Prophets in Islam

For other uses of this word, see Prophet (disambiguation).

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According to Islamic tradition, each prophet conveyed the same basic ideas of Islam (defined as "submission to God", to his words and to his orders). They brought the belief in a single God and in the avoidance of idolatry and sin. Each came to preach Islam and told of the coming of the final law-bearing prophet and messenger of God: Muhammad. Each prophet directed a message to a different group and each prophet taught minor variations in sharia (or the practice of religion) to a different target audience. These variations constitute applications of Islam: mainstream Muslims do not consider them discrete versions of Islam.

Islamic tradition holds that God sent messengers to every nation. Muslims believe that God finally sent Muhammad to "seal" and to convey the divine message to the whole world (to sum up and to finalize the word of God), whereas he had previously sent the other messengers (rasul) to convey their messages to a specific group of people or to an individual nation.

Muslims regard Adam as the first prophet and Muhammad as the last prophet; (from the traditional interpretation of Muhammad's title Seal of the Prophets). Islam regards Jesus as a rasul and a nabi because he received wahy (revelation) from God, through which God revealed the Injil (Gospel) to him. Muslims have great respect for Jesus (known by the Arabic form of his given name as Eesa or Isa) and for his mother Maryam (Mary). They do not, however, regard Jesus as the Son of God, but rather as a human of flesh and bones.

Islamic theology recognises as many as 224,000 prophets. According to Wheeler, the Qur'an identifies 25 prophets by name, starting with Adam and ending with Muhammad.

Etymology

In both Arabic and Hebrew, the term nabī (plural forms: nabiyyūn and anbiyāʾ) means "prophet". Forms of this noun occur 75 times in the Qur'an. The term nubuwwa (meaning "prophethood") occurs five times in the Qur'an. The terms rasūl (plural: rusul) and mursal (plural: mursalūn) denote “messenger” or "apostle" and occur more than 300 times. The term for a prophetic “message”, risāla (plural: risālāt) appears in the Qur'an in ten instances.

The Syriac form of rasūl Allāh (literally: "messenger of God"), s̲h̲eliḥeh d-allāhā, occurs frequently in the apocryphal Acts of St. Thomas. The corresponding verb for s̲h̲eliḥeh — s̲h̲alaḥ, occurs in connection with the prophets in the Old Testament (Exodus; Isaiah; Jeremiah.

Prophets and messengers in the Bible

The words "prophet" (Arabic: nabi, نبی) and "messenger" (Arabic: rasul, رسول) appear several times in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

The following table shows these words in different languages:

Prophet and Messenger in the Bible

Arabic	Arabic Pronunciation	English	Greek	Greek pronunciation	Strong Number	Hebrew	Hebrew pronunciation	Strong Number
نبی	Nabi	Prophet	προφήτης	prophētēs	G4396	נביא	nâbîy'	H5030
رسول	Rasule	Messenger, Apostle	ἄγγελος, ἀπόστολος	ä'n-ge-los, ä-po'-sto-los	G32, G652	שליח,מלאך	mal·äk', shä·lakh'	H4397,H7971

In the Old Testament the word "prophet" (Hebrew: navi) occurs more commonly, and the word "messenger" (Hebrew: mal'akh) refers to angels (Arabic: ملائكة,Malāīkah), But the last book of the Old Testament, the Book of Malachi, speaks of a messenger that some commentators interpret as a reference to the future prophet John the Baptist.

In the New Testament, however, the word "messenger" becomes more frequent, sometimes in association with the concept of a prophet.

"Messenger" can refer to Jesus, to his Apostles and to John the Baptist.

It seems that in the New Testament a messenger can have a higher rank than prophets: Jesus Christ said about John the Baptist:

But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

— Matthew, Gospel of Matthew 11:9–10

Prophets and messengers in the Qur'an

The table below charts the Qur'anic verses which explicitly reference a prophet (nabi), a messenger (rasul), a leader (imam) or a Messiah (Christ). It also includes explicit references to prophets' book(s) / people / divine law (Sharia).

