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Muslims regard as prophets of Islam (Arabic: نبي‎) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah (the standard Arabic-language word for "the God"). Mere humans rely on revelation or tradition to identify prophets.

Each prophet brought the same basic ideas of Islam, including belief in a single God and 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 sent only Muhammad to convey the divine message to the whole world, whereas he sent other messengers (rasuls) to convey their messages to a specific group of people or to an individual nation.

Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam distinguishes between a direct messenger of God (rasul) and a prophet (nabi). Both function as divinely inspired recipients of God's revelation. However, in addition, rasuls receive a divine message or revelation for a community in book form. Thus the rasul category forms a subset of the nabi category.

Muslims regard Adam as the first prophet and Muhammad as the last prophet; hence Muhammad's title Seal of the Prophets. Islam regards Jesus as a rasul (and sometimes as a nabi) because he received wahi (revelation) from God, through which God revealed the Injil (Gospel) to him.^[1] Muslims believe that God has sent over 124,000 prophets all over the world, as mentioned in the Sahih Hadith^{[citation needed]}. Five of them (sometimes known as Ulul Azmi or the Imams — literally: "leaders" — of the Rasuls) receive the highest reverence for their perseverance and unusually strong commitment to God in the face of great suffering, namely:

1. Nuh (Noah)
2. Ibrahim (Abraham)
3. Musa (Moses)
4. Isa (Jesus)
5. Muhammad

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Prophets and messengers in the Bible 3 Prophets and messengers in the Qur'an 3.1 Distinguishing between prophets and messengers 3.2 The status of prophets 3.3 Jesus as an apostle 3.4 Miracles 3.5 Prophets and scriptures 3.6 The prophets and Muhammad 3.7 The scope of the prophetic mission 3.7.1 The purpose of messengers 3.7.2 Distinguishing Muhammad from other messengers 3.7.3 The relationship between Messengers (rusul), Prophets (anbiya), the Announcement (naba), and the Sender (mursil) 3.7.4 Points of belief about Muhammad 3.8 The reception of the prophets 3.9 Stories of prophets 3.9.1 The story of Yusuf (Joseph), as told by Qur'anic verses 3.10 Maryam mother of 'Isa 4 See also 5 Notes

[edit] Etymology

In both Arabic and Hebrew, the term nabī (plural forms: nabiyyūn and anbiyāʾ) means "prophet". These terms 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.^[2]

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, iii, 13-14, iv, 13; Isaiah, vi, 8; Jeremiah, i, 7).^[3]

[edit] 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 religious languages^[4]:

Prophet and Messenger in Bible

Arabic	Arabic Pronunciation	English	Greek	Greek pronunciation	Hebrew	Hebrew pronunciation	বাংলা
نبی	Nabi	Prophet	προφήτης	prophētēs	נביא	nâbîy'	নবী
رسول	Rasool	Messenger, Apostle	ἄγγελος	angelos	מלאך	malak	রাসূল

In the Old Testament the word "prophet" (Hebrew: nabi) occurs more commonly, and the word "messenger" (Hebrew: malak) refers to angels, 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.^[5] In the New Testament, however, the word "messenger" becomes more frequent, sometimes in association with the concept of a prophet.^[6] "Messenger" can refer to Jesus, to his Apostles and to John the Baptist

It seems that in the New Testament messengers 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.^[7]

[edit] 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 Christ (Messiah). It also includes explicit references to prophets' book(s) / people / divine law (sharia).

