Belief in the messengers (peace be upon them) is the fourth among the pillars of faith. Allah Almighty says: {The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers. All of them believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers, [saying]: "We make no distinction between any of His messengers."} [Surat al-Baqarah: 285] He Almighty also says: {It is not righteousness to turn your faces towards the east or the west, but righteousness is to believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Scriptures, and the prophets.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 177] Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came out to the people one day, and a man came to him and said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is Imān (faith)?" He said: "To believe in Allah, His angels, His book, the meeting with Him, and His messengers, and to believe in the Resurrection of the Afterlife." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4777), Muslim (9), and Ibn Mājah (64)]
We believe that the basis of the call of the messengers (peace be upon them) is knowledge about Allah and His names, attributes, and actions; and that they were all sent with the monotheistic belief and called people to worshiping Allah Almighty alone and abandoning the worship of anything other than Him. The Almighty Lord says: {And We sent not before you any messenger except that We revealed to him that “There is no true god but Me, so worship Me.”} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 25] Each prophet would say to his people: {Worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. Will you not then fear Him?} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 65] The prophets and messengers were the most perfect in faith and monotheism among people, and they were the most knowledgeable about the Creator and what we should and should not do with regard to Him, Exalted be He.
Each prophet called his people to two great principles, namely the worship of Allah Almighty alone and the belief in the Last Day and the bliss our Lord prepared for His pious servants and the punishment He prepared for His enemies. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {Indeed, We sent Noah to his people. He said: "O my people, worship Allah; you have no god other than Him. I fear for you the punishment of a momentous Day."} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 59] And He Almighty says: {And to the people of Midian We sent their brother Shu‘ayb. He said: "O my people, worship Allah; you have no god besides Him. Do not give short measure or weight. I see that you are in prosperity, but I fear for you the punishment of an encompassing Day."} [Surat Hūd: 84] In another verse, Allah, the Exalted, says: {Remember [Hūd] the brother of ‘Ād, when he warned his people in the [land of] sand dunes – and indeed there came warners before him and after him – [saying]: "Worship none but Allah. Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a horrible day."} [Surat al-Ahqāf: 21]
We believe that all the prophets (peace be upon them) called for the same major principles, namely the belief in Allah and His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and destiny, with its pleasant and unpleasant aspects. They all called for the main acts of worship, like prayer, Zakah, fasting, and Hajj, and called for the main good morals and prohibited the major bad manners. {He has prescribed for you [believers] the same religion which He enjoined upon Noah, and that which We have revealed to you [O Prophet] and that which We enjoined upon Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: "You should uphold the religion and make no divisions therein."} [Surat ash-Shūra: 13] So, the prophets (peace be upon them) called for the same fundamentals; and the difference lay in the laws to which they called people, along with its variant rulings and details. Allah Almighty says: {We have revealed to you [O Prophet] the Book in truth, confirming the scriptures that came before it and as a criterion over them. So judge between them according to what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires in disregard of the truth that has come to you. To each of you We have ordained a law and a way of life.} [Surat al-Mā’idah: 48]
We believe that it is a duty to believe in all the prophets (peace be upon them), believe all the information they told in relation to the unseen, observe their commands and prohibitions, love and revere them, follow their example, and testify that they conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, showed sincerity to Allah Almighty and His servants, and conducted Jihad for Allah's sake in the true way. Every nation should act upon the Shariah of the prophet sent to them, and this nation, the Muslim Ummah, including their jinn and human beings, should act upon the Shariah of the final Prophet and Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), for he was sent to all, humans and jinn.
