Prophets of Islam
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Prophets_of_Islam".

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (August 2007)

This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (April 2008)

Prophets of Islam (Arabic: نبي) are non-divine humans whom, as regarded by Muslims, have been chosen by God to be prophets (in Islam, nabi). Each prophet brought the same basic ideas of Islam, including belief in one God and avoidance of idolatry and sin. Each came to preach Islam and told of the coming of the final prophet and messenger of God: Muhammad. Each prophet had a different group to whom their message was directed, and in turn, each prophet taught minor variations in Sharia (or the practice of religion) to their nations. These variations are applications of Islam and are not considered discrete versions of Islam.

Islamic tradition dictates that messengers were sent by God to every nation. In Islam, only Muhammad was sent to convey God's message to the whole world, whereas other messengers (rasuls) were sent to convey their messages to a specific group of people or nation.

Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam distinguishes between a direct messenger of God (rasul) and a prophet (nabi). Both are divinely inspired recipients of God's revelation. However, in addition, rasuls are given a divine message or revelation for a community in book form. While every rasul is a nabi, not every nabi is a rasul.

Muslims believe that the first prophet was Adam, while the last prophet and nabi was Muhammad, thus his title Seal of the Prophets. In Islam, Jesus is regarded as a nabi and a rasul because he received wahi (revelation) from God, through which God revealed the Injil (Gospel) to him.^[1] Contrary to Christianity, though, in Islam, it is heresy to claim that God had a son.

Muslims believe that God has sent over 124,000 messengers all over the world as mentioned in the Sahih Hadith. Five (sometimes known as Ulul Azmi or the Imams — i.e. leaders — of the Rasuls) are accorded the highest reverence for their perseverance and unusually strong commitment to God in the face of great suffering. These five are Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus), and Muhammad.

Etymology

In both Arabic and Hebrew, the term nabī (pl. nabiyyūn and anbiyāʾ) refers to "prophet". These terms occur 75 times in the Qur'an. The term nubuwwa meaning "prophethood" occurs five times in the Qur'an. The terms rasūl (pl. rusul) and mursal (pl. mursalūn) denote “messenger” or "apostle" are more prevalent and occur more than 300 times. The term for a prophetic “message” is risāla (pl. risālāt) and appears in the Qur'an in ten instances. ^[2]

The Syric form of rasūl Allāh (lit: messenger of God) is s̲h̲eliḥeh d-allāhā which occurs frequently in the apocryphal Acts of St. Thomas. The corresponding verb for s̲h̲eliḥeh, i.e. s̲h̲alaḥ, is used in connection with the prophets in the Old Testament (Exodus, iii, 13-14, iv, 13; Isaiah, vi, 8; Jeremiah, i, 7). ^[3]

Prophets and Messengers in the Qur'an

In the following table the exact verses that mentioned the role of any Prophet or Messenger in Qur'an are arranged:

Prophets and Messengers in Qur'an

Name	Prophet	Messenger	Imam	Book	People	Shari'a
Adam (Adam)
Idris ( Enoch)	Prophet [4]
Nuh (Noah)	Prophet [5]	Messenger [6]			People of Noah [7]	Shari'a [8]
Hud (Eber)		Messenger [9]			A'ad [10]
Saleh (Shaloh)		Messenger [11]			Thamud [12]
Ibrahim (Abraham)	Prophet [13]	Messenger [14]	Imam [15]	Books of Abraham [16]	People of Abraham [17]	Shari'a [8]
Lut (Lot)	Prophet [5]	Messenger [18]			People of Lut [19]
Isma’il (Ishmael)	Prophet [20]	Messenger [20]
Ishaq (Isaac)	Prophet [21]		Imam [22]
Yaqub (Jacob)	Prophet [21]		Imam [22]
Yusuf (Joseph)	Prophet [5]
Ayoub (Job)	Prophet [5]
Shoaib (Jethro)		Messenger [23]			Midian [24]
Musa (Moses)	Prophet [25]	Messenger [25]		Books of Moses [26]	Pharaoh [27]	Shari'a [8]
Harun (Aaron)	Prophet [28]
Dhul-Kifl (Ezekiel)
Daud (David)	Prophet [5]			Zabur [29] (Psalms)
Sulayman (Solomon)	Prophet [5]
Ilyas (Elijah)	Prophet [5]	Messenger [30]			People of Elijah [31]
Al-Yasa (Elisha)	Prophet [5]
Yunus (Jonah)	Prophet [5]	Messenger [32]			People of Jonah [33]
Zakariya (Zechariah)	Prophet [5]
Yahya (John)	Prophet [34]
Isa (Jesus)	Prophet [35]	Messenger [36]		Injil [37] (Gospel)	Children of Israel [38]	Shari'a [8]
Muhammad	Prophet [39]	Messenger [39]		Qur'an [40]	All people [41]	Shari'a [8]

