The story in short
- Arabic name
- يعقوب
- English name
- Jacob, also called Israil
- Named in the Quran
- 16 times
- Sent to
- His family and the people of Canaan; the father of the twelve tribes
- Main surahs
- Yusuf, Al-Baqarah, Maryam
- In the list of 25
- 10 of 25
In short: Yaqub is the son of Ishaq and the grandson of Ibrahim. He had twelve sons, among them Yusuf. When his other sons took Yusuf and came back with a false story, Yaqub said "sabrun jamil", beautiful patience, and complained only to Allah. He wept until his eyes turned white, but never lost hope, and Allah reunited them. At his death he made his sons promise to worship Allah alone.
The story of Yaqub
The name Israil
The Quran speaks of "the descendants of Ibrahim and Israil" (19:58) and of food that "Israil had made unlawful to himself" (3:93). Scholars, following Ibn Abbas, explain that Israil is Yaqub, so the Children of Israel (Bani Israil) are his descendants.
Beautiful patience
When his sons brought back Yusuf's shirt with false blood on it, Yaqub said: "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. And Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe" (12:18). Years later he lost a second son, Binyamin, and said the same: "So patience is most fitting. Perhaps Allah will bring them to me all together" (12:83). His eyes became white from grief (12:84). When his sons reproached him, he said: "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know" (12:86). He sent them back to search: "Despair not of relief from Allah" (12:87).
Reunion
Yusuf sent his shirt with his brothers. When it was cast over Yaqub's face his sight returned, and he said: "Did I not tell you that I know from Allah that which you do not know?" (12:96). He forgave his sons and asked forgiveness for them (12:98). The family travelled to Egypt, and Yusuf raised his parents on the throne (12:99-100).
His counsel at death
"Or were you witnesses when death approached Yaqub, when he said to his sons, 'What will you worship after me?' They said, 'We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Ibrahim and Ismail and Ishaq, one God. And we are Muslims to Him'" (2:133). Ibrahim had given the same instruction: "Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims" (2:132).
Key verses
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٨٦﴾ يَٰبَنِىَّ ٱذْهَبُوا۟ فَتَحَسَّسُوا۟ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَا۟يْـَٔسُوا۟ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يَا۟يْـَٔسُ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ ﴿٨٧﴾
Qaala innamaaa ashkoo bassee wa huzneee ilal laahi wa a'lamu minal laahi maa laa ta'lamoon Yaa baniyyaz haboo fatahassasoo miny Yoosufa wa akheehi wa laa tai'asoo mir rawhil laahi innahoo laa yai'asu mir rawhil laahi illal qawmul kaafiroon
(86) He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know. (87) O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."
Quran 12:86-87 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Yusuf
وَوَصَّىٰ بِهَآ إِبْرَٰهِۦمُ بَنِيهِ وَيَعْقُوبُ يَٰبَنِىَّ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱصْطَفَىٰ لَكُمُ ٱلدِّينَ فَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ ﴿١٣٢﴾ أَمْ كُنتُمْ شُهَدَآءَ إِذْ حَضَرَ يَعْقُوبَ ٱلْمَوْتُ إِذْ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنۢ بَعْدِى قَالُوا۟ نَعْبُدُ إِلَٰهَكَ وَإِلَٰهَ ءَابَآئِكَ إِبْرَٰهِۦمَ وَإِسْمَٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ إِلَٰهًۭا وَٰحِدًۭا وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ ﴿١٣٣﴾
Wa wassaa bihaaa Ibraaheemu baneehi wa Ya'qoob, yaa baniyya innal laahas tafaa lakumud deena falaa tamootunna illaa wa antum muslimoon Am kuntum shuhadaaa'a iz hadara Ya'qoobal mawtu iz qaala libaneehi maa ta'budoona mim ba'dee qaaloo na'budu ilaahaka wa ilaaha aabaaa'ika Ibraaheema wa Ismaa'eela wa Ishaaqa Ilaahanw waahidanw wa nahnu lahoo muslimoon
(132) And Abraham instructed his sons [to do the same] and [so did] Jacob, [saying], "O my sons, indeed Allah has chosen for you this religion, so do not die except while you are Muslims." (133) Or were you witnesses when death approached Jacob, when he said to his sons, "What will you worship after me?" They said, "We will worship your God and the God of your fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac - one God. And we are Muslims [in submission] to Him."
Quran 2:132-133 · Sahih International · Read in Surah Al-Baqarah
Lessons from the story
- Sabr jamil is patience without complaint to people. Grief and tears are allowed; despair is not.
- Complaint belongs to Allah alone: "I only complain of my suffering and grief to Allah."
- A parent's greatest concern is the faith of their children after them.
- Forgiving family who wronged you, as Yaqub and Yusuf did, opens the way to reunion.
Where it is in the Quran
The main passages about Yaqub, with links to read and listen to each surah:
- Surah Yusuf 12:4-101
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:132-133
- Surah Maryam 19:49-50
- Surah Al-Anbiya 21:72-73
- Surah Sad 38:45-47
What is authentic, and what is not
The story of Yaqub's wrestling found in earlier scriptures, and details of his marriages to two sisters, are not in the Quran or sahih hadith. We have left them out. The number of his sons, twelve, follows from Yusuf's dream of eleven stars (12:4).
We follow Ibn Kathir's Qasas al-Anbiya only where it rests on the Quran and sound hadith. Isra'iliyyat are reports taken from earlier scriptures and storytellers. Scholars allow mentioning them only when they do not contradict the Quran and Sunnah, and they are never treated as certain.
Questions
Is Yaqub the same as Israil?
Yes. Scholars explain that Israil, mentioned in 3:93 and 19:58, is Yaqub, so the Children of Israel are his descendants.
How many sons did Yaqub have?
Twelve: Yusuf and his eleven brothers, the eleven stars of Yusuf's dream (12:4).
What is sabrun jamil?
Beautiful patience: patience with no complaint to people, while turning to Allah alone, as Yaqub said in 12:18 and 12:83.
Did Yaqub become blind?
His eyes turned white from grief (12:84), and his sight returned when Yusuf's shirt was cast over his face (12:96).
Sources
- Ibn Kathir, Qasas al-Anbiya, chapter on Yaqub, and his tafsir of 3:93, 2:132-133 and Surah Yusuf.
- Quran: Arabic from the Tanzil Uthmani text, English by Sahih International. In quotations within the text, the prophets' names are given in their Arabic form (Musa for Moses, Ibrahim for Abraham).
The rulings on this page are pending review by the scholars on our team.