All prophets and messengers came to bring people out of the darkness of disbelief, polytheism, and ignorance, even if they led a life of affluence, power, and production. About Mūsa (peace be upon him), Allah Almighty says: {We sent Moses with Our signs [saying]: "Bring your people out of the depths of darkness into the light, and remind them of Allah’s days [of favor]. Indeed, there are signs in this for every patient and grateful person."} [Surat Ibrāhīm: 5] Allah Almighty also says: {Do you build a landmark on every high place for no purpose? And do you construct for yourselves palaces, hoping that you will live forever? And when you attack [others], do you attack ruthlessly?} [Surat ash-Shu‘arā’: 128-130] And He, Exalted be He, says: {Have they not traveled through the land to see how was the end of those who came before them? They were more powerful than them, and they tilled the land and built it more than these people have ever built. Their messengers came to them with clear proofs. It was not Allah Who wronged them, but it was they who wronged themselves.} [Surat ar-Rūm: 9]
We believe that Allah Almighty sent them as warners and bearers of glad tidings so that the people may not have an argument against their Lord after the messengers came to them. Allah, the Exalted, says: {These messengers were sent as bearers of glad tidings and as warners, so that the people may have no excuse before Allah after [the coming of] the messengers. For Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 165]
We believe that Allah Almighty sent a messenger to every community. He, Glorified be He, says: {Indeed, We sent to every community a messenger, [saying]: "Worship Allah and shun false gods."} [Surat an-Nahl: 36] And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The children of Israel used to be ruled and guided by prophets. Whenever a prophet died, another would take over his place. Indeed, there will be no prophet after me." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (3455), Muslim (1842), and Ibn Mājah (2871)] Our Lord even informs us that He sent three prophets to one town at the same time. He Almighty says: {When We sent them two [messengers], but they rejected them, so We strengthened them with a third, and they said: "We are sent to you as messengers."} [Surat Yāsīn: 14]
We should believe in those prophets and messengers whose names are known to us, and as for those whose names we do not know, we should believe in them as a whole. So, we should believe in all prophets and messengers. Allah, the Exalted, says: {There are messengers whose stories We have already mentioned to you, and messengers We have not mentioned to you. And Allah spoke to Moses directly.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 164] Allah Almighty also says: {The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers. All of them believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers, [saying]: "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say: "We hear and obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination."} [Surat al-Baqarah: 285] And He, Exalted be He, says: {Say: "We believe in Allah and what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and his descendants, and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and other prophets from their Lord; we make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit."} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 84]
We believe that Allah Almighty sends His messengers to whomever He wills from among His servants, according to His wisdom. He, Glorified be He, says: {If We had willed, We could have sent to each town a warner.} [Surat al-Furqān: 51] Allah Almighty also says: {Then We sent Our messengers in succession: every time a messenger came to his people, they rejected him. So We destroyed them, one after the others, and made them mere tales. Away with the people who refuse to believe!} [Surat al-Mu’minūn: 44] No one can reverse His judgment. He does whatever He wills and chooses. Allah Almighty says: {Your Lord creates and chooses what He wills; they have no choice. Glorified is Allah and Exalted is He far above what they associate with Him.} [Surat al-Qasas: 68]
Whoever disbelieves in one prophet has thus disbelieved in all prophets (peace be upon them). The Almighty Lord says: {The people of Noah rejected the messengers.} [Surat ash-Shu‘arā’: 105] This is similar to another verse that says: {All of them rejected the messengers, so My warning was fulfilled.} [Surat Qāf: 14]
We believe that prophethood is a divine favor and mercy which He bestows upon whomever He wills from among His servants. Allah Almighty chooses messengers from the angels and from mankind. In the Qur’an, He, Exalted be He, says: {Allah chooses messengers from the angels and from mankind. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.} [Surat al-Hajj: 75] He Almighty also says: {Allah knows best where to place His message.} [Surat al-An‘ām: 124] So, prophethood is not something that can be acquired or obtained by hard work and good deeds or by purification of one's soul and heart and refinement of one's manners.
