Basics of Islamic Faith in Prophets

1. Basics of Islamic Faith in Prophets

2. Who are Prophets? • Prophets were chosen men through whom God manifested Himself to illuminate the way of mankind so that mankind might be guided to the truth and be purified of sins God was gracious to the believers when He raised up among them a Messenger from themselves who recites to them the verses (of His Book) and shows them His signs [in their selves and in the universe], purifies them [of their sins and their deviations of thought and belief], and instructs them in the Book and the Wisdom. They were evidently in manifest misguidance before. (Quran, 3:164)

3. Who are Prophets ? (2) • A prophet has brilliant intelligence and pure soul • Prophethood is not a position acquired through brilliance of intelligence and purity of soul. A Prophet is specially brought up by God. • No prophet was divine. • Prophethood is the highest rank and a honor a man can receive from God. No ordinary man can achieve the rank of any prophet. • A Prophet is protected by God against all kinds of sin, whether major or minor, because he is created for a special purpose. He is protected from falling, since his going astray even an inch could result in great deviation of his people. • The Prophets never speak as a result of whims and fancies Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is no less than revelation sent down to him. (Quran 53:3-4)

4. Why Prophets? Although man can find God by reflecting upon natural phenomena, he needs prophets to discover: • purpose of his creation • from where he comes and what his final destination is in life • how he should worship his Creator

5. Prophets illuminated mankind • Teaching the meaning of creation and the truth of things • Unveiling the mysteries behind both historical and natural events. • Instructing in the relations between man and the universe and between the Divine Scriptures and the universe. • Teaching and establishing the laws/rules of a perfect social/private life on the basis of justice and peace • … and more… later

6. With Prophets, mankind also made scientific progress • Through their miracles prophets guided humanity in scientific illumination • Their miracles marked the final points in scientific and technological advances, and urged people to them. E.g., • Jesus cured fatal diseases, and gave temporary life to deceased people • Farmers traditionally accept Prophet Adam as their first master • Tailors accept Prophet Enoch • Ship-makers and sailors accept Prophet Noah • Clock-makers accept Prophet Joseph

7. How many Prophets? • No region or people has been altogether deprived of Divine enlightenment through God’s chosen servants, His prophets. • Directly or indirectly, all people of all periods have, at some time in their history, known or been aware of a prophet and of his teaching. There never was a people without a Warner having lived among them. (Quran 35:24) And We assuredly sent among every people a Messenger. (Quran 16:36) • The Qur’an mentions 28 out of 124,000 (or perhaps 224,000) prophets. We do not know exactly where and when many of them lived. We did in times past send Messengers before you; of them there are some whose stories We have related to you, and some whose story We have not related to you. (Quran 40:78)

8. Prophets Conveyed the Same Message • All the prophets called humankind to God's unity. • In their teachings, differences might have happened in minor matters depending on the conditions of their peoples. However, all these teachings are the same in essence. E.g., stealing is evil and a sin in all; yet, the way a thief is punished might differ. For We assuredly sent amongst every people an Messenger (with the command), ‘Serve God and eschew evil.’ (Quran 16:36) • Whenever people fell into darkness after a Prophet by forgetting, changing and distorting his message, God sent another one to enlighten them again. This continued until the coming of the Last Prophet.

9. The Last Prophet • Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, is the seal of the prophethood (the last of prophets) after whom no prophet will come until the day of Judgment. • That is why, he was sent to all of humankind and jinn and his mission was not restricted to a limited people and time, but was inclusive of all people and has validity until the end of time. We have not sent you but to all men as a whole, giving them glad tidings, and warning them, but most men understand not. (Quran 34:28) Say: ‘O Men! I am sent unto you all, as the Messenger of God, to whom belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth... (Quran 7:158).

10. A Muslim must believe in all of the Prophets Muslims believe in all of the Prophets and make no distinction among them The Messenger believes in what has been sent onto him by his Lord, and so do the believers. They all believe in God and his angels, His Scriptures and His Messengers: "We make no distinction between any of His Messengers“ and they say: "We hear and obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord; to You is the journeying." (Quran, 2:285)

11. Prophets guide people to the service of god • The main purpose of our creation is to recognize God and serve Him. I have not created jinn and mankind except to serve me. (Quran 51.56) • All the Prophets were sent to show us the way to the service of God. We never sent a Messenger before you except that We revealed to him, saying, ‘there is no god but I, so serve Me!’ (Quran 21.25) Indeed, We sent forth among every nation a Messenger, saying, ‘serve you God, and eschew ‘taghut’ [idols, tyrants, Satan and the party of Satan]’. Then some of them God guided and some were justly disposed to misguidance. (Quran, 16.36)

12. Prophets teach people God’s laws Prophets communicate to people the Divine Commandments (obligations and prohibitions). This function of the Prophets is called ‘Messengership‘ They deliver the Messages of God and fear Him, and do not fear anyone except God. (Quran, 33.39) O Messenger, deliver that which has been sent down to you from your Lord; for if you do not, you will have not performed His Messengership. God protects you against people; verily God will not guide the people of unbelief. (Quran, 5.67)

13. Prophets set examples They set a good example for other people to follow in every walk of life. E.g., people learn from them how to be a good father, husband, commander, community leader and so on. Those are they whom God has guided, so follow their guidance! (Quran, 6.90) You have a good example in God’s Messenger for whoever hopes for God and the Last Day, and remembers God oft. (Quran, 33.21)

14. Prophets established the balance between this world and the next All of the Prophets came to establish this balance: Seek, amidst that which God has given you, the Last Abode; and forget not your portion of the present world. (Quran, 28.77) That is, the balance between material and spiritual life between reason and soul between this world and the next and between indulgence and abstinence

15. Prophets are God’s Witnesses Messengers bearing good tidings and warning, so that mankind might have no argument against God. (Quran, 4.165) Does man think that he will be left aimless? (Quran, 75.36) • If the Prophets had not been sent, man might have had an argument against being punished in the Hereafter. • God sent them so that the good might be distinguished from the bad. • After the Prophets, mankind would no longer have any argument against God’s punishment or reward.

