4.2.1

Prophethood

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Introduction to Prophethood

A prophet is a person who speaks the words of God. Muslims believe in many prophets.

Prophets across religions

Prophets across religions

  • Many of the prophets in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles are shared by Islam too.
    • E.g. Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa) and Elijah (Ilyas).
  • Muslims also believe that Jesus (Isa) was a prophet.
Risalah

Risalah

  • Risalah is the belief that prophets bring the word of God to mankind.
  • Becoming a prophet is a gift from God.
Muhammad

Muhammad

  • God sent Jibril to Muhammad when he was young to prepare him for his future role as a prophet.
  • Because Allah is so beyond human understanding, the prophets play an important role in helping mankind to understand God.
Prophets in the Qur'an

Prophets in the Qur'an

  • Muslims believe that there have been over 120,000 prophets.
  • Only 25 of these prophets are mentioned in the Qur'an.
    • These important prophets are called messengers.

Important Prophets

Three of the most important prophets are Adam, Ibrahim and Muhammad:

Adam

Adam

  • Muslims believe that Adam was the first prophet.
  • He was the first man (and Sufi Muslims believe he was created by God in his own image).
  • He is believed by some to have first built the Ka’aba, (House of God).
Ibrahim

Ibrahim

  • Ibrahim/Abraham is understood to be the ancestor of Muhammad.
  • Ibrahim was tested by God and proved his faith by being prepared to sacrifice his first son, Isma’il/Ishmael. It is through Isma'il’s line that Muhammad descends.
  • Ibrahim rejected polytheism and idolatry.
  • Many believe that Ibrahim and Isma'il rebuilt the Ka’aba on the place where it had originally been built by Adam.
Significance of Muhammad

Significance of Muhammad

  • All previous prophets prepared the way for Muhammad.
  • In Islamic tradition, Muhammad is the greatest and final prophet - ‘the seal of the Prophets’.
  • His teachings and practices in the Hadith are the basis of Islamic law.
  • He was born around 570CE in Mecca, and in the year 610, the angel Jibril gave him a message from Allah.
  • These revelations continued for the next 20 years. Eventually, these oral teachings were organised and have been written to form the Qur'an.
The Hijrah and Muhammad in Medina

The Hijrah and Muhammad in Medina

  • At the time of the first revelation, Muhammad was living in Mecca.
  • The local leaders were not interested in hearing Muhammad’s message of obedience, or belief in one God. He was forced to run away to Medina in the year 622.
    • The journey is known as the Hijrah (departure).
  • Muhammad was successful in Medina. He attracted many followers and built up a large army. They returned to Mecca and conquered it.
  • According to Islamic tradition, there were 360 idols in the Ka’aba and when Muhammad returned he destroyed all of them and made the Ka’aba a place to worship the one, God.
Jump to other topics
1

Buddhism

1.1

Key Beliefs

1.1.1The Dhamma1.1.2The Five Skandhas1.1.3Aspects of Human Life1.1.4The Buddha1.1.5The Ascetic & Enlightened Life1.1.6Dhukka1.1.7Samudaya1.1.8Nirodha1.1.9Magga1.1.10The Wheel of Life1.1.11End of Topic Test - Buddhism Key Beliefs
1.2

Practices

1.2.1Places of Worship1.2.2Objects of Worship1.2.3Puja1.2.4Meditation1.2.5Death1.2.6Festivals1.2.7End of Topic Test - Buddhism Practices
1.3

Ethics

1.3.1Kamma1.3.2Five Moral Precepts1.3.3End of Topic Test - Buddhism Ethics
2

Christianity

2.1

Key Beliefs

2.1.1The Nature of God2.1.2The Problem of Evil2.1.3Monotheism2.1.4Creation2.1.5Bible Accounts of Creation2.1.6The Trinity and Creation2.1.7Afterlife2.1.8Heaven and Hell2.1.9The Influence of Afterlife on Life2.1.10End of Topic Test - Christianity Key Beliefs2.1.11Exam-Style Questions - Christian Beliefs
2.2

Jesus Christ & Salvation

2.2.1The Incarnation2.2.2Jesus - Divine & Human2.2.3The Crucifixion2.2.4Jesus' Betrayal2.2.5Resurrection & Ascension2.2.6Sin2.2.7Original Sin2.2.8Punishment2.2.9The Means of Salvation2.2.10Achieving Salvation2.2.11Disagreements About Salvation2.2.12The Role of Christ in Salvation2.2.13Theories of Salvation2.2.14End of Topic Test - Jesus Christ & Salvation
2.3

