Allah Ta’ala has endowed man with wisdom and conscience. Of course, He has given each person different responsibilities and duties. People will stay on earth for a specific time. Then they will return to their Lord. There is a good reward for those who fulfill their Allah-given responsibility. And for those who ignore and deny Allah-given responsibility, there is a severe punishment of Hell. In Allah’s book, Allah Ta’ala has also mentioned the main duties and responsibilities of everyone. Allah Ta’ala chose some of the best persons from age to age. He sent down to them His Books. They taught people practically how to practice or implement the instructions of Allah’s Book. The best persons are the Prophets and Messengers. So belief in the Messengers of Allah and His Prophets is a vital deed that Allah Ta’ala has obligated on His all servants.
They obeyed every command of Allah properly. Indeed, they were the best human beings in the world, and in the Hereafter, they will be among the closest servants of Allah. Now I will present to you some vital information about belief in the Messengers of Allah and believing in the Prophets of Allah. At the same time, I will mention the main things of belief in the messengers of Allah, Insha Allah. So let’s know first what it means to believe in Allah’s messengers.
Belief in the messengers of Allah and its meaning
Believing in the Messengers means believing that Allah Ta’ala sent many of His beloved persons to His servants as Messengers of Allah. They called upon the people to worship the One Allah, who has no partner. They warned the people against worshipping anyone other than Allah. And they called people to goodness and warned them against every evil deed. [Sharh Al-Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, page 31]
In short, to believe strongly that, In the past time, Allah chose from every nation one of them as the Messenger of Allah and sent him to them. He used to call them to worship Allah. He used to call for denying the worship of other than Allah. In this regard, Allah Ta’ala said:
And I sent among them a Messenger from themselves, (saying), “Worship Allah; you have no deity other than Him; then will you not fear Him?” [Surah Al-Mu’minun, verse 32]
And the Messengers were all truthful, attestor each other, pious, rightly guided, Allah-fearing, faithful, and Prophets of Allah. They conveyed to people all that Allah had sent down to them. They did not conceal any of Allah’s ruling, nor did they change anything, nor did they increase or decrease anything on their behalf. Allah Ta’ala revealed the Books to them and gave them new Shariah law.
The main matter of believing in Allah’s messengers
(1) To believe that the messengers conveyed properly every word of Allah to their ummah. Allah’s Messengers said to their Ummah: “O my people, there is no misguidance in me, but I am a messenger from the Lord of the worlds. I convey to you the messages of my Lord and advise you, and I know from Allah what you do not know. Then do you wonder that there has come to you a Reminder from your Lord through a man from among you, that he may warn you and that you may fear Allah so you might receive mercy?” [Surah Al-A’raf, verses 61 – 63]
(2) To believe that they called Allah’s servants to worship only Allah, and they called people to refuse to worship anyone other than Allah. In this regard, Allah Ta’ala said: And I indeed sent into every nation a messenger, (saying), “Worship Allah and avoid Taghut (false deities).” And among them (i.e., among people) were those whom Allah guided, and among them were those upon whom error was (deservedly) decreed. So travel through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers. [Surah An-Nahl, verse 36]
(3) All Messengers were the Prophets of Allah. So conceding the Prophethood of the Messengers and acknowledging what they have brought from Allah. In this regard, Allah Ta’ala said: “And (remember), when Allah took the covenant of the prophets, (saying), ‘Whatever I give you of the Book and wisdom and then there comes to you a Messenger confirming what is with you, you (must) believe in him and support him.’ (Allah also) said, ‘Have you acknowledged and taken upon that My commitment?’ They said, ‘We have acknowledged it.’ He (Allah) said, ‘Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.’ And whoever turned away after that – they will be defiantly disobedient.” [Surah Ali ‘Imran, verse 81 – 82]
More important things about it
(4) Not to distinguish between any of Allah’s Messengers. The difference is to concede some Messengers and to deny some Messengers. In this regard, Allah Ta’ala said: “Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers. And wish to discriminate between Allah and His messengers and say, “We believe in some (Messengers) and disbelieve in others,” and want to adopt a way in between. Those are the disbelievers genuinely. And I have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment. But those who believe in Allah and His messengers and do not discriminate between any of them – He will give them their rewards soon. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.” [Surah An-Nisa, verses 150 – 152]
(5) Acknowledging Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the last Prophet and Messenger, believing in him, and following him. It is a vital thing in the belief in the Messengers of Allah. Allah Ta’ala said:
“Muḥammad is not the father of (any) one of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah and seal (i.e., last and final) of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing.” [Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 40]
“O you who have believed, fear Allah and believe in His Messenger; He will (then) give you a double portion of His mercy and make for you a light by which you will walk and forgive you, and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” [Surah Al-Hadid, verse 28]
“And obey Allah and obey the Messenger and beware. And if you turn away – then know that upon my Messenger is only (the responsibility for) to deliver the message clearly.” [Surah Al-Ma’idah, verse 92]
Respecting all the messengers and not hurting their dignity
Imam Shirbini (Rh) said: A person who falsifies or denies or uses lousy language about a Prophet or a Messenger or defames him or his name, indeed that person has done a Kufr. [Mughni al-Muhtaj, volume 5, page 429]
Allah Ta’ala said about the Messenger of Allah: “Indeed, I have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner that you (people) may believe in Allah and His Messenger, honor him, respect him, and exalt Him (i.e., Allah) morning and afternoon.” [Surah Al-Fath, verses 8 – 9]
Therefore, if one disrespects or insults one messenger, it is as if he disrespected or insulted all the messengers of Allah.
Number of Prophets and Messengers of Allah
Allah Ta’ala has sent innumerable prophets and messengers to the world. Their numbers are not explicitly mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith. However, in one tradition, the number of messengers are mentioned as three hundred and thirteen and the number of prophets as one lakh and twenty-four thousand. But the view of the wise scholars about that tradition is that the description is Da’if (feeble). However, the purpose of this is that Allah Ta’ala sent many prophets and messengers to the world. And the number of prophets was more than the number of messengers.
Allah Ta’ala said: “And I have already sent (many) messengers before you. Among them are those (whose stories) I have related to you, and among them are those (whose stories) I have not described to you. And it was not (chance) for any messenger to bring a sign (or verse) except by permission of Allah. So when the command of Allah comes, it will be concluded (i.e., judged) in truth, and the falsifiers will thereupon lose (all).” [Surah Ghafir, verse 78]
In the Qur’an, Allah has mentioned 25 prophets and messengers. Their name is: Adam, Noah, Idrees, Ibrahim, Ishak, Yaqub, Dawud, Sulaiman, Ayyub, Yusuf, Musa, Harun, Zakaria, Yahya, Isa, Elyas, Ismail, Ya’sa, Yunus, Hud, Saleh, Lut, Shuaib, Julkifl, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all).
May Allah Ta’ala grant us the grace to describe the good things about Allah’s Messengers and give us a strong belief in the Messengers of Allah and His all Prophets and grant us the Tawfiq to respect them appropriately. Ameen.
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