Men of God in the Qur'an

Name	Prophet	Messenger	Imam	Messiah	Book	People	Sharia
Adem (Adam)	Prophet
Idris (Enocha)	Prophet
Nuh (Noah)	Prophet	Messenger				People of Noah	Sharia
Hud (Ebera)		Messenger				ʿĀd
Saleh (Unknown)		Messenger			Dhikr	Thamud
Ibrahim (Abraham)	Prophet	Messenger	Imam		Suhuf Ibrahim (Scrolls of Abraham)	People of Abraham	Sharia
Lut (Lot)	Prophet	Messenger				People of Lut/ Sodom
Isma’il (Ishmael)	Prophet	Messenger
Is'haq (Isaac)	Prophet		Imam
Yaqub (Jacob)	Prophet		Imam
Yusuf (Joseph)	Prophet
Ayyub (Job)	Prophet
Shu'ayb (Jethro)		Messenger				Midian
Musa (Moses)	Prophet	Messenger			Tawrat (Torah)	Pharaoh and his chiefs	Sharia
Harun (Aaron)	Prophet	Messenger
Dawud (David)	Prophet				Zabur (Psalms)
Sulayman (Solomon)	Prophet
Ilyas (Elijah)	Prophet	Messenger				People of Elijah
Al-Yasa (Elisha)	Prophet
Yunus (Jonah)	Prophet	Messenger				People of Jonah
Dhul-Kifl (Ezekiel)
Zakariyya (Zechariah)	Prophet
Yahya (John the Baptist)	Prophet
Isa (Jesus)	Prophet	Messenger		Messiah	Injil (Gospel)	Sent to the Children of Israel	Sharia
Muhammad	Prophet	Messenger			Qur'an	Sent for all mankind	Sharia

^a Identification with Biblical prophet uncertain.

For Ahl al-Kitab (followers of the Holy Books), see People of the Book.

Distinguishing between prophets and messengers

The Qur'an, like the quoted passage from the New Testament, may rank a messenger higher than a prophet. For example, whenever both titles appear together, "messenger" comes first. Crucially, a messenger delivers a new religious law (Sharia) revealed by God, whereas a prophet continues an old one. God sends both prophets and messengers as givers of good news and as admonishers of their people. In the case of messengers, however, it appears that a close relationship exists between them and their people (ummah). A messenger will become the witness that God will take from that community on the Day of Judgment (see the following sura; Yunus; An-Nahl; Al-Mu’minoon; Ghafir; An-Nisa; Al-Qasas.) According to the Qur'an, God sent Muhammad to all of humanity and to the Djinn.

Muslims distinguish between celestial and human messengers. In the Qur'anic world, God has made the angels messengers but not prophets. The human messengers, however, also function as prophets — though not every prophet serves as a messenger. Angels always carry "orders" to the human prophets or messengers on what to say, what to do, and so forth. While human messengers deliver some messages about new orders to the people, prophets only reinforce previous orders by earlier messengers or prophets, but since the angels carry orders to prophets to do their duty, then all angels of revelations count as messengers.

Prophethood in Ahmadiyya Islam

Main article: Prophethood (Ahmadiyya)

Unlike Orthodox Islam, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community does not recognize any difference between a messenger (rasul) and a prophet (nabi). Ahmadiyya belief regards the terms encountered in the Qur'an to signify divinely appointed individuals - "warner" (nazir), "prophet" (nabi), "messenger" (rasul) - as generally synonymous. Ahmadis however categorise prophets as law-bearing ones and non-lawbearing ones. The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community also recognizes Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908) as a Prophet of God, and also sees him as the Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi of the latter days and view it in accordance with the prophecies of Muhammad.

The status of prophets

The Qur'anic verse 4:69 lists various virtuous groups of human beings, among whom prophets (including messengers) occupy the highest rank. Verse 4:69 reads:

All who obey Allah and the messenger are in the company of those on whom is the Grace of Allah,- of the prophets (who teach), the sincere (lovers of Truth), the witnesses (who testify), and the Righteous (who do good): Ah! what a beautiful fellowship!

