By Abu al-Hassan


Muslims believe in prophets whom Allah, in His wisdom and mercy, sent to direct us to the right path. “And We have not sent before you (any) but men to whom We gave inspiration” (Al-Anbiya’, 21:7). These prophets were men Allah inspired guidance to convey to their people at different times. Muslims are required to follow the prophets and those who emulate their way. In general, all the prophets are examples for us to emulate, as long as what they did has not been prohibited in the law of the Final Prophet. “They (the prophets) are those whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance” (Al-An’am, 6:91).

The difference between a prophet and a messenger
The strongest opinion is that a nabiyy (prophet) is a man who has received inspiration from Allah. “And We have not sent before you (any) but men to whom We gave inspiration” (Al-Anbiya’, 21:7). If a prophet received a new ruling different from the Shari’ah (law) of the prophets before him, he becomes a messenger as well. For example, Prophet Isa (Jesus) said, “I have come to you confirming what was before me of the Torah, and in order to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you” (Aali-’Imran, 3:50). Thus, Prophet Isa alayhis-salam was a prophet as well as a messenger. This means that every messengers is a prophet but not vice versa.

Distinction in belief
All the prophets and messengers were supported by signs and miracles from Allah, and it is a requirement of faith to accept every one of them, and to believe that they were following the clear truth. Unlike the Jews, Christians and others who accept some prophets and reject others, we make no distinction in believing in them all. So, anyone who rejects, for example, Adam, or Nuh, or Musa, or Isa, or Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah be upon them all) is disbeliever, though he may claim to believe in the other prophets.
“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, seeking to make a distinction between (believing in) Allah and (believing in) His Messengers, saying, ‘We believe in some and reject others,’ seeking to take a path between (belief and rejection) – they are truly disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers and disgraceful punishment” (Al-Nisa’, 4:150-151).
Distinction in rank
However, making no distinction between belief in the prophets does not mean that they are all equal in rank, and the Qur’an itself is clear about this. “Those are the messengers, We have caused some them to excel over others. Among them are those to whom Allah spoke, and He raised some them by ranks. We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs, and supported him with the Holy Spirit (Gabriel)” (Al-Baqarah, 2:253). “And indeed, We have caused some prophets to excel over others, and We gave David the Zabur” (Al-Isra, 17:54).
The most distinguished of all the prophets and messengers is the final Prophet, Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. He has said, “I am the master of the Children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection, and (I say this) without pride.” (Related by al Tirmithi, Ibn Majah and Ahmad). Next are prophets Ibrahim, Musa Isa and Nuh alayhimus-salam. These five prophets are known as “The Resolute Ones” (Ulul-’Azm).
Number of prophets
The exact number of Prophets Allah sent is not certain, but the Qur’an is quite clear that there were “messengers whom We have mentioned to you before, and messengers whom We have not mentioned to you” (Al-Nisa, 4:164).
It is obligatory, however, to believe in the 25 prophets mentioned by name in the Qur’an: Adam, Idris, Nuh (Noah), Hud (sent to the ‘Aad people), Salih (sent to the Thamud), Ibrahim (Abraham), Lut (Lot), Isma’eel (Ishmael), Is-haq (Isaac), Ya’qub (Jacob) also known as Isra’eel (Israel), Yusuf (Joseph), Ayyub (Job), Shu’ayb (sent to Madyan), Musa (Moses), Harun (Aaron), Dhul-Kifl (Ezekiel), Dawud (David), Sulayman (Solomon), Al-Yasa’, Illyas (Elias), Yunus (Jonah), Zakariyya (Zacharias), Yahya (John), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them all).

Characteristics of the Prophets
All the prophets of Allah share the following attributes:

Impeccability
Prophets are impeccable, meaning that they never commit sins. This is only rational, for Allah has ordered us to follow their example. “They are those whom Allah has guided, so follow their guidance” (Al-An’am, 6:91). Thus, if it were conceivable for them to sin, it would be permissible for us, also, to sin, which is clearly absurd. “Say, ‘Allah does not command shamefulness’” (Al-A’raf, 7:28). So those incidents which, on the surface may seem to suggest that some of the prophets sinned, must be interpreted in relative terms. Something which is praiseworthy for a wicked sinner might be blameworthy for a very pious person, because they are at different levels. Thus although the prophets did not sin, they may have done something which, although permissible, was not the most optimal deed for the situation. When this happened, Allah directed them to the better choice through divine inspiration.

