Why Allah sent messengers

Our minds can tell us that there is a Creator. But they cannot tell us, on their own, how He wants to be worshipped, what is right and wrong in every case, or what happens after death. For that, people need news from Allah. That news came through the messengers.

• To every nation. Allah says: We sent a messenger to every nation, saying: worship Allah and keep away from false gods¹. There is no nation but a warner came to it².
• So no one has an excuse. Messengers bring good news and warning, so that people have no excuse before Allah³. Allah does not punish a people until He has sent a messenger⁴.
• Out of mercy. Allah says of Nabi ﷺ: We sent you only as a mercy to all the worlds⁵. Every messenger was a gift to his people.

When Jibril asked about iman, Nabi ﷺ said it is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day and qadr⁶. So believing in the messengers is one of the six pillars of iman.

How many were there? Only Allah knows. He says: some of them We have told you about, and some We have not⁷.

Prophet and messenger: what is the difference?

The Quran uses two words: nabi (prophet) and rasul (messenger)⁸. Musa is called both⁹.

• A nabi is someone Allah gave revelation to.
• A rasul is a prophet Allah also sent with a message to deliver to a people who did not yet believe, often with a new book or law.
• So every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger.

Scholars explain the difference in slightly different ways. This simple version is the one most people learn. In everyday talk, people often use the two words for the same thing, and that is fine.

One message: worship Allah alone

Every prophet, from Adam to Muhammad ﷺ, taught the same core belief. Allah says: We never sent a messenger before you without telling him: there is no god but Me, so worship Me¹⁰.

• One religion. Nabi ﷺ said: the prophets are brothers with different mothers. Their religion is one¹¹. Their "religion" is tawhid and submission to Allah.
• The same path. Allah gave us the same religion He gave Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa and Isa¹².
• Different laws. The details of worship and law were not always the same. Allah says: for each of you We made a law and a way¹³. For example, the number of prayers or the rules of food could differ. The belief never changed.

So when you read the stories of Nuh, Ibrahim or Musa in the Quran, you are reading about your own religion, carried by your own prophets, long before you.

They were human

Allah chose humans to be His messengers, not angels, so that people could learn from them and follow them.

• Nabi ﷺ was told to say: I am only a human like you. It is revealed to me that your God is One God¹⁴.
• They ate and walked in the markets¹⁵. They were not bodies that did not eat, and they did not live forever¹⁶.
• They had wives and children¹⁷.
• They worked. Nabi ﷺ said: every prophet Allah sent looked after sheep. He did too, for the people of Makkah¹⁸.
• They were tested the most. Nabi ﷺ was asked who is tested the hardest. He said: the prophets, then those most like them¹⁹.
• They left knowledge, not wealth. The prophets did not leave gold or silver. They left knowledge²⁰.

Love them, but do not go too far

Because they are human, they are not gods, and they do not share in Allah's power. They only knew of the unseen what Allah showed them²¹. Nabi ﷺ said: do not praise me too much, as the Christians did with the son of Maryam. I am only a servant. So say: the servant of Allah and His Messenger²². We ask Allah alone in dua, not any prophet. See Shirk: what breaks tawhid.

Protected in the message

Allah chose the best people of their time to be prophets, and He protected them.

• In passing on the message. Nabi ﷺ does not speak from his own wishes. It is only revelation sent to him²³. He was told to pass on what was sent to you²⁴, and he did, all of it.
• From lies and big sins. All of Ahl al-Sunnah agree the prophets never lied about Allah, never hid any of the message, and never did major sins or shameful acts.

What about small slips? The Quran tells us Adam ate from the tree, and then his Lord chose him, forgave him and guided him²⁵. Yunus left his people too soon, then called out from the darkness: there is no god but You. Glory be to You. I was one of the wrongdoers, and Allah saved him²⁶. Most scholars say a prophet could make a small slip in his own affairs, but he never stayed on it: Allah corrected him at once, and he turned back. Some scholars say even these were not sins, only leaving what was best. Either way, we speak of the prophets only with honor. And we learn from them that the best response to a mistake is to turn back to Allah quickly.

Miracles, by Allah's permission

Allah supported His messengers with miracles (mu'jizat), signs that no human could do, so people would know they were truly sent. But a prophet could not make a miracle by himself: no messenger could bring a sign except by Allah's permission²⁷.

• Ibrahim was thrown into a fire, and Allah said: O fire, be cool and safe for Ibrahim²⁸.
• Musa struck the sea with his staff, and it split into two walls, each like a huge mountain²⁹.
• Isa healed the blind and the sick and brought the dead back to life, and he said each time: by Allah's permission³⁰.
• Salih was given a she-camel as a sign for his people³¹.
• Muhammad ﷺ: the people of Makkah asked for a sign, and he showed them the moon split in two³²³³. Water flowed from between his fingers when the army had none³⁴. And his greatest miracle is the Quran³⁵. See The revealed books.