— Qur'an, sura 4 (An-Nisa), ayah 69

There were five prophets who had divine books and independent Sharia but same religion, Islam. They are referred to as Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), 'Isa (Jesus), and Muhammad in the following verse:

The same religion has He established for you as that which He enjoined on Noah - the which We have sent by inspiration to thee - and that which We enjoined on Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should remain steadfast in religion, and make no divisions therein:...

— Qur'an, sura 42 (Ash-Shura), ayah 13

These five prophets, who have books and divine religious laws, are called the Ulul'azm Anbiya' (arch-prophets).

Jesus as an apostle

Qur'an, 4:157-159

That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:-
Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise;-
And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them;-

— Qur'an, sura 4 (An-Nisa), ayat 157-159

The prophets and Muhammad

Islam views every single prophet from Adam (Arabic: ادم) to Muhammad as important. According to the Qur'an, the prophets Jesus, Moses, David, Abraham, Shelah, and Muhammad had the responsibility of ushering in their own holy scripture, given to them by God. Jesus received the Injil (Gospel), as expressed in the following verses from Abdullah Yusuf Ali's translation of the Qur'an:

At length she brought the (babe) to her people, carrying him (in her arms). They said: "O Mary! truly an amazing thing hast thou brought!
"O sister of Aaron! Thy father was not a man of evil, nor thy mother a woman unchaste!"
But she pointed to the babe. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?"
He said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah: He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet;
"And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live;
"(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable;
"So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!
Such (was) Jesus the son of Mary: (it is) a statement of truth, about which they (vainly) dispute.

— Sura 19 (Maryam), ayat 27-34

However, Muslims believe that humans have altered the Injil (arguably: the New Testament or the four Gospels), therefore, the Injil now does not represent the full truth, as given by God. Moses received the Books of Moses, and Abraham the Books of Abraham. David gave humankind the Zabur (Psalms). Saleh is responsible for the Dhikr, which is a practice that focuses on the remembrance of God. It often includes the repetition of the names of God. On the other hand, Muhammad received the Qu'ran, which Muslims regard as the purest and truest holy book of God. In Islam, tradition states that Muhammad received this scripture through divine revelation by the angel Jibreel (Gabriel). Its purpose was to perfect the beliefs of the one true God, because of the turning away of the Jews and Christians from the true religion, into dogmas and doctrines. Muslims mistrust the books followed by Christians and Jews principally because of perceived over-frequent and inaccurate translations: they suspect that personal notes of self-appointed apostles or the opinions and explanations of one person or another have crept into the original texts over time.

Islam, however, from its very beginnings, separated the word of God from the word of Muhammad, and from the words of people regarding the life of Muhammad - to avoid such a confusion. Muslims regard the words of the Qu'ran as fully accurate and unchangeable; they maintain that one cannot doubt their truth for they are the same everywhere. On the other hand, Islamic tradition separates the words of Muhammad and the stories recorded about Muhammad into several different books based on accuracy, trust of source or possible degree of inaccuracy. Not all quotations ascribed to Muhammad are necessarily true ones.

The scope of the prophetic mission

The purpose of messengers

The following list summarises the purpose of sending God's messengers:

1. God sent messengers to every nation to guide them to His path
2. messengers warned nations to follow God's commands and gave them glad tidings
3. messengers gave guidance from God, taught knowledge and provided a path to purification
4. God explained that obedience to Him and to His Messenger will earn paradise (Jannah
5. and those who disobey will earn hell fire (Jahannam)
6. God said that He will judge people only after receipt of the Message from His Messengers, judging everyone based on their own actions
7. thus those who received His message cannot claim ignorance as an excuse

The reception of the prophets

R. Joseph Hoffmann compares the different Abrahamic prophetic traditions and attitudes to prophecy:

... Like Christianity, [Islam] claimed to be a common heir of the Abrahamic traditions. Unlike Judaism, it taught that much of that tradition had been corrupted by false prophets and evildoers. Like Christianity, it claimed a continuum with the prophets of old; unlike Christianity it made little use of any specific passages of the Hebrew bible, did not incorporate it into its own sacred library, and did not regard the finality of Muhammad’s prophethood to be based on any adumbration in the books of the Jews or Christians.... Islam alone found error not merely in interpretation but in the sources themselves. The idea of error was both tied to and a consequence of the doctrine of finality: Muhammad is the prophet of God in a conclusive and indubitable sense. What is contained in the book revealed to him is true beyond question.

