The Difference Between a Prophet and a Messenger

182 Pages·7.724 MB·English

by  Shaykh Muhammad al-Imaam

The Difference Between a Prophet and a Messenger | 2

Enlightenment for the Mind in Explanation of:
The Difference Between a Prophet and a Messenger
By the Noble Shaykh, Abu Nasr Muhammad Ibn 'Abdullaah al-
Imaam
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The Difference Between a Prophet and a Messenger | 4

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First Edition: Dhul-Hijjah 1431 | December 2010
E-Book Edition: June 2013
ISBN: 978-1-927012-08-6 | Printed in Hong Kong
T o C
able f ontents

Translator's Foreword ..................................................................................... 12

A Brief Biography of Shaykh Abu Nasr Muhammad Ibn 'Abdullaah

al-Imaam ................................................................................................................ 14

His Name ........................................................................................................... 14

His Birth ............................................................................................................ 14

His Offspring .................................................................................................... 14

His Upbringing and Seeking of Knowledge ......................................... 14

His Teachers .................................................................................................... 15

His Students ..................................................................................................... 16

Author's Introduction ....................................................................................... 17

Definition of an-Nabee in the Language and Its Usage ................... 18
Definition of ar-Rasool in the Language and Its Usage ................... 19

The Condition for Prophethood and Messengership amongst
Aadam and his Offspring............................................................................. 20

Prophethood Is Not Confirmed for Anyone except with a

Legislative Evidence (for Their Prophethood)................................... 23

Principle: Every Messenger Is a Prophet but Not Vice-Versa ...... 24

Differences between Prophets and Messengers .................................... 30
1.1 The First: The Prophet Is the One Who Allaah Informs .......... 30

1.2 The Second: Most of the Messengers Were Sent to a
Disbelieving People ...................................................................................... 30

1.3 The Third: The Messenger Is Sent with the Language of His
People ................................................................................................................. 37
The Difference Between a Prophet and a Messenger | 6

1.4 The Fourth: The Messengers Continue Conveying the Religion

of Allaah to Their People up until They Embrace Islaam or Allaah
Destroys Them ................................................................................................ 39

1.5 The Fifth: The Messengers' Legislation was Different in Most
'alayhi
Cases ................................................................................................................... 42
salaam
1.6 The Sixth: The First of the Messengers Was Nooh (
) .............................................................................................................. 42

1.7 The Seventh: The Difference between the Number of Prophets

and Messengers .............................................................................................. 43

1.8 The Eighth: The Saving of the Messengers ................................... 43

1.9 The Ninth: The Messengers were Denied by their People ..... 46
1.10 The Tenth: There Are Specific Rights of the Messengers ..... 47
1.11 The Eleventh: The Agreement amongst the Scholars upon

One Statement – That Maryam, Aasiyah, Haajar and the Mother of
Moosaa – Were Not Messengers… .......................................................... 48

1.12 The Twelfth: The Virtue of the Messengers over the

Prophets ............................................................................................................ 49

Two (Separate) Messengers Are Not Sent to One People ................... 54
The Different Levels of Virtue between the Messengers .................... 56

The Difference Between the Prophet-King and the Slave-Messenger
................................................................................................................................... 59

Those Who Say: "There Is No Difference between a Prophet and a
Messenger" ........................................................................................................... 60

A Refutation of the Proofs Employed by Those Who Say: "There is
Risaalah
No Difference…" .................................................................................................. 62

The (Message) of the Prophets Is Limited and Not Absolute
................................................................................................................................... 67

Mentioning the Messengers with the Term 'Prophets' Does Not
Negate Them Being Messengers ................................................................... 72
Matters Which the Prophets and Messengers Have in Common ..... 75

The Status of the Prophets before Their Prophethood........................ 86

The Prophets and Messengers Are the Absolute Best of Creation .. 90

The Need of Human Beings for the Sending of the Messengers ....... 92

The Wisdom of Sending the Messengers................................................... 96
The Duties of the Messengers ........................................................................ 99

The Ruling on the One Who Defames the Prophets and Messengers
................................................................................................................................. 102

The Worst of People with Regards to Allaah's Punishment Is a Man

Who Was Killed by a Prophet or a Man Who Killed a Prophet ....... 107
The Most Severely Tried amongst Mankind are the Prophets ....... 108

Allaah Took a Covenant from all of the Prophets and Messengers
................................................................................................................................. 109

The Gatherings of the Prophets Are Preserved from Contention and

Differing ............................................................................................................... 110

It Is Not Proper for a Prophet That He Has Deceitful Eyes .............. 111

The Prophets Do Not Die Until They Choose To................................... 112

The Prophets and Messengers Are Buried Wherever They Die ..... 113

The Prophets and Messengers Are Not Inherited From ................... 114

The Prophets and Messengers Are Alive in Their Graves ................ 115
sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
The Earth Does Not Consume the Bodies of the Prophets ............... 116

