1. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims
  2. Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

Ask A Question About Islam And Muslims

67 Questions

How many Prophets are there and what are their names in chronological order?
Amina Inloes

According to the Qur'an, Allah sent divinely appointed guides to all peoples before the time of Islam. 

It is related that there were 124,000 prophets, although I am not personally sure whether this is meant to be taken literally or simply to mean "many". 

The Qur'an mentions about 25 prophets, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Shu'ayb, Lot, Solomon, Moses, Jesus, and so on. Chronology for some can be deduced when lineage is listed (e.g. Issac and Ismael are the sons of Abraham) but challenging if not much is known about a specific prophet.

The names of some other prophets are mentioned in hadith. However, the names of most of the prophets have not been mentioned in the Qur'an or hadith. Perhaps, it wouldn't have been meaningful to the people at the time of the revelation to mention prophets in faraway regions.

There is an interesting and rather lengthy book called _God's Emissaries: From Adam to Jesus_ by Shaykh Rizwan Arastu which discusses the stories of the prophets before Islam based on the Qur'an and hadith. Perhaps it might be helpful!
Why do the Shi'a believe that all the Prophets (pbut) are infallible despite the fact that the Qur'an seems to suggest they were fallible, such as in the story of Prophet Adam (a)?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

The meanings of Quranic verses must be taken from the Prophet himself as Allah (SWT) said in Quran   وأنزلنا إليك الذكر لتبين للناس ما نزل إليهم 

( We revealed on you the Thikr ( full knowledge of Quran) So that you explain to the people what was revealed for them). Al-Nahl, 44)

Verses which seem to suggest that any Prophet was fallible, are been misunderstood. Verses regarding Prophet Adam (AS) are been explained by the Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) and his Holy Progeny confirming that Adam did not commit any sin whatsoever.

Ahlul Bayt (AS) had many debates in this subject including a very well known debate between Imam Al-Redha (AS) and Al-Ma’moon al-Abbasi, the ruler of that time, in which al-Ma’moon put to the Imam ( AS) the Quranic verses which were according his understanding, showing fallibility of some prophets, and Imam Al-Redha (AS) explained the real meaning which confirms infallibility of all the Prophets.

You may see Tanzeeh al- Anbiyaa’ by al-Shaikh al- Mofeed. تنزيه الأنبياء للشيخ النفيد.

The claim of fallibility of any Prophet goes against Quran where Allah orders people to absolutely obey the prophets. Allah will never order people to obey a sinner.

Wassalam.
Is is true that the Ahlul Sunnah believe that the Prophets (peace be upon them) are fallible?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

As a result of political reasons which made many Muslims who blindly follow governments of Saqeefa, away from the teachings of Ahlul Bayt ( AS) which are the real real teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ( SAWA), Muslim sects who went away from Ahlul Bayt, deprived themselves from the most authentic Islamic knowledge and took instead from outsiders. Thousands of Israelites have come into Muslims books, such as the claim that the prophets are fallible. Jewish literature attacks many prophets and even accuses them of committing major sins like adultery and drinking wine. These false ideas have penetrated into Muslims who were away from Ahlul Bayt (AS) and made many of them take such Israelites as part of their religious knowledge.

Many Sunni Shaikhs say that the Prophets are infallible in Tableegh only but fallible in their usual acts. This claim goes against what Allah (SWT) has said in Quran when He ordered all human beings to absolutely obey the Prophets.( We did not send any messenger but to be obeyed by order of Allah)(Al-Nisaa’, Verse 64).  How such absolute obedience can be possible if any Prophet is fallible? Does Allah order us to obey a sinner even for a moment? That is impossible.

Some Quranic verses have been misunderstood  or deviated from the real meaning which was explained by the Prophet (SAWA) and taken in accordance with non Muslim text supporting the false claim against the prophets.

Ahlul Bayt (AS) narrated the prophetic earnings of Quran which states that all the prophets are infallible.

Wassalam
Is it acceptable to call any of the earlier Prophets of God as Sayyiduna as we do for Prophet Muhammad (s)?
Sayyed Mohammad Al-Musawi

Yes, it is allowed to call any of the prophets as Sayyeduna, as all the prophets are infallible and they were been sent to guide people to Allah (SWT).