We believe that some of the prophets and messengers (peace be upon them) are preferred over the others. Allah Almighty says: {Those messengers: We favored some over others. There are some to whom Allah spoke, and some He raised high in rank. To Jesus, son of Mary, We gave clear signs and supported him with the Holy Spirit.} [Surat al-Baqarah: 253] And that the best among the prophets are those with the firm resolve, who are mentioned in the verse that says: {And [remember] when We took from the prophets their covenant and from you [O Prophet], and from Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, son of Mary; We took from them a solemn covenant.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 7] Allah Almighty also refers to them in the verse that reads: {So be patient, as the Messengers of Firm Resolve were patient.} [Surat al-Ahqāf: 35] And the best among the messengers of the firm resolve are Ibrāhīm and Muhammad (peace be upon them). Allah, the Exalted, says: {Who is better in religion than one who submits himself entirely to Allah, does good, and follows the religion of Abraham, exclusively devoted to Allah? For Allah did take Abraham as a close friend.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 125] Jundub (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), five days before his death, say: "I stand acquitted before Allah that I take any one of you as a close friend, for Allah has taken me as a close friend, as he took Ibrāhīm as a close friend." [Narrated by Muslim (532)]
We bear witness that our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) is the best of all messengers and prophets. He (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am the chief of the children of Adam on the Day of Judgement." [Narrated by Muslim (2278) and Abu Dāwūd (4673)]
Yet, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) forbade people from distinguishing between the prophets by way of fanaticism or derogation. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Two men, a Muslim and a Jew, abused each other. The Muslim said: "By the One Who gave superiority to Muhammad over all the people." Thereupon, the Jew said: "By the One Who gave superiority to Mūsa over all the people." The Muslim became furious at that and slapped the Jew in the face. The Jew went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of what happened between him and the Muslim. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) called the Muslim and asked him about that, and he told him. Then, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Do not give me preference over Mūsa, for the people will fall unconscious on the Day of Resurrection and I will be the first to gain consciousness, and behold! Mūsa will be there holding the side of Allah's Throne. I will not know whether Mūsa has been among those people who have become unconscious and then has regained consciousness before me, or has been among those exempted by Allah from falling unconscious." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2411), Muslim (2373), Abu Dāwūd (4671), At-Tirmidhi (3245), and Ibn Mājah (4274)] In another version: The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) became so angry that it showed on his face. Then, he said: "Do not give preference to the prophets of Allah over one another." [Narrated by Muslim (2373)]
As Allah Almighty took Ibrāhīm and Muhammad (peace be upon them) as close friends, He chose Mūsa (peace be upon him) and favored him with His messages and speaking with Him. In addition to our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) being a close friend of Allah, his Lord also spoke to Him from behind a veil on the night of Isrā’. Allah Almighty says: {Then he revealed to His slave what he had to reveal.} [Surat an-Najm: 10] So, our Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) combined the honor of friendship and speaking.
We believe that the prophets are the best among mankind. No person, regardless of his piety or status, can reach the rank of a prophet. So, it is not permissible to prefer any human being over any of the prophets. The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is not befitting for anyone to be better than Yūnus ibn Matta (Jonah)." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4804)]
We believe that Allah Almighty only sent men as messengers. He, Exalted be He, says: {We did not send before you [O Prophet] except men to whom We gave revelation.} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 7]
We know that the messengers and prophets (peace be upon them) are the best among all mankind. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Allah chooses messengers from the angels and from mankind. Indeed, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing.} [Surat al-Hajj: 75] And they are the most perfect among people in terms of religion, minds, and morals. Allah Almighty says: {Say: "I am only a man like you; it has been revealed to me."} [Surat al-Kahf: 110] So, they are human beings just like other people, except that they received divine revelation; and they were infallible in what they conveyed from their Lord. Allah Almighty says about His Prophet and close friend Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): {Nor does he speak out of his own desire. It is but a revelation sent down [to him]. He was taught by [an angel of] mighty power.} [Surat an-Najm: 3-5]
We believe that Allah Almighty created the angels from light. So, they are among Allah's creation. He created them in a specific form whose reality is known to Him alone. They are devout servants, whom Allah, the Exalted, created to worship Him and carry out His commands. They worship Him and never disdain to do so. Their acts of worship include glorification of Allah, prostration, fear and apprehension of their Lord. In spite of their earnest worship of Allah Almighty, they are severely fearful of Him. Among their worship is that they show loyalty and love for the sake of Allah, Exalted be He. We believe that Allah Almighty created them in a specific form only known to Him, the Creator. We believe that Allah, Glorified be He, created them with wings and allowed them to come to the prophets and messengers (peace be upon them) in human form. Those polytheists who claimed that the angels are the daughters of Allah are declared liars by the Almighty Creator. We believe that angels do not eat or drink, for they have no desires, and they are characterized by modesty and get hurt by things that hurt humans. We believe that Allah Almighty created in them such tremendous power and strength that He alone encompasses, and they are too numerous to be counted, except by the One Who created them.