The Meaning of His ( ) Statement: "Do
Muhaddath al-
Not Show Preference between the Prophets" ....................................... 117
Mulham 117
The Difference between the Prophet and the (
Walee
) ............................................................................................................... 119
Awliyaa'
The Difference between the Prophet and the .......................... 121

Is It Possible for Someone from the to Have the Status of
the Prophets? ..................................................................................................... 125
The Difference BetweeAnw al iPyraoap'het and aM Muehsasdednagtehro |o 8n

The Angels Do Not Speak with the and the
................................................................................................................................. 127

Statements That Are Said Concerning Our Prophet Which Are in
Raafidhah Shee'ah
Opposition to Having Good Manners with Him .................................... 130

The (Extremist ) Place the Status of Their Imaams
above the Status of the Prophets and Messengers .............................. 136
Awliyaa'
The Excessiveness of the Soofees in Placing the Status of their

above the Status of the Prophets ............................................. 141
The Position of the Groups That Have Exited from al-Islaam ......... 145

A General Mention of the Collection of Books Containing Distortion
and Defamation of the Prophets and Messengers ............................... 146
al-
THhaed aCartimhiyinoaolnity of Whoever Defames the Prophets and Messengers,
Even Defaming Allaah, In the Era - are a Small Group of
Ahaadeeth
(Innovators) .......................................................................... 149

The Weak in Connection to Our Topic Concerning the

Prophets ............................................................................................................... 157

Closing Comments............................................................................................ 161
Appendix I: The Forty-Six Parts of Prophethood ................................. 162
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam
Appendix II: The Prohibition on Abbreviating the Salaah and

Salaams upon the Prophet ( ) with SAW
179

(and like terms) ........................................................................................... 174

Glossary of Important Arabic Words and Phrases .............................. 178

'Aalim (pl. 'Ulamaa) .................................................................................... 178

Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah .................................................................... 178

al-Ash'aree (pl. Ashaa'irah) ..................................................................... 178

al-Baatiniyyah ............................................................................................... 178

al-Barzakh ...................................................................................................... 178
Dha'eef ............................................................................................................. 178
Dajjaal............................................................................................................... 178

Dhimmi ............................................................................................................ 178

Dunyaa ............................................................................................................. 178

Eemaan ............................................................................................................ 178

Gubtah .............................................................................................................. 178

Haraam ............................................................................................................ 178

Hawaariyyoon ............................................................................................... 179

Hikmah ............................................................................................................ 179

Ifraat ................................................................................................................. 179

Injeel ................................................................................................................. 179

Irsaal ................................................................................................................. 179

Ismah ................................................................................................................ 179

Israa'eeliyyaat ............................................................................................... 179

Jaahiliyyah ...................................................................................................... 179

Jahmiyyah ....................................................................................................... 179

Jihaad ................................................................................................................ 179

Jumhoor ........................................................................................................... 179

Kaafir (pl. Kuffaar) ...................................................................................... 179

Kabeerah (pl. Kabaa'ir) ............................................................................. 179

Kalaam ............................................................................................................. 179

Karaamah (pl. Karaamaat) ....................................................................... 179

Kayfiyyah ........................................................................................................ 179

Khilaafah ......................................................................................................... 179

Lawhul-Mahfoodh ....................................................................................... 179

Majhool ............................................................................................................ 179

Marfoo' ............................................................................................................. 179
Matrook ........................................................................................................... 179
The Difference Between a Prophet and a Messenger | 10

Mawqoof ......................................................................................................... 180

Mazboor .......................................................................................................... 180

Mi'raaj .............................................................................................................. 180

Mu'jizaah (pl. Mu'jizaat) ........................................................................... 180

Mukallaf ........................................................................................................... 180

Munkar............................................................................................................. 180

Mushaf.............................................................................................................. 180

Mutawaatir ..................................................................................................... 180

Mu'tazilah ....................................................................................................... 180

Nabee (pl. Anbiyaa') ................................................................................... 180

Nubuwwah ..................................................................................................... 180

Qutb (pl. Aqtaab) ......................................................................................... 180

Raafidhah ........................................................................................................ 180

Rujoolah .......................................................................................................... 180

Rasool (pl. Rusul) ......................................................................................... 180

Risaalah ........................................................................................................... 180

Ru'yah .............................................................................................................. 180

Sagheerah (pl. Saghaa'ir) .......................................................................... 181

Salafus-Saalih ................................................................................................ 181

Salafee .............................................................................................................. 181

Shaadh .............................................................................................................. 181

Sharee'ah ........................................................................................................ 181

Shaykh (pl. Shuyook) ................................................................................. 181

Shirk .................................................................................................................. 181
Siddeeq (pl. Siddeeqoon) .......................................................................... 181