Miracle or magic?

Magic is a trick, learned and done with evil help. A miracle is from Allah, and nobody can learn it or copy it. Pharaoh's magicians knew magic better than anyone. When Musa's staff swallowed what they had made, they knew at once it was not magic, and they fell down in sujud, saying: we believe in the Lord of Harun and Musa³⁶.

The 25 prophets named in the Quran

The Quran names 25 prophets. Eighteen of them are named together in one passage³⁷. The other seven are named in other places. Tap a name to read their story.

• The seven named outside that passage: Adam³⁸, Idris³⁹, Hud⁴⁰, Salih⁴¹, Shu'ayb⁴², Dhul-Kifl⁴³ and Muhammad ﷺ⁴⁴.
• Most scholars count Dhul-Kifl as a prophet. A few said he was a righteous man. Allah knows best.
• Read all their stories on our Prophets page.

The five of strong resolve

Allah told Nabi ﷺ: be patient, as the messengers of strong resolve were patient⁴⁵. These are the ulul azm. Most scholars say they are the five named together when Allah took a firm promise from the prophets: Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Muhammad ﷺ⁴⁶⁴⁷.

• Nuh called his people for a very long time, by night and by day⁴⁸, and only a few believed⁴⁹.
• Ibrahim stood alone against his people's idols, and was thrown into the fire.
• Musa stood in front of Pharaoh, the most powerful king of his time, and then led a difficult people for years.
• Isa was rejected by many of his people, and they plotted to kill him. Allah saved him and raised him up to Himself⁵⁰.
• Muhammad ﷺ was mocked, boycotted, driven out of his home town, and lost his wife, his uncle and his children, and never gave up.

Their stories are not only history. They show us how to stay firm when life is hard.

Believing in all of them

A Muslim believes in every prophet Allah sent. The believers say: we make no distinction between any of His messengers⁵¹. Allah praises those who believe in Allah and His messengers and do not separate between any of them⁵². To accept some prophets and reject others is not iman⁵³.

Are some higher than others?

Yes. Allah says: those messengers, We raised some above others⁵⁴. Nabi ﷺ said he will be the leader of the children of Adam on the Day of Judgement⁵⁵.

But he also said: do not raise any prophet above the others⁵⁶, and do not raise me above Musa⁵⁷. He said this when people argued about prophets in a way that put one down. So scholars explain: we know Allah gave some prophets a higher rank, but we never compare them in a way that belittles any of them, or turns them into a reason to fight. We love them all.

Isa and Muhammad ﷺ

• Isa is a mighty messenger we love and honor. He was born to Maryam without a father. He was not killed or crucified, and Allah raised him up⁵⁸. He will come back before the end of time. See The signs of the Hour.
• Muhammad ﷺ is the seal of the prophets⁵⁹. No prophet comes after him. Earlier prophets were sent to their own people, but he was sent to all people⁶⁰⁶¹. His full chapter is Muhammad ﷺ, the final messenger.

What this means for us

• Follow their guidance. After naming the prophets, Allah says: those are the ones Allah guided, so follow their guidance⁶².
• Learn their stories. Much of the Quran tells the stories of the prophets. They are lessons for us.
• Speak of them with respect. Scholars recommend saying alayhis salam (peace be upon him) after a prophet's name, and ﷺ (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) after the name of Nabi ﷺ.

Common questions

Were there prophets in Africa, India, China or the Americas?

Allah says a messenger came to every nation⁶³, and He did not tell us all their names⁶⁴. So there may well have been. But we do not say a particular person from history was a prophet unless Allah or His Messenger told us.

Was Luqman a prophet? What about Al-Khidr and Dhul-Qarnayn?

Most scholars say Luqman was a wise, righteous man, not a prophet. Scholars differ about Al-Khidr and Dhul-Qarnayn. They are not among the 25 named prophets, and we leave what Allah did not make clear.

Were any women prophets?

Allah says the messengers He sent were men⁶⁵, and most scholars say no woman was a prophet. A few scholars held that Maryam was one. Either way, Allah chose Maryam above the women of the worlds⁶⁶, and many great women are honored in the Quran and Sunnah.

My Christian friend says Jesus is God. How should I talk about it?

Kindly. Tell them we love and honor Isa as a mighty messenger, and that he called people to worship Allah alone, like all the prophets⁶⁷. Share what you believe, without mocking what they believe.

Did the prophets make mistakes?

They never made mistakes in passing on Allah's message⁶⁸, and never did major sins. Most scholars say a small slip could happen, and Allah corrected it at once, as with Adam and Yunus⁶⁹⁷⁰. We speak of them only with respect.

Can I make dua to a prophet and ask him to help me?

Make your dua to Allah directly. Dua is worship, and worship is for Allah alone. Love the prophets, follow them, and send salawat on Nabi ﷺ. See Shirk: what breaks tawhid.