| Prophethood
in Islam Prophethood is not unknown to heavenly revealed religions, such as Judaism and Christianity. In Islam, however, it has a special status and significance. According to Islam, Allah (the Arabic word for God) created man for a noble purpose: to worship Him and lead a virtuous life based on His teachings and guidance. How would man know his role and purpose of his existence unless he received clear and practical instructions of what Allah wants him to do? Hence the need for prophethood and accompanying guidance. Thus Allah had chosen from every nation one or more prophets to convey His Message to the people. The Noble Qur-an says: "To every people (was sent) an Apostle: when their Apostle comes (before them) the matter will be judged between them with justice and they will not be wronged.” (Qur-an, 10: 47)  |
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| Allah
in the Noble Qur-an says: "And verily, we have sent among
every nation a messenger
(proclaiming): 'Worship Allah (alone) and avoid evil. 'Then of them were some Allah guided, and there were some upon whom straying was justified. So travel through the land and see what was the consequence of those who denied (the truth)." (Qur-an, 16:36) |
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| Prophethood
is Allah
's blessing and favor that He may bestow on whom He wills.
However, from surveying the various messengers throughout history,
three features of a prophet may be recognized:
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| 1-
He is the best in his community morally and intellectually. This is necessary
because a prophet's life serves as a model for his followers. His personality should attract people to
accept his message rather than drive them away because of his imperfect
character. After receiving the message he is rightly guided and infallible.
That is, he would not commit any sin. He might make some minor mistakes,
which are usually corrected by revelation. |
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| 2-
He is supported by miracles to prove that he is not an impostor. Those
miracles are granted by the power and permission of God and are usually
in the field in which his people excel and are recognized as superiors.
We might illustrate this by quoting the major miracles of the three prophets
of the major world religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Moses' contemporaries were excellent in magic. So his major miracle was
to defeat the best magicians of Egypt of his time. Jesus'
contemporaries
were recognized as skilful physicians. Therefore, his miracles were to
raise the dead and cure incurable diseases.
The Arabs, contemporaries of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace
Be Upon Him) were known for their eloquence
and magnificent poetry. So Prophet Muhammad's major
miracle was the Qur-an, the equivalent of which the whole legion
of the Arab poets and orators could not produce, despite the repeated
challenge from the Qur-an itself. Again, Muhammad's (Peace
Be Upon Him)
miracle has something special about it.
All previous miracles were limited by time and place, i.e., they
were shown to specific people at a specific time. Not so with the Qur-an,
the miracle of Muhammad (Peace
Be Upon Him).
It is a universal and everlasting miracle. Previous generations witnessed
it and future generations will witness its miraculous nature in terms
of its style, content and spiritual uplifting. These still can be tested
and will thereby prove the divine origin of the Qur-an.
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| 3-
Every prophet states clearly that what he receives
is not of his own but from God for the well-being of mankind. He also
confirms what was revealed before him and what may be revealed after him.
A prophet does this to show that he is simply conveying the message, which
is entrusted to him by the One True God of all people in all
ages. So the message is one in essence and for the same purpose.
Therefore, it should not deviate from what was
revealed
before him or what might come after him.
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| Prophets
are necessary for conveying God's instructions and guidance to mankind.
We leave no wav of knowing why we were created? What will happen to us
after death? Is there any life after death? Are we accountable for our
actions? In
other words, is there any reward or punishment for our deeds in this
life? These and so many other questions about God, angels, Paradise, Hell, etc. cannot be answered without revelation from the Creator and Knower of the unseen. Those answers must be authentic and must be brought by individuals whom we trust and respect. That is why; messengers are the select of their societies in terms of moral conduct and intellectual ability. The prophets are also miraculously supported by God and instructed by Him to affirm the continuity of the message. The content of the prophets' message to mankind can be summarized as follows: |
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| 1-
Clear concept about God: His attributes, His creation, what should and should not be ascribed to Him. |
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