Prophets of Islam

Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam (Arabic: ???) those non-divine humans chosen by God as prophets (in Arabic, nabi). Each prophet brought the same basic ideas of Islam, including belief in one God and avoidance of idolatry and sin. Each came to preach Islam and told of the coming of the final law-bearing prophet and messenger of God: Muhammad. Each prophet had a different group to whom their message was directed, and in turn, each prophet taught minor variations in Sharia (or the practice of religion) to their nations. These variations are applications of Islam and are not considered discrete versions of Islam.

Islamic tradition holds that God sent messengers to every nation. In Islam, only Muhammad was sent to convey God's message to the whole world, whereas other messengers (rasuls) were sent to convey their messages to a specific group of people or nation.

Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam distinguishes between a direct messenger of God (rasul) and a prophet (nabi). Both function as divinely inspired recipients of God's revelation. However, in addition, rasuls are given a divine message or revelation for a community in book form. While every rasul is a nabi, not every nabi is a rasul.

Muslims regard Adam as the first prophet and Muhammad as the last prophet; hence Muhammad's title Seal of the Prophets. In Islam, Jesus is regarded as a nabi and a rasul because he received wahi (revelation) from God, through which God revealed the Injil (Gospel) to him.^[1] Muslims believe that God has sent over 124,000 messengers all over the world as mentioned in the Sahih Hadith. Five (sometimes known as Ulul Azmi or the Imams — i.e. leaders — of the Rasuls) are accorded the highest reverence for their perseverance and unusually strong commitment to God in the face of great suffering. These five are Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus), and Muhammad.

Etymology

In both Arabic and Hebrew, the term nab? (plural forms: nabiyy?n and anbiy??) refers to "prophet". These terms occur 75 times in the Qur'an. The term nubuwwa meaning "prophethood" occurs five times in the Qur'an. The terms ras?l (pl. rusul) and mursal (pl. mursal?n) denote ?messenger? or "apostle" are more prevalent and occur more than 300 times. The term for a prophetic ?message? is ris?la (pl. ris?l?t) and appears in the Qur'an in ten instances. ^[2]

The Syriac form of ras?l All?h (lit: messenger of God) is s?h?eli?eh d-all?h? which occurs frequently in the apocryphal Acts of St. Thomas. The corresponding verb for s?h?eli?eh, i.e. s?h?ala?, is used in connection with the prophets in the Old Testament (Exodus, iii, 13-14, iv, 13; Isaiah, vi, 8; Jeremiah, i, 7). ^[3]

Prophets and Messengers in the Qur'an

The table below charts the Qur'anic verses where there is an explicit reference to a Prophet (Nabi), a Messenger (Rasul) or a Leader (Imam). It also charts where there is an explicit reference to Prophet's Book(s) / People / Divine Law (Sharia). For clarity purposes, a Nabi is a Prophet who sent by God (Allah) and a Rasul is a Messenger, also a prophet sent by God (Allah) but sent with a Divine Law (Sharia).

If you are looking for Ahl al- Kitab, followers of the Holy Books, please go here.

Distinction between Prophets and Messengers

The Quran ranks a Messenger higher than a Prophet. For example, in the Qur'an whenever both titles appear together, "messenger" comes first. According to the Muslim scholar al-Baydawi, a messenger establishes a new religious law (sharia) whereas a prophet continues an old one. These would imply that prophets were more numerous than messengers and occupied a lower rank.^[2] Both prophets and messengers are sent by God as good news givers and warner's to their people. In the case of messengers however, there seems to be a close relation between them and their people (ummah) This messenger will be the witness that God will take from that community on the Day of Judgment (see Sura X, 48; XVI, 38; XXIII, 46; XL, 5; IV, 45; XXVIII, 75). According to the Qur'an, Muhammad is sent to a people to whom no messenger has been sent yet. ^[3] Lastly, a distinction should be made between celestial and human messengers. In the Qur'anic world, God has made the angels messengers but not prophets. The human messengers however are also prophets though not every prophet is a messenger.^[2] As Angels always carries 'orders' to the human prophets or messengers on what to say, what to do ..etc. While human Messengers deliver some messages about new orders to the people, while Prophets only reinforce previous orders by earlier messengers or prophets, but since the angels carry orders to prophets to do their duty, then all angels of revelations are considered messengers.

