Idris (prophet)

Name

The name Idris may derive from a root meaning interpreter, a meaning consistent with the prophet's interpretive and mystical role in Islamic tradition. Later eighth-century Muslim sources held that Idris had two names, Idris and Enoch, and some stated that his true name was Enoch, with Idris being an Arabic designation due to his devotion to studying the sacred books of Adam and Seth.

Muslim literature

Later Muslim writings place Idris's birth in Babylon. Before receiving divine revelation, he followed the rules revealed to Prophet Seth. After many sins persisted despite his urging, Idris left Babylon with some followers, saying that if they immigrated for Allah, He would provide for them. They reached Egypt and saw the Nile River, where Idris stood and mentioned Allah.

Islamic literature states Idris was made a prophet around age 40, during a time when people had begun to worship fire. He divided his time: three days preaching and four days devoted solely to worship. Early commentators like al-Tabari credited him with great wisdom and knowledge. Tafsir narrates that Idris was among the first men to use the pen and to observe the movement of stars and set out scientific weights and measures.

Ibn Arabi described Idris as the prophet of the philosophers, and he was credited with several inventions, including the art of making garments.

Identification

Idris is widely equated with Enoch, the patriarch from the Generations of Adam. Classical Quranic commentators like al-Tabari and Qadi Baydawi made this connection; Baizawi stated that Idris descended from Seth, was an ancestor of Noah, and bore the name Enoch. Modern scholars disagree, citing a lack of firm evidence. Under this identification, Idris’s father is Yarid, his mother Barkanah, and his wife Aadanah.

His son Methuselah becomes the grandfather of Noah, placing Idris as Noah’s great-grandfather. Antoine Faivre observed that Hermes Trismegistus holds a role in Islamic tradition, even though the Quran never mentions Hermes.

Early Islamic hagiographers and chroniclers quickly linked Hermes Trismegistus to Idris. The title “Thrice-Wise” came from a threefold origin: the first Hermes, a civilizing hero, inscribed sacred science into Egyptian hieroglyphs; the second, in Babylon, taught Pythagoras; the third introduced alchemy. The Sabians of Harran, a star-worshipping sect, traced their teachings back to Hermes Trismegistus.