Who Are the Prophets in Islam?
Islam is incomplete without the Prophets of Allah and we follow them blindly, but wait! Who is a Prophet? What does it mean to be a Prophet? In Islam, a prophet is a messenger of Allah and he conveys His message directly to the people.
There have been numerous Prophets in Islam who have been sent by Allah Almighty at various times to spread His message: Allah is one! He is from none and He begets none!
Many of the Prophets sent down by Allah also owned a miracle. This was an extraordinary act that not only convinced people that he was truthful as well as a Prophet sent by Allah. For example, Musa (AS) could convert his staff into a snake. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) was thrown into a fire but surprisingly came out unscathed. Similarly, Prophet Isa (PBUH) had several miracles, for instance, speaking in infancy, healing the blind, and what’s more: raising the dead.
وَإِذْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ وَالْفُرْقَانَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ (٥٣ )
And [remember] when We provided Moses with the Scripture and the Criterion in order that you may be guided.
Surah Baqarah (2), Verse 53
Firstly, we will go on a journey through the lives of the Prophets of Islam so let’s start with a detailed look at the responsibilities of a Prophet in Islam.
What is A Prophet?
Prophets are men directly chosen by Allah to guide all humanity to the right path. Almighty Allah sent down His word to the Prophets in different ways so that they could use it to guide the people of their nation. Moreover, all the Prophets were granted a miracle so they could prove that they were chosen by Allah to be a Prophet, many disbelievers thought that the Prophets were magicians, but Allah proved them wrong.
Allah mentions in the Quran, in detail about Prophet Musa (AS) and his staff:
‘Moses, what is that in your right hand?’‘It is my staff,’ he said, ‘I lean on it; restrain my sheep with it; I also have other uses for it.’God said, ‘Throw it down, Moses.’ He threw it down and- lo and behold!- it became a fast-moving snake. He said, ‘Pick it up without fear: We shall turn it back into its former state.”(Qur’an 20: 17-21)
Allah has chosen all Prophets Himself and they are all men and human. Furthermore, they are all mortal. Prophets do not possess the ability to see the future; this is a characteristic reserved for Allah. Lastly, all Prophets are truthful and cannot harm.
What is the role of a prophet?
The primary duty of all Prophets in Islam was to guide the people of their time to the path of Allah, and equally important: to accept Allah as the only God. Allah sent down his messages and scriptures to the various prophets and it was all centered around praying to one God: Allah. Many of the prophets lived for hundreds of years and tried their entire lives to persuade the people of their nation to proclaim Allah as their Lord.
وَمَا نُرْسِلُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ ۖ فَمَنْ آمَنَ وَأَصْلَحَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ ﴿٤٨
We have not sent messengers except as givers of good news and warners, so whoever believes and reforms then neither will they fear nor will they grieve.
Surah An’am, Verse 48
The Prophets spent all their days warning people of their destructive ways and evil practices that would lead them to Hellfire. In addition, they guided the people to the path of righteousness, shown by Allah.
All Prophets guided people to leave the worship of idols, the sun, and fire, and accept Allah as the only God. Furthermore, they taught people Allah’s message using the Revelations sent down upon them.
Nabi or Rasool: Are they the same?
Allah has called the prophets both Nabi and Rasool, in the Quran. So, what is a Rasool and what is a Nabi? Are they both interchangeable? Are they both equally important?
What is Rasool?
Rasool: A Rasool is of greater rank than the nabi. In addition to being a messenger, a Rasool brings an upgraded or newer version of the Deen to the world. For example; Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) was given the Quran, the words of Allah, which provided Muslims with a clear path to living life. Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) provided people with great social, moral, and judicial changes and reforms in society.
What is Nabi?
Nabi: A nabi is indeed a messenger, but he simply follows the Deen already provided by a Rasool who came before him. A nabi does not bring about any changes in the Deen handed to him but simply propagates or spreads it as best he can.
List of the Prophets in Islam
Over the years, Allah sent down many Nabi and Rasool to spread His message and all the various Prophets not only worked on the path of Allah but, additionally, told the people of their nation to worship only one God: Allah.
Here is a list of the most important Prophets in Islam:
- Prophet Adam
- Prophet Idris
- Prophet Nuh
- Prophet Hud
- Prophet Salih
- Prophet Ibrahim
- Prophet Lut
- Prophet Ismail
- Prophet Shuaib
- Prophet Ishaq
- Prophet Yaqub
- Prophet Yusuf
- Prophet Ayub
- Prophet Younas
- Prophet Musa
- Prophet Yusha
- Prophet Shammil
- Prophet Dawood
- Propet Sulaiman
- Prophet Ilyas
- Prophet Yasa
- Prophet Isaiah
- Prophet Zul Kifl
- Prophet Aramaya
- Prophet Danial
- Prophet Hizqeel
- Prophet Uzair
- Prophet Zakariya
- Prophet Yahya
- Prophet Isa
- Prophet Muhammed
Conclusion
In brief, there are many Prophets in Islam: 124,000 to be exact! As Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said:
It was narrated that Abu Dharr said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, how many Prophets were there? He said: “One hundred and twenty-four thousand.” I said: O Messenger of Allah, how many of them were Messengers? He said: “Three hundred and thirteen, a good number.” I said: O Messenger of Allah, who was the first of them? He said: “Adam.” … (Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan, 361)
This Hadith alone tells us of the importance of Prophets and without a firm belief in the Prophets of Islam, one cannot be a true Muslim, nor can our Taqwa be complete. Lastly, as Muslims, we must believe in their simplicity, honesty, and god-fearing conduct to complete our faith.
