Prophets of Islam

Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam (Arabic: نبي‎) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah as prophets. 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 law-bearing prophet and messenger of God: Muhammad. Each prophet directed a message to a different group and each prophet taught minor variations in Sharia (or the practice of religion) to a different target-audience. These variations constitute applications of Islam: mainstream Muslims do not consider them discrete versions of Islam.

Islamic tradition holds that God sent messengers 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 function as divinely inspired recipients of God's revelation. However, in addition, rasuls receive a divine message or revelation for a community in book form. While every rasul is a nabi, not every nabi is a rasul.

Muslims regard Adam as the first prophet and Muhammad as the last prophet; hence Muhammad's title Seal of the Prophets. Islam regards Jesus as a rasul (and sometimes as a nabi) because he received wahi (revelation) from God, through which God revealed the Injil (Gospel) to him.^[1] 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 (plural forms: nabiyyūn and anbiyāʾ) means "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 (plural: rusul) and mursal (plural: mursalūn) denote “messenger” or "apostle" and occur more than 300 times. The term for a prophetic “message”, risāla (plural: risālāt) appears in the Qur'an in ten instances.^[2]

The Syriac form of rasūl Allāh (literally: "messenger of God"), s̲h̲eliḥeh d-allāhā, occurs frequently in the apocryphal Acts of St. Thomas. The corresponding verb for s̲h̲eliḥeh — s̲h̲alaḥ, occurs 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 Bible

The words "prophet" (Arabic: nabi, نبی) and "messenger" (Arabic: rasul, رسول) appear several times in the Old and New Testaments. The following table shows these words in different religious languages^[4]:

In the Old Testament the word "prophet" (Hebrew: nabi) occurs more commonly, and the word "messenger" (Hebrew: malak) refers to angels, But the last book of the Old Testament, the Book of Malachi, speaks of a messenger that most commentators interpret as a reference to John the Baptist.^[5] In the New Testament, however, the word "messenger" becomes more frequent, sometimes in association with the concept of a prophet.^[6] "Messenger" can refer to Jesus, to his Apostles and to John the Baptist

It seems that in the New Testament messengers have a higher rank than prophets; Jesus Christ said about John the Baptist:

But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.^[7]

Prophets and messengers in the Qur'an

The table below charts the Qur'anic verses whic 'explicitly reference a prophet (nabi), a messenger (rasul) or a leader (imam). It also charts explicit references to prophets' book(s) / people / divine law (sharia).

Men of Allah in Qur'an

Name	Nabi (Prophet)	Rasul (Messenger)	Imam (Leader)	Book	People	Sharia (Divine Law)
Adam (Adam)
Idris (Enoch)	Prophet [8]
Nuh (Noah)	Prophet [9]	Messenger [10]			People of Noah [11]	Shari'a [12]
Hud (Eber)		Messenger [13]			A'ad [14]
Saleh (Shaloh)		Messenger [15]			Thamud [16]
Ibrahim (Abraham)	Prophet [17]	Messenger [18]	Imam [19]	Books of Abraham [20]	People of Abraham [21]	Shari'a [12]
Lut (Lot)	Prophet [9]	Messenger [22]			People of Lut [23]
Isma’il (Ishmael)	Prophet [24]	Messenger [24]
Ishaq (Isaac)	Prophet [25]		Imam [26]
Yaqub (Jacob)	Prophet [25]		Imam [26]
Yusef (Joseph)	Prophet [9]
Ayoub (Job)	Prophet [9]
Shoaib (Jethro)		Messenger [27]			Midian [28]
Musa (Moses)	Prophet [29]	Messenger [29]		Books of Moses [30]	Pharaoh [31]	Shari'a [12]
Harun (Aaron)	Prophet [32]
Dhul-Kifl (Ezekiel)
Daud (David)	Prophet [9]			Zabur [33] (Psalms)
Sulayman (Solomon)	Prophet [9]
Ilyas (Elijah)	Prophet [9]	Messenger [34]			People of Elijah [35]
Al-Yasa (Elisha)	Prophet [9]
Yunus (Jonah)	Prophet [9]	Messenger [36]			People of Jonah [37]
Zakariya (Zechariah)	Prophet [9]
Yahya (John the Baptist)	Prophet [38]
Isa (Jesus)	Prophet [39]	Messenger [40]		Injil [41] (Gospel)	Children of Israel [42]	Shari'a [12]
Muhammad (Muhammad)	Prophet [43]	Messenger [43]		Qur'an [44]	All people [45]	Shari'a [12]

For Ahl al-Kitab (followers of the Holy Books), see People of the Book.

Distinguishing between prophets and messengers

The Quran, like the New Testament, ranks a Messenger (apostle) higher than a Prophet. For example, in the Qur'an whenever both titles appear together, "messenger" comes first. According to the Muslim scholar al-Baydawi, a messenger establishes a new religious law (sharia) whereas a prophet continues an old one. This would imply that prophets were more numerous than messengers and occupied a lower rank.^[2] God sends both prophets and messengers as givers of good news and as warners to their people. In the case of messengers, however, it appears that a close relationship exists between them and their people (ummah). A messenger will become 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, Allah sent Muhammad to a people to whom He had not previously sent a messenger.^[3]

The Faithful distinguish between celestial and human messengers. In the Qur'anic world, God has made the angels messengers but not prophets. The human messengers, however, also function as prophets — though not every prophet serves a messenger.^[2] Angels always carrys "orders" to the human prophets or messengers on what to say, what to do, and so forth. While human messengers deliver some messages about new orders to the people, prophets only reinforce previous orders by earlier messengers or prophets, but since the angels carry orders to prophets to do their duty, then all angels of revelations count as messengers.

