 1978 in Sydney - Australia from a Palestinian family who migrated to Australia in the late 1960s. He initially obtained an Ijazah (licence) with Sanad (complete chain back to the Prophet) in complete and sound memorization of the Holy Quran at Darul Uloom Al-Husainiah in Sindh - Pakistan.

He then travelled to the Arab world in particular Damascus - Syria for a six year journey to continue his Islamic and Arabic studies at numerous Islamic Institutions through many well-recognised scholars. In Syria, Sheikh Shady studied various Islamic subjects and modules, from Fiqh, Usool Al-Fiqh, Hadith, Mustalah al-hadith, Quranic Science and Tafseer and Arabic studies, he generally focused on and specialised in Arabic and Comparative Fiqh (Islamic Law/Jurisprudence) and received numerous Ijaza's in that field.

Sheikh Shady arrived back to Sydney in early 2001, were he began to be heavily active and involved with the Muslim youth and the second Muslim generation in Australia. He is known to be an Imam who made dramatic changes in many youths life in particular troubled youth.

Sheikh Shady is the founder of one of Australia's largest youth centres known as the UMA in Sydney, and also the founder of Sydney Islamic College that delivers Islamic studies to adults. He also held the position of the secretary of the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) from 2006 to 2010.

He operates from various mosques in Australia. He also travels to numerous interstate and overseas countries in which he delivers lectures and participates in many different Islamic conferences and events around the world.

References[link]

External links[link]

• http://uma.org.au/ask-the-sheikh/about-sheikh-shady.html
• http://www.sydneyic.org.au/web.php/teachers/shady
• http://www.aussiemuslims.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17694
• http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/200910218934/Local-News/talk-on-islam-in-australia.html
• http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/imam-body-to-bridge-culture-gulf/story-e6frg6nf-1111112608284
• http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/muslim-body-yielding-to-extremist-views/story-e6frg6nf-1111112614679
• http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/mufti-aims-for-quiet-return/story-e6frf7l6-1111112860855
• http://news.brunei.fm/2009/10/30/islamic-experience-in-australia/