— R. Joseph Hoffmann

Mohd Nuri Al-Amin Endut et al. notes the role in Islamic philosophy of prophetic wisdom in counterpoint to the role of reason.

Table of prophets/messengers in the Qur'an

The following table lists the prophets mentioned in the Qur'an. Biblical versions of names also appear where applicable:

We did aforetime send messengers before thee: of them there are some whose story We have related to thee, and some whose story We have not related to thee. It was not (possible) for any messenger to bring a sign except by the leave of Allah: but when the Command of Allah issued, the matter was decided in truth and justice, and there perished, there and then those who stood on Falsehoods.

— Qur'an, sura 40 (Ghafir), ayah 78

Name (Arabic & Arabic Translit.)	Name (Biblical)	Main Article(s)	Number of times mentioned by name
آدم Adam	Adam	Main articles: Islamic view of Adam, Adam, and Adam and Eve	25
	Adam, the first human being, ranks as the first prophet of Islam.
إدريس Idris	Enoch	Main articles: Idris (prophet), Enoch, and Enoch (Bible)	2
	Idris lived during a period of drought inflicted by God to punish the people of the world who had forgotten God. Idris prayed for salvation and for an end to the suffering, and so the world received rain.
نوح Nuh	Noah	Main articles: Islamic view of Noah and Noah	43
	Although best known for his role in the story of the Deluge, Nuh became a primary preacher of monotheism in his day. Muslims believe his faith in God led to his selection for building the Ark.
هود Hud	n/a	Main articles: Hud (prophet) and Eber	7
	Muslims believe that only Hud, for whom the eleventh chapter of the Qur'an takes its name, and a few other people survived a great storm, similar to the Deluge five generations earlier. God inflicted the storm to punish the people of ʿĀd who had forgotten about God.
صالح Saleh	n/a	Main article: Saleh	9
	According to the Qur'an, God ordered Saleh to leave behind his people, the tribe of Thamud, after they disbelieved and disobeyed God's order to care for a special camel and instead killed it. In Saleh's and his followers' (believers') absence, God punished the people with a loud noise from the skies that killed his people instantly. Note that Saleh does not equate to the Shelah mentioned in the Old Testament.
إبراهيم Ibrahim	Abraham	Main articles: Islamic view of Abraham and Abraham	69
	Muslims regard Ibrahim as one of the significant prophets, because they credit him with rebuilding the Kaaba in Mecca. His family, including his son Ishmael, also receives credit for helping create the civilization around Mecca that would later give birth to the final prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Significantly, Ibrahim almost sacrificed his son Ismail (Ishmael) to God in an event now commemorated annually by Eid al-Adha. Among all the prophets, he first named believers "Muslims" - meaning "those with full submission to God".
لوط Lut	Lot	Main articles: Islamic view of Lot and Lot (Bible)	27
	Muslims know Lut best for attempting to preach against homosexuality in Sodom and Gomorrah, in addition to encouraging his people to believe in the Oneness of God, although his community mocked and ignored him. Islam also denies the acts which the Old Testament attributes to Lut, like drinking and becoming drunk, and having intercourse with and impregnating his two daughters.
إسماعيل Isma'il	Ishmael	Main articles: Islamic view of Ishmael and Ishmael	12
	Muslims regard Ismaïl, first-born son of Ibrahim, as a notable prophet in Islam for his near-sacrifice in adulthood. As a child, he - with his mother, Hajar (Hagar) - searched for water in the region around Mecca, leading God to reveal the Zamzam Well, which still flows to this day.
إسحاق Is'haq	Isaac	Main articles: Islamic view of Isaac and Isaac	17
	According to Islamic tradition, Ishaq, the second-born son of Ibrahim, became a prophet in Canaan. He and his brother Ismaïl carried on the legacy of Ibrahim as prophets of Islam.
يعقوب Yaqub	Jacob	Main articles: Islamic view of Jacob and Jacob	16
	The Qur'an portrays Yaqub as "of the company of the Elect and the Good". He continued the legacy of both his father, Ishaq, and his grandfather, Ibrahim. Like his ancestors, he deliberately worshipped God exclusively.
يوسف Yusuf	Joseph	Main articles: Islamic view of Joseph and Joseph (son of Jacob)	27
	Yusuf, son of Yaqub and great-grandson of Ibrahim became a prominent advisor to the pharaoh of Egypt after he interpreted the pharaoh's dream which predicted the economic future of Egypt. He spent a large part of his life away from his eleven brothers, who showed jealousy of Yusuf because their father favored him. They took him out one day, telling their father that they would play and have fun, but they planned to kill him. Instead, they threw him down a well and told their father Yaqub that a wolf had eaten him. According to Islam, Yusuf received the gift of half of the beauty granted to mankind.
