ذُو الْكِفْل

Dhū al-Kifl is morphologically a standard Arabic possessive compound: dhū (possessor, lord of) + al-kifl (the guarantee, the portion). The root k-f-l is well-attested across Semitic languages. In Arabic, it yields kafala (to guarantee, to sponsor), kafīl (guarantor), makfūl (one who is sponsored), and kafāla (the act of guarantee). The word kifl itself appears in the Qurʾān, 57:28 in the sense of "a double portion" (kiflayni min raḥmatihi, "a double portion of His mercy"), adding another dimension to the title: Dhū al-Kifl may be "the one who received a double portion" of divine favor, or "the one who guaranteed a double portion" of responsibility. The fully Arabic character of the name has led some scholars to speculate that Dhū al-Kifl may have been an Arabian prophet rather than an Israelite one, though the traditional identification with Ezekiel remains common.

As a native Arabic title rather than a borrowed name, Dhū al-Kifl requires no source-language analysis in the conventional sense. The compound is built entirely from Arabic morphological and lexical resources. The root k-f-l appears across Semitic languages (cf. Akkadian kapālu, "to fold, to wrap"), but the specific compound dhū + kifl is an Arabic formation. The use of dhū as a possessive particle is characteristic of Old South Arabian and Classical Arabic naming conventions (cf. Dhū l-Qarnayn, Dhū n-Nūn), suggesting that this naming pattern was established in pre-Islamic Arabian culture.

Dhū al-Kifl is a descriptive title, "the one who has the guarantee" or "the one who shouldered responsibility," rather than a personal name. This makes it unique among the prophetic names: it is a pure Arabic kuniyah or laqab (epithet). The root k-f-l is fully productive in modern Arabic (kafāla still means "sponsorship" in legal and commercial contexts). The identity of the person behind this title is debated among the mufassirūn: some identify him with Ezekiel (Ḥizqīl), others with Elijah, Elisha, or even a non-Israelite prophet. What is clear is that the Qur'an chose to designate him by his Arabic function, guaranteeing and taking on responsibility, rather than by any personal name. The emphasis falls on his prophetic role rather than his historical identity.

The historical identity of Dhū al-Kifl remains one of the enduring mysteries of Qur'anic studies. The town of al-Kifl in central Iraq, between Najaf and Hilla, houses a shrine traditionally associated with this prophet. The same site is also identified by Jewish tradition as the tomb of Ezekiel (Ḥizqīl). This convergence supports the Ezekiel identification, though it could also reflect later conflation. The Qur'an offers no narrative details, only the title and the praise of patience and excellence. In the absence of a story, the name itself becomes the message: this is the prophet defined by his guarantee, his willingness to take on the spiritual burden of his community. The kafāla concept resonates deeply in Arabian culture, where guaranteeing another person's obligations was (and remains) a serious social and legal commitment.