Table of Contents
Prophets Alayhim As-Salaam
Allah ﷻ has chosen some righteous men and sent them forth to deliver guidance to creation and to guide them on the right path; such men are known as Prophets عليهم السلام.
A prophet is a human being who receives revelation [wahy] from Allah ﷻ. This revelation is sometimes brought by an angel, and sometimes received [by the prophet] directly without any medium.
Prophets عليهم السلام are divinely protected from sin. They have the most impeccable manners and virtuous habits. They are dignified and have eminence in every one of their attributes, such as their names, their ancestry (5), their bodies (6), their physical appearance, their speech (7) and their actions. Their every state - whether movement or repose - is of the highest calibre and is far removed from anything that is commonly deemed disgusting or detestable.
Allah ﷻ has bestowed the most perfect minds to them - they are extremely intelligent and immensely wise. All the intelligent minds of this world [i.e. non-prophets] put together, do not possess even a fraction of the intelligence of a single prophet. Allah ﷻ informs them of many things from the hidden and the unseen [ghayb]
They obey Allah ﷻ and worship Him. Prophets عليهم السلام deliver the message of Allah ﷻ to the people and guide them towards Allah ﷻ.
Prophethood is a very exalted station. It cannot be attained by diligence or hard work. Suppose a person worships Allah ﷻ all the time, fasts every day, weeps in prostration the whole night and every night, and spends all his wealth in charity for the sake of pleasing Allah ﷻ, and sacrifices himself for the religion; yet, in spite of doing all this, he cannot attain' or 'earn' prophethood. Prophethood is granted only by the Grace of Allah and He gives it to whomsoever He pleases.
It is obligatory to obey prophets عليهم السلام and comply with their commands. Disrespecting prophets or belying them, even in the slightest manner, is disbelief [kufr]. A person is not deemed a believer until one accepts and bears faith in all the prophets عليهم السلام (ie., sent by Allah].
Allah ﷻ has bestowed honour upon prophets - ﷺ - and these men are most beloved to Allah ﷻ.
The prophet who brings a new law [shariah] is known as a Rasul, meaning 'Messenger'.
Prophets عليهم السلام are alive in their graves; and their lives are similar to their lives in this world. Death, is but an evanescent occurrence for them; and this state will last only for a moment; thereafter, they become alive.
The first prophet to come in this world is also the first human: Sayyiduna Adam عليهم السلام. There were no humans prior to him. Allah ﷻ created him, by His Divine Power, and created him without a mother or a father. Allah ﷻ has made him His vice-regent on this earth.
Allah ﷻ gave Sayyiduna Adam عليهم السلام the knowledge of the names of everything. He commanded His angels to prostrate to him. Every human is a descendant of (9) Sayyiduna Adam عليهم السلام. Allah sent many prophets عليهم السلام between Sayyiduna Adam [the first prophet] and our Master, Sayyiduna Muhammad [the last prophet] ﷺ.
The following prophets are mentioned in the Qur'an (10);
1. Sayyiduna Adam [Adam] عليهم السلام
2. Sayyiduna Nah [Noah] عليهم السلام
3. Sayyiduna Ibrahim [Abraham] عليهم السلام
4. Sayyiduna Ismayil [Ishmael] عليهم السلام
5. Sayyiduna Is'haq [Isaac] عليهم السلام
6. Sayyiduna Yaqub [Jacob] عليهم السلام
7. Sayyiduna Yusuf [Joseph] عليهم السلام
8. Sayyiduna Musa [Moses] عليهم السلام
9. Sayyiduna Harun [Aaron] عليهم السلام
10. Sayyiduna Shuayb عليهم السلام
11. Sayyiduna Lut [Lot] عليهم السلام
12. Sayyiduna Hud عليهم السلام
13. Sayyiduna Dawud [David] عليهم السلام
14. Sayyiduna Sulayman [Solomon] عليهم السلام
15. Sayyiduna Ayyub [Job] عليهم السلام
16. Sayyiduna Zakariyyah [Zechariah] عليهم السلام
17. Sayyiduna Yahya [John] عليهم السلام
18. Sayyiduna Ilyas [Elijah] عليهم السلام
19. Sayyiduna Al-Yasa [Isaiah] عليهم السلام
20. Sayyiduna Yunus [Jonas] عليهم السلام
21. Sayyiduna Idris [Enoch] عليهم السلام
22. Sayyiduna Dhu'l Kifl [Ezekiel] (11) عليهم السلام
23. Sayyiduna Salih عليهم السلام
24. Sayyiduna Yisa [Jesus] عليهم السلام
25. Sayyiduna Muhammad ﷺ
Notes: