A Simple Guide to ISLAM
Risalah – Prophethood
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Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him, 1,24,000
messengers were sent to guide the people to the right path. The
prophets mentioned by name in the Qur'an are two dozen in
number. The five major prophets who came before Muhammad,
may peace be upon him, were Adam, Nuh, (Noah) Ibrahim,
(Abraham) Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus). The Prophet Muhammad,
may peace be upon him, the last in this long line of prophets, was
known as the ‘seal of the Prophet.’
In the past the need for new prophets had arisen because God’s
religion was no longer in its pristine form, having been distorted in
a number of different ways. New prophets had to come to the
world periodically in order to revive the true spirit of religion, and
thus restore it to its original form. After the Prophet Muhammad,
there was no need for another prophet, for the Book— the
Qur'an—, which he gave to the world, has been preserved intact,
in its original form.
The Islamic concept of prophethood is different from that of other
religions. Some religions would have it that even God Himself
becomes incarnate in human shape, and that his prophets are in
some way superhuman or other-worldly. But a prophet in the
Islamic sense is no different from any other human being. His
uniqueness lies simply in his being the chosen messenger of God.
God’s Apostles were born into this world just like any other human
beings. They led their lives just as others did, thus demonstrating
to their people how God’s servants should, in practice, conduct
themselves on earth and showing them clearly what path they must
