Prophet Yaqub (Jacob) عليه السلام

Israel — Father of the Twelve Tribes — A Life of Trust, Patience and Faith

"O my sons! Allah has chosen for you the true religion, then die not except in the Faith of Islam."

— Prophet Yaqub (AS) — Surah Al-Baqarah 2:132

🌿 The Twin Who Was Chosen

Yaqub (AS) was born a twin alongside his brother Esau (Al-Eis). Allah chose Yaqub (AS) for prophethood — a choice that created a jealousy so severe in his brother that Esau threatened to kill him. Fearing for his life, Yaqub (AS) fled to his maternal uncle Laban in the land of Haran.

On his journey, when night came and he found a place to rest, he put a stone beneath his head and slept. He dreamed of a ladder stretching from earth to heaven, with angels ascending and descending, and Allah addressing him: "I will bless you and your offspring and make this land for you and for those who come after you."

He awoke filled with joy, poured oil on the stone to mark the spot, and vowed to build a temple for Allah there if he returned safely. He called the place Bethel — the House of Allah — which would later become the location of Jerusalem.

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Twenty Years of Service — His Wives and Children

When Yaqub (AS) arrived at his uncle Laban's home, he found two daughters — the elder Leah, and the younger Rachel, who was the lovelier of the two. Laban agreed to give Rachel in marriage in exchange for seven years of shepherding his flocks. But on the night of the wedding, Laban substituted Leah in the darkness. When Yaqub discovered the deception in the morning, Laban explained it was not their custom to marry the younger before the elder — but offered Rachel to him after another seven years of service. Yaqub (AS) agreed, and in the end, he worked a total of twenty years for his uncle.

From these two wives and their servants, Yaqub (AS) was blessed with twelve sons — the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel. From Leah came six sons. From Rachel came Yusuf (AS) and Binyamin. From the two servants came four more sons. Yusuf (AS), the beloved son of Rachel, would go on to become one of the greatest prophets of Allah.

🕊️ The Return and the Name Israel

When Allah inspired Yaqub (AS) to return to his homeland, he prepared generously for the reunion with his estranged brother Esau. Fearing Esau's anger, he sent ahead a vast gift — hundreds of animals in droves — and prayed humbly to Allah to protect him from Esau's threatened revenge.

On the eve of the meeting, an angel appeared to him in the form of a man. They wrestled through the night until the angel struck his thigh, leaving Yaqub lame. At dawn, the angel asked his name. When he replied "Yaqub," the angel said: "After today you shall not be called anything but Israel."

When Esau saw him approaching, prostrating humbly seven times as was the custom of salutation, all the old anger melted away. Esau ran towards him, embraced him, and they wept together. The reunion was one of forgiveness, mercy, and the end of decades of separation.

📖 The Quran on Yaqub (AS) and His Legacy

The Quran uses the story of Yaqub (AS) and his family to address a question that confronted the early Muslim community: were Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq and Yaqub Jews or Christians? Allah answers directly:

The religion of Ibrahim, Ismail, Ishaq, and Yaqub was Islam — submission to the One Allah. Their legacy flows directly into the message of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, completing and sealing the chain of revelation that began with the first prophet, Adam (AS).

May Allah be pleased with Prophet Yaqub (AS) — whose patience through exile, hardship and separation, and whose final testament of Tawheed to his sons, stands as a guiding light for every Muslim parent.

عليه السلام — Peace be upon him