The Qur‘an: an Encyclopedia
Idris was a prophet, first mentioned by name in 19.56. 19.57 states that God took Idris up ‘to a high place’, which is interpreted by Muslim exegetes as a reference to Idris being raised to heaven before he died. Along with Adam, Seth and Noah, Idris is considered to be one of four ‘Syrian’ prophets according to a saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Genealogists relate that Idris was the son of Jared, and lived some 600 years after the death of Adam. Most Muslim exegetes identify Idris with the biblical Enoch, but some identify Idris with Elijah, perhaps because both are said to have been immortal. Others conflate him with Adam’s son Seth, who is reported to have been sent as a prophet and to have received revelations, but is not mentioned in the 
Still others claim that Idris was a prophet who lived later, during the time of the Israelites.
A saying attributed to the Prophet Muhammad states that thirty scriptures (suhuf) were revealed to Idris, and some exegetes identify these scriptures with the ‘first scriptures’ mentioned in 87.8–10.
Idris is credited with the origins of many of the arts of civilization, including writing, and his name is said to have been derived from the Arabic word for studies (dirasa). The association of Idris with Seth and other scriptural traditions also relates to his identification as the Thrice-Great Hermes (Harmas al-Har-amisa) associated with the Corpus Hermeticum, and some exegetes say that Idris was the prophet of the philosophers. Later Muslim tradition also links Idris closely to the figure Metatron and other angelic beings associated with Enoch.
According to accounts of the Prophet Muhammad’s Night Journey (isra’), Idris is to be found in the fourth heaven. He is described as being tall and white, with a huge stomach, broad chest, little body hair and a lot of hair on his head. Other accounts place Idris in the sixth heaven, including one which states that Idris died after being taken into the sixth heaven by the Angel of Death.
Muslim tradition maintains that four prophets are immortal: two of these immortal prophets, Khidr and Elijah, remain on earth; the other two, Idris and Jesus, reside in heaven.
Further reading
Affifi, A.E. (1950) ‘The Influence of Hermetic Literature in Muslim Thought’, BSOAS 13:840–55.
Casanova, P. (1924) ‘Idris et 
’, Journal asiatique 205:356–60.
Jenkinson, E.J. (1931) ‘Did Mohammed Know Slavonic Enoch?’, Muslim World 21:24–8.
Segal, A.F. (1977) Two Powers in Heaven: Early Rabbinic reports about Christianity, Leiden: E.J.Brill.
Walker, J. (1927) ‘Who is Idris?’, Muslim World 17:259–60.
BRANNON WHEELER
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