The Belief In Ar-Rusul (Messengers)

Ar-Rusul is the plural of Rasool, which means Murasal: The one dispatched to proclaim something. What is intended (according to the Judicial meaning) is that Ar-Rasool is the man who receives a Shar’a ( A Divine code of law) and is commanded by Allaah to convey it. The first of Ar-Rusul ( The Messenger) is Noah and the last one is Mohammed Allaah تعالى said:

( إنا أوحينا إليك كما أوحينا إلى نوح و النبيين من بعده) ( النساء، 136)

Verily, We have inspired you ( O Mohammed ) as We have inspired to Noah to prophets after him. ( Qura’an 4: 136)


In Saheeh Al-Bukharee it is narrated on the authority of Anas bin Malik in the hadeeth of Ash-Shafaa’ah ( The Intercession), the prophet Mohammed mentioned that ( on the day Resurrection) people will go to Adam asking him to intercede them with Allaah (57)

“ Go to Noah , The first of Allaah’s Messenger to the people of the earth.

Allaah تعالى said:

( و ما كان محمدا أبا أحد من رجالكم و لكن رسول الله و خاتم النبيين) ( الأحزاب ،40)

Mohammed is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allaah and the last ( end) of His prophets.(Qura’an33:40)

And there never was a nation without a Messenger whom Allaah تعالى sends with a particular Sharee’ah to His people or without a prophet receiving the revelation of the Sharee’ah of his predecessor in order to revive it. Allaah تعالى said:

( و لقد بعنثافى كل أمة رسولا أن أعبدوا الله و إجتنبوا الطاغوت) ( النحل ،36)

And verily, We Have sent among every Ummah ( community , nation) a Messenger (priclaming): “ Worship Allaah ( alone) , and avoid ( or keep away from Taaghout.”(58) (Qura’an 16:36).

He also said:

( و إن من أمة إلا خلا فيها نزير) ( فاطر،24)

There was no Ummaah but a Warner had passed among them ( Qura’an 35:24) .

( إنا أنزلنا التوراة فيها هدى و نور يحكم بها النبيون الذين أسلموا للذين هادوا) ( سورة المائدة، 44)

Verily , We did sent down the Torah ( to Musa), therein was guidance and light, by which the prophets , who submitted to Allaah’s Will , judged the Jews.( Qura’an 5:44)


The Messenger are created human beings who don’t have any of the characteristics of Rububbiyyah or Uloohiyyah. Allaah spoke about his prophet Mohammed who is the most noble of the Messengers and the highest among them in honor before Allaah:

قل لا أملك لنفسى نفعا و لا ضرا إلا ما شاءالله و لو كنت أعلم الغيب لا ستكثرت من الخير و ما مسنى السوء إن أنا إلا نزير و بشير لقوم يؤمنون) الأعراف ، 188)

Say ( O Mohammed to the disbelievers): “ I possess no power of benefit or hurt to my self except as Allaah Wills. If I Had knowledge of Ghayb, I should have secured for my self and abundance of wealth , and no evil should have touched me . I am but a Warner and bringer of glad tidings to those who believe.” ( Qura’an 7:188)

He تعالى said: (about the prophet Mohammed (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam))

( قل إنى لا أملك لكم ضرا و لا رشدا * قل إنى لن يجيرنى من الله أحد و لن أجد من دونه ملتحدا ) ( الجن 21-22)

Say ( O Mohammed ): “ It is not my power to cause you harm or to bring you to the roght path.” Say: “ None can protect me from Allaah’s punishment ( If I were to disobey Him), nor should I find refuge except in Him” ( Qura’an 72:21-22)

Human Qualities like illness , death the need for food and drink and so forth affect them . Allaah تعالى said about prophet Ibraaheem describing his Rabb ( Allaah):

( و الذى يطعمنى و يسقين * و إذا مرضت فهو يشفين* و الذى يميتنى ثم يحيين) ( الشعراء ،79-81)

It is He who feeds me and gives to drink . And when I am ill , it is His who cures me ; And who will cause to die , and then bring me to life ( again) . ( Qura’an 21:79-81)

The Prophet Moahmmed (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam) said:

" إنما أنا بشر مثلكم أنسى كما تنسون فإذا نسيت فزكرونى" :- رواه البخارى و مسلم

“ I am but a human being like you, and liable to forget like you, so if I forget remind me”.(59)

In the context of parsing the Messengers, Allaah described them having Uboodiyyah (60) to Him in their highest rank of standing , saying about Noah:

( إنه كان عبدا شكورا) ( الإسراء ،3)

Verily, he ( Noah) was a grateful ‘abd( slave-worshipper of Allaah alone).


