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Who was Isa?
The Story of Isa is the thirteenth book in the Stories of the Prophets (Qisas al-Anbiya) by Imam Ibn Kathīr, the 14th-century historian and Qurʾan commentator, author of Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah. Isa is Jesus, son of Mary, peace be upon him, the servant and messenger of Allah. The book answers the question of who Isa was according to the Quran and authentic traditions: how he was born, how he was made a sign to people and a mercy from Allah, and how his story is told in Islam. Ibn Kathīr builds the account on the verses of the Quran, quoted at length, and on authentic traditions.
The book opens with the birth of Isa. Quoting the Quran, it tells how Mary withdrew from her family to an eastern place, how the spirit sent by Allah appeared before her as a well-proportioned man, and how she was given news of a pure boy though no man had touched her. It follows her to the remote place where the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a palm tree, the stream beneath her, the ripe dates, and her vow of silence when she carried the child back to her people. From this beginning the story continues as the Quran and authentic traditions tell it.
Is there an English audiobook of The Story of Isa?
Yes. Joyful Muslims publishes the complete The Story of Isa as an English audiobook (about 2.5 hours), translated from the Arabic, with a word-synced bilingual transcript. It is Book 13 of Ibn Kathīr's Stories of the Prophets, telling the story of Prophet Isa through the Quran and authentic traditions.
Is it free to listen?
The whole library is open to everyone. Every member gets five hours of listening free each month; Joyful+ removes the time limit.
How long is it?
About 2.5 hours (2h 24m). It begins with the birth of Isa to Mary and follows his story as told through the Quran and authentic traditions.
Last updated 2026-09-11
Inside the book.
Chapters
Word-synced with the narrator.
The first three minutes are transcribed here. In the app, the Living Manuscript scrolls through the entire book in rhythm with the audio — Arabic alongside English.
Living Manuscript
Listen to the full book in the app for the complete Living Manuscript.
The full, word-synced transcript in Arabic and English is in the app.
