Prophethood in Islam

All Prophets have common characteristics which make them exceptional human beings.

They receive revelation. The main difference between an ordinary human being and a Prophet is that a Prophet receives revelation from Allah.

They have noble character. Prophets never sought personal benefits such as wealth, high status or power — rather, they only sought the approval of God. They were the best examples amongst their people in character and righteousness, always truthful in speech and conduct. For this reason, Muslims totally reject the false attribution of major sins to the Prophets, as appears in some scriptures of other religions.

They perform miracles. Many Prophets performed miracles, usually in a field in which their people excelled. The people of Moses (peace be upon him) excelled in magic, so he was able to perform miraculous acts which even magicians could not perform. The people of Jesus (peace be upon him) excelled in medicine, so he was able to perform acts of healing beyond the skill of his own people. The people of Muhammad (peace be upon him) excelled in poetry, so he delivered the Qur'an, containing such eloquent words that no poet could ever compete with. Such miracles were performed only with the permission and assistance of Allah, proving that the prophets were human, and not divine.

They are not divine. While Prophets are chosen by Allah Almighty, they are in no way divine and should not be worshipped. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was commanded to say, “I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your God is One God.” (Qur'an 18:110). It is clear even from the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments, that the Prophets were not divine, and would worship and prostrate to the One True God:

• “And he [Jesus] went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed…” — Matthew 26:39
• “And they [Moses and Aaron] fell upon their faces…” — Numbers 16:22
• “And Abram [i.e. Abraham] fell on his face: and God talked with him…” — Genesis 17:3

They have the qualities their mission needs. Allah gave all Prophets certain characteristics in order for them to successfully fulfil their mission, such as persistence, courage, leadership, patience and wisdom. Examples include the persistence of Noah in calling his people to Allah even though very few accepted; the courage of Abraham to single-handedly confront his entire community regarding their false beliefs while still very young; the leadership of Moses in directing the escape of his people from the most oppressive tyrant of his time; the patience of Jesus in enduring persecution; and the wisdom of Muhammad in uniting the many rival tribes of Arabia into one peaceful community (peace be upon them all).

“And We sent not a Messenger except with the language of his people, in order that he might make the Message clear for them…”

Qur'an 14:4

Since all Prophets were sent by the One True God, they all conveyed the same message and had the same mission — to remind and educate their people of the purpose of life. Their message was to:

• Clarify the true concept of God and reject false beliefs
• Teach the true purpose of life
• Demonstrate how Allah should be worshipped
• Convey Allah's definition of righteous and sinful conduct, and advise people accordingly
• Describe the rewards for obedience (Heaven) and warn of the punishment for disobedience (Hell)
• Explain commonly misunderstood issues such as the soul, angels and spirits, the afterlife and fate

The main focus of all the Prophets was to clarify the concept of God: that He has no partners or equals, and that all worship should be directed exclusively toward Him. In the Qur'an, there are numerous examples of Prophets proclaiming this message:

• Noah (peace be upon him): “O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other gods besides Him.” — Qur'an 7:59
• Abraham (peace be upon him): “Do you worship besides Allah, things that can neither bring you benefit nor cause you harm?” — Qur'an 21:66
• Moses (peace be upon him): “What! Shall I seek for you a god other than Allah even though He has made you excel all created things?” — Qur'an 7:140
• Jesus (peace be upon him): “Indeed Allah is my Lord and your Lord: so worship Him alone: this is the Straight Way.” — Qur'an 3:51
• Muhammad (peace be upon him): “It has been revealed to me that your God is One God. So whoever expects to meet his Lord then let him do good deeds and associate none as a partner in the worship of his Lord.” — Qur'an 18:110

“And certainly We sent to every nation a Messenger, saying: 'Worship Allah and avoid false gods.'”

Qur'an 16:36

Prophets were sent to specific groups of people, and over time, the messages with which they came were lost or corrupted. However, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was not sent to a specific people, but to mankind as a whole, and his message has been preserved both in the form of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Since the Qur'an and Sunnah are preserved and easily accessible, there is no need for another Prophet.

• The Qur'an is the spoken word of Allah, and is free of any corruption, errors or contradictions. It is a book of “guidance for mankind… and the distinction between right and wrong.” (Qur'an 2:185)
• The Sunnah is a collection of the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), as recorded by his companions and their students. The fact that there are thousands of these recorded and rigorously authenticated makes it very easy for anyone to follow him correctly.

Muslims believe in and respect every Prophet sent by God, and in all of the divine books which were revealed to the Prophets, mindful of the fact that none of these books exist today in their original form, aside from the Qur'an: “It is He who has sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what came before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel.” (Qur'an 3:3)

Allah created life and gave humans free will and intellect, as a test to see who will willingly follow His path and who will deviate.

If every person received direct revelation, life would not be a true test of faith. The real test of one's faith is in using one's intellect and reason to contemplate and recognise God's signs, rather than being spoken to directly by God, which would not require any effort, and would render belief meaningless.

Although Prophets received direct revelation, this did not exempt them from life's tests, as Prophethood brings with it many difficulties and trials.

Prophets were sent as a mercy by Allah, to convey His message and to teach people how to live a righteous life. They have the best of characteristics and are to be followed and obeyed.

Following a Prophet is obedience to God and rejecting a Prophet is disobedience to God. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last of the Prophets, so God's guidance was complete with his coming.

“Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example to follow for whoever hopes in the meeting with Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.”

Qur'an 33:21