Worship & Festivals

2.3.1Different Forms of Worship2.3.2Prayer2.3.3Sacrament2.3.4Baptism2.3.5Other Sacraments2.3.6Eucharist2.3.7Pilgrimage & Celebrations2.3.8Christmas & Easter2.3.9End of Topic Test - Worship and Festivals
2.4

Community

2.4.1Local Community2.4.2Mission, Evangelism & Church Growth2.4.3Worldwide Church2.4.4Reconciliation2.4.5Persecution2.4.6Caring for Those in Need2.4.7End of Topic Test - Community2.4.8Exam-Style Questions - Christian Practices
3

Catholicism (Christianity)

3.1

Key Beliefs

3.1.1The Trinity3.1.2Creation3.1.3Incarnation3.1.4Redemption3.1.5Life After Death3.1.6Heaven and Hell3.1.7End of Topic Test - Catholic Key Beliefs
3.2

The Seven Sacraments

3.2.1Meaning & Significance3.2.2Baptism3.2.3Confirmation3.2.4Reconciliation3.2.5Anointing of the Sick3.2.6Marriage3.2.7Holy Orders3.2.8The Eucharist3.2.9End of Topic Test - The Seven Sacraments
3.3

Practices

3.3.1Prayer3.3.2Popular Piety3.3.3Pilgrimage3.3.4Pilgrimages HyperLearning3.3.5Funeral Rites3.3.6The Duty to Love Our Neighbour3.3.7Catholic Agencies3.3.8Catholic Social Teaching3.3.9Justice3.3.10War3.3.11Mission & Evangelism3.3.12End of Topic Test - Catholic Practices
4

Islam

4.1

Key Beliefs

4.1.1Oneness of God4.1.2Six Articles of Faith4.1.3Five Roots of Usul4.1.4The Nature of God4.1.5Angels4.1.6Freedom4.1.7Life After Death4.1.8Human Responsibility4.1.9End of Topic Test - Muslim Key Beliefs
4.2

Authority

4.2.1Prophethood4.2.2The Holy Books4.2.3The Imamate4.2.4End of Topic Test - Muslim Authority
4.3

Practices

4.3.1Worship4.3.2Ten Obligatory Acts4.3.3Shahadah4.3.4Salah & Its Significance4.3.5Mosques4.3.6Rak'ahs4.3.7Sawm4.3.8Zakah4.3.9Hajj4.3.10Jihad4.3.11Festivals & Commemorations4.3.12End of Topic Test - Muslim Practices4.3.13Exam-Style Questions - Muslim Practices
5

Judaism

5.1

Key Beliefs

5.1.1The Nature of God5.1.2God as One5.1.3God's Name5.1.4God as Creator5.1.5Free Will5.1.6God as Law Giver and Judge5.1.7The Divine Presence & Beliefs5.1.8Role of the Messiah5.1.9End of Topic Test - Jewish Key Beliefs5.1.10Exam-Style Questions - Jewish Beliefs
5.2

Covenant & The Mitzvot

5.2.1The Promised Land5.2.2Abraham5.2.3The Covenant5.2.4The Covenant at Sinai5.2.5The Covenant at Sinai 25.2.6Key Moral Principles5.2.7End of Topic Test - Covenant & The Mitzvot
5.3

The Synagogue & Worship

5.3.1The Synagogue & Its Importance5.3.2Public Acts of Worship5.3.3Shabbat5.3.4Worship & Law5.3.5End of Topic Test - Synagogue & Worship

Practice questions on Prophethood

Can you answer these? Test yourself with free interactive practice on Seneca — used by over 10 million students.

  1. 1
    Which of these are true of Islamic beliefs about prophets?True / false
  2. 2
    Which of the following is NOT a prophet of Islam?Multiple choice
  3. 3
    What's the belief that prophets bring the word of God to mankind called?Multiple choice
  4. 4
    Islamic beliefs about Adam:Fill in the list
  5. 5
    Islamic beliefs about Ibrahim/Abraham:Fill in the list
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End of Topic Test - Muslim Key Beliefs

The Holy Books