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Prophets of Islam
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{{Islam}}
The
Qur'an identifies a number of men as '''
prophets of
Islam''' (Arabic: nabee نبي ; pl. anbiyaa أنبياء ). Such individuals are believed by
Muslims to have been assigned a special mission by God (
Arabic:
Allah) to guide mankind. Besides
Muhammad, this includes other
Abrahamic religions Abrahamic prophets such as
Moses and
Jesus.
Each of these prophets is believed to have been instructed by Allah to warn his community against evil and urge his people to obey
Allah. Although only 25 prophets are mentioned by name in the Qur'an, a
Hadith (no. 21257 in ''Musnad
Ibn Hanbal'') mentions that there were 124,000 of them in total throughout history, and the
Qur'an says that Allah has sent a prophet to every group of people throughout time, and that Mohammed is the last of the Prophets. In general, Muslims regard the stories of the Qur'an as
history historical. The message of all the prophets is believed to be the same. Many of these prophets are also found in the holy texts of
Judaism (The Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings; collectively known as the Old Testament to Christians) and
Christianity (The Bible; containing both the Old and New Testaments) (see
Similarities between the Bible and the Qur'an.)
Only a tiny minority are believed to have been sent holy books (such as the
Tawrat,
Zabur,
Injil and the
Qur'an), and those prophets are considered '''"messengers"''' or '''''rasūl'''''.
Muhammad is regarded in Islamic belief as having undertaken a prophetic mission addressed to all of humanity rather than a specific populace, although both
Adam and
Nuh did indeed address all of humanity during their prophethood. Muslims believe in all the prophets (
Prophet#The Islamic concept of prophet ''nabi'') and in all messengers (''rasul'') sent by Allah. Some are held to be of high esteem (''ulul azmi'') and are mentioned by name in the Qur'an. The difference between prophets and messengers is that although all received revelation (''wahi'') from Allah, the messengers received a divine code of life or "Shariah" in the form of a holy book. It is believed that there were 313 messengers.
The first prophet is
Adam and Eve Adam, while the last prophet is
Muhammad, thus his title ''
Seal of the Prophets.''
Isa Jesus is the result of a
Virgin Birth virgin birth in Islam as in Christianity, and is regarded as a prophet like the others, and as the
Messiah (see Qur'an 3:45). In the
Bahá'à Faith, which arose from
Islam, it is believed that with the mystic unity of the Prophets (as reference has been made in Islam to Muhammad being the same in spirit with earlier Prophets as well), the term "seal of the prophets" could apply to all of the prophets and as such does not restrict Allah from sending further revelations to humanity through subsequent prophets, any of whom could be considered the "seal of the prophets." Muslims, however, regard this as heresy.
Traditionally, five prophets are regarded as especially important in Islam:
Nuh (
Noah), Ibrahim (
Abraham),
Musa (prophet) Musa (
Moses),
Isa (
Jesus) and
Muhammad. Although it offers many incidents from the lives of many prophets, the Qur'an focuses with special narrative and rhetorical emphasis on the careers of the first four of these five major prophets. Of all the figures before Muhammad, Moses is referred to most frequently in the
Qur'an. (As for the fifth, the Qur'an is frequently addressed directly to Muhammad, and it often discusses situations encountered by him. Direct use of his name in the text, however, is rare.)
Prophets in the Qur'an
The following are named as prophets in the Qur'an; their
biblical names are given in parentheses.
Adam (prophet of Islam) Adam آدم
Adam is the first prophet of Islam and, according to Islamic tradition, the first human being. He was created by
Allah but brought to life forty days after being kept as a dry body. He is an important figure in
Judaism and
Christianity as well and he is most well-known for the
Adam and Eve story of Adam and Eve.
Idris (prophet) Idris (Enoch (ancestor of Noah) Enoch) ادريس
In Islam, Idris lived during a period of
drought inflicted by
Allah to punish the people of the world who had forgotten him. Idris prayed to Allah for salvation and an end to the suffering and so the world received rain. Idris is also credited in Islam with introducing writing,
astronomy, and
mathematics.
Nuh (Noah) نوØ
Although best known for the
Deluge (mythology) Deluge, Nuh was a primary preacher of
monotheism at his time. According to Islamic tradition, it was this faithfulness to Allah that led to his selection for building
Noah's Ark the Ark that would continue life on Earth. In contrast with
Christianity Christian and
Judaism Jewish traditions which say the Deluge was a global event, there is some difference in opinion in
Islam over whether the flood associated with Nuh was localized or global.
Hud (prophet) Hud (Heber) هود
According to Islam, Hud, for whom the
Hud (sura) eleventh sura of the
Qur'an is named, was one of few people to survive a great storm inflicted by
Allah, like with the
Deluge (mythology) Deluge five generations earlier, to punish the people of the world had forgotten about Allah.
