The objection is overstated: the Quran mentions Idris briefly, but it does not reproduce the Book of Enoch, nor does it explicitly say that Idris is the biblical Enoch. The later identification of Idris with Enoch became widespread in Muslim interpretation, but similarity in the idea of an elevated righteous figure does not prove direct copying from a particular Enochic text.
What the Quran Actually Says
The Quran names Idris in two places. The first passage says:
واذكر في الكتاب إدريس إنه كان صديقا نبيا ورفعناه مكانا عليا
And mention Idris in the Book. Indeed, he was a man of truth and a prophet. And We raised him to a high station.
Quran 19:56-57
The second passage places him among the patient and righteous:
وإسماعيل وإدريس وذا الكفل كل من الصابرين وأدخلناهم في رحمتنا إنهم من الصالحين
And [mention] Ismail, Idris, and Dhul-Kifl; all were of the patient. And We admitted them into Our mercy. Indeed, they were of the righteous.
Quran 21:85-86
This is the full Quranic picture: Idris was truthful, a prophet, patient, righteous, admitted into Allah's mercy, and raised to a high makan. The Quran does not describe his ancestry, does not narrate a heavenly tour, does not mention the Watchers, and does not quote the Book of Enoch.
Does the Quran Identify Idris as Enoch?
No explicit Quranic verse says, "Idris is Enoch." The Arabic Quranic name is Idris, while the biblical figure is Enoch. In later Muslim tafsir and historical writing, the identification of Idris with Enoch became widespread, often through genealogical reports and inherited historical material. That later identification may be correct, but it is not stated explicitly in the Quran itself.
This matters because the criticism often assumes what it needs to prove. It treats the Quranic Idris as if the Quran itself had presented the full Enochic story, when in fact the Quran gives only a short prophetic description.
What Critics Claim
Critics usually argue as follows: the Book of Enoch describes Enoch as taken up to heaven, and the Quran says Idris was raised to a high station; therefore, the Quran borrowed from the Book of Enoch.
This argument is weak. At most, it identifies a shared theme: a righteous ancient figure associated with divine elevation. A shared theme is not the same as literary dependence.
Why the Borrowing Claim Fails
1. The Quran does not reproduce Enochic details
Enochic literature contains elaborate material: heavenly journeys, angelic mysteries, cosmology, judgment scenes, and stories about fallen angels. The Quranic verses about Idris contain none of this. They are brief, moral, and prophetic in focus.
If the Quran were copying the Book of Enoch, one would expect clearer signs of dependence: distinctive names, episodes, sequences, or theological details. Instead, the Quran simply honors Idris as a truthful prophet whom Allah raised.
2. "Raised to a high station" is not a detailed story
The phrase wa rafanahu makanan aliyyan can indicate elevation in rank and honor, and it can also be understood as elevation to a high place. Classical Muslim commentators discussed the verse in both spiritual and locational terms. The Quran itself does not state the manner, timing, or full details of the raising.
So the objection depends on reading a whole Enochic narrative into one concise Quranic phrase. That is not sound method.
3. The theme is broader than the Book of Enoch
The idea that Enoch was "taken" by God appears already in the biblical tradition, and Enochic ideas circulated in different Jewish and Christian milieus of Late Antiquity. Therefore, even if Idris is identified with Enoch, a similarity in elevation does not prove that the Quran copied a particular Book of Enoch manuscript.
From an Islamic perspective, the presence of earlier echoes is not embarrassing. The Quran presents itself as confirming the truth that came before it while serving as a criterion over earlier material:
And We have sent down to you the Book in truth, confirming what came before it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it...
Quran 5:48
What About the Hadith?
There is an authentic report in the hadith of the Miraj that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) met Idris in the fourth heaven:
Then he ascended with me to the fourth heaven... and there was Idris. I greeted him, and he returned the greeting and said: "Welcome to the righteous brother and righteous prophet."
Sahih al-Bukhari 3887; Sahih Muslim 411
This confirms Idris's honored heavenly position in authentic Islamic tradition. But even this hadith does not narrate the Book of Enoch's detailed stories. It remains concise and theologically focused.
Conclusion
The Quran names Idris and honors him as a truthful prophet raised by Allah. It does not explicitly identify him with biblical Enoch, though that identification became common in later Muslim interpretation. It also does not reproduce the elaborate contents of the Book of Enoch. The similarities can be explained by a shared prophetic memory or a wider late-antique tradition, not by a proven act of direct copying.
For related discussions, see other responses on Quranic engagement with earlier scriptures and prophetic history.