What does belief in the Messengers and Prophets mean?
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- Allah ﷻ sent Messengers and Prophets to call people to worship Him alone. He ﷻ chose these men to carry out this important mission because they were fully capable of doing so. It was through the wisdom of Allah ﷻ that He chose these men, guided them and blessed them with Prophethood. All Prophets and Messengers carried out their duty devotedly and were successful in what they did. Some Prophets did not have any followers, but this does not mean that they failed. They were successful because they fulfilled their mission in calling people to Tawheed.
- There are many verses in the Qur’aan where Allah ﷻ mentions that He chose certain men to become Messengers and Prophets:
وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَآ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهَآ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِۦ ۚ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَـٰتٍۢ مَّن نَّشَآءُ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌۭ (٨٣) وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُۥٓ إِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ كُلًّا هَدَيْنَا ۚ وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِۦ دَاوُۥدَ وَسُلَيْمَـٰنَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَهَـٰرُونَ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ (٨٤) وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَإِلْيَاسَ ۖ كُلٌّۭ مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ(٨٥ ) وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَٱلْيَسَعَ وَيُونُسَ وَلُوطًۭا ۚ وَكُلًّۭا فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ(٨٦ ) وَمِنْ ءَابَآئِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِهِمْ وَإِخْوَٰنِهِمْ ۖ وَٱجْتَبَيْنَـٰهُمْ وَهَدَيْنَـٰهُمْ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍۢ (٨٧) ( سورة الأنعام ۸۳-٨٧ )
And that was Our (conclusive) argument which We gave Ibraaheem against his people. And We gave him Is-haaq and Ya’qoob-all (of them) We guided. And Nooh, We guided before; and among his descendants, -Daawood and Sulaimaan and Ayyoob and Yoosuf and Moosaa and Haaroon. And Zakariyyah and Yahyaa and ‘Eesaa and Ilyaas – and all were of the righteous. And Ismaa’eel and Al-Yasa’ and Yoonus and Loot and all (of them) We preferred over the ‘Aalameen. And (some) among their fathers and their descendants and their brothers- and We chose them and We guided them to a Straight Path. (Soorat al-An’aam:83-87)
- Muslims believe in all of the Messengers and Prophets of Allah ﷻ and make no distinction between them:
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ ( سورة البقرة : ٢٨٥ )
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Rabb, and (so have) the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, (saying), “We make -no distinction between any of His Messengers”. (Soorat al-Baqarah:285)
- Muslims believe that the Messengers and Prophets were human beings chosen by Allah ﷻ , and that the Messengers are neither gods, demigods nor the children of Allah ﷻ . Belief in the Messengers means believing that they conveyed the message of Allah ﷻ is perfectly. Believing in the Messengers and Prophets of Allah ﷻ is a pillar of Iman and denying that any Messenger or Prophet existed means to deny this pillar of Iman. An outright denial of any of the pillars of Iman puts a person outside the fold of Islam.
What we learn from the lesson:
- Allah ﷻ chose special men to become Prophets and Messengers.
- Belief in the Prophets and Messengers is a pillar of Iman.
“Discussion:”
- What does belief in the Messengers and Prophets mean ?