أيوب Ayyub	Job	Main articles: Islamic view of Job and Job (Biblical figure)	4
	According to Islamic tradition, Ayyub received the reward of a Fountain of Youth, which removed all illnesses, except death, for his service to God in his hometown outside Al Majdal. Legend recounts that Ayyub suffered an illness for 18 years as test of patience carried out by God.
شعيب Shu'ayb	Jethro	Main articles: Shoaib and Jethro (Bible)	11
	According to Islam, God appointed Shu'ayb, a direct descendant of Ibrahim, to guide the people of Midian and Aykah, who lived near Mount Sinai. When the people of the region failed to listen to his warnings, God destroyed the disbelievers' villages. Although the Qur'an and the reported speeches of Muhammad mention that Musa married one of Shu'ayb's daughters, the Old Testament tells the same story of a man named Jethro. Some scholars regard Jethro in the Old Testament as distinct from Shu'aib in the Qur'an.
موسى Musa	Moses	Main articles: Islamic view of Moses and Moses	136
	Moses, whom the Qur'an refers to more than to any other prophet, had the distinction of revealing the Tawrat (Torah) to the Israelites. The Qur'an says Musa realized his connection with God after receiving commands from him during a stop at Mount Sinai. He later went on to free the enslaved Hebrews after the Egyptian pharaoh (see Islamic view of Pharaoh and Haman) denied God's power. Musa subsequently led the freed Hebrews for forty years through the desert after they refused to obey God's command and enter the Holy Land. They said: "O Moses! while they remain there, never shall we be able to enter, to the end of time. Go thou, and thy Lord, and fight ye two, while we sit here (and watch)." — Sura 5 (Al-Ma'ida), ayah 24 On another trip to Mount Sinai during this long journey, Musa received the Tawrat and the Ten Commandments. At the end of his life, according to Islamic tradition, Musa chose to die to become closer to God instead of taking up an offer that would have extended his life.
هارون Harūn	Aaron	Main articles: Islamic view of Aaron and Aaron	20
	Harun (Aaron) served as an assistant to his older brother Musa (Moses). In Islam, he, like Musa, received the task of saving the Israelites from the Egyptian pharaoh. He would often speak for Musa when Musa’s speech-impediment prevented him from doing so himself.
ذو الكفل Dhul-Kifl	most likely Ezekiel	Main articles: Dhul-Kifl and Ezekiel	2
	The status of Dhul-Kifl as a prophet remains debatable within Islam, although all parties to the debate can agree in seeing him as a righteous man who strived in the way of God. Some studies identify Dhul-Kifl with Obadiah, mentioned in the Old Testament as taking care of a hundred prophets: see 1 Kings.
داود Dawud	David	Main articles: Islamic view of David and David	16
	In Islam, God revealed the Zabur (Psalms) to Dawud (David). Dawud also has significance as the conqueror of Goliath. Note that Islamic tradition and the Bible differ in their accounts of the story of King David and Uriah.
سليمان Sulayman	Solomon	Main articles: Islamic view of Solomon and Solomon	17
	Sulayman (Solomon) learned a significant amount from his father David before God made him a prophet. According to Islamic tradition, Sulayman received power to manipulate nature (including the jinn) and the power to communicate with and control animals. Known for his honesty and fairness, he also headed a kingdom that extended into southern Arabia.
إلياس Ilyas	Elijah	Main article: Elijah	2
	Ilyas, a descendant of Harun (Aaron), took over control of the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula after the kingdom of Sulayman (Solomon) collapsed. Islamic tradition says he attempted to convince the people of the peninsula of the existence of only one God, but when the people refused to listen they were smitten with a drought and famine.
اليسع al-Yasa	Elisha	Main articles: al-Yasa and Elisha	2
	Al-Yasa (Elisha) took over the task of leading the Israelites after the death of Ilyas (Elijah). He attempted to show the king and queen of Israel the power of God, but they dismissed him as a magician. Subsequently, the Assyrians could make people burn and inflict significant damage on them.
يونس Yunus	Jonah	Main articles: Islamic view of Jonah and Jonah	4
	Islamic tradition states that God commanded Yunus (Jonah) to help the people of Nineveh towards righteousness. However, Nineveh's people refused to listen to his message, so Yunus decided to abandon trying to help them and left. A sea creature (probably a blue whale) then swallows Yunus, and realizing he has made a mistake by giving up on his people, Yunus repents. The sea creature spits him out; Yunus then returns to Nineveh, attempting once more to lead his people to righteousness, and this time they follow him.
