BELIEF IN PROPHETS

Prophets are great individuals chosen by Allah Almighty to convey His commands and prohibitions to His servants. Belief in prophets means believing that Allah sent messengers called prophets to guide people to the right path and to convey His commands and prohibitions; it means accepting the existence of the institution of prophethood and affirming that the individuals mentioned as prophets in the Quran are indeed prophets. Although prophets are human beings like us, they are Allah's chosen servants. A person cannot become a prophet through effort or desire. Prophethood is a gift from Allah.

Allah chose His prophets from among humans so that they could guide, exemplify, and mentor people in all matters. If prophets had been sent from among angels, this result would undoubtedly not have been achieved. It is a clear fact that the best guidance for humanity can only be provided by humans.

Prophets who are given an independent religion and book are called Messengers (Rasul), while those who do not possess an independent religion and book but are tasked with acting in accordance with the book of a previous prophet are called Prophets (Nabi).

Even if humans can understand the existence and oneness of God with their own intellect, they cannot fully comprehend His attributes. They cannot know how to worship Him. They cannot understand the affairs of the hereafter and their responsibilities in the hereafter. They need God to inform and teach them all these things. Therefore, God sent prophets to answer these needs of humanity. If prophets had not come, people would not be obligated to any religious rulings except knowing the existence and oneness of God. As it is stated in the verse: "We do not punish any people unless We send a messenger." (Al-Isra, 15) While humanity knew nothing, they learned everything, every art and skill from the prophets.

The duties of prophets are: - To introduce God to humanity, - To teach humanity the tenets of faith and forms of worship they received from God, - To instill moral virtues and good character in people, - To regulate the relationships between individuals and between individuals and society in the most civilized and just manner, and to strengthen social bonds. In short, to be a complete guide for humanity in every material and spiritual aspect.

All prophets are truthful in all the messages they convey from God. The attribute of falsehood (kizb) cannot be attributed to them.

Prophets are trustworthy and reliable in fulfilling the duties given to them by God. Treachery is never seen in prophets.

Prophets convey what is revealed to them from God to their communities exactly as it is, without any omission or addition. It is out of the question for them to conceal, distort, or alter those messages. The quality of concealing the truth (Kitman) is not present in prophets.

Prophets possess superior intellect and intelligence, a strong memory, and a high degree of logic and persuasion. Prophets have absolutely no connection to attributes such as madness, negligence, or ignorance.

Prophets are far removed from all kinds of sins, faults, bad qualities, and actions incompatible with the honor of prophethood, both hidden and open. Committing sins is impossible for prophets.

According to Islamic belief, all prophets are equal in terms of their prophethood. Allah has made it obligatory for every Muslim to believe in all prophets without any distinction. However, it is also accepted that there may be differences in rank among them after acknowledging their prophethood. The Quran states in this regard: "And We have exalted some of them above others, and Allah has spoken to some of them, and He has raised some of them in degrees..." (Al-Baqara 2:253).

The "one whom Allah has raised in degrees" in the verse refers to our Prophet Muhammad. He holds a superior and unique place among the other prophets. Because: * The Prophet is the best and most virtuous of all creation, and the most beloved servant of Allah. * His prophethood encompasses all of humanity. Whereas other prophets were sent for specific communities (see Saba 34:28). * While the prophethood of previous prophets encompassed a specific period, his prophethood will continue until the Day of Judgment. * The religion he brought is the last and most perfect religion. Islam has abrogated the rulings of previous religions.

After Prophet Muhammad, in order of rank, come the Ulul-Azm prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Ulul-Azm prophets are those who, without showing any discouragement in the face of the heavy task and responsibility they undertook, fulfilled their duty of conveying the religion to humanity, demonstrating determination and perseverance in facing all difficulties (see al-Shura 42:13; see also al-Ahzab 33:7).

From the first prophet, Adam, to the last prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him), many prophets came and went. According to a strong narration, the number of these prophets is 124,000, while another narration states it is around 224,000. Only 25 of them are mentioned by name in the Quran.

Adam, Idris, Noah, Hud, Salih, Lot, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Shu'aib, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Job, Dhul-Kifl, Jonah, Elijah, Elisha, Zechariah, John, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon him).

There is disagreement as to whether Uzayr, Luqman, and Dhul-Qarnayn (peace be upon them), whose names are mentioned in the Quran, were prophets. Those who are famous as prophets even though their names are not mentioned in the Quran are: Seth, Joshua, George, and Daniel (peace be upon them).

All prophets worked for the same cause and conveyed the same principles of faith. Differences between their religions stemmed from the varying needs and levels of understanding of different ages and societies. Prophets spoke according to the levels of understanding of people. Each new prophet continued the mission and corrected errors. With the arrival of Islam, the evolution of religions, parallel to the evolution of humanity, reached its final stage.