السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Prophets in Islam: Their Role, Mission, and Message

Among the central pillars of Islamic belief is Īmān bi-l-Rusul—faith in the messengers. Yet for many Muslims raised in the West, the topic of prophets is often reduced to a handful of familiar names, with little understanding of what prophethood actually means in Islam.

This post is an invitation to rediscover the prophets (al-anbiyāʾ) and messengers (al-rusul) as described in the Qur’an and in classical Islamic sources. We’ll explore what made them distinct, what roles they played, and how their stories and status differ from the portrayals found in the Bible or other traditions.

How Many Prophets Are There?

The Qur’an mentions the names of 25 prophets, including:

Ādam (Adam)
Nūḥ (Noah)
Ibrāhīm (Abraham)
Mūsā (Moses)
ʿĪsā (Jesus)
Muḥammad ﷺ (the final prophet)

But a hadith narrated by Abū Dharr and recorded by Ibn Ḥibbān and others says the total number of prophets is 124,000, and among them were 315 messengers. Not all are named, and the Qur’an itself states:

“And We have already sent messengers before you. Among them are those whose stories We have told you, and among them are those whose stories We have not told you.”
(Sūrah Ghāfir 40:78)

This reinforces the idea that prophethood was a global, universal reality—not confined to a specific region or ethnicity.

The Difference Between a Prophet and a Messenger

Classical scholars—like al-Nasafī, al-Taftāzānī, and Ibn Taymiyyah—make a distinction between:

Nabī (Prophet): A man chosen by Allah who receives revelation but may not be commanded to convey it as a new law to a people. He may continue the law of a previous messenger.
Rasūl (Messenger): A prophet who is commanded to deliver a new message or bring a new Sharīʿah (law) to a particular people.

Every rasūl is a nabī, but not every nabī is a rasūl.

Examples:

Hārūn (Aaron) عليه السلام was a prophet, but he followed the law of Mūsā عليه السلام.
Mūsā (Moses) عليه السلام was a messenger, who brought a new scripture (the Tawrah).

This distinction was widely discussed in works like al-Tamhīd by Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr and Sharḥ al-ʿAqīdah al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah by Ibn Abī al-ʿIzz.

What Was the Role of Prophets?

In the Qur’an, the roles of prophets are consistently described in terms of five core missions:

Tablīgh (Conveying the Message):
Prophets received revelation from Allah and passed it on with complete fidelity.

Tazkiyah (Purifying the Soul):
They were spiritual guides who taught how to live ethically and righteously.

Judgment and Leadership:
Many prophets were judges and rulers who implemented divine law—like Dāwūd (David) and Sulaymān (Solomon).

Exemplars of Patience and Trust in Allah:
They were tested more than anyone else and are role models in resilience, as in the lives of Ayyūb (Job) and Yūnus (Jonah).

Warning and Glad Tidings (Nadhīr & Bashīr):

“We sent the messengers as bringers of good tidings and as warners.” (Qur’an 4:165)

Prophets in Islam vs. the Bible

Many of the same figures appear in both the Qur’an and the Bible, but there are key differences in portrayal and purpose. Islam presents prophets as:

Maʿṣūm (Infallible in conveying the message):
According to scholars like al-Bāqillānī and al-Juwaynī, prophets do not commit major sins or persist in minor ones. This differs from the Bible, which attributes serious moral failings to prophets like David or Noah.
Uncompromising Monotheists:
Islamic prophets never fall into shirk. The Qur’an’s version of Hārūn, for example, firmly rejects the worship of the golden calf—unlike the Bible’s portrayal of Aaron as complicit.
Sent to All Nations:
While the Bible focuses on Bani Israel, Islam emphasizes that every nation had a prophet:

“There was no nation but a warner came to it.” (Qur’an 35:24)

Finality of Prophethood:
Islam teaches that Muḥammad ﷺ is the last prophet:

“Khatam al-Nabiyyīn” (Seal of the Prophets) – Qur’an 33:40

This distinction anchors Islamic theology and has been affirmed unanimously by classical scholars.

Why Does This Matter Today?

Many Muslims in the West know the name of Ibrāhīm (Abraham) but not the specifics of his mission. They know the name of Muhammed but not the hardships he went through.

The lives of prophets are not children’s tales—they are the foundation of Islamic belief and worldview.

Books like:

Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī
Qasas al-Anbiyāʾ by Ibn Kathīr
al-Shifāʾ by Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ
…devoted entire sections to exploring how the stories and missions of prophets relate to law, politics, personal development, and creed (ʿaqīdah).

Prophets Are Part of Your ʿAqīdah

Belief in prophets is not optional—it is one of the six pillars of faith:

- Belief in Allah

- His angels

- His prophets

- His books

- The Last Day

- Qadr (divine decree)

This is a consistent teaching from the Qur’an, the Hadith of Jibrīl, and in every major work of theology from al-Ṭaḥāwiyyah to al-Ashʿarī’s Maqālāt.

Reviving this knowledge brings clarity to our deen, especially in a world full of conflicting narratives about who should be followed and why.

Explore the Prophets Again

At M4KTABA, we believe that classical books open forgotten doors. They remind us that prophethood is not just a past event—it’s a living legacy.

We’re working to make these sources more accessible so you can:

Read about their lives in their original narrations
Understand their missions from the classical mufassirūn
Reflect on their role in shaping Islamic civilization

“These are the ones whom Allah guided, so follow their guidance.”
— Qur’an, 6:90

Let’s not just believe in the prophets. Let’s study them.

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في امان الله.