What Do We Know About Idris, Mutwashlack, Lamik & Nuh?

Idris, Mutwashlack, Lamik and Nuh are the patriarchs of the Bible known as Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah…(father to great grandson).

What Do We Know About Them?

Idris/(Enoch)

In Islamic tradition, Idris (also known as Enoch) is regarded as an immortal figure who appeared sometime between the prophets Adam and Noah. It is believed that he transmitted divine revelation through several books and that he did not die but was taken bodily to paradise to spend eternity with God. There are also legends that credit Idris with the invention of writing, sewing, and several fo of divination. He is considered the patron saint of craftsmen and Muslim knights.

In Christian tradition, Enoch is described in tBible as having “walked with God” and that “he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). The New Testament also mentions Enoch (or Idris) in Hebrews 11:5, stating that “By faith Enoch was translated, that he should not see death.” This implies that Enoch did not experience death but was taken by God. Christians venerate Enoch as a key figure in the pre-flood period and attribute to him the status of a saint.

While both traditions honor Enoch/Idris, there are differences in the details and interpretations within each tradition, especially regarding Enoch’s immortality and his role in the transmission of divine knowledge.

Additional Note:

The “Book of Enoch” contains various writings attributed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. It claims to contain the words of blessing of Enoch, who blessed the elect and righteous. The book describes Enoch as a righteous man whose eyes were opened by God, allowing him to see the vision of the Holy One in the heavens.

The book includes prophecies and visions regarding the coming of the Holy Great One, the eternal God treading upon the earth, a judgment upon all men, and the protection of the elect. It also discusses the constancy of the heavenly bodies, mentions the Nephilim, and attributes the introduction of weapons of death to humanity to a character named Gadreel.

The “Book of Enoch” is accepted as canonical by the Coptic Church in Ethiopia and the Eritrean Orthodox Church, but it is considered pseudepigraphal and not included in the biblical canon by most other Christian traditions.

It’s worth noting that the “Book of Enoch” is mainly extant in the Ethiopic language, and there are also two other books attributed to Enoch: 2 Enoch (“The Book of the Secrets of Enoch”) and 3 Enoch (“The Hebrew Book of Enoch”).

Mutwashlack/(Methuselah)

Methuselah, also known as Mutwashlack, is a biblical patriarch figure mentioned in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. He is known for having the longest lifespan of all those mentioned in the Bible, living to the age of 969 years. In the Islamic and Christian traditions, Methuselah is described as the son of Enoch, the father of Lamech, and the grandfather of Noah. His life is detailed in the Book of Genesis and is mentioned in genealogies in 1 Chronicles, the Gospel of Luke, and other texts such as the Book of Enoch, Slavonic Enoch, and the Book of Moses. Methuselah’s name has become synonymous with longevity.

In the Islamic tradition, Methuselah is known as Matūshilkẖ. While there are variations in the details, Methuselah’s story is generally consistent across the traditions, emphasizing his exceptional lifespan and his role in the genealogy leading up to Noah. The story of Methuselah is also mentioned in Islamic literature, including the Quran.

In addition to the traditional religious resources, there are various non-traditional religious texts and interpretations that discuss Methuselah, each providing different perspectives and insights into his significance in religious and cultural contexts.

Lamik/(Lamech)

Lamech, also known as Lamik in Islamic tradition, is a figure mentioned in both Christian and Islamic traditions. In the Christian tradition, Lamech is described as a biblical patriarch, a descendant of Seth, and the father of Noah. He is known for his role in the genealogy of Adam in the Book of Genesis. Lamech lived for 777 years and is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus in the Book of Luke. In Islamic tradition, Lamech is also mentioned in the various collections of tales of the prophets who preceded Muhammad, which describe him in a similar manner to the biblical narrative.

Lamech is recognized for his significance in the lineage of Noah and for his association with the genealogical accounts in both the Christian and Islamic traditions. His character and role are notably described in the biblical and Islamic texts, providing insight into his familial connections and his place in the narrative of the prophets.

In the Jewish Virtual Library, Lamech is depicted as one of the antediluvian patriarchs in Genesis. According to the lineage of Cain, Lamech was the father of three sons – Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-Cain, and a daughter named Naamah. He is also considered the first polygynist and the father of the founders of nomadism, musical arts, and metalworking.

These sources provide diverse perspectives on Lamech’s character, lineage, and significance in the biblical and Islamic traditions, shedding light on his role as a patriarch and his place within the genealogies of the prophets.

Nuh/(Noah)

In Islamic tradition, Prophet Nuh (Noah) is an important figure, as he is recognized as a prophet and apostle of God in Islam. Nuh’s mission was to save a wicked world plunged in depravity and sin. He was charged with the duty of preaching to his people to abandon idolatry and worship only the One Creator, living good and pure lives. Despite preaching with immense zeal for 950 years, Nuh’s people refused to mend their ways, which led to his building of the Ark and the famous event of the Deluge, or the Great Flood, in which all the evil people of his time perished.

According to Islamic tradition, Nuh and his people lived in an area located several hundred kilometers from the sea in the northern part of ancient Mesopotamia. The people of Nuh’s time were stone-idol worshippers, and his mission was to call upon them to give up their idol-worship and embrace goodness. Nuh’s people rejected his message, ridiculed him, and covered their ears and eyes to avoid hearing and seeing him. Despite this, Nuh persevered and asked Allah for strength and help. Allah told Nuh that the people had transgressed their limits and would be punished as an example for future generations. He inspired Nuh to build an ark, and Nuh completed it despite great difficulty. After the ark was completed, Nuh filled it with pairs of living creatures and he and his followers.

In Christian tradition, the story of Noah’s Ark and the Great Flood is also prominent, as it is found in the Bible. The biblical account of Noah closely aligns with the depiction in Islamic tradition, with similar themes of building the ark, taking pairs of animals, and the Great Flood as a punishment for wickedness.

The story of Noah is shared as a foundational story in Islamic, Christian, and Jewish traditions, emphasizing the universal themes of repentance, faith, and punishment for transgressions.

In Conclusion:

These men are important in both traditions because they were the caretakers of the earlier revelations from Allah. Their presence in time fulfilled the divine decree that ended with Ibrahim being the final caretaker of the revelations that preceded the Torah, the Zabur, the Injeel, and the Qur’an.