Allaah said about Mohammed (Sallallahu 'Alayhi wa Sallam):

( تبارك الذى نزل الفرقان على عبده ليكون للعالمين نزيرا) ( الفرقان ،1)

Blessed be He Who sent down the criterion ( the Qura’an) to His ‘abd ( Mohammed) that may be a Warner to ‘Aalameen ( mankind and jinns). ( Qura’an 25:1)

He said about Ibraaheem , Ishaaq , Ya’aqoob ( may Allaah’s salaat and salaam be upon them)

( و أذكر عبادنا إبراهيم و إسحاق و يعقوب أولى الأيدى و الأبصار * إنا أخلصناهم بخالصة ذكرى الدار * و إنهم عندنا لمن المصطفين) ( ص ، الآيات 45-46)

And remember ‘ Ibadanaa ( our slaves) Ibraheem , Ishaq and Yaqoob ( Jacob), ( all) owners of strength ( in worshipping Us) and ( also) of religious understanding .Verily, We did choose them by granting them ( a good thing i.e) the remembrance of the Daar(61)( Qura’an 38:45-46)

Allaah spoke about ‘Eesaa bin Mariam that:

( إنا هو إلا عبد أنعمنا عليه و جعلناه مثلا لبنى إسرائيل ) ( الزحرف ،59)

He (‘Eesaa) was not more than a slave ( who worships Allaah alone) . We granted our Favor to him , and We made him an example to the children of Israel ( i.e his creation without a father). ( Qura’an 43-59)


The Belief in The Messengers Comprises Four Matters:

First: To Believe that their Message is a true one from Allaah تعالى . Therefore , whoever disbelieves in the Message of any one of them then He disbelieves in all of them , as Allaah تعالى said :

( كذيت قوم نوح المرسلين ) ( الشعراء، 105)

The people of Noah belied the Messengers. ( Qura’an 26:105)

Allaah made belie all the Messengers although there was not any Messenger besides Noah , the Christians who belied Mohammed and did not follow him , themselves belied the Messiah bin Mariam and consequently they are not hid followers , especially when he brought them the good news about Mohammed . The glad tiding would not mean any thing unless He ( Mohammed) is the Messenger to them wherewith Allaah will save them from going astray and guide them to the straight path.

Second: To believe in those of them whose names we know , each according to his name: example, Mohammed , Ibraheem, Musa, ‘Eessaa, Noah , the salat and salaam be upon them . These five are the ‘Ulul ‘Azm mina arRusul ( the Messenger of strong will and steadfastness). Allaah mentined them in two palces in the Qura’an , in His sayinf ( in Soraat Al-Ahzab):

( و إذ أخذنا من النبيين ميثاقهم و منك و من نوح و إبراهيم و موسى و عيسى بن مريم)( الأحزاب،71)

And (Remember) when we took from the prophets their covenant , and from you ( O Mohammed ) , and from Noah, Ibraheed , Musa and ‘Eesaa bin Mariam .( Qura’an 33:7) and He is saying in Sorat Ash-Shoura’ah:

( شرع لكم من الدين ما وصى به نوحا و الذين أوحينا غليك و ما وصينا به إبراهيم و موسى و عيسى أن أقيموا الدين و لا تتفرقوا فيه) ( الشورى ،13)

He ( Allaah) has ordained for you from the same Deen ( Islaam) which He ordained for Noah , and that which We have Inspired in you ( O Mohammed) and that which We ordained for Ibraaheem , Musa, and ‘ Eesaa saying you should establish the Deen and make no divisions in it, Qura’an (42:13)

As regard to those of them whose names we don’t know , we believe in them on the whole ( as true Messengers from Allaah ) He تعالى said :

( و لقد أرسلنا رسلا من قبلك منهم من قصصنا عليك و منهم من لم نقصص عليك ) ( غافر، 78)

Indeed We have sent Messengers before you ( O Mohammed) : of them there are some whose story We have told you , and some whose story We have not told you. ( Qura’an 40:78)

Third: To believe in what is authentically reported from their news.