Distinction between Prophets and Messengers

According to Uri Rubin, the Qur'an, as in the New Testament, ranks apostles (rasūl) higher than prophets (see 1 Cor 12:28-31; cf. Eph 3:5; 4:11). For example, in the Qur'an whenever both titles appear together, messenger comes first. The Qur'anic commentators state that a messenger is a prophet who is additionally given a message, a book which must be delivered. According to the Muslim scholar al-Baydawi, a messenger establishes a new religious law (sharia) whereas a prophet continues an old one. Furthermore, a prophet experiences revelation only in dreams whereas a messenger receives it from an angel. These would imply that prophets were more numerous than messengers and occupied a lower rank.^[2] According to A.J. Wensinck, both prophets and messengers are sent by God as preachers and warners to their people. In the case of messengers however, there seems to be a close relation between them and their people (ummah): God sends only one messenger to each people. This messenger will be the witness that God will take from that community on the Day of Judgment (see Sura X, 48; XVI, 38; XXIII, 46; XL, 5; IV, 45; XXVIII, 75). According to the Qur'an, Muhammad is sent to a people to whom no messenger has been sent yet. ^[3] Lastly, a distinction should be made between celestial and human messengers. In the Qur'anic world, God has made the angels messengers but not prophets. The human messengers however are also prophets though not every prophet is a messenger.^[2]

The status of the prophets

The Qur'anic verse 4:69 lists various virtuous groups of human beings among whom prophets (which include messengers) occupy the highest rank. Verse 4:69 reads:^[2]

And whoever obeys God and the messenger, these will be [in paradise] with the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the righteous, upon whom God has bestowed favors"

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2008)

Modes of prophetic revelation

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2008)

Signs and miracles

Many miracles were performed by the Prophet Muhammad by God’s permission. These miracles were witnessed by many people. For example:

When the unbelievers in Makkah asked the Prophet Muhammad to show them a miracle, he showed them the splitting of the moon.

Another miracle was the flowing of water through Muhammad’s fingers when his companions got thirsty and had no water except a little in a vessel. They came to him and told him that they had no water to make ablution nor to drink except for what was in the vessel. So, Muhammad put his hand in the vessel, and the water started gushing out between his fingers. So, they drank and made ablution. They were one thousand five hundred companions.

^[42]

Prophets and scriptures

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2008)

The prophets and Muhammad

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2008)

The scope of the prophetic mission

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2008)

Summary of the purpose of sending Messengers of Allah is following:

i. Messengers were sent to every nation to guide them to Path of Allah:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الطَّاغُوتَ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلالَةُ فَسِيرُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ

Transliteration: Walaqad baAAathna fee kulli ommatin rasoolan ani oAAbudoo Allaha waijtaniboo alttaghoota faminhum man hada Allahu waminhum man haqqat AAalayhi alddalalatu faseeroo fee al-ardi faonthuroo kayfa kana AAaqibatu almukaththibeena (Qur'an 16:36)

Pickthal Translation: And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers! (Qur'an 16:36)

ii. Messengers warn them to follow Allah’s commands and gave them glad tidings:

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ

Transliteration: Inna arsalnaka bialhaqqi basheeran wanatheeran wa-in min ommatin illa khala feeha natheerun (Qur'an 35:24)

Pickthal Translation: Lo! We have sent thee with the Truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and there is not a nation but a warner hath passed among them. (Qur'an 35:24)

iii. And these Messengers gave us guidance from Allah, taught us knowledge and provided a path to purify us:

كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولاً مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُواْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Transliteration: Kama arsalna feekum rasoolan minkum yatloo AAalaykum ayatina wayuzakkeekum wayuAAallimukumu alkitaba waalhikmata wayuAAallimukum ma lam takoonoo taAAlamoona (Qur'an 2:151)

Pickthal Translation: Even as We have sent unto you a messenger from among you, who reciteth unto you Our revelations and causeth you to grow, and teacheth you the Scripture and wisdom, and teacheth you that which ye knew not. (Qur'an 2:151)

iv. Allah explained that obedience to Him and His Messenger will earn paradise:

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

Transliteration: Tilka hudoodu Allahi waman yutiAAi Allaha warasoolahu yudkhilhu jannatin tajree min tahtiha al-anharu khalideena feeha wathalika alfawzu alAAatheemu (Qur'an 4:13)

Pickthal Translation: These are the limits (imposed by) Allah. Whoso obeyeth Allah and His messenger, He will make him enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow, where such will dwell for ever. That will be the great success. (Qur'an 4:13)

v. And whosoever disobeys will earn Hell fire:

وَمَن يَعْصِ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

Transliteration: Waman yaAAsi Allaha warasoolahu wayataAAadda hudoodahu yudkhilhu naran khalidan feeha walahu AAathabun muheenun (Qur'an 4:14)

Pickthal Translation: And whoso disobeyeth Allah and His messenger and transgresseth His limits, He will make him enter Fire, where he will dwell for ever; his will be a shameful doom. (Qur'an 4:14)

vi. Allah said that He will judge us only after we have received the Message from His Messengers, and everyone will be judged based on his own actions:

فَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ - فَلَنَقُصَّنَّ عَلَيْهِم بِعِلْمٍ وَمَا كُنَّا غَآئِبِينَ

Transliteration: Falanas-alanna allatheena orsila ilayhim walanas-alanna almursaleena. Falanaqussanna AAalayhim biAAilmin wama kunna gha-ibeena (Qur'an 7:6-7)

Pickthal Translation: Then verily We shall question those unto whom (Our message) hath been sent, and verily We shall question the messengers. Then verily We shall narrate unto them (the event) with knowledge, for We were not absent (when it came to pass). (Qur'an 7:6-7)

مَّنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً

Transliteration: Mani ihtada fa-innama yahtadee linafsihi waman dalla fa-innama yadillu AAalayha wala taziru waziratun wizra okhra wama kunna muAAaththibeena hatta nabAAatha rasoolan (Qur'an 17:15)

Pickthal Translation: Whosoever goeth right, it is only for (the good of) his own soul that he goeth right, and whosoever erreth, erreth only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another's load, We never punish until we have sent a messenger. (Qur'an 17:15)

تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ كُلَّمَا أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرٌ- قَالُوا بَلَى قَدْ جَاءنَا نَذِيرٌ فَكَذَّبْنَا وَقُلْنَا مَا نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ مِن شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ كَبِيرٍ

Transliteration: Takadu tamayyazu mina alghaythi kullama olqiya feeha fawjun saalahum khazanatuha alam ya/tikum natheerun. Qaloo bala qad jaana natheerun fakaththabna waqulna ma nazzala Allahu min shay-in in antum illa fee dalalin kabeerin (Qur'an 67:8-9)

Pickthal Translation: As it would burst with rage. Whenever a (fresh) host is flung therein the wardens thereof ask them: Came there unto you no warner? They say: Yea, verily, a warner came unto us; but we denied and said: Allah hath naught revealed; ye are in naught but a great error. (Qur'an 67:8-9)

vii. Thus, those who received His message will not have excuse of ignorance:

رُّسُلاً مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا

Transliteration: Rusulan mubashshireena wamunthireena li-alla yakoona lilnnasi AAala Allahi hujjatun baAAda alrrusuli wakana Allahu AAazeezan hakeeman (Qur'an 4:165)

Pickthal Translation: Messengers of good cheer and of warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the messengers. Allah is ever Mighty, Wise. (Qur'an 4:165)

The difference between Mohammad and other Messengers is three fold:

i. All previous Messengers were sent to a specific nation in specific region of Earth. Their teachings were also limited for a specific time and period. However, Mohammad was sent to entire mankind and his guidance is for all mankind until the end of times.

