Are Prophets Armiya and Shamuel (Samuel), peace be upon them, the same person with two different names? I have read many books‚ some mention the name Armiya and others Shamuel? What is the correct narrative?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The reliable opinion of the scholars is that they are both prophets and are different persons.

Ibn Katheer said regarding the biography of Shamweel (Samuel):

“He is Shamweel or Ashmaweel ibn Baali ibn ‘Alqamah ibn Yarkham ibn Alyahwa ibn Tahw ibn Soof ibn ‘Alqamah ibn Maahith ibn ‘Amousa ibn ‘Izryah. Muqaatil said, “He is from the descendants of Haaroon (Aaron). Mujaahid said, ‘He is Ashmaweel ibn Halfaaqa. This is as far as his lineage is known, and Allaah knows best.’ As-Suddi narrated from Ibn Abbaas and Ibn Mas'oud and other Companions, and from Ath-Tha'labi and others that when the Giants from the land of Gaza and Ashkelon overcame the children of Israel, and killed many of them, and took as captives many of them, the prophethood halted among their various tribes and only a pregnant woman remained of the offspring of Laawi (Levi). The woman kept invoking Allaah to grant her a boy. Allaah answered her supplcations and gave her a boy whom she called 'Shamweel' which, in Hebrew, means Ismaa'eel, i.e. 'Allaah has heard my pleas.'

When he grew up, she sent him to the mosque and she handed him over to a pious man so that the child could keep his company and learn from his righteousness and worship. So the child stayed with this man.

When he reached maturity, as he was sleeping one night, he heard a voice from the corner of the mosque calling him. He was frightened and thought that it was his Shaykh (mentor) who was calling him. So he asked his Shaykh, ‘Did you call me?’ The Shaykh did not want to frighten him (by telling him that he did not call him) [as there was nobody else in the mosque]; so the Shaykh told him, ‘Yes, go to sleep.’ So, he slept. Then he was called a second time, and then a third time. It was Jibreel (Gabriel) who was calling him, and he told him, ‘Your Lord has sent you to your people."

Allaah has told us his story with his people (the Israelites). Allaah says (what means): {Have you not considered the assembly of the Children of Israel after [the time of] Moses when they said to a prophet of theirs: Send to us a king, and we will fight in the way of Allaah? He said: Would you perhaps refrain from fighting if fighting was prescribed for you? They said: And why should we not fight in the cause of Allaah when we have been driven out from our homes and from our children? But when fighting was prescribed for them, they turned away, except for a few of them. And Allaah is Knowing of the wrongdoers...} [Quran 2:246]  .’”

Then Ibn Katheer said, “Many interpreters of the Quran said, ‘The Prophet of those people mentioned in this story is Shamweel (Samuel).’ It was also said, ‘He is Sham'oon (Simon).’ It was said as well, ‘They are the same person.’” [i.e. both names apply to the same person]." [End of quote]

As regards Armiya (Jeremiah), Ibn Katheer said, “Among them was Armiya ibn Halqiya of the offspring of Laawi (Levi), son of Ya'qoob (Jacob); it was also said that he was Al-Khadir. This was reported by Adh-Dhahhaak from Ibn ‘Abbaas . But this is not authentic.”

Ibn ‘Asaakir said, “Some reports mention that Armiya stood at the side of the blood of Yahya ibn Zakariyah (John son of Zechariah [the slain Prophet]) which was flowing in Damascus and he addressed the blood, saying, ‘O blood, you have afflicted the people, so stop.’ So, the blood stopped, diminished and then disappeared. Abu Bakr ibn Abi Ad-Dunya said, ‘Ali ibn Abi Maryam reported to me from Ahmed ibn Habbaab from ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abdur-Rahmaan who said, ‘Armiya said, ‘O Lord, whom amongst Your slaves is most beloved to you?’ He [Allaah] said, ‘They are those who mention Me much, who are busy mentioning Me rather than mentioning the creatures, who are not exposed to the obsession with richness, and who do not believe to be eternal [who realize that they are going to leave this world], who when they are presented with the provisions of this life, they hate it, and when the provisions of this life are kept away from them, they become happy; they are those whom I love and for whom I provide more than their aspirations.’’” [End of quote]

It is obvious from the above that they are two different Prophets of the Children of Israel, one of them came after Moosa (Moses) and before Daawood (David) while the other came after Daawood, may Allaah exalt their mention.

In any case, there is not much benefit in elaborating about this matter as there are no authentic reports from the Prophet about it.

Allaah knows best.