زكريا Zakariyya	Zechariah	Main articles: Islamic view of Zechariah and Zechariah (priest)	7
	A descendant of Sulayman, Zakariya (Zachariah), became a patron of Maryam (Mary) the mother of 'Isa (Jesus). According to the Qur'an, he prayed to God asking for a son, since his sterile wife al-Yashbi (Elizabeth) could not provide one. God granted his wishes, temporarily lifting his wife's sterility and allowing her to give birth to Yahya ibn Zakariyya (John).
يحيى Yahya	John the Baptist	Main articles: Yahya ibn Zakariyya and John the Baptist	5
	Of Yahya (John), cousin to Isa, Islam says that, throughout his lifetime, he captivated audiences with his powerful sermons which preached Abrahamic monotheism. (The Qur'an does not mention baptism.)
عيسى Isa	Jesus	Main articles: Jesus in Islam and Jesus	25
	God sent one of the highest-ranked prophets in Islam, ʿĀbdallah ʿIsā al-Masīḥ Ibn Miriam, (Jesus the Messiah) to guide the Children of Israel. The Qur'an makes the nature of Jesus very clear, portraying him not as the physically begotten son of God, but rather as a nabi and rasul (messenger) of God: O People of the Book! Commit no excesses in your religion: Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than) a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a spirit proceeding from Him: so believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not "Trinity" : desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah: Glory be to Him: (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs. — Sura 4, (An-Nisa), ayah 171. 'Isa performed many miracles with the permission of God, for example: raising the dead, creating a bird from clay, and talking as an infant. Islamic traditions state that he abstained from drinking alcohol. Tradition also states that he received a revelation, the Injil (Gospel), though according to Islam, it subsequently suffered from distortion. Muslims believe that no crucifixion of 'Isa took place, meaning he did not die on the cross. Muslims believe that God raised Isa up to himself and that Isa will return to Earth to fight the Masih ad-Dajjal (the False messiah or antichrist) and to break the cross. The Qur'an and Saheeh Hadith tell a consistent story. That they said (in boast), "We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah";- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no (certain) knowledge, but only conjecture to follow, for of a surety they killed him not:- Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise;- And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death; and on the Day of Judgment he will be a witness against them;- — Qur'an, Sura 4 An-Nisa, ayat 157-159 From Hadith: Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "By Him in Whose Hands my soul is, son of Mary (Jesus) will shortly descend amongst you people (Muslims) as a just ruler and will break the Cross and kill the pig and abolish the Jizya (a tax taken from the non-Muslims, who are in the protection, of the Muslim government). Then there will be abundance of money and no-body will accept charitable gifts. — Muhammad al-Bukhari, Sahih al-Bukhari Volume 3, Book 34, Number 425
محمد Muhammad		Main articles: Muhammad in Islam and Muhammad	5
	Habib u'l A'zam, Imam u'l Anbiya Sayyidina Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, (53 B.H.-11 A.H.; 571-632 AD) ranks as the last prophet in Islam ("seal of the prophets"), with a message to all humanity. Muslims shun idolatry of any of the prophets, as their messages from God hold the most weight. Muhammad appeared on earth as the son of his father Abd Allah ibn Abd al Muttalib and of his mother Aminah bint Wahb. Born in Mecca in 571 AD (53 BH), Muhammad spent the first part of his mature years as a well-travelled merchant. He would often spend time in the mountains surrounding Mecca in prayer contemplating the situation within the city. At the age of forty, during one of those trips to the mountain, Muhammad began to receive and recite verses from God which, in recorded form, make up the Qur'an. He quickly spread the message which he received, converting a few others in the city, including his wife. When oppression became intolerable for his followers, Muhammad first asked his fellow Muslims to move to Medina, and later he himself migrated to Medina away from the oppressors in Mecca. Muhammad served not just as a prophet, but as a military leader who helped defeat the Meccans in 624 during the Battle of Badr. He continued to lead the Muslims as Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula. He performed the first hajj in 629 and established Islam in the form that Muslims still practise it. Others continued Muhammad's legacy after his death in 632, accepting the position of caliph ("successor") to Muhammad. The Five Pillars of Islam were established from Muhammad's hadith after his death.