Saleh (Shelah) صالØ
According to the
Qur'an, Saleh was ordered by
Allah to leave behind his people after they disobeyed Allah's order to care for a camel and instead killed it. In Saleh's absence, Allah punished the people with a large earthquake.
Ibrahim (Abraham) ابراهيم
Ibrahim is regarded by Muslims today as one of the significant prophets as he is credited with building the
Kaaba in
Mecca Makkah. His family, including his son
Ishmael Ismail, is also credited with helping create the civilization around Makkah that would later give birth to the final prophet of Islam,
Muhammad. Ibrahim is also noted for almost sacrificing his son Ismail for
Allah in an event now commemorated annually by
Eid ul-Adha.
Lut (Lot (biblical) Lot) لوط
Lut is most notable in Islam for attempting to preach against
homosexuality in
Sodom and Gomorra, only to be mocked and ignored by the people who lived there.
Ishmael Ismail (Ishmael) اسماعيل
Ismail, first-born son of Ibrahim, is a notable prophet in Islam for his near-sacrifice. However, as an adult, according to Islamic tradition his and his mother
Hagar's search for water in the region around
Mecca Makkah led
Allah to reveal the
Zamzam Well.
Ishaq (Isaac) اسØاق
According to Islamic tradition, Ishaq, second-born son of Ibrahim, became a prophet in
Canaan. He, along with his brother Ismail, carried on the legacy of Ibrahim as prophets of Islam.
Yaqub (Jacob) يعقوب
Yaqub, according to the
Qur'an was "of the company of the Elect and the Good" (
Yusuf Ali 38:47) and he continued the legacy of both his father,
Ishaq, and his grandfather,
Ibrahim. Like his ancestors, he was committed to worshipping and bowing to one Allah.
Yusuf (Joseph (dreamer) Joseph) يوسÙ?
Yusuf, son of
Yaqub and great-grandson of
Ibrahim, became a prominent advisor to the
pharaoh of
Egypt since he was believed to have been able to predict the future. He spent a large part of his life away from his eleven brothers, who, jealous of
Yusuf's success, told their father
Yaqub that
Yusuf had died.
Job (Biblical figure) Ayub (Job) أيوب
According to Islamic tradition, Ayub was rewarded by a
fountain of youth, which removed all illnesses except death, for his service to
Allah in his hometown outside
Ashkelon Al Majdal.
Shoaib (Jethro) شعيب
Shoaib was a direct descendant of
Ibrahim. According to Islam, he was appointed by
Allah to guide the people of Midyan and Aykah, who lived near
Mount Sinai. When the people of the region failed to listen to his warnings, their villages were destroyed by Allah.
Musa (prophet) Musa (Moses) موسى
Musa, referred to in the
Qur'an more than any other prophet, is significant for revealing the
Tawrat to the
Ancient Egypt Egyptians. The
Qur'an says Musa realized his connection with Allah after receiving commands from him during a stop at
Mount Sinai. He later went on to free the enslaved Egyptians after failing to convince the Egyptian
pharaoh of Allah's power. Musa subsequently led the freed Egyptians for forty years through the desert on a long attempt to capture
Canaan, the promised land. During this long journey, Musa received the
Tawrat and the
Ten Commandments during another trip to
Mount Sinai. At the end of his life, according to Islamic tradition, Musa chose to die to be closer to Allah instead of taking an offer that would have extended his life.
Harun (Aaron) هارون
Harun served as an assistant to his elder brother
Musa. In Islam, he, like
Musa, was given the task of saving the
Isrealites from the
Egyptian
pharaoh. He would often speak for
Musa when his speech impediment preventing him from doing so himself.
Dhul-Kifl (possibly Ezekiel) ذو الكÙ?Ù„
The status of
Dhul-Kifl as a prophet is debatable within Islam, although both sides can agree that he was indeed a righteous man who strived in the way of Allah. Some
Muslims believe that
Dhul-Kifl is in fact
Gautama Buddha.
Daud (David) داود
In Islam, the
Zabur (equated by some with the
Psalms) were revealed to Daud by
Allah. He is also significant as he is the one who conquered
Goliath.
Sulayman (Solomon) سليمان
Sulayman learned a significant amount from his father
Daud before being made a prophet by
Allah. According to Islamic tradition, Sulayman was given power over all things, including the
jinns. Known for his honesty and fairness, he also led a kingdom that extended into southern
Arabia.
Ilyas (Elijah) إلياس
Sulayman, descendant of
Harun, took over control of the southern part of the
Arabian Peninsula after
Sulayman's kingdom collapsed. Islamic tradition says he attempted to convince the people of the Peninsula of the existence of only one god, but when the people refused to listen they were smitten with a drought and famine.
Al-Yasa (Elisha) اليسع
Al-Yasa took over the job of leading the Isrealites after Ilyas' death. He attempted to show the king and queen of
Isreal the powers of Allah, but was dismissed as a magician. Subsequently, the
Assyrian people Assyrians were able to conquer the Isrealites and inflict significant damage on them.
