The Story of Prophet Dh al-Kifl: The Patient and the Steadfast (UK British Muslim Guide)

The Story of Prophet Dhul-Kifl: The Ultimate UK Guide

Prophet Dhul-Kifl is one of the lesser-known prophets named in the Qur'an. He is mentioned only twice, and only by name, with brief praise. However, that very brevity invites the British Muslim to look more closely at what little the Qur'an does say, and to draw out the lessons it intends. Therefore this guide collects what is known, what classical scholarship has held, and what the Qur'an's brief mentions teach.

The two Quranic mentions of Prophet Dhul-Kifl

Dhul-Kifl appears in two passages, both in lists of righteous prophets.

Surat al-Anbiyaʾ 21:85–86:

﴿وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِدْرِيسَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ ۖ كُلٌّ مِّنَ الصَّابِرِينَ ۝ وَأَدْخَلْنَاهُمْ فِي رَحْمَتِنَا ۖ إِنَّهُم مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَ﴾
— الأنبياء: ٨٥–٨٦

Surat Saad 38:48:

﴿وَاذْكُرْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَذَا الْكِفْلِ ۖ وَكُلٌّ مِّنَ الْأَخْيَارِ﴾
— ص: ٤٨

Both passages place him among the patient and the outstanding. Notably, the Qur'an does not narrate his life events; instead, it asserts his character.

Who was Prophet Dhul-Kifl?

Classical Islamic scholarship has held varying views, which broadly fall into three groups:

• A standalone prophet — the majority view. A righteous man who received divine guidance and whom scripture recognised by his title. Dhul-Kifl means "the possessor of the share" or "the responsible one".

• An honoured righteous man, not technically a prophet — a minority view in some classical works.

• Identified with biblical figures. Some scholars have suggested identifications with Ezekiel, Obadiah or Joshua, though without firm evidence.

The mainstream Sunni position treats him as a prophet, on the strength of his grouping in al-Anbiyaʾ ("The Prophets") with named prophets such as Ismaʿil and Idris.

The traditional narrative

Several classical commentaries — Ibn Kathir's Qisas al-Anbiyaʾ and al-Ṭabari's Tafsir — preserve traditions about his name. The most widely cited account runs as follows.

An earlier prophet, sometimes identified as al-Yasaʿ, was looking for a successor. He set three conditions: the successor must fast every day, pray every night, and never become angry. Many candidates declined. However, a young man stood up and accepted. He then fulfilled the conditions consistently. As a result, he was named "Dhul-Kifl" — the one who took on the responsibility — and was later raised to prophethood himself.

Other accounts emphasise his patience under provocation. Iblis supposedly tried to make him angry through various tests, yet he never broke.

These narratives are not authenticated to the standard of hadith. Therefore Muslim scholars treat them as edifying traditions rather than confirmed history. What the Qur'an clearly affirms is his patience and his place among the righteous.

What the Qur'an emphasises about Prophet Dhul-Kifl

Two qualities are named explicitly in al-Anbiyaʾ 21:85–86:

• Sabr (patience): "all were of the patient".

• Salah (righteousness): "they were of the righteous".

Here, the brevity of his mention is itself the lesson. Not every prophet's life is narrated in detail. Rather, Allah preserves the names of righteous people whose life events remain known only to Him. The British Muslim takeaway is clear: your invisibility to the wider world does not affect your record with Allah. Recognition is not what matters.

Lessons for British Muslim families

1. Patience is a primary prophetic quality

The Qur'an consistently lists patience as the defining characteristic of the prophets — the one quality shared by figures as different as Ayyub (in suffering), Yusuf (in slander), Musa (in exile) and Dhul-Kifl (in obscurity). For a British Muslim navigating long career timelines, slow visa processes, child-raising marathons or chronic illness, patience is not a soft virtue. On the contrary, it is the prophetic skill.

2. Hidden righteousness counts

If Allah preserves a prophet's name with two verses of brief praise — and yet does not record that prophet's full deeds — then your hidden good deeds, your prayers in the night, your charity to strangers and your patience under unobserved difficulty are all recorded perfectly. In short, visibility is irrelevant.

3. Acceptance of responsibility

The traditional account — that Dhul-Kifl earned his title by accepting the burden others declined — is a model for British Muslims weighing community service, mosque committee roles, charity work or a school PTA. Indeed, the acceptance itself is an act of worship.

4. Anger management as prophetic

The traditional accounts emphasise his control over anger. Fittingly, the Prophet ﷺ said: "The strong is not the one who overcomes people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself when angry" (Bukhari).

5. Do not seek fame for righteousness

The brevity of Dhul-Kifl's mention carries its own lesson. Some prophets lived large public lives, such as Musa, Yusuf and Sulayman. Others lived quieter lives that Allah valued no less. The Qur'an honours both patterns.

Pair with related stories

• The Story of Prophet Dawud

• The Story of Prophet Harun

• The Story of Ayyub's Wife — patience under suffering

The wider context of the prophets in al-Anbiyaʾ

The story of prophet Dhu al-Kifl: The patient and the Steadfast is very inspiring to Muslims worldwide. Surat al-Anbiyaʾ moves through a sequence of prophets — Musa Harun, Ibrahim, Luṭ, Ishaq, Yaʿqub, Nuḥ, Dawud, Sulayman, Ayyub, Ismaʿil, Idris, Dhu al-Kifl, Yunus, Zakariyya, Yahya, ʿIsa. Each is given specific praise. The cumulative effect is an extraordinary portrait of human capability under divine direction.

British Muslim children should be introduced to all of them — even the briefly-mentioned ones. Dhu al-Kifl is a reminder that prophetic example is not always loud.

Closing

The story of prophet Dhu al-Kifl: The patient and the Steadfast is very inspiring to Muslims worldwide. Prophet Dhu al-Kifl is the patron of patient hidden service. The British Muslim who works quietly, takes on responsibility no one else will, and never seeks credit follows a prophetic template the Qur'an explicitly honours. Book a free Eaalim Qur'ān class to study Surat al-Anbiyaʾ with a qualified teacher.