ii. It is a fact that the teaching of all previous messengers except Mohammad have all but disappeared, and whatever remained of it is so much altered and mixed with falsely made up stories that it is very difficult to recognize the original teachings. Whist the teaching of Mohammad and the Quran is preserved in its originality, and Allah has promised to protect it until end of times.

iii. Since, the teachings of previous Messengers were limited to specific nation and time, their laws relating to ethics and moral code, justice, trade and financial deals, civilian laws were incomplete. Allah (swt) through his final Messenger Mohamad completed the Religion and perfected it. It includes all the teachings from previous Messengers, and abrogated what was specific to those people and time.

Thus, now the teaching of Mohammad is the only trustable source to reach guidance of Allah. And if one wants to follow teachings of Moses and Jesus, who also brought the religion of Allah to their nations, then he has no other choice but to accept the teachings of Mohammad who left with us the trustable source to guidance from Allah in Quran and Sunnah.

The belief in Mohammad includes four:

i. That he is the Messenger of Allah who brought us the Book of Guidance "Quran"

ii. That he brought us the Deen (religion) that is complete and perfected, and it's applicable to all mankind until end of times

iii. That he receives his guidance from Allah and that his knowledge and guidance his perfect from any defects

iv. That he is the Last and Final Messenger of Allah who has perfected the Deen (religion) of Allah, and there will be no further Messenger after him, as none is needed after the Deen is completed and perfected. And teachings of Mohammad are for remainder of mankind.

The reception of the prophets

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2008)

Stories of prophets

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2008)

Qur'an

The following table lists the prophets mentioned in the Qur'an. Biblical versions of names are given where applicable:

Other prophets

Muslims believe in other prophets other than those mentioned by name in the Quran. There are many verses in the Quran treating this:

• "And certainly We sent messengers (rasul) before you: there are some of them that We have mentioned to you and there are others whom We have not mentioned to you..." ^{Qur'an 40:78}

• "For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger..."^{Qur'an 16:36}

Muslims believe that God has sent 124,000 (or 224,000) messengers all over the world, as mentioned by the prophet Muhammad in the Sahih Hadith.

Historic narratives suggest there existed a prophet named Khaled bin Sinan in pre-Islamic Arabia.

Al-Imran is mentioned in the Qur'an, he was father of Maryam. Al-Khidr is not mentioned by name, but is traditionally assumed to be referred to in Qur'an 18:66. Biblical prophets Danyal (Daniel), Ishaia (Isaiah), Armya (Jeremiah), and Samuel are mentioned by Ibn Kathir in his book as prophets.

Luqman is mentioned in the sura named after him but it is unclear whether he is a prophet or a wali. According to the most wide-spread shiite belief, Luqman was a wiseman, not a prophet nor a wali. The reported news hold that Luqman had a dream, and in that dream he was asked to choose between being a King and a wiseman, and he chose the second.

Additional numerous historical figures may have been prophets, but this is a source of debate and contention, among them: Zoroaster, Gautama Buddha, Socrates ^[48], Merlin, Confucius ^[49], Krishna ^[50] (who is also mentioned in some books of Hadith) and Rama. However, Muslims will state that there is no way of knowing for sure since they are not mentioned by name in the Qur'an. An argument often used in support of the prophethood of such men is that they came with the word of God, but it was later corrupted, this accounting for the differences between Islam, and the respective religions with which each man is associated. The Hadith and Qur’an support such claims that say that a messenger was sent to every people.

Maryam mother of 'Isa

Main articles: Maryam and Mary

A few scholars (e.g. Ibn Hazm)^[51] have argued that she may have been a nabi and a prophetess, since she was sent a message from God via an angel. The Qur'an, however, does not explicitly state that she is one. According to the Islamic belief, she was a holy woman, but she was not a prophet. In the Qur'an, 'Isa is usually referred to as 'Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary), a matronymic, indicative of Jesus having no father.

See also

• Table of prophets of Abrahamic religions
• Nubuwwah
• Prophecy
• Nevi'im (Prophets in Judaism)
• Major Prophets in the Bible
• Minor Prophets in the Bible
• Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament

Notes