Source Attribution
This excerpt is taken from the book Aḥkām wa Masā’il in the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah by Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani.
According to Sharī‘ah, belief in the Messengers is among the fundamental articles of faith. The Prophets and Messengers whose names Allah Almighty has explicitly mentioned and whose accounts He has described must be believed in with detail. As for those whom He has mentioned only in a general manner, belief in them should be general.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ﴾
Translation:
“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. We do not differentiate between any of His messengers.”
This means that we believe all the Messengers were true Messengers sent by Allah and that they fully conveyed the message of prophethood.
Allah Almighty further says:
﴿وَرُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ﴾
Translation:
“And (We sent) messengers whom We have already related to you before, and messengers whom We have not related to you.”
Likewise, in Sūrah al-Mu’min, Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُم مَّن قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن لَّمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ﴾
Translation:
“And indeed, We sent messengers before you; among them are those whose stories We have told you, and among them are those whose stories We have not told you.”
Therefore, all the Prophets sent by Allah must be believed in. Those whose accounts have been mentioned with detail must be believed in with detail, and those whose accounts have not been mentioned must be believed in generally.
This excerpt is taken from the book Aḥkām wa Masā’il in the Light of the Qur’an and Sunnah by Shaykh Mubashir Ahmad Rabbani.
❖ Question:
Some modern-minded people count Gautama Buddha among the Prophets. To what extent is this correct?✿ Answer:
Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, has not mentioned this anywhere in the Noble Qur’an, nor has the Noble Prophet ﷺ mentioned it in his statements and aḥādīth. Therefore, we remain silent regarding this matter.According to Sharī‘ah, belief in the Messengers is among the fundamental articles of faith. The Prophets and Messengers whose names Allah Almighty has explicitly mentioned and whose accounts He has described must be believed in with detail. As for those whom He has mentioned only in a general manner, belief in them should be general.
Allah Almighty says:
﴿آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۚ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ﴾
Translation:
“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. We do not differentiate between any of His messengers.”
Reference: Al-Baqarah: 285
This means that we believe all the Messengers were true Messengers sent by Allah and that they fully conveyed the message of prophethood.
Allah Almighty further says:
﴿وَرُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ﴾
Translation:
“And (We sent) messengers whom We have already related to you before, and messengers whom We have not related to you.”
Reference: An-Nisā’: 164
Likewise, in Sūrah al-Mu’min, Allah Almighty says:
﴿وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُم مَّن قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن لَّمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ﴾
Translation:
“And indeed, We sent messengers before you; among them are those whose stories We have told you, and among them are those whose stories We have not told you.”
Reference: Al-Mu’min: 78
Therefore, all the Prophets sent by Allah must be believed in. Those whose accounts have been mentioned with detail must be believed in with detail, and those whose accounts have not been mentioned must be believed in generally.