Men of Allah in Qur'an

Name	Prophet	Messenger	Imam	Messiah	Book	People	Sharia
Adam (Adam) (Adem)
Idris (Enoch)	Prophet [8]
Nuh (Noah)	Prophet [9]	Messenger [10]				People of Noah [11]	Shari'a [12]
Hud (Eber)		Messenger [13]				A'ad [14]
Saleh (Salih)		Messenger [15]			Zikr [16]	Thamud [17]
Ibrahim (Abraham)	Prophet [18]	Messenger [19]	Imam [20]		Suhuf Ibrahim (Scrolls of Abraham) [21]	People of Abraham [22]	Shari'a [12]
Lut (Lot)	Prophet [9]	Messenger [23]				People of Lut [24]
Isma’il (Ishmael)	Prophet [25]	Messenger [25]
Is'haq (Isaac)	Prophet [26]		Imam [27]
Yaqub (Jacob)	Prophet [26]		Imam [27]
Yusuf (Joseph)	Prophet [9]
Ayyub (Job)	Prophet [9]
Shu'ayb (Jethro)		Messenger [28]				Midian [29]
Musa (Moses)	Prophet [30]	Messenger [30]			Scrolls of Moses (Suhuf Mossa) [31]	Pharaoh and his Chiefs [32]	Shari'a [12]
Harun (Aaron)	Prophet [33]
Dawud (David)	Prophet [9]				Zabur [34] (Psalms)
Sulayman (Solomon)	Prophet [9]
Ilyas (Elijah)	Prophet [9]	Messenger [35]				People of Elijah [36]
Al-Yasa (Elisha)	Prophet [9]
Yunus (Jonah)	Prophet [9]	Messenger [37]				People of Jonah [38]
Dhul-Kifl (Ezekiel)
Zakariyya (Zechariah)	Prophet [9]
Yahya (John the Baptist)	Prophet [39]
Isa (Jesus)	Prophet [40]	Messenger [41]		Messiah[42]	Injil [43] (Gospel)	Sent to Children of Israel [44] Sign for the whole world [45]	Shari'a [12]
Muhammad	Prophet [46]	Messenger [46]			Qur'an [47]	All people[48]	Shari'a [12]

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

[edit] Distinguishing between prophets and messengers

The Quran, like the New Testament, ranks a messenger higher than a prophet. For example, in the Qur'an whenever both titles appear together, "messenger" comes first. According to the Muslim scholar al-Baydawi, a messenger establishes a new religious law (sharia) whereas a prophet continues an old one. This would imply that prophets were more numerous than messengers and occupied a lower rank.^[2] God/Allah sends both prophets and messengers as givers of good news and as warners to 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 Sura X, 48; XVI, 38; XXIII, 46; XL, 5; IV, 45; XXVIII, 75). According to the Qur'an, Allah sent Muhammad to all of humanity and to the Djinn.^{[3][Need quotation on talk to verify]}

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.^[2] 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.

[edit] The status of prophets

This section requires expansion.

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:^[2]

And whoever obeys God and the messenger, these will be [in paradise] with the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the righteous, upon whom God has bestowed favors"

[edit] Jesus as an apostle

This section requires expansion.

Qur'an Verse:4:157-159

157. 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:-

158. Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise

159. 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

[edit] Miracles

Islam views Muhammad's greatest miracle as the revelation of the Qur'an to mankind; Muslims regard this as the last in a series of divine revelations, one which was delivered word by word from the Angel Gabriel. At the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, Arabs who stood at the pinacle of linguistic and poetic eloquence expressed astonishment at its linguistic perfection. The Qur'an seemed even more miraculous to the Arabians of his time given Muhammad's illiteracy (a very common state in the 7th century, especially in Arabia). Moreover, Muslims believe he had not read or written down any of the previous religious scriptures. Muslims used this situation as an argument and evidence against those who opposed Islam during the Muhammad's day, to testify to the fact that Muhammad couldn't have produced such perfect eloquence as appears in the Qur'an without divine intervention.

The Qur'an has survived in stable form since its compilation of 653/654 (but compare History of the Qur'an). Muslims up until present times^[update] have memorized it,^[49] making it the most memorized^{[citation needed]} book in human history. Muslims believe that, unlike other miracles performed by other prophets who came before Muhammad, all ages can witness the miracle of the Qur'an. With the revelation of the Qur'an came a revolution in science, literature and philosophy that not only took place in the Islamic empire but worldwide.^[50]

[edit] Prophets and scriptures

This section requires expansion.

[edit] The prophets and Muhammad

Islam views every single prophet from Adam (Arabic: ادم) to Muhammad as important. According to the Qu'ran, the prophets 'Isa (Jesus), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Ibrahim (Abraham), Saleh (Shelah), and Muhammad had the responsibility of ushering in their own holy scripture, given to them by Allah. 'Isa received the Injil (Gospel), as expressed in the following verses from the Qu'ran:

(The Qu'ran, Surah Maryam, verses 27-34)

Then she brought him (the baby) to her people, carrying him. They said: "O Mary! Indeed you have brought a thing Fariya (an unheard mighty thing). "O sister (i.e. the like) of Harun (Aaron) [not the brother of Musa (Moses), but he was another pious man at the time of Maryam (Mary)]! Your father was not a man who used to commit adultery, nor your mother was an unchaste woman." Then she pointed to him. They said: "How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?" He ['Isa (Jesus)] said: Verily! I am a slave of Allah, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet; and He has made me blessed wheresoever I be, and has enjoined on me Salat (prayer), and Zakat (charity), as long as I live. And dutiful to my mother, and made me not arrogant, unblest. And Salam (peace) be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die, and the day I shall be raised alive!" Such is 'Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary). (it is) a statement of truth, about which they doubt (or dispute).

