Belief in the prophets, and the life of the Prophet ﷺ

What a Muslim believes about the prophets and their miracles, and a brief account of the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The fourth thing every Muslim believes in is the prophets. Prophets are the people Allah chose and sent to guide everyone at different times in history. They were human beings, but the best and most perfect of all people.

What we believe about the prophets

The prophets were always honest, always trustworthy, and always kind. They never sinned, not before becoming a prophet, and not after.
They passed on Allah's message exactly as it was given to them, with no mistakes and no changes.
Everything they taught is true and shows people the right way to live.
Many prophets came. We believe in all of them, and we don't need to know exactly how many there were.
No one, however holy, can ever reach the rank of a prophet.
Allah let each prophet do amazing things that no one else could do, called miracles, to show people they were truly a prophet. Every miracle told about the prophets in the Quran or in trusted narrations is true.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the greatest and most honored of all the prophets. Allah sent him as a mercy for everyone in the whole world.
The first prophet was Adam, and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the last. No prophet will ever come after him; he is the prophet for every person and every jinn until the Day of Judgment.

Remember

The life of the Prophet ﷺ, in brief

His light was created before anything else, even though he was born last among the prophets. He was born in Makkah about 1,400 years ago, on a Monday at dawn, on the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal. His family line goes back to Prophet Ismail. His father was Abdullah and his mother was Amina. No teacher but Allah taught him. Allah made him a prophet at the age of 40, and the Angel Jibril brought him the Quran bit by bit over 23 years. In his 12th year as a prophet, Allah took him on a night journey called the Mi'raj: from Makkah to Jerusalem, then through the seven heavens to be near Allah, where he was shown Paradise and Hell. After preaching in Makkah for 13 years, he moved to Madinah; this move is called the Hijrah. He lived another 10 years in Madinah and passed away at the age of 63, on a Monday, the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal. He is buried in Madinah, and Muslims everywhere visit his grave for blessing.

The fourth article of faith is belief in the prophets (rasools and nabis): Allah's chosen and obedient servants, sent to guide people at different times. They were human, yet the best and most perfect of all people: honest, trustworthy, kind, and free of sin.

What is believed about the prophets

Acts such as disbelief, idolatry, lying, betrayal, and breaking promises were never committed by them, neither before prophethood nor after.
They delivered Allah's commands exactly as given, without mistake or alteration, and everything they taught and shared is true and rightly guiding.
Many prophets have come; belief in all of them is required, without needing to count their exact number.
No matter how righteous or holy a person is, none can reach the rank of a prophet.
To show that someone was truly a prophet, Allah enabled them to perform miracles: amazing acts no other creation could do, and signs of their prophethood. All the miracles of the prophets mentioned in the Quran or in authentic narrations are true.
Some prophets hold higher rank than others. The most honourable and best of all is our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, sent as a mercy for all the worlds and as a prophet to every creature in the heavens and the earth.
Prophethood began with Prophet Adam and ended with Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. There will be no prophet after him; he is the prophet for all humans and jinn until the Day of Judgment.

Remember

A brief biography of the Prophet ﷺ

His light was the first thing created, though his physical appearance came last among the prophets. He was born in Makkah Mukarramah nearly 1,400 years ago, on Monday, the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal, at the time of dawn, into the noble tribe of Quraysh, a descendant of Prophet Ismail. His lineage runs Muhammad ﷺ bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abd Manaf; his mother was Amina bint Wahb. No one taught him except Allah Almighty. He was granted prophethood at the age of 40, after which Angel Jibril conveyed the Quran to him; the complete Quran was revealed over 23 years. In the 12th year of prophethood, on the night of the 27th of Rajab (a Monday night), the Mi'raj took place: Allah took him, physically and awake, on the Buraq from Makkah Mukarramah to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), then through the seven heavens and beyond to the divine presence, showing him Paradise, Hell, and other wonders, before returning him to Makkah the same night. After receiving prophethood he preached Islam in Makkah for 13 years, then migrated by Allah's command to Madinah Munawwarah, the Hijrah. After ten years in Madinah, he departed from this world on Monday, the 12th of Rabi' al-Awwal, at the age of 63. His blessed grave is in Madinah Munawwarah, visited by Muslims from all over the world for its blessing.

The fourth article of belief is īmān in the anbiyāʾ and rusul: Allah's obedient, chosen servants, dispatched to guide creation across successive ages. Though human, they are the most excellent and perfect of all people: possessed of ṣidq (truthfulness), amānah (trustworthiness), and complete freedom from sin, before and after prophethood alike; kufr, shirk, lying, treachery, and breach of promise are impossible of them (maʿṣūm).

Qualifications and rank of the prophets

They conveyed Allah's revelation (tablīgh) precisely as received, without error or alteration; everything they taught and transmitted is true and rightly guiding.
Numerous prophets have been sent; īmān in all of them is obligatory (wājib) without any requirement to enumerate them, since no fixed, exhaustive count is transmitted.
No wali or created being, however elevated in righteousness, attains the rank of prophethood; nubuwwah is categorically distinct from wilāyah.
Allah confirms prophethood through muʿjizāt (miracles), feats beyond the capacity of any other creation, and every miracle of the prophets recorded in the Qurʾān or in authentic narrations (aḥādīth ṣaḥīḥah) is true.
The prophets are ranked, some more excellent (afḍal) than others; the most honoured of all is Muḥammad ﷺ, sent as raḥmatan lil-ʿālamīn and as a prophet to every creature of the heavens and the earth, jinn and mankind.
Nubuwwah began with Ādam ﷺ and was sealed (khatm) with Muḥammad ﷺ, the Khātam an-Nabiyyīn; no prophet follows him, and he remains the prophet of every human and jinn until the Day of Judgment.

The blessed life of the Prophet ﷺ, in outline
Stage	Detail
Creation of his nūr	His light was the first thing created, though his physical manifestation among creation came last.
Birth	Makkah Mukarramah, Monday, 12 Rabīʿ al-Awwal, at dawn, nearly 1,400 years ago; of the Banū Quraysh, descended from Ismāʿīl ﷺ.
Lineage and parentage	Muḥammad ﷺ bin ʿAbdullāh bin ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib bin Hāshim bin ʿAbd Manāf; his mother, Āminah bint Wahb. No teacher but Allah instructed him.
Prophethood and revelation	Conferred at age 40; Jibrīl ﷺ thereafter conveyed the Qurʾān, revealed in its entirety over 23 years.
Al-Miʿrāj	In the 12th year of prophethood, night of 27 Rajab (a Monday night): taken bodily and awake on the Burāq from Makkah to Bayt al-Maqdis, then through the seven heavens and beyond into the divine presence, shown Jannah and Jahannam and other signs, then returned to Makkah the same night.
Makkan period and Hijrah	Thirteen years of preaching in Makkah Mukarramah, then migration by Allah's command to Madīnah Munawwarah.
Madinan period and wafāt	Ten years in Madīnah; departed this world Monday, 12 Rabīʿ al-Awwal, aged 63.
His grave	In Madīnah Munawwarah, visited by Muslims worldwide for its blessing.

What we believe about the prophets

What is believed about the prophets

Qualifications and rank of the prophets

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