Belief in the Prophets: The Middle Way |
   Description: Islamic belief in the Prophets of God - between deification and rejection. By Aisha Stacey (© 2012 IslamReligion.com)Published on 10 Sep 2012 - Last modified on 10 Sep 2012 Viewed: 75 (daily average: 106) - Rating: - Rated by: 1 Printed: 2 - Emailed: 0 - Commented on: 0 Category: Articles > Beliefs of Islam > The Six Pillars of Faith and Other Islamic Beliefs |
 How
many prophets did God send to the world of humankind? This is something we do
not know however some Islamic scholars have suggested that it could be in the
thousands. We can only be sure of what is mentioned in the Quran and the
authentic Propethic narrations, and in the Quran it is mentioned that God sent
Prophets and Messengers to every nation on earth and that they all spread the
same message – to worship One God, alone, without partners, sons, or daughters.
All the prophets and messengers came for the same purpose, to lead mankind to
God.
“By God, We indeed sent (Messengers) to
the nations before you…” (Quran 16:63)
“Verily, We sent (Messengers) to many
nations before you (O Muhammad)…” (Quran 6:43)
The word Prophet (Nabi in Arabic)
is derived from the word Naba, meaning news. God’s message is revealed and the
Prophet spreads the news amongst his people. A Messenger, on the other hand,
comes with a specific mission, usually to convey a new ordainment from God.
Every Messenger is a Prophet, but not every Prophet, is a Messenger. The
people in the time of Noah were the first to deviate from the correct worship of
God as taught by Prophet Adam, thus God fulfilled His promise to Adam to send
Messengers as guidance for mankind. God sent Noah, the first of His
Messengers.
“On the day of Judgement,
the people will come to Noah and say ‘Oh Noah, you are the first of the
Messengers sent to earth, and God called you a thankful slave.’”[1]
The Quran mentions the names of
25 Prophets and indicates that there were others. The majority of the Prophets
mentioned in the Quran and the traditions of Prophet Muhammad are recognisable,
and considered Prophets in both the Jewish and Christian faiths. For instance,
Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, amongst many others, all figure prominently in
the pages of Quran. Believing in all of God’s Prophets and revealed Books are
two of the pillars of faith in Islam. In fact of the three great monotheistic
religions (Islam Christianity and Judaism), Islam is the only one that gives the
Prophets and Messengers a place of special significance. Disbelieving in one of
the prophets is like disbelieving in all.
Muslims accept the Torah and the
(Injeel) Gospel of Jesus. However they also believe that these books were
altered, or lost over the course of time. Consequently, from the texts of the
previous scriptures, Muslims believe only what has been confirmed by the Quran
or the authentic traditions of Prophet Muhammad. This is particular importance
when applied to the Prophets of God.
The Prophets and Messengers of
God that we know about are all male. They are considered to be the best in
their respective communities both morally and intellectually. However this is
not always accepted by the community for some Prophets were rejected, oppressed
and ridiculed. A Prophet’s life however serves as a role model for his
followers and potential followers and his personality attracts people to the
message. They are infallible in conveying the commands and message of God,
however since they are humans they may make minor mistakes or forget things.
The stories in the Quran teach
excellent lessons amd morals and demonstrate the upright and virtuous nature of
the Prophets. Knowing this it is important to understand that Muslims consider
some of the stories told in the Bible as slanderous and consider them examples
of the true message of God being distorted in what remains of the Torah and
other revealed books. For example, Prophet Lot is reported, the Bible to have
committed incestuous fornication while drunk. Prophet (King) David is alleged
to have sent one of his leaders to his death in order to marry his wife. From
an Islamic point of view these stories are not only untrue but are
inconceivable.
Islam teaches us not to deify the
Prophets and Messengers, for they are human. They are to be loved and
respected, but no form of worship is to be directed towards them nor are they to
be treated as demi-gods or intermediaries between humankind and God. Jesus, son
of Mary can be used as an example of how prophethood can be taken to two
extremes. The Jews rejected Jesus and refused to consider him to be the
Messenger they had been waiting for. On the other hand the Christians raised
him to divine heights that he was not entitled to.
“And (remember) when God will say (on
the Day of Resurrection): "O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say unto men: 'worship
me and my mother as two gods besides God?' “He will say: "Glory be to You! It
was not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I said such a thing,
You would surely have known it. You know what is in my inner-self though I do
not know what is in Yours; truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that
is hidden (and unseen).” (Quran 5:116)
God supports His Prophets with
miracles that are observable and cannot be performed by ordinarly people. These
miracles are granted by the power and permission of God and serve as a sign for
the people to recognize that these people have been chosen by God. For
instance, at the time of Jesus, the Israelites were very knowledgeable in the
field of medicine. Consequently, the miracles Jesus performed were of this
nature and included returning sight to the blind, healing lepers and raising the
dead.
And you heal those born blind and
the lepers by My[2] leave. And behold! You bring
forth the dead by My leave.” (Quran 5:10)
The Prophets and Messengers are
in a sense God’s ambassadors on earth. Their mission is to convey the message
clearly. This includes, calling the people to God, explaining the message,
bringing glad tidings or warnings and directing the affairs of the nation.
Prophet Muhammad is the final, or seal of the Prophets. There is no Prophet
after him. His message is not for a particular group, tribe or nation; it is a
message for all of humankind - it is for all people, in all places, at all
times. Thus it is imperative to believe in Prophet Muhammad as the last of
God’s Prophets. This distinguishes Prophet Muhammad from the other Prophets and
Messengers and puts him in a unique position; however Prophet Muhammad was just
as anxious as all the Prophets to know that he had delivered the message
clearly. During his final sermon Prophet Muhammad asked the congregation three
times whether he had delivered the message, and called on God to witness their
answer, which was a resounding “yes!”
God sent the Prophets and
Messengers primarily to guide humankind. They were humans, of outstanding
character, pious and trustworthy, that the people could emulate and look to for
direction. They were not gods, demi-gods or saints with divine qualities,
rather they were mere mortals charged with a difficult task. God supported them
as they carried out their mission and their mission was to guide the people to
the worship of the One God.
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