The status of the Prophets

The Qur'anic verse 4:69 lists various virtuous groups of human beings, among whom prophets (which include messengers) occupy the highest rank. Verse 4:69 reads:^[2]

Modes of prophetic revelation

Miracles

The Prophet Muhammad's greatest and only miracle is the relavation of the Holy Qur'an to mankind, as Muslims believe it is the last in a series of divine revelations, which came to him through the inspriraton of the Angel Gabriel. At the time of the revelation of the Qur'an, the Arabians who were at the pinacle of language and poetic eloquence, were astonished by its linquistic perfection. The Qur'an was even more miraculous to the Arabians of his time due to the fact that the Prophet Muhammed was not educated in the matters of philosophy, science, linguistic syntax, nor was he a poet and moreover had not read or written down any of the previous religious scriptures . The Qur'an challenges all of humanity to make a book of its kind. Many people during the time of the Prophet Muhammed took on this challenge and tried to imitate the eloquence of the Qura'n but failed in their attempts. Unlike most ancient religious texts, the Qur'an has been preserved in its originality since its compilation and has been memorized by Muslims up until present times making it the most memorized book in human history. Unlike other miracles done by other prophets who came before Muhammed, Muslims believe that the miracle of the Quran is a miracle that can be witnessed for all times. With the revelation of the Holy Qur'an came a unprecedented revolution in science, literature and philosophy that not only took place in the Islamic empire but worldwide. Despite modern criticism of the Islamic religion, due to the unprecedented influence that the revelation Qur'an has had on people throughout history many historians and great figures in history have recognized Prophet Muhammad as the most influential person in human history.

Prophets and scriptures

The Prophets and Muhammad

The scope of the prophetic mission

The purpose of Messengers

???????? ????????? ??? ????? ??????? ????????? ???? ?????????? ?????? ?????????????? ??????????? ????????? ????? ????? ?????? ????????? ????? ??????? ???????? ??????????? ?????????? ??? ???????? ??????????? ?????? ????? ????????? ???????????????

Transliteration: Walaqad baAAathna fee kulli ommatin rasoolan ani oAAbudoo Allaha waijtaniboo alttaghoota faminhum man hada Allahu waminhum man haqqat AAalayhi alddalalatu faseeroo fee al-ardi faonthuroo kayfa kana AAaqibatu almukaththibeena (Qur'an 16:36)

Pickthal Translation: And verily We have raised in every nation a messenger, (proclaiming): Serve Allah and shun false gods. Then some of them (there were) whom Allah guided, and some of them (there were) upon whom error had just hold. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequence for the deniers! (Qur'an 16:36)

?????? ????????????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????? ????? ????? ??????? ?????? ???? ?????? ???????

Transliteration: Inna arsalnaka bialhaqqi basheeran wanatheeran wa-in min ommatin illa khala feeha natheerun (Qur'an 35:24)

Pickthal Translation: Lo! We have sent thee with the Truth, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and there is not a nation but a warner hath passed among them. (Qur'an 35:24)

iii. And these Messengers gave us guidance from Allah, taught us knowledge and provided a path to purify us:

????? ??????????? ??????? ???????? ???????? ??????? ?????????? ????????? ?????????????? ??????????????? ?????????? ????????????? ?????????????? ???? ???? ?????????? ???????????

Transliteration: Kama arsalna feekum rasoolan minkum yatloo AAalaykum ayatina wayuzakkeekum wayuAAallimukumu alkitaba waalhikmata wayuAAallimukum ma lam takoonoo taAAlamoona (Qur'an 2:151)

Pickthal Translation: Even as We have sent unto you a messenger from among you, who reciteth unto you Our revelations and causeth you to grow, and teacheth you the Scripture and wisdom, and teacheth you that which ye knew not. (Qur'an 2:151)

????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ?????????? ???????? ??????? ??? ????????? ??????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ????????? ??????????

Transliteration: Tilka hudoodu Allahi waman yutiAAi Allaha warasoolahu yudkhilhu jannatin tajree min tahtiha al-anharu khalideena feeha wathalika alfawzu alAAatheemu (Qur'an 4:13)

Pickthal Translation: These are the limits (imposed by) Allah. Whoso obeyeth Allah and His messenger, He will make him enter Gardens underneath which rivers flow, where such will dwell for ever. That will be the great success. (Qur'an 4:13)

????? ?????? ?????? ??????????? ??????????? ????????? ?????????? ?????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ??????? ????????

