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

Prophet Dhū al-Kifl ʿalayhi al-salām is one of the lesser-known prophets named in the Qur'an. He is mentioned only twice — and only by name, with brief praise. The brevity invites the British Muslim to look more deeply at what little the Qur'an does say, and to draw the lessons it intends. This piece collects what is known, what classical scholarship has held, and what the Qur'an's brief mentions teach.

The two Qur'anic mentions

Dhū al-Kifl is named in two passages, both in lists of righteous prophets:

Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ 21:85-86: "And [mention] Ismāʿīl and Idrīs and Dhū al-Kifl — all were of the patient. And We admitted them into Our mercy. Indeed, they were of the righteous."

Sūrat Ṣād 38:48: "And remember Ismāʿīl, al-Yasaʿ, and Dhū al-Kifl — and all are among the outstanding."

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

Who was Dhū al-Kifl?

Classical Islamic scholarship has held varying views, broadly grouped:

1. A standalone prophet — the majority view. A righteous man who received divine guidance and was recognised in scripture by his title (Dhū al-Kifl meaning "the possessor of the share" or "the responsible one").
2. An honoured righteous man, not technically a prophet — a minority view in some classical works.
3. 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 being grouped in al-Anbiyāʾ ("The Prophets") with other named prophets like Ismāʿīl and Idrīs.

The traditional narrative

Several classical commentaries (Ibn Kathīr's Qiṣaṣ al-Anbiyāʾ, al-Ṭabarī's Tafsīr) preserve traditions about his name. The most widely cited account:

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

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

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

What the Qur'an emphasises about him — and why

Two qualities, named explicitly in al-Anbiyāʾ 21:85-86:

1. Ṣabr (patience): "All were of the patient."
2. Ṣalāḥ (righteousness): "They were of the righteous."

The brevity of his mention is the lesson. Not every prophet's life is narrated in detail. Allah preserves the names of righteous people whose life events remain known only to Him. The British Muslim takeaway: 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 common to figures as different as Ayyūb (in suffering), Yūsuf (in slander), Mūsā (in exile), and Dhū al-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 — it is the prophetic skill.

2. Hidden righteousness counts

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

3. Acceptance of responsibility

The traditional account — that Dhū al-Kifl earned his title by accepting the burden others declined — is a model for British Muslims considering community service, mosque committee roles, charity work, school PTA, or any voluntary role no one else will take. The acceptance itself is an act of worship.

4. Anger management as prophetic

The traditional accounts emphasise his control over anger. 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" (Bukhārī).

5. Don't seek fame for righteousness

The brevity of Dhū al-Kifl's mention is itself a lesson. Some prophets lived large public lives (Mūsā, Yūsuf, Sulaymān). Others lived quieter lives that Allah valued no less. Both patterns are honoured in the Qur'an.

Pair with related stories

• The Story of Prophet Dāwūd
• The Story of Prophet Hārūn
• The Story of Ayyūb's Wife — patience under suffering

The wider context of the prophets in al-Anbiyāʾ

Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ moves through a sequence of prophets — Mūsā, Hārūn, Ibrāhīm, Lūṭ, Isḥāq, Yaʿqūb, Nūḥ, Dāwūd, Sulaymān, Ayyūb, Ismāʿīl, Idrīs, Dhū al-Kifl, Yūnus, Zakariyyā, Yaḥyā, ʿĪsā. 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. Dhū al-Kifl is a reminder that prophetic example is not always loud.

Closing

Prophet Dhū al-Kifl ʿalayhi al-salām 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 Sūrat al-Anbiyāʾ with a qualified teacher.