Islamic Manual

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

  1. The prophets were always honest, always trustworthy, and always kind. They never sinned, not before becoming a prophet, and not after.
  2. They passed on Allah's message exactly as it was given to them, with no mistakes and no changes.
  3. Everything they taught is true and shows people the right way to live.
  4. Many prophets came. We believe in all of them, and we don't need to know exactly how many there were.
  5. No one, however holy, can ever reach the rank of a prophet.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. 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.
Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

Every Muslim must believe in all the prophets, without needing to know how many there were: they were human but the best of all people, always honest and trustworthy, never sinning before or after becoming prophets, and they passed on Allah's message exactly as it was given. No one else can ever reach the rank of a prophet, and every miracle of theirs told in the Quran or in trusted narrations is true.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

Every Muslim must believe that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the greatest and most honoured of all the prophets, sent as a mercy for everyone in the whole world, and that he is the last prophet: prophethood began with Adam and ended with him, no prophet will ever come after him, and he is the prophet for every person and every jinn until the Day of Judgment.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

Loving the Prophet ﷺ more than your own life, your money and your family is a part of faith, and sending blessings on him often completes your faith.

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

  1. Acts such as disbelief, idolatry, lying, betrayal, and breaking promises were never committed by them, neither before prophethood nor after.
  2. They delivered Allah's commands exactly as given, without mistake or alteration, and everything they taught and shared is true and rightly guiding.
  3. Many prophets have come; belief in all of them is required, without needing to count their exact number.
  4. No matter how righteous or holy a person is, none can reach the rank of a prophet.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

It is obligatory (fard) to believe in all the prophets, without needing to count their number: Allah's chosen human servants, the best and most perfect of people, honest, trustworthy and free of sin before and after prophethood, who delivered Allah's message exactly as given. No one, however righteous, can reach the rank of a prophet, and all the miracles of the prophets reported in the Quran or in authentic narrations are true.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

It is obligatory (fard) to believe that some prophets rank above others and that the most honourable and best of all is Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, sent as a mercy for all the worlds and as a prophet to every creature in the heavens and the earth; that prophethood began with Adam and ended with him; and that no prophet will come after him, he being the prophet for all humans and jinn until the Day of Judgment.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

Loving the Prophet ﷺ, valuing him above one's own life, wealth and children, is an essential part of faith (fard); continually sending blessings (ṣalawāt) upon him completes one's faith.

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

  1. They conveyed Allah's revelation (tablīgh) precisely as received, without error or alteration; everything they taught and transmitted is true and rightly guiding.
  2. 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.
  3. No wali or created being, however elevated in righteousness, attains the rank of prophethood; nubuwwah is categorically distinct from wilāyah.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

Īmān in all the anbiyāʾ and rusul is obligatory (farḍ), without any requirement to enumerate them: they are maʿṣūm, possessed of ṣidq and amānah, free of sin before and after prophethood, and conveyed the revelation (tablīgh) precisely as received. Nubuwwah is categorically distinct from wilāyah and is attained by no created being however elevated, and every muʿjizah of the prophets recorded in the Qurʾān or in aḥādīth ṣaḥīḥah is true.

Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

It is obligatory (farḍ) to believe that the prophets are ranked, some afḍal than others, and that 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; and that nubuwwah began with Ādam ﷺ and was sealed (khatm) with him as Khātam an-Nabiyyīn, no prophet following him 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.
Obligatory (Farḍ)must do

Love of the Prophet ﷺ, valuing him above one's own life, wealth and children, is integral to īmān and hence obligatory (farḍ); continual ṣalāh and salām upon him completes one's faith.

This is the English translation of Nisab Ahle Khidmaat Sharia, exactly as the book has it, for the passages this page was written from. About 568 words. Switch back to Guide for the rewritten version.

(4) Faith in Prophets

  1. Prophets (Rasools and Nabis) are Allah’s obedient and chosen people.
  2. Allah sent them to guide people at different times.
  3. They were all human beings, but they were the best and most perfect of all people.
  4. They were honest, trustworthy, kind, and free from sins.
  5. Acts such as disbelief, idolatry, lying, betrayal, and breaking promises have never been committed by them — neither before prophethood nor after.
  6. The prophets delivered Allah's commands exactly as they were given, without any mistakes or changes.
  7. Everything the prophets taught and shared is true and guides people in the right way.
  8. Many prophets have come, and we must believe in all of them without counting their number.
  9. No matter how righteous or holy someone is, no one can reach the rank of a prophet.
  10. To show that someone was a prophet, Allah allowed them to perform amazing acts that no other creation could do. These acts are called miracles and are signs of prophethood.
  11. All the miracles of the prophets mentioned in the Quran or in authentic narrations are true.
  12. Some prophets hold higher ranks than others. The most honorable and best of all prophets is our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was sent as a mercy for all worlds and as a prophet to all creatures in the heavens and earth.
  13. Prophethood started with Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) and ended with our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
  14. After Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), there will be no other prophet. He is the prophet for all humans and jinn until the Day of Judgment.

A Brief Biography of the Holy Prophet ﷺ(The blessed life of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ)

  1. His light was the first to be created, even though his physical appearance came last.
  2. Nearly 1400 years ago, he was born in Makkah Mukarramah on the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, on a Monday at the time of dawn.
  3. He belonged to the noble tribe of Quraysh and was a descendant of Prophet Ismail (peace be upon him).
  4. The names of his ancestors for four generations (commonly called the “four chairs”) are: Muhammad ﷺ bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib bin Hashim bin Abd Manaf.
  5. His honorable mother’s name was Amina bint Wahb.
  6. No one taught him except Allah Almighty.
  7. He was granted prophethood at the age of 40.
  8. From the time of prophethood, Angel Jibreel (peace be upon him) would come and convey the Qur'an to him. The complete Qur'an was revealed to him over 23 years.
  9. In the 12th year of prophethood, on the night of the 27th of Rajab (Monday night), the miraculous journey of Mi’raj occurred. Allah Almighty took him physically, while awake, on the Buraq from Makkah Mukarramah to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), then through the seven heavens and beyond to the divine presence. He was shown Paradise, Hell, and many other wonders before being returned to Makkah that same night. This is known as Mi’raj.
  10. After receiving prophethood, he preached Islam in Makkah Mukarramah for 13 years. Then, by Allah’s command, he migrated to Madinah Munawwarah, which is called the Hijrah.
  11. After residing in Madinah for 10 years, he departed from this world on Monday, the 12th of Rabi’ al-Awwal, at the age of 63.
  12. His blessed grave is in Madinah Munawwarah, and Muslims from all over the world visit it for blessings.
  13. Loving him, valuing him more than one’s own life, wealth, and children, is essential for faith. Continuously sending blessings (Salawat) upon him completes one’s faith.

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