Ya'qub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim ibn Tarakh (Arabic: يعقوب بن إسحاق بن إبراهيم بن تارخ [jaʕquːb ʔibn ʔisħaːq ʔibn ʔibraːhiːm ʔibn ʔtarːakh], transl. Jacob, son of Isaac, the son of Abraham), later given the name Isra'il (إِسْرَائِيل, transl. 'Israel'), is recognized by Muslims as an Islamic prophet. He is held to have preached the same monotheism as his forefathers: Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac.
Jacob is mentioned sixteen times in the Quran. Two further references to "Israil" are believed to be mentions of Jacob. According to the Bible, Jacob was born in Canaan, the land where his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham had settled. Specifically, Genesis mentions that Isaac lived in Beersheba (Genesis 25:27), which is where his twin sons, Esau and Jacob, were born.
At that time, the name "Israel" did not yet exist as a country. It was later, after his struggle with an angel, that Jacob was given the name Israel, and his descendants, the twelve tribes, would form the people of Israel and settle in the land of Canaan, which would later become the nation of Israel. In the majority of these references, Jacob, identified as a son of Isaac, is mentioned alongside fellow Hebrews as an ancient and pious prophet who stayed in the "company of the elect" and asserted the tawhid (The oneness of God) throughout his life. In Islam, as in Judaism and Christianity, it is stated that Jacob had twelve sons, who went on to father the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Jacob plays a significant role in the story of his son Joseph. The Quran further makes it clear that God made a covenant with Jacob, and that Jacob was made a faithful leader by divine command. His grandfather Abraham, his father Isaac, his uncle Ishmael, and his son Joseph are all recognized as Islamic prophets.
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In the Quran
Jacob is mentioned by name in the Quran sixteen times. Although many of these verses praise him rather than recount an instance from his narrative, the Quran nonetheless records several significant events from his life. In Islamic culture and literature, the earliest event involving Jacob in the Quran is that of the angels giving "glad tidings" to Abraham and Sarah of the future birth of a prophetic son by the name of Isaac as well as a prophetic grandson by the name of Jacob. The Quran states:
And when he had separated himself from them, and from the idols which they worshipped besides God, We gave him Isaac and Jacob; and We made each of them a prophet
The Quran also mentions that Abraham taught the faith of pure monotheism to his sons, Ishmael and Isaac, as well as Jacob. The Quran records Abraham telling Ishmael, Isaac and Jacob: "Oh my sons! God hath chosen the Faith for you; then die not except in the Faith of Islam." The Quran also mentions the gifts given to Jacob as well as the strength of his faith, which became stronger as he became older. The Quran mentions that Jacob was "guided"; given "knowledge"; "inspired"; and was given a "tongue of truthfulness to be heard". The Quran later states the following regarding Jacob:
And We blessed him with Isaac ˹as a son˺ and Jacob ˹as a grandson˺, as an additional favour—making all of them righteous. We ˹also˺ made them leaders, guiding by Our command, and inspired them to do good deeds, establish prayer, and pay alms-tax. And they were devoted to Our worship.
And remember Our servants: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—the men of strength and insight.We truly chose them for the honour of proclaiming the Hereafter.And in Our sight they are truly among the chosen and the finest.
Jacob and his sons
Jacob's next significant mention in the Quran is in the narrative of the chapter (surah) Yusuf:
Q12.4 Joseph tells his father of his vision of eleven stars and the sun and the moon bowing down to him
5 Jacob warns Joseph against the jealousy of his brethren
6 Jacob understands the dream to signify Joseph's future prophetic character
7 Joseph's story is a sign of God's providence
8 Joseph's brethren are jealous of him and of Benjamin
9 They counsel together to kill or to expatriate him
10 One of them advises putting him into a well
11–12 They beg their father to send Joseph with them
13 Jacob hesitates through fear that Joseph may be devoured by a wolf
14–15 Joseph's brethren, receiving their father's consent, take him with them and put him in a well
15 God sends a revelation to Joseph in the well
16–17 The brethren bring to Jacob the report that Joseph had been devoured by a wolf
18 Jacob does not believe the story of his sons
19–20 Certain travelers find Joseph and carry him into bondage
Prophetic legacy
Jacob is very special in Islam for carrying on the legacy left by his forefathers. Muslims believe God bestowed His utmost grace upon Jacob and chose him to be among the most exalted men. The Quran frequently mentions Jacob as a man of might and vision and stresses he was of the company of the good and elect. As the Quran says:
This was the argument We gave Abraham against his people. We elevate in rank whoever We please. Surely your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.And We blessed him with Isaac and Jacob. We guided them all as We previously guided Noah and those among his descendants: David, Solomon, Job, Joseph, Moses, and Aaron. This is how We reward the good-doers.
Ali ibn Abi Talib, when asked about the prophets who were bestowed special names, narrates in Hadith that Ya'qub ibn Ishaq was known by his people as Isra'il.
Instances in the Bible involving Jacob wrestling with an angel are not mentioned in the Quran, but are discussed in Muslim commentaries, as is the vision of Jacob's Ladder. Jacob tricking Isaac into blessing him by impersonating his twin, Esau, is also not in the Quran, but is in Muslim commentaries.
Muslims, who do believe Jacob was a great patriarch, stress the belief that Jacob's main importance lay in his great submission to God and his firm faith in the right religion. As a patriarch, Jacob, alongside Abraham, may be the most fruitful according to tradition. From his twelve sons were to come many other great prophets, including Jonah, (David), Solomon, and Jesus.
Tomb in Hebron
Jacob is believed by Muslims and Jews alike to be buried in the Cave of the Patriarchs (known by Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham). The compound, located in the city of Hebron, is the second holiest site for Jews (after the Temple Mount in Jerusalem), and is also venerated by Christians and Muslims, both of whom have traditions that maintain that the site is the burial place of three Biblical couples: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah.
Quranic references to Jacob
Appraisals for Jacob: Quran 6:84, 19:50, 21:72-73, 38:45-47
Jacob's prophecy: Quran 4:163, 6:84, 12:6, 19:49, 21:73
Jacob's preaching Quran 2:132-133, 2:136, 2:140, 3:84, 21:73
Food refusal: Quran 3:93
Love for Joseph: Quran 12:8, 12:13, 12:84-85, 12:94-95
Jacob's attributes: Quran 12:86, 12:96, 38:44
Jacob's family: Quran 2:136, 2:149, 3:84, 4:163, 7:160