WHY NEED A PROPHET?
What is the meaning prophet? What is the meaning of Messenger? What is the difference between prophet (nabi) and messenger (rasul)? Firstly, let distinguish the meaning of prophet and messenger. Prophet is a man to whom Allah reveals something for himself and not compulsory to spread it to others. While, messenger is the one who has received the revelation from Allah and it is obligatory for him to convey and spread the message to others. Messengers are also the prophet, but a prophet cannot be assumed as the messenger. Why prophet and messenger are not same? Here the characteristic which differentiate between prophet and messenger.
PROPHET
· Not compulsory to convey the message to others
· There is no BOOK/KITAB sent down to them
· Theirs name and number are not compulsory to know
· The number of prophet are 124,000
MESSENGER
· Compulsory to convey the message to others
· They received the BOOK/KITAB
· Compulsory to know theirs name and number
· The number of the messenger are 313 but obligatory to know 25 of them.
However, sometimes mankind think why we need a prophet when we already have the brain to judge, to value between good and bad to differentiate what should and should not. Prophet and messenger were sent to us because of many reasons namely:
· There is a need to remind people of Allah
· To call mankind to worship Allah
· To deliver good news as well as bad news to people as a reminder to obey the Shari’ah
· To presented Allah’s order.
· As a guide for people to the right path
· To teach the right way to perform the Ibadah
· There is a need to restrain our impulses
· To show people the good behavior
· To tell people about the unseen world like hereafter.
Based on these reasons, we can see that Allah does not sent down the prophet to guide mankind for fun but to remind people in this world to remember Allah’s existence because people are turn away from Him. Allah knows everything. He knows that people will turn far away from Him, but because of His Benevolence He gave people a chance to worship Him, to repent themselves upon Him, He sent down the messenger to guide people to the right path as mentioned in the Holy Quran:
“O mankind, surely I am the messenger of God to you all, of Him, Whose is the kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth. There is no god but He; He gives life and causes death. So believe in God and His messenger, the unschooled prophet who believes in God and His words, and follow him, so that you may be guided aright." 7:158
Prophet were sent to deliver good news and give warn clearly shown in Surah Al- An’am verse number 48
We sent the Messengers only to give good news and to warn: so those who believe and mend (their lives) – upon them shall be no fear nor they grieve. (6:48)
Those who are believed in the messengers and follow the message conveyed to them by the messengers shall be no fear nor feel grieve because Allah has said in Al- Qur’an as mentioned below:
“(The Messengers were sent) thus, for your Lord would not destroy for their wrong-doing men’s habitations whilst their occupants were unwarned” (6:131)
This verse means that Allah would not send His punishment to the nations where the His message is not revealed to them.
Prophets also were sent to presented Allah’s order to humankind through the Kitab. In this verse below the kitab is Al-Qur’an:
“Those were the (prophets) who received Allah’s guidance: copy the guidance they received: say: No reward for this do I ask of you: this is no less than a message for the nations.” (6:90)
Through all the things mentioned above, we can know those prophets were sent to guide people to the right path.
