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

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

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

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

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/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

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

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.

1Buddhism

2Christianity

2.1Key Beliefs

2.1.1The Nature of God

2.1.2The Problem of Evil

2.1.3Monotheism

2.1.4Creation

2.1.5Bible Accounts of Creation

2.1.6The Trinity and Creation

2.1.7Afterlife

2.1.8Heaven and Hell

2.1.9The Influence of Afterlife on Life

2.1.10End of Topic Test - Christianity Key Beliefs

2.1.11Exam-Style Questions - Christian Beliefs

2.2Jesus Christ & Salvation

2.2.1The Incarnation

2.2.2Jesus - Divine & Human

2.2.3The Crucifixion

2.2.4Jesus' Betrayal

2.2.5Resurrection & Ascension

2.2.6Sin

2.2.7Original Sin

2.2.8Punishment

2.2.9The Means of Salvation

2.2.10Achieving Salvation

2.2.11Disagreements About Salvation

2.2.12The Role of Christ in Salvation

2.2.13Theories of Salvation

2.2.14End of Topic Test - Jesus Christ & Salvation

2.3Worship & Festivals

2.3.1Different Forms of Worship

2.3.2Prayer

2.3.3Sacrament

2.3.4Baptism

2.3.5Other Sacraments

2.3.6Eucharist

2.3.7Pilgrimage & Celebrations

2.3.8Christmas & Easter

2.3.9End of Topic Test - Worship and Festivals

2.4Community

2.4.1Local Community

2.4.2Mission, Evangelism & Church Growth

2.4.3Worldwide Church

2.4.4Reconciliation

2.4.5Persecution

2.4.6Caring for Those in Need

2.4.7End of Topic Test - Community

2.4.8Exam-Style Questions - Christian Practices

3Catholicism (Christianity)

4Islam

5Judaism

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