However, Muslims believe that humans have altered the Injil, therefore, it now does not represent the full truth, as given by Allah.^{[citation needed]} Musa received the Books of Moses, and Ibrahim the Books of Abraham. Dawud is responsible for the Zabur (Psalms). Saleh is responsible for the Zikr, which is a practice that focuses on the remembrance God. It often includes the repetition of the names of Allah. On the other hand, Muhammad was given the Qu'ran, which is believed by Muslims to be the purest and truest holy book of God. In Islam, it was believed to have been given to Muhammad through divine revelation by the angel Jibreel (Gabriel). Its purpose was to perfect the beliefs of the one true God, Allah, because of the turning away of the Jews and Christians from the true religion, into dogmas and doctrines.

[edit] The scope of the prophetic mission

This section requires expansion.

[edit] The purpose of messengers

The following list summarises the purpose of sending Messengers of Allah:

i. Allah sent messengers to every nation to guide them to path of Allah:

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُواْ اللّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُواْ الطَّاغُوتَ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى اللّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ الضَّلالَةُ فَسِيرُواْ فِي الأَرْضِ فَانظُرُواْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الْمُكَذِّبِينَ

Transliteration: Walaqad baAAathna fee kulli ommatin rasoolan ani oAAbudoo Allaha waijtaniboo alttaghoota faminhum man hada Allahu waminhum man haqqat AAalayhi alddalalatu faseeroo fee al-ardi faonthuroo kayfa kana AAaqibatu almukaththibeena (Qur'an 16:36)

Pickthal Translation: And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers! (Qur'an 16:36)

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ii. Messengers warned nations to follow Allah’s commands and gave them glad tidings:

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَإِن مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خلَا فِيهَا نَذِيرٌ

Transliteration: Inna arsalnaka bialhaqqi basheeran wanatheeran wa-in min ommatin illa khala feeha natheerun (Qur'an 35:24)

Pickthal Translation: Lo! We have sent thee with the Truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and there is not a nation but a warner hath passed among them. (Qur'an 35:24)

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iii. Messengers gave guidance from Allah, taught knowledge and provided a path to purification:

كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولاً مِّنكُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِنَا وَيُزَكِّيكُمْ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُم مَّا لَمْ تَكُونُواْ تَعْلَمُونَ

Transliteration: Kama arsalna feekum rasoolan minkum yatloo AAalaykum ayatina wayuzakkeekum wayuAAallimukumu alkitaba waalhikmata wayuAAallimukum ma lam takoonoo taAAlamoona (Qur'an 2:151)

Pickthal Translation: Even as We have sent unto you a messenger from among you, who reciteth unto you Our revelations and causeth you to grow, and teacheth you the Scripture and wisdom, and teacheth you that which ye knew not. (Qur'an 2:151)

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iv. Allah explained that obedience to Him and to His Messenger will earn paradise:

وَمَن يُطِعِ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ

Transliteration: Tilka hudoodu Allahi waman yutiAAi Allaha warasoolahu yudkhilhu jannatin tajree min tahtiha al-anharu khalideena feeha wathalika alfawzu alAAatheemu (Qur'an 4:13)

Pickthal Translation: These are the limits (imposed by) Allah. Whoso obeyeth Allah and His messenger, He will make him enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow, where such will dwell for ever. That will be the great success. (Qur'an 4:13)

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v. And whosoever disobeys will earn hell fire:

وَمَن يَعْصِ اللّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَالِدًا فِيهَا وَلَهُ عَذَابٌ مُّهِينٌ

Transliteration: Waman yaAAsi Allaha warasoolahu wayataAAadda hudoodahu yudkhilhu naran khalidan feeha walahu AAathabun muheenun (Qur'an 4:14)

Pickthal Translation: And whoso disobeyeth Allah and His messenger and transgresseth His limits, He will make him enter Fire, where he will dwell for ever; his will be a shameful doom. (Qur'an 4:14)

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vi. Allah said that He will judge people only after receipt of the Message from His Messengers, judging everyone based on their own actions:

فَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الَّذِينَ أُرْسِلَ إِلَيْهِمْ وَلَنَسْأَلَنَّ الْمُرْسَلِينَ - فَلَنَقُصَّنَّ عَلَيْهِم بِعِلْمٍ وَمَا كُنَّا غَآئِبِينَ

Transliteration: Falanas-alanna allatheena orsila ilayhim walanas-alanna almursaleena. Falanaqussanna AAalayhim biAAilmin wama kunna gha-ibeena (Qur'an 7:6-7)

Pickthal Translation: Then verily We shall question those unto whom (Our message) hath been sent, and verily We shall question the messengers. Then verily We shall narrate unto them (the event) with knowledge, for We were not absent (when it came to pass). (Qur'an 7:6-7)

مَّنِ اهْتَدَى فَإِنَّمَا يَهْتَدي لِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَلاَ تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَى وَمَا كُنَّا مُعَذِّبِينَ حَتَّى نَبْعَثَ رَسُولاً

Transliteration: Mani ihtada fa-innama yahtadee linafsihi waman dalla fa-innama yadillu AAalayha wala taziru waziratun wizra okhra wama kunna muAAaththibeena hatta nabAAatha rasoolan (Qur'an 17:15)

Pickthal Translation: Whosoever goeth right, it is only for (the good of) his own soul that he goeth right, and whosoever erreth, erreth only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another's load, We never punish until we have sent a messenger. (Qur'an 17:15)

تَكَادُ تَمَيَّزُ مِنَ الْغَيْظِ كُلَّمَا أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرٌ- قَالُوا بَلَى قَدْ جَاءنَا نَذِيرٌ فَكَذَّبْنَا وَقُلْنَا مَا نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ مِن شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ كَبِيرٍ

Transliteration: Takadu tamayyazu mina alghaythi kullama olqiya feeha fawjun saalahum khazanatuha alam ya/tikum natheerun. Qaloo bala qad jaana natheerun fakaththabna waqulna ma nazzala Allahu min shay-in in antum illa fee dalalin kabeerin (Qur'an 67:8-9)

Pickthal Translation: As it would burst with rage. Whenever a (fresh) host is flung therein the wardens thereof ask them: Came there unto you no warner? They say: Yea, verily, a warner came unto us; but we denied and said: Allah hath naught revealed; ye are in naught but a great error. (Qur'an 67:8-9)

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vii. Thus, those who received His message will not have excuse of ignorance:

رُّسُلاً مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلاَّ يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا

Transliteration: Rusulan mubashshireena wamunthireena li-alla yakoona lilnnasi AAala Allahi hujjatun baAAda alrrusuli wakana Allahu AAazeezan hakeeman (Qur'an 4:165)

Pickthal Translation: Messengers of good cheer and of warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the messengers. Allah is ever Mighty, Wise. (Qur'an 4:165)

[edit] Distinguishing Muhammad from other messengers

Muhammad differs from other messengers in two respects:

1. Allah sent all previous messengers to a specific nation in specific regions of the Earth. Their teachings also applied in a limited way for a specific time and period. But Allah uniquely sent Muhammad to the entirety of creation (Mankind and Djinn), intending his message (the Qur'an) to serve until the end of time.
2. The teachings of previous Messengers confined themselves to specific nations and times, thus their laws relating to ethics and moral code, justice, trade, financial deals, and civil law remained incomplete. Allah through his final Messenger Muhammad completed the religion and perfected it. It includes all the teachings from previous Messengers, and abrogated those portions specific to separate peoples and times.

Most Muslims thus believe that since the days of the prophet the teaching of Muhammad remains as the only trustworthy source to reach the guidance of Allah, and that the Qur'an contains the true teachings of Moses and Jesus.

[edit] The relationship between Messengers (rusul), Prophets (anbiya), the Announcement (naba), and the Sender (mursil)

The verse about the great news (aweful tiding, great event, mighty tiding, mighty event, tremendous announcement, grand news, awesome tiding) reads:

Quran 78:2 AAani alnnaba-i alAAatheemi Concerning the Great News

Nabi, Naba

The word used in this verse, naba, relates to the word nabi.

• Nabi (prophet) means: "one who informs others".
• Naba means: "news", "announcement", "information".
• Anbiya represents the plural form of nabi.

Anbiya inform others of a coming naba. The Qur'an says that the naba is not the Qur'an itself but that it comes in the future.^{[citation needed]}

Rasul, Mursil

Note that the word rasul relates to the word mursil.

