Why Prophet Ilyaas was called Ilyaaseen in the Quran

12-5-2016 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu alaykum. What was the reason and wisdom of Allaah saying the name of Prophet Ilyaas the way He did in verse 37:130?
Answer:

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 sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger. 

Ilyaas and Ilyaaseen are two names for this Prophet. Al-Qurtubi may Allaah have mercy upon him said, “What is meant is Ilyaas may Allaah exalt his mention and it is on him that Allaah sent peace (i.e. in the verse which means, 'Peace be upon Ilyaaseen' [Quran 37:130]), but it is a non-Arabic name. The Arabs confuse these non-Arabic names and they frequently change them. Ibn Jinni may Allaah have mercy upon him said, 'The Arabs greatly alter the pronunciation of non-Arabic names; Yaaseen, Ilyaas and Ilyaaseen are the same person...'”

Besides, the Tafseer of At-Tabari, reads, “The reciters of the Quran differed in reciting the saying of Allaah: {Peace be upon Ilyaaseen} [Quran 37:130] The majority of the reciters of Makkah, Basrah, and Koofah pronounced it Ilyaaseen. Some of them said that this was the name of Ilyaas and that he was called by two names: Ilyaas and Ilyaaseen; like Ibraaheem and Ibraahaam…”

Allaah knows best.

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