ALLAH'S MESSENGERS & PROPHETS: "Wa Rusulehee" (And I believed in His  [Allah's] Prophets)  

Q 1: What is "Rasul"(Messenger)?  

1. The Messengers (Rasul pl.Rusul) are those servants of Allah whom He chose to transmit His  messages to His creatures for their guidance. The Messengers are a link between Allah and His  creatures and invite them to the straight path.  

Q 2: What is the difference between Nabee and Rasul?  

1. Both the words Nabee (Prophet) and Rasul (Messenger) are usually spoken and understood in  the same sense. However, "Nabee" is that chosen servant of Allah who received divine  revelations to guide humanbeings. Rusul(Messengers) are also among the angels. Some Islaamic  sages and scholars maintain that Rasul is that chosen servant of Allah who brought new Shariat  (divine law).  

Q 3: What is the difference between the Prophets and other humanbeings?  A. There is tremendous difference between Allah's Prophets and other humanbeings. The  Prophets and Messengers are chosen and impeccable servants of Allah. They are taught, brought  up and looked after by Allah Himself. They are free of every major and minor sins. They are  descendants of the noblest and religious families and are so perfect in physique,  character, nature, intellect and wisdom that no scientists, scholar, physician and philosopher of  the highest calibre can even think to compete with them. Allah bestowed on them all necessary  perfect and scrupulous qualities and created them free from every sort of imperfection and  diseases like leucoderma and leprosy which are repugnant to human nature.  

Q 4: Do the Prophets have knowledge of the unseen?  

1. The Prophets are sent by Allah Almighty to communicate the news of unseen. They tell  people about reckoning, paradise, hell, reward of good actions and nemesis of evil deeds,  Doomsday, angels and etc. All these things are unseen and other humanbeings can not  comprehend them. This knowledge of the unseen has been granted to the Prophets by Allah  Almighty.  

Q 5: What is the status of the Prophets in the sight of Allah?  

1. The Prophets are the exalted and chosen servants of Allah. They are the greatest and highest  of all creatures. Even no angel can attain to their status. The greatest saint is also no match of  that Prophet who possesses the lowest rank in the sight of Allah.  

Q 6: What about that who does not respect the Prophets?  

1. It is incumbent upon every believer to respect and revere the Prophets. This religious binding  on the believers is higher than other obligations. To speak low of any Prophet what to talk of  derogatory words, is tantamount to disbelief. Thus he who says anything which directly or  indirectly insults any Prophet or subjects him to innuendoes is a disbeliever.  

Q 7: Can anyone become Prophet by worship and prayer?  

1. No, absolutely not. The Prophethood is a highly exalted rank. Nobody can become Prophet by  worship and prayer even if he fasts and prays (worships Allah) throughout his life and spends all 

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his wealth in Allah's way. The Prophethood is an exclusive divine gift which Allah Almighty  confers on the servant whom He chooses.  

Q 8: What is the total number of the Prophets?  

1. It is not fair to fix any particular number for the Prophets. We should maintain this belief that  "we believe in all Prophets of Allah".  

Q 9: Are the angels and genies Prophets?  

1. No, the Prophets are only in humanbeings and that too the males only. No angel, genie or  female is Prophet.  

Q10: Is someone else also "Ma'soom"(impeccable) besides the Prophets and angels?  A. No one is impeccable besides the Prophets and angels. To consider anyone impeccable like  that of the Prophets is a grave error.  

Q11: Are Allah's saints (Wali pl.Auliya) also not impeccable?  

1. Allah's saints and "Ahle Bait" (posterity of the Holy Prophet) are also not impeccable, but  Allah Almighty protects them against sins. It is also not impossible for them to err.  

Q12: Did any Prophet hide any command of Allah?  

1. No, all Prophets sincerely and scrupulously communicated Allah's commands to mankind. If  any one says that any Prophet did not communicate or hid any command of Allah for fear of  anybody or expediency, he is a disbeliever.  

Q13: Can we call those Prophets who have passed-away "dead"?  

1. All Prophets are as much alive in their graves as they were in the mortal world. They eat,  drink and go where they want to. The death had touched them only for a moment. But all these  facts are beyond the comprehension of a common man.  

Q14: Which Prophet came first to the world?  

1. Hadrat Adam(peace be upon him) was the first Prophet who was sent into the world. Before  him there was no humanbeing, that's why he is called "the father of mankind". All humanbeings  are his progeny.  

Q15: Who was the first Rasul (Messenger)?  

1. The first Rasul who was sent down for the guidance of unbelievers and disbelievers was  Hadrat Nuh [Noah] (peace be upon him). He preached for 950 years but disbelievers who were  stone-hearted and obstinately insolent remained clung to thier disbelief. At last, Prophet Noah  prayed to Allah Almighty and a dreaded deluge overtook them. All disbelievers on the earth  were eliminated. A few believers and a pair of every animal which boarded Noah's boat were  safe.  

Q16: Which Prophet came in the last?  

1. The Prophet who was sent in the last for the guidance of whole world is our Holy Prophet  Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa (may Allah's choicest blessings & peace be upon him). In him the  institution of Prophethood attained its highest glory. He is the Last Prophet and no prophet will  succeed him in whatsoever way. 

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Q17: Are all Prophets equal in rank or superior to one another?  

1. All Prophets have their respective ranks in the eyes of Allah. The highest of all is our kind  master Hadrat Muhammad Mustafa (may Allah's choicest blessings & peace be upon him).  Therefore, he is called "Saie-yidul Anmbiyaa" (the leader, chief of all Prophets).  

Q18: Who is next to our Prophet in rank?  

1. Hadrat Ibraaheem Khaleel-ul Laah [Abraham] (peace be upon him) is next to Hadrat  Muhammad (may Allah's choicest blessings & peace be upon him) in superiority. After him  Hadrat Musa(Moses), Hadrat Isa(Jesus) and Hadrat Nuh(Noah) are superior to other Prophets.  All these chosen servants of Allah are best of all humanbeings even of angels.