16. Essential attributes of Prophethood The essentials of Prophethood common to all of the Prophets are, according to the theologians: • Truthfulness • Trustworthiness • Communication of God’s commands • Intelligence • Infallibility • Freedom from all kinds of bodily and mental defects

17. Truthfulness • The Prophets were truthful in everything they said • No lies, explicit or implicit, were ever heard from them; they never deceived anyone Mention in the Book Abraham: Surely he was a most truthful Prophet. (Quran, 19.41) Mention in the Book Ishmael; surely, he was a man of his word, and he was a Messenger, a Prophet. (Quran, 19.54) Mention in the Book Enoch; surely he was a most truthful Prophet. We elevated him to an exalted place. (Quran, 19.56–7) • The Prophets had to be endowed with truthfulness as God wants everybody to be truthful: O you who believe, fear God and be with the company of the truthful! (Quran, 9.119) The believers are but those people who believed in God and His Messenger without ever feeling doubt thereafter, and strove with their souls and possessions in the way of God; those are the ones who are the truthful. (Quran, 49.15)

18. Trustworthiness • The Prophets, upon them all be peace, were foremost in belief and therefore at the summit of trustworthiness The people of Noah denied the Messengers. When their brother Noah said to them: ‘Will you not fear God and avoid evil? I am a trustworthy Messenger to you?’ (Quran, 26.105–107) • God distinguished the Prophets by their trustworthiness. Our connection to Him is through the Prophets and is based entirely on their trustworthiness and reliability. I am for you a trustworthy Messenger, so serve you God, and obey you me. I ask of you no wage for this; my wage falls only upon the Lord of the Worlds. (Quran, 26. 107–9 Verily, God commands you to commit the trusts to (the charge of) those qualified for them, and when you judge between men, to judge with justice. Verily how excellent is the teaching which He gives you! Truly God is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. (Quran, 4.58)

19. Communication of the truths to People • Prophets enjoin the good and forbid the evil. • They make a comprehensive invitation to God. They appealed to man’s intellect, reason, spirit and all his outer and inner senses and feelings. Say (O Muhammad): ‘This is my way: I call (people) to God with wisdom and insight, I and those who follow me.’ (Quran, 12.108) • They ask no wage from people A prophet is an altruist and lives for the happiness and good of others. His happiness lies in seeing people devoted to God for ultimate salvation. but he never expects from people anything in return for what he does. O my people! I ask of you no wealth for it, my reward is from none but God. (Quran, 11.29)

20. Communication of the truth to People (2) • They leave the results to God • They do their best to convey the Divine Message to people • They patiently face many misfortunes and even torment • They fulfill their responsibilities without worrying about the result of their call to God • They know with all certainty that it is only God who will bring about the desired result Assuredly, you [O Muhammad] guide not whom you like but God guides whom He wills. And He knows best those who receive guidance. (Quran, 28.56)

21. Intelligence in conveying the message • Prophets have a composite of reasoning power, sagacity, intelligence, sound judgment and wisdom far-exceeding the capacity of ordinary people. • Prophets are commanded to address people according to their level of understanding. • They function as a ‘prism’ to receive and reflect the Divine Revelations. They modulate them according to the understanding capacity of individuals in different ages and under different circumstances. • A prophet understands people in their diverse characters, mental capacities, moods and other personal distinguishing traits and so answers the questions and solves the problems.

22. Prophets are infallible • Prophets might have committed small mistakes or ‘errors’ or ‘lapses’. • But these lapses are not sins in the meaning of disobedience to God’s Commandments. • The Prophets tended to wait for Revelation when they had a question to judge. On rare occasions, however they would exercise their own power of reasoning in order to give a judgment. They would come to a ‘good’ judgment instead of the ‘best’. Not making the ‘best’ is not considered sin. • They might sometimes have erred in their judgments or decisions, but such errors, which were immediately corrected by God, can never be regarded as sins.

23. How Does Islam View Jesus? • Muslims love Jesus and they believe in him as a Messenger of God. • He was a human being miraculously born (without a father) from Virgin Mary. • He is one of the five greatest prophets who are referred to as ‘Ulul Azm’ prophets (arch-prophets: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, peace be upon all) by Muslims. And truly We gave to Moses the Book and We caused a train of messengers to follow after him, and We gave to Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and We supported him with the Pure Spirit. (Quran, 2:87) And We bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob; each of them We guided; and Noah did We guide in an earlier time, and of his seed David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus We reward the good. And Zachariah and John and Jesus and Elias. .. (Quran, 6:84-86) And when God says: O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say to mankind: Take me and my mother for two gods beside God? he says: Be glorified! It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. If I used to say it, then You know it. You know what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Your mind. You, only You, are the Knower of Things Hidden. I spoke to them only what You commanded me, (saying): Worship God, my Lord and your Lord….(Quran, 5:116-118)