Transliteration: Waman yaAAsi Allaha warasoolahu wayataAAadda hudoodahu yudkhilhu naran khalidan feeha walahu AAathabun muheenun (Qur'an 4:14)

Pickthal Translation: And whoso disobeyeth Allah and His messenger and transgresseth His limits, He will make him enter Fire, where he will dwell for ever; his will be a shameful doom. (Qur'an 4:14)

vi. Allah said that He will judge us only after we have received the Message from His Messengers, and everyone will be judged based on his own actions:

??????????????? ????????? ???????? ?????????? ??????????????? ?????????????? - ?????????????? ????????? ???????? ????? ?????? ??????????

Transliteration: Falanas-alanna allatheena orsila ilayhim walanas-alanna almursaleena. Falanaqussanna AAalayhim biAAilmin wama kunna gha-ibeena (Qur'an 7:6-7)

Pickthal Translation: Then verily We shall question those unto whom (Our message) hath been sent, and verily We shall question the messengers. Then verily We shall narrate unto them (the event) with knowledge, for We were not absent (when it came to pass). (Qur'an 7:6-7)

????? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ?????????? ????? ????? ?????????? ??????? ????????? ????? ?????? ????????? ?????? ??????? ????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ???????? ????????

Transliteration: Mani ihtada fa-innama yahtadee linafsihi waman dalla fa-innama yadillu AAalayha wala taziru waziratun wizra okhra wama kunna muAAaththibeena hatta nabAAatha rasoolan (Qur'an 17:15)

Pickthal Translation: Whosoever goeth right, it is only for (the good of) his own soul that he goeth right, and whosoever erreth, erreth only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another's load, We never punish until we have sent a messenger. (Qur'an 17:15)

??????? ????????? ???? ????????? ???????? ???????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ??????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????- ??????? ????? ???? ??????? ??????? ???????????? ????????? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ??????? ???????

Transliteration: Takadu tamayyazu mina alghaythi kullama olqiya feeha fawjun saalahum khazanatuha alam ya/tikum natheerun. Qaloo bala qad jaana natheerun fakaththabna waqulna ma nazzala Allahu min shay-in in antum illa fee dalalin kabeerin (Qur'an 67:8-9)

Pickthal Translation: As it would burst with rage. Whenever a (fresh) host is flung therein the wardens thereof ask them: Came there unto you no warner? They say: Yea, verily, a warner came unto us; but we denied and said: Allah hath naught revealed; ye are in naught but a great error. (Qur'an 67:8-9)

???????? ????????????? ???????????? ???????? ??????? ????????? ????? ?????? ??????? ?????? ????????? ??????? ?????? ???????? ????????

Transliteration: Rusulan mubashshireena wamunthireena li-alla yakoona lilnnasi AAala Allahi hujjatun baAAda alrrusuli wakana Allahu AAazeezan hakeeman (Qur'an 4:165)

Pickthal Translation: Messengers of good cheer and of warning, in order that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the messengers. Allah is ever Mighty, Wise. (Qur'an 4:165)

Distinguishing Muhammad from other Messengers

i. All previous Messengers were sent to a specific nation in specific region of Earth. Their teachings were also limited for a specific time and period. However, Muhammad was sent to entire mankind and his guidance is for all mankind until the end of times.

ii. It is a fact that the teaching of all previous messengers except Muhammad have all but disappeared, and whatever remained of it is so much altered and mixed with falsely made up stories that it is very difficult to recognize the original teachings. Whilst the teaching of Muhammad and the Quran is preserved in its originality, and Allah has promised to protect it until end of times.

iii. Since, the teachings of previous Messengers were limited to specific nation and time, their laws relating to ethics and moral code, justice, trade and financial deals, civilian laws were incomplete. Allah (swt) through his final Messenger Mohamad completed the Religion and perfected it. It includes all the teachings from previous Messengers, and abrogated what was specific to those people and time.

Thus, now the teaching of Muhammad is the only trustable source to reach guidance of Allah. And if one wants to follow teachings of Moses and Jesus, who also brought the religion of Allah to their nations, then he has no other choice but to accept the teachings of Muhammad who left with us the trustable source to guidance from Allah in Quran and Sunnah.

Points of belief about Muhammad

i. That he is the Messenger of Allah who brought us the Book of Guidance "Quran"

ii. That he brought us the Deen (way of life, or path) that is complete and perfected, and it's applicable to all mankind until end of times

iii. That he receives his guidance from Allah and that his knowledge and guidance is perfect from any defects

iv. That he is the Last and Final Messenger of Allah who has perfected the Deen (way of life, or path) of Allah, and there will be no further Messenger after him, as none is needed after the Deen is completed and perfected. And teachings of Muhammad are for remainder of mankind.

