Qisas Al-Anbiya
/ˈqɪsɑːs æl ʌnˈbiːjə/noun
An Islamic literary genre recounting narratives about the prophets, especially those mentioned in the Qur’an and earlier Abrahamic traditions.
Did you know?The Arabic word qiṣaṣ can mean both “stories” and “traces” or “that which is followed,” linking prophetic storytelling with the idea of retracing a sacred path.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*qaṣṣ
“To cut, divide, follow a track, or recount in sequence”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
qiṣṣa
“A story, tale, or narrative; literally connected with following a sequence or trace”
Qur'anic Arabic
Arabic
qaṣaṣ
“Narratives or accounts, including sacred accounts of earlier peoples and prophets”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
nabī
“Prophet; a person conveying divine revelation”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
anbiyāʾ
“Prophets, the plural of nabī”
Medieval Islamic literature
Arabic
Qiṣaṣ al-Anbiyāʾ
“Stories of the Prophets, a developed genre of prophetic and sacred-history narratives”
Modern English
English
Qisas al-Anbiya
“A transliterated name for the Islamic genre or body of works about the prophets”