Anbiya
/ænˈbiː.jə/noun
An Arabic-derived plural term meaning prophets, especially in Islamic religious writing.
Did you know?Al-Anbiya, meaning “The Prophets,” is the title of the 21st chapter of the Qur’an, which refers to several prophetic figures.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*nabīʾ
“A prophet or one who announces divine messages; the deeper root is debated.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
נָבִיא (nāvīʾ)
“A prophet, traditionally understood as a spokesperson for God.”
Late Antique Period
Aramaic
נְבִיָא (nəḇiyyā)
“A prophet; an important intermediary form in the religious vocabulary of the Near East.”
Early Islamic Arabic
Arabic
نَبِيّ (nabī)
“A prophet; the singular form used in Islamic scripture and theology.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
أَنْبِيَاء (anbiyāʾ)
“The broken plural of nabī, meaning prophets.”
Modern English
English
anbiya
“A transliterated Arabic plural used in English-language Islamic and South Asian religious contexts.”