The reception of the Prophets

Stories of Prophets

All prophets was sent to a nation except Muhammed - he was sent to the whole world.

Prophets in the Qur'an

The following table lists the prophets mentioned in the Qur'an. Biblical versions of names are given where applicable:

Name (Arabic & Arabic Translit.)	Name (Biblical)	No. of verses with mention
???Adam	Adam	5
???Adam	"Adam is the first prophet of Islam and the first human being. He was created by God but brought to life forty days after being kept as a dry body." He is an important figure in Judaism and Christianity as well and he is best known for the story of Adam and Eve.

?????Idris	Enoch	3
?????Idris	Idris lived during a period of drought inflicted by God to punish the people of the world who had forgotten God. Idris prayed for salvation and an end to the suffering, and so the world received rain.

???Nuh	Noah	7
???Nuh	Although best known for the Deluge, Nuh was a primary preacher of monotheism at his time. Muslims believe his faith in God led to his selection for building the Ark.

???Hud	Eber	9
???Hud	Muslims believe Hud, for whom the eleventh chapter of the Qur'an takes its name, was one of the few people to survive a great storm inflicted by God, similar to the Deluge five generations earlier, to punish the people of the `Ad who had forgotten about God. Hud, by comparison and records, is never mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible.

????Saleh	Shaloh	7
????Saleh	According to the Qur'an God ordered Saleh to leave behind his people, the tribe of Thamud, after they disbelieved and disobeyed God's order to care for a special camel and instead killed it. In Saleh's and his followers' (believers) absence, God punished the people with an utter cry from the skies that killed his people instantly. Note that Saleh is not Shelah mentioned in the Old Testament.

???????Ibrahim	Abraham	5
???????Ibrahim	Muslims today regard Abraham as one of the significant prophets, because they credit him with rebuilding the Kaaba in Mecca. His family, including his son Ishmael, is also credited with helping create the civilization around Mecca that would later give birth to the final prophet of Islam, Muhammad. Ibrahim is also noted for almost sacrificing his son Ismail (Ishmael) for God in an event now commemorated annually by Eid ul-Adha. He is also the first prophet to name the believers as "Muslims" meaning "those with full submission to God".

???Lut	Lot	2
???Lut	Lot is most notable in Islam for attempting to preach against homosexuality in Sodom and Gomorra in addition to preaching for his people to believe in the Oneness of God, only to be mocked and ignored by the people who lived there. Islam also denies the acts attributed to Lut that are mentioned in the Old Testament, like drinking and being drunk, and having intercourse with and impregnating his two daughters.

???????Isma'il	Ishmael	9
???????Isma'il	Isma�l, first-born son of Ibrahim, is a notable prophet in Islam for his near-sacrifice in adulthood. As a child he and his mother Hagar's search for water in the region around Mecca led God to reveal the Zamzam well, which still flows to this day.

?????Ishaq	Isaac	9
?????Ishaq	According to Islamic tradition, Isaac, second-born son of Ibrahim, became a prophet in Canaan. He, along with his brother Isma�l, carried on the legacy of Ibrahim as prophets of Islam.

?????Yakub	Jacob	2
?????Yakub	Yakub, according to the Qur'an was "of the company of the Elect and the Good"^[43] and he continued the legacy of both his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham. Like his ancestors, he was committed to worshipping God exclusively.

????Yusuf	Joseph	3
????Yusuf	Yusuf, son of (Yakub) and great-grandson of Ibrahim, became a prominent advisor to the king of Egypt after he interpreted the phaoroh's dream which predicted the economic state of Egypt. He spent a large part of his life away from his eleven brothers, who were jealous of Yusuf because their father favored him. They took him one day, telling their father that they where going to play and have fun, but they planned to kill him. Instead, they threw him down a well and told their father Yaqub that he was eaten by a wolf. According to Islam Yusuf was gifted with half of the beauty granted to mankind.

????Ayyub	Job	8
????Ayyub	According to Islamic tradition, Ayyub was rewarded by a fountain of youth, which removed all illnesses except death, for his service to God in his hometown outside Al Majdal. Ayyub is believed to have suffered an illness for 18 years as test of patience by God.