Jonah Yunus (Jonah) يونس
Islamic tradition shows that Yunus was commanded by Allah to help the people of
Nineveh towards righteousness. However, after
Nineveh's people refused to listen to God, he became disgruntled and started to ignore him. After an incident where Yunus was spared death, he decided to re-commit himself to striving for Allah, attempting to lead the people of
Nineveh to righteousness. But after returning to evil, illicit ways, the
Scythians conquered them.[http://www.islam101.com/history/people/prophets/jonah.htm]
Zakariya (Zacharias) زكريا
A descendant of
Sulayman, Zakariya was a patron of
Mary, the mother of Jesus Maryam, mother of
Isa. According to Islamic tradition, he prayed to Allah asking for a son, since his sterile wife
al-Yashbi could not provide one. Allah granted his wishes, temporarily lifting his wife's sterility and allowing her to give birth to
Yahya. His death was considered tragic as several
Isrealites severed his body in half.[http://www.islam101.com/history/people/prophets/zakariya.htm]
John the Baptist Yahya (John the Baptist) ÙŠØيى
Islam says that, like his father Zakariya, Yahya prayed to Allah to bless him with a son who could continue his legacy of guiding people towards Islam. His prayers were answered as
Isa was born. Throughout his lifetime, Yahya captivated audiences with his powerful sermons that preached
monotheism.
Isa (Jesus) عيسى
One of the highest ranked prophets in Islam, Isa was sent to guide the
Children of Israel. The
Qur'an makes it very clear that in Islam Isa is not the son of Allah, as Christianity teaches, but rather a prophet of Allah. He was able to perform many miracles but only by the will of Allah. Islamic traditions states that he committed his life to
nonviolence and abstained from
vegetarianism eating meat and
teetotalism drinking alcohol. It also states that he received the
New Testament although the version seen today is different from the one revealed at the time. Muslims believe that Isa was not crucified on the cross but instead is in heaven, waiting to return to
Imam Mahdi to defeat the
dajjal.
Muhammad Ù…Øمد
Muhammad is the revered prophet in Islam and the only one who does not exist in either
Judaism nor
Christianity. Born in
Mecca Makkah in 570 CE, Muhammad spent the first part of his life as a well-travelled merchant. He would often spend his time in the mountains surrounding Makkah in prayer contemplating the situation with the city. According to Islamic beliefs, at the age of forty during one of those trips to the mountain, Muhammad began to, despite his
functional illiteracy illiteracy, receive and recite verses from
Allah which today make up the
Qur'an. He quickly began to spread the message he was receiving, convincing a few others in the city, including his wife, to convert a form of
Islam similar to one practiced today. He became the leader of those who had submitted to Allah (Muslims), setting up a new city (present-day
Medina) away from the oppressers in Makkah. Muhammad served not just as a prophet, but as a military leader who helped defeat the Makkans in 624 during the
Battle of Badr. He continued to lead the
Muslims spreading Islam across the
Arabian Peninsula. He performed the first
hajj in 629 and established the form of Islam, with its
Five Pillars of Islam five pillars still practiced by Muslims today. Others continued Muhammad's legacy after his death in 629 proclamating themselves as
caliphs (or successors) to Muhammad.
Other possible prophets
The following verses open up possibilities for prophets other than those mentioned in the Quran:
* "And certainly We sent messengers before you: there are some of them that We have mentioned to you and there are others whom We have not mentioned to you..." [40:78]
* "For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger..."[16:36]
The verses open up debate, and there is no strong consensus as to the other authentic Prophets.
Al-Khidr is not mentioned by name, but is traditionally assumed to be referred to in Qur'an 18:66.
Biblical prophets
Daniel Danyal (Daniel) and
Isaiah Ishaia (Isaiah) are not mentioned in Qur'an but often revered as prophets.
Luqman (sura) Luqman is mentioned in the
sura named after him but it is unclear whether he is a prophet or a
wali.
Additional numerous historical figures may have been prophets, but this is a source of debate and contention, among them:
Zoroaster,
Gautama Buddha and
Krishna. 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 Allah, 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 which say that a messenger was sent to every people.
Mary the mother of Jesus is not normally regarded as a prophetess, but is regarded as having been sent a message from Allah via an
angel. A few scholars (eg
Ibn Hazm) have argued that she was a prophetess, but she is not mentioned in the Qur'an as one, and thus it cannot be definitely established if she is or isn't. The majority position among Islamic scholars is that no woman has received a prophetic mission from Allah.
See also
*
Nubuwwah
*
Salaf
*
Sahaba
External links
-
Ibn Hazm on women's prophethood
-
family tree
-
Trace of The Prophet
-
itsIslam.net - Islamic Articles - Stories of Prophets
-
http://islamicwell.com/iqano7459.htm - Are the Prophets equal?
-
TurnToIslam.Com Muslim Belief of the Prophets, Following Abraham
{{Prophets in the Qur'an}}
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