Belief in the Prophets (Nabiyon par Iman):

نَّا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ كَمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى نُوْحٍ وَالنَّبِيِّينَ مِن بَعْدِهِ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى إِبْرَاهِيْمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيْلَ وَإْسْحَقَ وَيَعْقُوْبَ وَالأَسْبَاطِ وَعِيْسَى وَأَيُّوْبَ وَيُوْنُسَ وَهَارُوْنَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ وَآتَيْنَا دَاوُودَ زَبُوْرًا وَرُسُلاً قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلاً لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ وَكَلَّمَ اللّهُ مُوْسَى تَكْلِيْمًا رُّسُلاً مُّبَشِّرِيْنَ وَمُنْذِرِيْنَ لِئَلاَّ يَكُوْنَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ وَكَانَ اللّهُ عَزِيْزًا حَكِيْمًا (4: 163-165

[O Prophet!] We sent our revelations to you the way We sent [them] to Noah and to the prophets who came after him; And We revealed [them] to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the progeny of Jacob, Jesus, Job, Jonah, Aaron, Solomon and We gave the Psalms to David. We have sent revelations to messengers whom we have mentioned to you earlier and to some messengers whom We have not mentioned to you and with Moses God had spoken, the way one speaks: these messengers who were sent as bearers of glad tidings and of admonishment so that after them people are left with no excuse which they can present before God, and God is Mighty and Wise. (4:163-165)

People through whom the Almighty completed providing His guidance to mankind are called prophets. They were, in fact, human beings; however, the Almighty selected them for this purpose on the basis of His all embracing knowledge and wisdom. As such, prophethood is God-given and cannot be acquired through self-effort or training. [1] The Qur’an has narrated the incident in which Moses (sws) was given prophethood. When he reached the valley of Sinai with his family on his way back from Midian, it was night-time. It was difficult to find one’s way in the dark and it appears that it was quite chilly too. Meanwhile, a darting flame was seen at a distance and perhaps no one except Moses (sws) observed it. He bade his family to stay where they were and himself expressed his desire to find out more about what he had seen and possibly bring back some fire to warm themselves or that if there were people there he would inquire from them the way to the fire. When he came near the place he had sighted the flame, he heard a voice say: “Moses! I am Your Lord, so take off your shoes; you are in the sacred valley of Tuwa; I have selected you for the responsibility of prophethood and messengerhood; so listen carefully to whatever is being revealed to you.” The Qur’an has told us that after this he was given the same message as was given to other prophets:

إِنَّنِيْ أَنَا اللَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدْنِيْ وَأَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ لِذِكْرِيْ إِنَّ السَّاعَةَ ءاَتِيَةٌ أَكَادُ أُخْفِيْهَا لِتُجْزَى كُلُّ نَفْسٍ بِمَا تَسْعَى فَلاَ يَصُدَّنَّكَ عَنْهَا مَنْ لاَّ يُؤْمِنُ بِهَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَتَرْدَى (20: 14-16)

I am God. Indeed, there is no god but Me. So serve Me, and for My remembrance, pray with vigilance. The Hour is sure to come – but I will keep it hidden – [it shall come] so that every soul is rewarded for its labours. Thus any person who does not believe in it and yields to his desires should not turn you away from the prayer, lest you perish. (20:14-16)

These prophets were sent to every community. God had promised Adam (sws) that He would guide his progeny through guidance revealed by Him. This guidance was given to mankind through these very prophets. After receiving revelations from God, they tell what is the truth to people, give glad tidings to those who believe in Him and warn those who do not believe in Him of a dreadful fate. Consequently, at one place, while addressing the Prophet (sws), the Quran says:

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيْرًا وَنَذِيْرًا وَإِنْ مِّنْ أُمَّةٍ إِلَّا خلَا فِيْهَا نَذِيْرٌ (24:35)

We have sent you with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and warnings and there is no community in which a warner never came. (35:24)

The Essence of Prophethood (Nabuwat Ki Haqeeqat)

Prophethood is the selection of an individual for the purpose of communication with the Almighty. The Quran has informed man that he has been blessed with this honour in two ways:

Firstly, communication from behind a veil. In this case, a person hears a voice but does not see who is conversing with him. God spoke to Moses (sws) in this way. He started to hear a voice from a tree in the valley of the mount Sinai but there was no one he could see. [2]

Secondly, through wahi. This word is used for revealing something in the heart of someone. This again has two forms: firstly, God directly reveals His message to the heart of a prophet; secondly, He sends an angel and this angel reveals something to the heart of a prophet on behalf of the Almighty. This phenomenon can occur both when a prophet is awake and in a vision while he is asleep. In case of a vision, whatever is communicated is at times in symbolic form. The way revelations would come to Muhammad (sws) is described in various Hadith narratives. It is evident from them that in its most intense form, the sound of a ringing bell would precede the process of revelation. Such was the intensity of the whole process that he would be drenched with sweat even in the coldest of weather. [3] The Quran has specified that apart from this observation the nature of wahi is beyond the comprehension of man:

وَيَسْأَلُوْنَكَ عَنِ الرُّوْحِ قُلِ الرُّوْحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّيْ وَمَآ أُوتِيْتُمْ مِّنِ الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيْلاً (85:17)

And they ask you about al-ruh [– ie. the wahi –]. Tell them: “This al-ruh is from among my Lord’s command. Little indeed is the knowledge given to you.” (17:85)

Since revelations come to the prophets without any desire of their own and from the divine part of their soul, they are absolutely sure about their authenticity. However, at various occasions, for their own satisfaction the Almighty shows them extra-ordinary sights and experiences. An example of this is the Prophet’s journey from the Baytullah to the Aqsa mosque that occurred in a vision shown to him. [4] Such experiences also occur in real life. Following is an example of such an experience:

وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَى عِندَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنْتَهَى عِنْدَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَى إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَى مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَى لَقَدْ رَأَى مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَى (53: 13-18)

And he beheld him once again at the sidrah tree, beyond which no one can pass near which is the Garden of Repose. At that time, the sidrah tree was covered with that which covered it. [His] sight did not wander, nor did it exceed the limit. [In such a manner], he saw some of his Lord’s greatest signs. (53:13-18)

At one place in the Quraan, all these ways of communicating with God are mentioned together:

وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِنْ وَرَاء حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُوْلًا فَيُوْحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَآء إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيْمٌ (51:42)

And it is not the status of any mortal that God should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil or He sends a messenger and through His permission, he sends revelation to him of what He wills. Exalted is He, and Wise. (42:51)

It is evident from the words of the above verse that divine revelation is not sent to a prophet in the form of an idea or a thought; it is in the form of words which he hears, understands and preserves. These words and their style are however something which a prophet is already familiar with so that they are not incomprehensible and alien to him. It is for this very reason that both the words and meanings of a revelation are specific to a prophet depending upon his circumstances and abilities.

(Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)

(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)

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[1] The Quran, 6:124

[2] The Qur’an, 28:29-30

[3] Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 1, (no. 2); Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 1028, (no. 6059)

[4] The Qur’an, 17:1