Idris (prophet)
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Idris (Arabic: إدريس ) is a Prophet in Islam. He is known in the Bible as Enoch.
Idris in Qur'an
Idris is mentioned only twice in the Qur'an, in two consecutive verses in Sura Maryam (19:56, 19:57). </br> It says that he surely was a truthful man, a prophet, and he was raised high in Heaven.
Idris in Islamic tradition
In Islamic tradition, Idris is a predecessor prophet before Nuh (Arabic: نوح ) (Noah). Idris is credited with learning many useful skills or inventing things which humans now use such as writing, mathematics, astronomy, etc. According to Islamic tradition, his time was one when many people had forgotten God, and the world was thus punished with a drought. However, Idris prayed for them, and it began to rain, ending the drought.
In Islamic tradition, according to the book The Prophet of God Idris: Nabiyullah Idris, Idris is the Qur'anic name of Enoch. He is mentioned in the Qur'an as was preferred by God that he raised Idris to Him (In the Enoch book of the bible preserved by the Ethiopian church, we read that he was even raised up to the level of the head of God). Idris is said to have come back from heaven in the area of Gizan (current day Giza in Egypt) where he taught people writing, and he described how he saw in his journey the sources of water (ie the Snow caps of mountains, especially in the polar areas) and the reasons behind astronomy, he described different skies where he saw imprisoned devils and ginnies tormented by the angels, some of whom are awaiting punishment, and some awaiting release. He is the prominent prophet between Adam and Noah.
One non-traditional explanation for the building of the pyramids is that they were built in reverence to him, since it is the area where he was said to have ascended back to heaven.
Idris in British tradition
There is also a British tradition about Idris the prophet who founded Caer-Idris (settlement or City of Idris) somewhere in the British Isles where astronomy was taught. The name Idris is still common in Wales today in remembrance of this famous Druid.