????Shu'aib	Jethro	2
????Shu'aib	Jethro was a direct descendant of Abraham. According to Islam, he was appointed by God to guide the people of Midyan and Aykah, who lived near Mount Sinai. When the people of the region failed to listen to his warnings, God destroyed the disbeliever's villages. Although it is mentioned in the Qur'an, and by the reported speeches from Muhammad that Musa married one of Shu'aib's daughters, and the same thing is mentioned in the Old Testament for a man named Jethro, some scholars believe that Jethro in the Old Testament is not the same person as Shu'aib in the Qur'an.

????Musa	Moses	5
????Musa	Moses, whom the Qur'an refers to more than any other prophet, had the distinction of revealing the Tawrat (Torah) to the Israelites. The Qur'an says Musa realized his connection with God after receiving commands from him during a stop at Mount Sinai. He later went on to free the enslaved Hebrews after the Egyptian pharaoh denied God's power. Musa subsequently led the freed Hebrews for forty years through the desert after they refused to obey God's command and enter the Holy Lands, saying to Moses (as mentioned in Qur'an , "O Moses! We will never enter (the land) while they are in it. So go thou and thy Lord and fight! We will sit here." During this long journey, on another trip to Mount Sinai Musa received the Tawrat and the Ten Commandments. At the end of his life, according to Islamic tradition, Musa chose to die to be closer to God instead of taking an offer that would have extended his life.

?????Har?n	Aaron	8
?????Har?n	Harun (Aaron) served as an assistant to his older brother Musa (Moses). In Islam, he, like Musa, received the task of saving the Israelites from the Egyptian pharaoh. He would often speak for Musa when Musa?s speech impediment prevented him from doing so himself.

?? ?????Dhul-Kifl	most likely Ezekiel	5
?? ?????Dhul-Kifl	The status of Dhul-Kifl as a prophet is debatable within Islam, although both sides can agree that he was indeed a righteous man who strived in the way of God. Some studies also note that Dhul-Kifl can be also Obadiah, who is mentioned in the Old Testament to be the one that took care of 100 prophets. He is also believed to have possibly been Gautama Buddha.

????Dawud	David	7
????Dawud	In Islam, God revealed the Zabur (Psalms) to Dawud (David). Dawud also has significance as the one who defeated Goliath. It is worth to note that the story of King David with Uriah according to the Islamic tradition is different, thus the acts attributed to King David in the Old Testament like sending Uriah to be killed for the purpose of marrying his wife is denied in Islam.

??????S�leyman	Solomon	6
??????S�leyman	S�leyman (Solomon) learned a significant amount from his father Daud before God made him a prophet. According to Islamic tradition, S�leyman was given power to manipulate nature, including the jinn. Known for his honesty and fairness, he also led a kingdom that extended into southern Arabia.

?????Ilyas	Elijah	3
?????Ilyas	Ilyas (Elijah), descendant of Harun (Aaron), took over control of the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula after the kingdom of Sulaiman (Solomon) collapsed. Islamic tradition says he attempted to convince the people of the Peninsula of the existence of only one God, but when the people refused to listen they were smitten with a drought and famine.

?????Al-Yasa	Elisha	3
?????Al-Yasa	Al-Yasa (Elisha) took over the job of leading the Israelites after Ilyas' (Elijah) death. He attempted to show the king and queen of Israel the powers of God, but was dismissed as a magician. Subsequently, the Assyrians were able to make people burn and inflict significant damage on them.

????Yunus	Jonah	5
????Yunus	Islamic tradition shows that God commanded Yunus (Jonah) to help the people of Nineveh towards righteousness. However, after Nineveh's people refused to listen to God, he became disgruntled and became angry for God. After an incident where Yunus was spared death, he decided to re-commit himself to striving for God, attempting to lead the people of Nineveh to righteousness. But after returning to evil, illicit ways, the Scythians conquered them.^[44]

?????Zakariya	Zechariah	6
?????Zakariya	A descendant of S�leyman, Zakariya (Zachariah was a patron of Maryam (Mary) the mother of 'Isa. According to the Qur'an, he prayed to God asking for a son, since his sterile wife al-Yashbi could not provide one. God granted his wishes, temporarily lifting his wife's sterility and allowing her to give birth to Yahya (John).^[45]

????Yahya	John the Baptist	2
????Yahya	Yahya (John) was cousin to Isa and Islam says that, throughout his lifetime, Yahya captivated audiences with his powerful sermons that preached Abrahamic monotheism. The Qur'an does not mention baptism.