Fourth: To act upon the Sharee’ah of the Messenger who is sent to us from amongst them , and he is Mohammed , the last ( end) of the Messenger ( and prophets) who is sent to mankind. Allahh تعالى said :

( فلا ور بك لا يؤمنون حتى يحكموك فيما شجر بينهم ثم لا يجدوا فى أنفسهم حرجا مما قضيت و يسلموا تسليما) ( النساء ،65)

But no, by your Rabb, they can have no faith until they take you ( Mohammed) judge in all disputes between them , and find themselves no resistance against your decision , and accept ( them) with full submission. ( Qura’an 4:65)


The Belief in The Messengers Yields Great Benefits Including:

First: Acknowledgement Allaah’s Mercy and concern towards His creation whereas He send them the Messengers to guide them to His straight path and to clearly explain to them how to worship Him , because the human mind is independently unable to realize ( how to worship Allaah).

Second: Giving thanks to Allaah تعالى on this great Favor ( of sending His Messengers)

Third: Loving, Magnifying and praising the Messengers in the manner that befits them since they are Allaah’s Messengers and because they worshipped Him , proclaimed His Message , and gave advice to His creation

The obstinate belied their Messengers claiming that Allaah’s Messengers can not be human in nature . Allaah mentioned this claim and invalidated in His saying:

و ما منع الناس أن يؤمنوا إذ جاهم الهدى إلا أن قالوا أبعث الله بشرا رسولا * قل لو كان فى الأرض ملائكة يمشون مطمئنين لنزلنا عليهم من السماء ملكا لرسول الإسراء ،94-95

And nothing prevented men from believing when the guidance came to them , except that they said: “ Has Allaah sent a man as ( His) Messenger ?” say :” If there were on earth , angles walking in peace and security , We should certainly have sent down for them from the heaven an angle as a Messenger”. ( Qura’an 17:94-95)

Allaah thwarted their claim by asserting that a Messenger must be a mn because he is being sent to the people of the earth who are humans. I f the people of the earth were angles. Allaah would have sent to them an angle from the heaven for a Messenger to be like them. Thus, Allaah told about those who belied the Messengers to have said:

إن أنتم إلا بشر مثلنا تريدون أن تصدرون عما كان يعبد آباؤنا فأتونا بسلطان مبين* قالت لهم رسلهم إن نحن إلا بشر مثلكم و لكن الله يمن على من يشاء من عباده و ما كان لنا أن نأتيكم بسلطان إلا بإذن الله( إبراهيم ، 10-11

“ You are no more than human beings like us! You wish to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship. Then bring us a clear authority (i.e a clear proof of what you say.)” Their Messengers said to them. “: We are no more than human beings like you , but Allaah bestows His Grace to whom He Wills of His Slaves. It is not for us to bring you an authority (proof) except by the permission of Allaah”. ( Qura’aan 14:10-11)



57 In the hadeeth , the prophet Mohammed describes the distress people will go through the Day of Resurrection. They will go to Adam then Noah , Ibraaham , ‘Eassaa and then to Musa. They will decline , each according to his own reason . Musa will direct them to go to Moahmmed and Allaah will permit him to intercede. See Saheeh Bukharee , V.6, Hadeeth #236

58 Taghout: All forms of false deities. {TN}

59 Reported by Bukharee and Muslim . See Saheeh Al-Bukharee , V.1, Hadeeth #394

60 As slaves of Allaah who submit , surrender , and devote worship to Him alone.

61 The Home in the hereafter . They used to make people to remember the Daar( home) in the hereafter. They invited the people to obey Allaah and to do good deeds for the hereafter.