Who is Uzair in the Quran?

Uzair is a figure mentioned in the Quran (9:30) who, according to the verse, was called the 'son of God' by some Jews. He is most often identified by Islamic scholars with the biblical prophet Ezra.

Is Uzair in the Quran the same person as Ezra from the Bible?

The majority of Islamic scholars and exegetes identify Uzair with the biblical figure Ezra, who was a revered scribe and priest in Jewish tradition. This identification is based on historical and contextual analysis of the period.

Why does the Quran say that some Jews believed Uzair (Ezra) was the son of God?

Islamic commentators suggest this referred to a specific Jewish sect in Arabia at the time of the Prophet Muhammad, who held this belief due to their extreme reverence for Ezra as the reviver of their scriptures. It is not a belief found in mainstream Judaism today.

Uzair in Islam: The Quranic Figure Identified with Ezra

Uzair

عزير

Uzair (عزير) is the name of a historic person mentioned in the Quran (also known as Ezra), who according to Islamic belief used to be falsely called "the son of God".

Explore Verses Related to Uzair

🕌At-Tawbah9:30

At a Glance

According to search-discovered Islamic scholarship, Uzair is a significant figure mentioned once in the Quran, in Surah At-Tawbah (9:30), where it is stated that some Jews referred to him as the 'son of God.' The vast majority of classical and modern Islamic exegetes, including Ibn Kathir, identify Uzair with the biblical prophet Ezra. This identification is rooted in Ezra's revered status in Jewish tradition as the one who revived the Torah after its loss during the Babylonian captivity. The Quranic verse is understood not as a blanket statement about all Jews for all time, but as a condemnation of a specific belief held by a particular group, likely in Arabia during the 7th century, who had exaggerated their reverence for him to the point of deification. This mention in the Quran serves as a crucial theological lesson on the absolute oneness of God (Tawheed) and a warning against elevating righteous individuals beyond their human status. Contemporary scholarship continues to explore the historical context of this belief, with some suggesting it was prevalent among certain Jewish communities in Yemen or Medina at the time of the Prophet Muhammad.

📖 Quranic Context

Significant in discussions of Tawheed (monotheism) and refuting the concept of divine sonship.

A historical figure whose reverence by a specific group of Jews is mentioned as a deviation from monotheism.

References: Referenced once in Surah At-Tawbah, verse 9:30.

💭 Theological Perspective

A revered figure who, according to the Quran, was excessively exalted by some.

N/A

His story serves as a warning against excessive veneration of religious figures.

N/A

📜 Hadith Perspective

Some hadith traditions discuss the context of the Quranic verse, with some being considered weak.

A weak hadith suggests Uzair was removed from the list of prophets for questioning predestination, but this is largely rejected by scholars.
Some narrations link the revelation of verse 9:30 to a specific group of Jews in Medina.

The primary source of information on Uzair remains the Quran, with hadith providing supplementary, and sometimes weak, context.

💎 Deeper Insights

The Quran's mention of Uzair can be seen as a historical snapshot of a belief that may have existed among certain Jewish tribes in the Arabian Peninsula, which has since disappeared from mainstream Judaism. This makes the Quran a unique historical source for this particular belief.

— Modern academic scholars of Islam and Judaism