Prophet Hood

Prophethood Main qualities of Prophets • Allah sent 124000 prophets to this world from time to time for the guidance of creation. • They always spoke the truth, committed no sins and conveyed the message without adding or leaving out anything. • The prophets also gave the glad tidings of Paradise to those who accepted their message and warned of the impending punishment of Hell for those who refused to accept and turned away from the truth.

Need of prophets Actually we are not able to recognize the pleasure and displeasure of Allah. Our intellect and understanding would have been useless and ineffective without the Messenger’s guidance. Just like how the eye would be ineffective without the sun’s rays, which throw light on every thing. • Allah has blessed the messengers with miracles and clear signs, so that these miracles and out of ordinary acts become a proof of their Prophethood. When the fire was made cool for Hazrat Ibrahim and when the staff of Hazrat Moosa was turned into a snake, and when the dead were given life with the prayer of Hazrat Isa and when water was gushed forth from the blessed fingers of Rasoolullah SAW and the entire army’s thirst was satiated. These were such acts that were beyond the power and ability of man. Even the greatest magician and illusionist could not produce such acts.

Nabuwwat and Risalat • No more Prophets will come after our Nabi Hazrat Muhammad SAW. He is the final Prophet of Allah He is the seal of all the Prophets. • The word Nabuwwat is derived from the word Naba which means a great and important message. In this case it means that important message from Allah, which He intends for His servants and He conveys via His chosen Messengers, these messengers are called Nabis. • While the word Rasool is derived from the word Risalat. Risalat refers to representation between Allah and His intelligent creation. The ambassador who comes between the Creator and His creation is called a Rasool.

Difference between Nabi and Rasool •

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As for the difference between a Nabi and a Rasool, some Ulama opine that they are one and the same, but the correct version is that a Rasool is higher in status than a Nabi. It is mentioned in the Hadith that the total number of Ambiyaa exceeds 100000, whereas the number of Rasool are mentioned to be 313. From this we gauge that a Rasool is a specific and special Messenger, whereas a Nabi is a general Messenger. Every Rasool is a Nabi, but not necessarily that Nabi is a Rasool. The research scholars have differentiated a Rasool and Nabi in this way that a Nabi is that special servant of Allah upon whom wahi was revealed and engaged in guiding and inviting the creation toward Allah, regardless of whether he was bestowed with a Divine Kitab or Scripture or not. From among the Ambiyaa, those who were blessed with any specialty of distinguishing factor, for example, he was bestowed with a New Kitab or Shariah, or he was ordered to combat the rejecters or deniers, or he was sent to a new nation, then such a Nabi is called a Rasool.

The crux of the differentiation • Hence , a necessary factor for a Rasool is that he enjoys some speciality from among the Ambiyaa. It is not necessary that a Rasool has a New Kitab or Shariah, Because there is a consensus that Hazrat Ismail AS was a Rasool but he did not come with a New Kitab or Shariah. Also it is reported in a Hadith that the total number of Rasools were 313, but only 104 Kitab including Scriptures were revealed, from this we gather that it is not necessary for every Rasool to have had a New Shariah. • The crux of the differentiation made between a Nabi and a Rasool by Hafiz Ibn-e-Taimiyah is that a Nabi is that person who speaks about the unseen things from Allah and wahi is revealed upon him. And the person who has these qualities and he is also deputed to propagate to a disobedient and nefarious nation, then He is called a Rasool. • There are near about 27 messengers whose names are mentioned in Holy Quran. • Our Nabi Hazrat Muhammad SAW was of the highest position among all the Prophets.