We believe that Allah, the Exalted, honored them and assigned them with various sublime tasks, the most noble of which is to be a messenger between Allah and His servants, conveying the revelation to them. The angel tasked with bringing down the revelation to the prophets and messengers of Allah is Jibrīl (peace be upon him). Allah Almighty may also send them to people other than the prophets as an affliction and test. Among their tasks is bearing the Throne, writing down the destiny, taking care of wombs and their contents, in terms of creation, forming, and breathing of life, taking away people's life, breathing life into bodies in this world and in the Hereafter, conducting Jihad along with the believers, supplicating for the believers and seeking Allah's forgiveness for them, witnessing the believers' worship, raising their good words, and conveying their news to the Almighty Lord, though He is the All-Aware, All-Knowing, and He does not need anyone to tell Him. Their tasks also include coming down to earth on worship occasions such as Fridays, the day of ‘Arafah, and the Night of Al-Qadr.
One of their tasks is to convey to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) his Ummah's invocations of Allah's blessings upon him. Among their tasks is to protect people, record their good and bad deeds, guard Madīnah from the Anti-Christ, question the dead in the grave, give glad tidings to the believers at the time of death about their great attainment, receive them in the Hereafter, and enter their places through the gates of Paradise; they will also come along with Allah Almighty on the Day of Judgment, rank after rank. Among them is the gatekeeper of Paradise and the gatekeeper of Hellfire. We believe that Allah Almighty created angels with different ranks and positions. Angels of the highest status are Jibrīl, Mikā’īl, and Isrāfīl, and the noblest among them include the bearers of the Throne and also those angels who took part in the battle of Badr. In every heaven there are angels whose number is only known to Allah, Exalted be He. Each of them has a known station, and some of them are particularly brought close to their Lord. Chapter on the Obligation of Belief in the Angels [Surat al-Mā’idah: 17]
And the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to his paternal aunt and daughter Fātimah (may Allah be pleased with her): "O people of Quraysh, buy yourselves from Allah, for I cannot avail you at all against Allah; O children of ‘Abd Manāf, I cannot avail you anything against Allah; O ‘Abbās ibn ‘Abdul-Muttalib, I cannot avail you anything against Allah; O Safiyyah, the Messenger's paternal aunt, I cannot avail you anything against Allah; O Fātimah bint Muhammad, ask me whatever you like from my property, but I cannot avail you anything against Allah." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2753), Muslim (206), At-Tirmidhi (3185), and An-Nasā’i (3646)] As they did not possess any power to benefit or harm themselves or others when they were alive, there is greater reason they cannot do so after they die.
