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The other day I was at a retreat and they shaykh reminded all of us that it’s actually essential knowledge for every Muslim to know the names of all of the Prophets & Messengers mentioned in the Quran.
There are 25 in total, including the Prophet Muhammad, peace & blessings upon them all.
So, when I got home, my niece came round and we played a quick, easy, fun game and by the time we were done with dinner, everyone around the table knew all 25 names in order.
It’s an old ice-breaker/ memory training game I remember from my days as a student trainer.
It goes like this:
You say the first name: “Adam” and everyone sings “Alayhi Salam” (upon him be peace, abbreviated as ‘as’).
Then, you give the next person on the table the next name: Idrees.
They have to say “Adam, alayhi Salam; Idrees alayhi Salam”
Then, you give the next person the next name: Nuh.
They have to say: Adam, alayhi Salam; Idress alayhi Salam; Nuh alayhi Salam
You keep going round the table, giving each person (yourself included) the next name, then they have to recite them all from the beginning. After each name is recited, everyone sings ‘alayhi Salam’.
It’s much more fun than trying to sit there learning them all on your own. And kids love it too – mainly because they want to win the game and catch the adults out (which they often do!)
By the time dinner is done, everyone will be totally engaged, just like playing a board game or something, but everyone will walk away with the benefit of knowing all 25 names in the correct chronological order, like the back of their hand – and group them into families (as laid out below).
After that, to keep them firm, I recommend ending each prayer with reciting all the prophets’ names for the next few days, just to make sure it’s locked into your long-term memory. Or just bring it up again at dinner every now & then.
Now, let’s see if I still remember them all…
Adam (as)
Idrees (as)
Nuh (as)
Hud (as)
Salih (as)
Ibraheem (as)
Lut (as)
Ismaeel (as)
Is’haq (as)
Yaqoub (as)
Yusuf (as)
Ayub (as)
Shuaib (as)
Musa (as)
Haroon (as)
Dawud (as)
Sulaiman (as)
Ilyas (as)
Ilyasa (as)
Zul Kifl (as)
Yunus (as)
Zakariyah (as)
Yahya (as)
Isa (as)
Muhammad – sal-Allahu alayhi wa salam!
(The peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
Phew! Still got ‘em.
Now, it’s one thing to know all the names. It’s another to actually live by their teachings.
For that, you better remember to book your ticket to my next event, “Inside The Soul Of Islam: Live”, before tonight, Sunday 7/7 at midnight, because the £400 Early Bird discount ends :