????Isa	Jesus	3
????Isa	God sent one of the highest ranked prophets in Islam, Eisa al-Maseeh, (Jesus the Messiah) to guide the Children of Israel. The Qur'an makes it very clear that in Islam, Jesus is not the begotten (physical) son of God, but rather a nabi and rasul (messenger) of God. 'Isa performed many miracles with the permission of God. For example, raising the dead, creating a bird from clay, talking as an infant. Islamic traditions states that he abstained from drinking alcohol. It also states that he received a revelation, the Injil (Gospel), though according to Islam, it has been distorted. Muslims believe that 'Isa was not crucified, meaning he was not killed on the cross. They believe that Isa was raised up to God and will return to Earth to fight the Dajjal during the time of the Mahdi, however in Quran there is no evidence and clear indication of Isa's return to Earth to fight the Dajjal.

????Muhammed	Ahmad ????: in the original Gospel and Bible	294
????Muhammed	Habib u'l A'zam, Imam u'l Anbiya Sayyidina Muhammed ibn 'Abdullah,(53 B.H-11 A.H; 571-632 AD)^[46] is the last prophet in Islam ("seal of the Prophets"). Muslims shun idolatry of any of the prophets, as their messages from God hold the most weight. His father's name was 'Abdullah ibn 'AbdulMuttalib and his mother's name was Amina bint Wahb az-Zuhriyya. Muhammed. Born in Mecca in 571 AD (53 AH), Muhammed spent the first part of his life as a well-travelled merchant. He would often spend his time in the mountains surrounding Mecca in prayer contemplating the situation with the city. At the age of forty, during one of those trips to the mountain, Muhammed began to, despite his illiteracy, receive and recite verses from Allah which today make up the Qur'an. He quickly spread the message he was receiving, converting a few others in the city, including his wife. He is the last (seal) of the prophets with a message to all humanity. When oppression became intolerable for his followers, Muhammed first asked his fellow Muslims to migrate to Medina and later himself migrated to Medina away from the oppressors in Mecca. Muhammad served not just as a prophet, but as a military leader who helped defeat the Meccans in 624 during the Battle of Badr. He continued to lead the Muslims as Islam spread across the Arabian Peninsula. He performed the first hajj in 629 and established Islam as it is still practised by Muslims today. Others continued Muhammad's legacy after his death in 632, having been given the position of caliph (or successor) to Muhammad. The Five Pillars of Islam were established from his Hadiths after Muhammad's death.

Other prophets

Muslims believe in other prophets other than those mentioned by name in the Qur'an. Many verses in the Quran discuss this:

Muslims believe that God has sent 124,000 (or 224,000) messengers all over the world, as mentioned by the prophet Muhammad in the Sahih Hadith.

The Qur'an mentions Al-Imran as the father of Maryam. Al-Khidr is not mentioned by name, but is traditionally assumed to be referred to in . Biblical prophets Danyal (Daniel), Ishaia (Isaiah), Armya (Jeremiah), and Samuel are mentioned by Ibn Kathir in his book as prophets.

Luqman is mentioned in the sura named after him but it is unclear whether he is a prophet or a wali. According to the most wide-spread shiite belief, Luqman was a wiseman, not a prophet nor a wali. The reported news hold that Luqman had a dream, and in that dream he was asked to choose between being a King and a wiseman, and he chose the second.

Additional numerous historical figures may have been prophets, but this is a source of debate and contention. Such figures include: Zoroaster, Gautama Buddha, Socrates^[47], Merlin, Confucius ^[48], Krishna ^[49] (also mentioned in some books of Hadith) and Rama. However, Muslims will state that there is no way of knowing for sure since they are not mentioned by name in the Qur'an. An argument often used in support of the prophethood of such men is that they came with the word of God, but it was later corrupted, this accounting for the differences between Islam, and the respective religions with which each man is associated. The Hadith and Qur?an support such claims that say that a messenger was sent to every people.

Maryam mother of 'Isa

A few scholars (such as Ibn Hazm)^[50] have argued that she may have been a nabi and a prophetess, since she was sent a message from God via an angel. The Qur'an, however, does not explicitly state that she is one. According to the Islamic belief, she was a holy woman, but she was not a prophet. In the Qur'an, 'Isa is usually referred to as 'Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary), a matronymic, indicative of Jesus having no father.