Other prophets

The Qur'an mentions only 25 prophets by name but also tells that God sent many other prophets and messengers. Many verses in the Quran discuss this:

• "We did aforetime send messengers before thee: of them there are some whose story We have related to thee, and some whose story We have not related to thee. ..."
• "For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger, ..."

Historic narratives suggest there existed a prophet named Khaled bin Sinan in pre-Islamic Arabia.

The Qur'an mentions Luqman in the sura named after him, but does not clearly identify him as a prophet or a wali. The most widespread Islamic belief views Luqman as a wise man, not as a prophet or as a wali. Legend recounts that Luqman had a dream, and in that dream he faced the choice between becoming a King and a wise man, and he chose the second.

Numerous other historical figures may rank as prophets, but debate and contention surround this matter. Such figures include:

• Khidr
• Daniel
• Jeremiah
• Isaiah
• Zoroaster
• Gautama Buddha
• Socrates
• Laozi
• Mani
• Confucius
• Krishna
• Rama
• Akhenaten
• Alexander the Great

Muslims will argue that one cannot identify these personages as prophets for certain, since the Qur'an does not mention them by name. Those in favour of counting such men as prophets often argue that they came with the word of God, but that it later became corrupted, which accounts for the differences between Islam and the various religions and philosophies associated with each man.

The Ghurabiyya Shia sect regarded Ali as a prophet at the same time as Muhammad, seeing his prophethood as ended when Muhammad died. However, they believed that Ali should have become the sole Prophet, but that the angel Gabriel mistakenly gave the divine message to Muhammad.

Maryam mother of 'Isa

Main article: Maryam

A few scholars (such as Ibn Hazm) see Maryam as a nabi and a prophetess, since God sent her a message via an angel. The Qur'an, however, does not explicitly identify her as a prophet. Islamic belief regards her as a holy woman, but not as a prophet. The Qur'an usually refers to 'Isa as 'Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary), the matronymic indicating that Jesus had no father.

Similarly there is another lady mentioned in the Quran who spoke explicitly with the angels and received God's message. Sarah (wife of Abraham) laughed when she was informed by the angels visiting her home, that she would conceive at the age of 100, which may qualify as a prophecy.

The world of Islam sees Maryam as a very holy and important woman. She alone of all the women in all of Islam has a sura attributed to her: Sura Maryam, the nineteenth sura of the Qu'ran.

See also

• Ilah
• Major prophets in the Bible
• Twelve Minor Prophets
• Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament
• Names of God
• Nevi'im (Prophets in Judaism)
• Nubuwwah
• Table of prophets of Abrahamic religions
• Termagant