The status of 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"

Modes of prophetic revelation

Miracles

Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad performed his greatest and only miracle in revealing the Holy Qur'an to mankind; Muslims regard this as the last in a series of divine revelations, which came to him through the inspiraton of the Angel Gabriel. At the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, the Arabians who stood at the pinacle of linguistic and poetic eloquence expressed astonishment at its linguistic perfection [who?]. The Qur'an seemed even more miraculous to the Arabians of his time due to the fact that the Prophet Muhammed lacked education in the matters of philosophy, science, linguistic syntax; nor was he a poet. Moreover, Muslims believe he had not read or written down any of the previous religious scriptures . The Qur'an challenges all of humanity to make a book of its kind. Many people{[who?}} during the time of the Prophet Muhammed took on this challenge and tried to imitate the eloquence of the Qura'n but failed in their attempts.

Muslims believe that the Qur'an has survived in its original form since its compilation. Muslims up until present times^[update] have memorized it, making it the most memorized book in human history [citation required]. Muslims believe that, unlike other miracles done by other prophets who came before Muhammad, all ages can witness the miracle of the Quran. With the revelation of the Holy Qur'an came a revolution in science, literature and philosophy [really?] that not only took place in the Islamic empire but worldwide [citation required].^[46]

Prophets and scriptures

The prophets and Muhammad

The scope of the prophetic mission

The purpose of messengers

The following list summarises the purpose of sending Messengers of Allah:

i. Allah sent messengers 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 nations 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. 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)

Distinguishing Muhammad from other messengers

Muslims believe that Muhammad differs from other messengers in three respects:

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

ii. The teachings of all previous Islamic messengers except Muhammad 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. Whilst the teaching of Muhammad and the Quran is preserved in its originality, and Allah has promised to protect it until end of times.

iii. The teachings of previous Messengers confined themselves to specific nations and times, thus their laws relating to ethics and moral code, justice, trade and financial deals, civilian laws remained 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.

Most Muslims thus believe that since the days of the prophet the teaching of Muhammad remains as the only trustworthy source to reach the guidance of Allah, and the Quran contains the true teachings of Moses and Jesus.

The Relationship between Messengers (rusul), Prophets (anbiya), the Announcement (naba), and The Sender (mursil)

The verse about the great news (awful tiding, great event, mighty tiding, mighty event, tremendous announcement, grand news, awesome tiding) reads:

Quran 78:2 AAani alnnaba-i alAAatheemi Concerning the Great News

Nabi, Naba

The word used in this verse, naba, relates to the word nabi.

• Nabi (prophet) is one who informs others.
• Naba is news, announcement, information.
• Anbiya is plural of nabi.

Anbiya inform others of a coming naba. The Quran says that the naba is not the Quran itself but that it comes in the future.

Rasul, Mursil

Now when I look at the word rasul I notice it relates to the word mursil.

• Rasul is a messenger, a bearer of a message.
• Mursal(een) is a messenger, a bearer of a message.
• Mursil is one who sends, a sender.
• Risalat is messages.
• Rusul is plural of rasul.

So a rasul is sent by a mursil to give risalat. The Quran says that risalat of the mursil (Allah) are His kalimat. The Quran says that risalatullah cannot end.

All Together

Putting these together, we see that Jesus and Muhammad are each a rasul who was sent from the mursil to act as a nabi to inform of the naba.

The Quran itself even states that the messages (risalat), which are by definition the kalamat (words) of God, cannot be exhausted. Therefore the naba which was announced by the anbiya (plural of nabi) must itself be followed by more risalat (messages).

If or when the naba appeared, there was no need for any more nabi (who give the news of the naba). What about rusul (messengers) and risalat (messages)? Does the mursil stop sending rusul to give his risalat? The Quran says no.

I note that the sender of messages and messengers (mursil) is a rasul if he gives the risalat himself. And, I note that the mursil can send rusul who are not anbiya.

Summary

To summarize, there are four words in question: nabi, naba, rasul, and mursil.

• Some rusul (plural of rasul) are anbiya (prophets) if they are sent (arsala) before the naba.
• Some rusul are not anbiya if they are sent after the naba.
• The naba itself is a risalatun.
• The naba is associated with the mursil in the Quran.
• Risalat cannot be exhausted.
• The mursil sends rusul to give 'risalat even after naba.
• There's no reason why a mursil cannot give risalat himself (and act as a rasul).

Points of belief about Muhammad

The belief in Muhammad includes four points:

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

ii. That he brought us the deen (way of life, or path) 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 is perfect from any defects

iv. That he is the Last and Final Messenger of Allah who has perfected the deen (way of life, or path) 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 Muhammad are for remainder of mankind.

The reception of the prophets

Stories of prophets

Allah sent each prophet to a specific nation except Muhammed - whom Allah sent to the whole world.

Prophets in the Qur'an

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

Other prophets

Muslims believe in other prophets other than those mentioned by name in the Qur'an. Many verses in the Quran discuss 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.

The Qur'an mentions Al-Imran as the 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.

Numerous other historical figures may rank as prophets, but debate and contention surround this matter. Such figures include: Zoroaster, Gautama Buddha, Socrates,^[52] Merlin, Confucius,^[53] Krishna,^[54] (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 (such as Ibn Hazm)^[55] see Maryam as a nabi and a prophetess, since God sent her a message 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

• Allah
• 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
• Ilah
• Names of God
• 99 Names of God in the Qur'an
• Tawhid
• Termagant
• Islam
• Pillars of Islam
• Ka'ba

Notes