We believe that they did not know the unseen except to the extent Allah Almighty revealed to them and permitted them to know. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {Say [O Prophet]: "I do not tell you that I have the treasuries of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me."} [Surat al-An‘ām: 50] Allah Almighty also says: {Say: "I have no power to benefit or harm myself, except what Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I would have acquired much good, and no evil would have touched me. I am only a warner and bearer of glad tidings for people who believe."} [Surat al-A‘rāf: 188] And He, Exalted be He, says: {[He is] Knower of the unseen, He does not reveal His unseen to anyone, except the messenger whom He chooses, then He appoints angel-guards before him and behind him.} [Surat al-Jinn: 26-27]
The prophets and messengers (peace be upon them) worshiped Allah Almighty with fear and hope. Our Lord says: {They used to hasten in doing good deeds and used to call upon Us with hope and fear, and they were humble before Us.} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 90] They would seek Allah's pleasure and pursue means of nearness to Him. Allah Almighty says: {Those whom they call upon seek means of nearness to their Lord, each trying to become closer, hoping for His Mercy and fearing His punishment. Indeed, the punishment of your Lord is fearsome.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 57]
The prophets and messengers (peace be upon them) were subject to the same things which other people experience, like afflictions, illnesses, and death. Allah, the Exalted, says: {You [O Prophet] will surely die, and they too will die.} [Surat az-Zumar: 30] Informing about Prophet Ayyūb (Job) (peace be upon him) and his suffering, Allah Almighty says: {And [remember] Job, when he cried out to his Lord: "I have been struck by adversity, and You are the Most Merciful of those who show mercy."} [Surat al-Anbiyā’: 83] The prophets and messengers (peace be upon them) had wives and offspring. Allah, Blessed and Glorified be He, says: {We have sent messengers before you and gave them wives and offspring.} [Surat ar-Ra‘d: 38] And they would eat food and walk in the markets. Allah Almighty says: {We did not send any messengers before you [O Prophet] except that they ate food and walked in the markets.} [Surat al-Furqān: 20] They would suffer grief. Speaking about Y‘aqūb (Jacob) (peace be upon him), Allah Almighty says: {He turned away from them and said: "O my sorrow for Joseph!" And his eyes turned white because of suppressing his grief.} [Surat Yūsuf: 84] In a Hadīth about the death of the son of the Prophet's daughter, it is reported that when the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) sat there (at the house of his daughter), the child was brought to him, and he took him into his lap while the child's breath was disturbed in his chest. The Prophet's eyes started shedding tears. Thereupon, Sa‘d said: "What is this, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "This is mercy which Allah has lodged in the hearts of whomever of His servants He wills. Verily, Allah is merciful only to the merciful among His servants." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (6655), Muslim (923), Abu Dāwūd (3125), An-Nasā’i (1868), and Ibn Mājah (1588)] --
We know that they rendered sincere advice to the people, fulfilled the trust, and conveyed the message of their Lord. It did not harm them that some of their followers did not comply with their teachings or that some of their people showed arrogance towards them. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was shown the nations, and I saw a prophet who had a few followers with him, and a prophet who had one or two men with him, and a prophet who had none with him." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (5705), Muslim (220), and At-Tirmidhi (2446)]
We believe that Allah Almighty raised the Messiah (peace be upon him) to Him, alive, when his people wanted to kill him. He, Exalted be He, says: {When Jesus sensed disbelief from them, he said: "Who are my helpers in the cause of Allah?" The disciples said: "We are helpers of Allah. We believe in Allah; so bear witness that we are Muslims." Our Lord, we believe in what You have sent down and we follow the messenger; so count us among those who bear witness [to the truth].” And they [the disbelievers] devised a plan, but Allah also made a plan, and Allah is the best of planners.} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 52-54] Allah Almighty also says: {And he [Jesus] will be a sign of the Hour; so do not have doubt about it and follow me. This is a straight path.} [Surat az-Zukhruf: 61] Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him), Mujāhid, and Qatādah said: It refers to the descent of ‘Īsa, the son of Mariyam (peace be upon him). [Narrated by At-Tabari in At-Tafsīr (20/631-633)]
Allah, the Exalted, says: {There will be none from the People of the Book but will believe in him [upon his return] before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness against them.} [Surat an-Nisā’: 159] Commenting on the phrase {before his death}, Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "That's before the death of ‘Īsa, the son of Mariyam." [Tafsīr At-Tabari (9/380)]
We believe that he will descend at the end of times as a just judge. Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the One in Whose hand my soul is, the son of Mariyam is about to descend among you as a just judge. He will break the cross, kill the pig, and lay down the tribute, and wealth will be so superfluous that none would accept it." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2222), Muslim (155), Abu Dāwūd (4324), At-Tirmidhi (2233), and Ibn Mājah (4078)]
Telling about the Messiah's descent, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And it would be at this very time that Allah would send the Messiah, the son of Mariyam, and he will descend at the white minaret in the eastern side of Damascus, wearing two garments lightly dyed with saffron and placing his hands on the wings of two angels. When he would lower his head, there would fall beads of perspiration therefrom, and when he would raise it up, beads like pearls would scatter from it." [Narrated by Muslim (2937), Abu Dāwūd (4321), At-Tirmidhi (2240), and Ibn Mājah (4075)]