A Brief Note on the Names Ilyas, Isa, Yahya and Zakariyya

Some Muslims assert that Jehovah (Yahweh) is a heathen deity. But they have the problem of some names in the Quran given to prophets, real or imagined. Let's examine them one by one.

Ilyas (My God Is Jah) occurs in:

S 6:85 And Zakariyya and Yahya and Isa and Ilyas, all are of the righteous.

S 37:123 And Ilyas is of the commissaries.

We may include S 37:120 Peace is upon Il Yasin.

This appears to be in the plural.

Isa occurs in a number of verses and if corresponding to the Hebrew Jesus, which I don't think likely, should cause Muslims to reflect. In S 3:45 we read:

When the angels said: Maryam, Allah gives you good news of a word from him. His name is The Messiah Isa Son Of Maryam, a dignitary in the dunya and the hereafter and among the Muqarrabun.

His name IS the Messiah, etc. Pre-existent. And if he was to be named that, and if Isa is an Arabic form of Jesus, by the rabbi on circumcision day, then wouldn't Allah object to its greatest prophet's having part of a 'heathen' deity's name as part of his? Jesus means 'Jah Is Salvation'.

Yahya 'Jah Is Gracious' occurs in some five verses of the Quran.

S 3:39 Then the angels called him while he was standing, praying in the mihrab. Allah gives you good news of Yahya, confirming a word from Allah, and a chief and a continent man and a prophet among the righteous.

Regarding 'confirming a word', see: Qur'an Problem: How did John confirm Jesus?

S 6:85 And Zakariyya and Yahya and Isa and Ilyas, all are of the righteous.

"[A]ll are of the righteous." Does the verse imply that they are all still alive?

S 19:7 Zakariyya, we give you good news of a boy whose name is Yahya. We have not made for him before samiyyan.

"[W]hose name is Yahya"? Was he pre-existent and he already had the name? Has Allah given him the name? If this were a heathen name that would be given to him when he was circumcised, wouldn't Allah have objected?

Regarding samiyyan, see: Rebuttals to Islamic Awareness: And No One Had The Name Yahyâ Before and Rebuttals to Islamic Awareness: And No One Had The Name Yahyâ Before

S 19:12 Yahya, take the book with strength. And we gave him the judgment as a boy

S 21:90 So we responded to him and gave him Yahya and mended his husband for him. They would hasten in the good deeds and invoke us in desire and fright and were anxious towards us.

Zakariyya 'Jah Has Remembered':

S 3:37 So her lord accepted her well and she caused her to sprout well and we put her in the care of Zakariyya. Whenever Zakariyya entered the mihrab upon her he found provision with her. He said: Maryam, whence do you have this? She said: It is from Allah. Allah gives provision to whom he wills without account.

S 3:38 There Zakariyya invoked his lord. He said: Lord, give me from your presence offspring. You are the hearer of invocation.

S 6:85 And Zakariyya and Yahya and Isa and Ilyas, all are of the righteous.

ARE of the righteous? Are they all still alive?

S 19:2 A remembrance of your lord’s mercy, his slave Zakariyya,

S 19:7 Zakariyya, we give you good news of a boy whose name is Yahya. We have not made for him before samiyyan.

S 21:89 And Zakariyya when he invoked his lord: Lord, do not leave me alone and you are the best of inheritors.