• Rasul means: "a messenger", "a bearer of a message".
• Mursal(een) also means: "a messenger", "a bearer of a message".
• Mursil means: "one who sends", "a sender".
• Risalat means: "messages".
• Rusul also represents the plural form of rasul.

So a mursil sends a rasul to give risalat. The Qur'an says that risalat of the mursil (Allah) form His kalimat. The Quran says that risalatullah cannot end.

All together

Putting these together, we see that the mursil sent both Jesus and Muhammad (each a rasul) to act as a nabi and to inform of the naba.

The Qur'an itself even states that the messages (risalat) — by definition the kalamat (words) of God — remain inexhaustible. Therefore the naba which the anbiya (plural of nabi) announced must itself precede more risalat (messages).

If or when the naba appeared, no further need exists for any more nabi (who give the news of the naba). What about rusul (messengers) and risalat (messages)? Does the mursil stop sending rusul to give his risalat? The Quran says no^{[citation needed]}.

Note that the sender of messages and messengers (mursil) functions as a rasul if he gives the risalat himself. And note that the mursil can send rusul who are not anbiya.

Summary

To summarize, we have four words: nabi, naba, rasul, and mursil.

• Some rusul (plural of rasul) rank as anbiya (prophets) if sent (arsala) before the naba.
• Some rusul are not anbiya if sent after the naba.
• The naba itself is a risalatun.
• The Qur'an associates the naba with the mursil.
• Risalat cannot be exhausted.
• The mursil sends rusul to give risalat even after naba.
• Nothing prevents a mursil giving risalat himself (and acting as a rasul).

[edit] Points of belief about Muhammad

The belief in Muhammad includes four points:

1. that as the Messenger of Allah he brought humankind the Book of Guidance, the Qur'an
2. that he brought us the deen ("way of life", or "path") — complete and perfected, which remains applicable to all mankind until the end of time
3. that he receives his guidance from Allah and that his knowledge and guidance have no defects
4. that he represents the Last and Final Messenger of Allah who has perfected the deen (way of life, or path, or religion) of Allah, and that no further Messenger will come after him, as the world needs none after the deen is completed and perfected. And the teachings of Muhammad are for the remainder of mankind.

[edit] The reception of the prophets

This section requires expansion.

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.^[51]

[edit] Stories of prophets

This section requires expansion.

[edit] The story of Yusuf (Joseph), as told by Qur'anic verses

The Qur'an depicts this tale as the most beautiful of the stories it narrates (Qur'an 12:03). The story of Yusuf moves in a stream from beginning to end — its substance and form equally coherent.^{[citation needed]} It documents the execution of Allah's rulings despite the challenge of human intervention (Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most men know not (Ch 12:21).)

The story of Yusuf confirms this^{[clarification needed]} categorically, for it ends with comfort and marvels, as described in the Qur'an.

] </ref> Krishna,^[52] (also mentioned in some books of Hadith) and Rama. However, Muslims will argue that one cannot know this for certain, since the Qur'an does not mentioned 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 which each man.

[edit] Maryam mother of 'Isa

A few scholars (such as Ibn Hazm)^[53]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.

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 surah attributed to her: Surah Maryam, the ninteenth surah of the Qu'ran.

[edit] See also

• Allah
• Buddha
• Five Pillars of Islam
• Ilah
• Islam
• Kaaba
• List of films about Muhammad
• Major prophets in the Bible
• Minor prophets in the Bible
• Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament
• Names of God
• Names of God in the Qur'an
• Nevi'im (Prophets in Judaism)
• Nubuwwah
• Prophecy
• Table of prophets of Abrahamic religions
• Tawhid
• Termagant

[edit] Notes

v • d • e Prophets in the Qur'an آدم إدريس نوح هود صالح إبراهيم لوط إسماعيل إسحاق يعقوب يوسف أيوب Adam Adam Idris Enoch Nuh Noah Hud Eber Saleh Shelah Ibrahim Abraham Luth Lot Ismail Ishmael Is'haq Isaac Yaqub Jacob Yusuf Joseph Ayoub Job شُعيب موسى هارون ذو الكفل داود سليمان إلياس إليسع يونس زكريا يحيى عيسى مُحمد Shoaib Jethro Musa Moses Harun Aaron Dhul-Kifl Ezekiel Daud David Sulaiman Solomon Ilyas Elijah Al-Yasa Elisha Yunus Jonah Zakaria Zechariah Yahya John Isa Jesus Muhammad Mohammad

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