Elijah
إلياس
Elijah calls his people away from Baal to Allah and is remembered with honour.
Named directly in the Quran.
The story through its verses
Read continuously: every passage is already open and arranged in narrative order.
A messenger to his people
Elijah asks why they call upon Baal and abandon the best Creator.
وَإِنَّ إِلْيَاسَ لَمِنَ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ
Elijah was indeed one of the messengers.
أَتَدْعُونَ بَعْلًا وَتَذَرُونَ أَحْسَنَ ٱلْخَـٰلِقِينَ
Do you call upon Ba‘l[28] and ignore the Best of the Creators,
ٱللَّهَ رَبَّكُمْ وَرَبَّ ءَابَآئِكُمُ ٱلْأَوَّلِينَ
Allah, your Lord and the Lord of your forefathers?”
Rejected except by sincere servants
Most reject him while sincere servants are distinguished.
فَكَذَّبُوهُ فَإِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ
But they rejected him, so they will surely be brought [for punishment],
إِلَّا عِبَادَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ
except the chosen slaves of Allah.
Honour among later generations
Peace is pronounced upon Elijah among the doers of good.
وَتَرَكْنَا عَلَيْهِ فِى ٱلْـَٔاخِرِينَ
And We left for him [a favorable mention] among later generations:
سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَىٰٓ إِلْ يَاسِينَ
“Peace be upon Elias.”
إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
He was one of Our believing slaves.
The Quran gives no further biography.