Delivery of the message
All the prophets conveyed the message of Allah to their people, as they were commanded. “O Messenger! Convey that which has been revealed to you from your Lord. And, if you do not do that, then you have not conveyed His message” (Al-Ma’idah, 5:67). Allah describes the messengers as, “Those who convey the Message of Allah, and fear Him and fear none but Allah” (Al-Ahzab, 33:39). They did not hide anything, nor keep any of the message secret for only a selected, private group. In the Farewell Sermon, Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, called to Allah to bear witness that he had conveyed the message that was entrusted to him.

Intellectuality
All of the prophets were very intelligent, intellectual people, they often debated with the disbelievers and convinced them of the truth. We see, for example, the incident between Prophet Ibrahim and Nimrod, a king in Palestine. “[Ibrahim] said, ‘My Lord is the One Who gives life and death’” (Al-Baqarah, 2:258). Nimrod, in his arrogance, summoned two prisoners, then ordered one of them to be killed and the other to be set free. “He said, ‘I give life and death.’” When Prophet Ibrahim saw Nimrod’s obstinacy, he presented a more potent argument which could not possibly be argued. “Ibrahim said, ‘Indeed, Allah brings the sun from the east, so bring it from the west.’ Thus, the disbeliever was confounded” (Al-Baqarah, 2:258).
Consider also the exchange between Prophet Musa alayhis-salam and Pharoah. Pharoah asked Musa, “Who then, is the lord of you two, O Musa?” Musa replied, “Our Lord is He Who gave everything its nature and then guided [it].” This drove home the reality that Pharoah could not create anything, and it is therefore understandable that Pharoah should try to change the subject. “He said, ‘What, then, is the fate of the former generations?’” Musa alayhis-salam very cleverly answers this question, but at the same time steers the conversation back to the main point namely: Tawheed. “[Musa] said: knowledge of them is with my Lord in a record. My Lord neither errs nor forgets. [He is] the One Who has made the earth a cradle for you, and threaded roads for you therein, and sent down rain from the sky” (Ta-Ha, 20:49-53). From this incident, we take a valuable lesson. We should be careful not to be sidetracked into peripheral issues when we are making da’wah.
Having familiarised ourselves with the attributes of prophets, it should be evident that the opposite of these attributes can never be attributed to them. Similarly, it is not possible for them to be afflicted with any repulsive or contagious disease which would cause dispersion of people from around them, since this would not allow them to convey the message. However, any other mortal attributes which do not diminish from respectability or accessibility, such as hunger, thirst and non-repulsive diseases, are plausible for them.

The Final Prophet
Allah’s final Prophet and Messenger is Muhammad Ibn Abdullah, Ibn Abdul Muttalib, Ibn Hashim, Ibn Abdul-Manaf, of the Arab tribe of Quraysh, of the descendants of Isma’eel, of the progeny of Ibrahim. His message is for all of mankind until the Day of Judgment. He is a role model for us. “Indeed, there is an excellent example for you in the Messenger of Allah, for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day, and who remembers Allah much” (Al-Ahzab, 33:21). Prophet Muhammad’s Message has abrogated those of all the Prophet before him. Allah took a covenant from every prophet such that if he were to encounter Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, he would believe in him and follow him, (see surah Aali-’Imran, ayah 81). The Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “There is no Jew, or Christian, who hears about me, and then does not believe in me and that which I have brought, except that Allah must enter him into the Fire” (Related  by Muslim). He also said, “By Allah! Even if Musa were alive, in your midst, it would not be lawful for him [to do anything] save to follow me” (Related by Abu Ya’la).
The essence of belief in the messengers is to have an unwavering conviction of their prophethood and the truthfulness of their message without distinction. Additionally, Prophet Muhammad is the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers. While the message of the other prophets was to specific nations, his is for the entire humanity until the Day of Judgment.