Idris is the second prophet of Islam, celebrated as the first to write with a reed pen and to introduce the sciences of calculation, astronomy, and sewing. Allah raised him to a high station, and he is mentioned in the Quran as a man of truth and patience.
Idris is a descendant of Seth, himself a son of Adam. He lived at a time when humanity was beginning to diversify and develop its first civilizations. Islamic tradition credits him with a foundational role in several fields of human knowledge. He was the first to write with a reed pen, thereby transmitting knowledge in a lasting way. He introduced the sciences of astronomy, enabling people to observe the stars and measure time. He also taught mathematics and geometry, the foundations of any organized civilization. He is credited with inventing the needle and the art of sewing garments, thereby improving the living conditions of his contemporaries. These attributions make Idris a figure who unites spiritual prophethood with humanity's material progress. Some Islamic scholars have proposed a correspondence between Idris and the figure of Enoch in the biblical tradition, though this identification remains debated. What is certain is that Idris represents, in Islamic tradition, the ideal of the prophet-scholar, one who elevates humanity both spiritually and intellectually.