Page 37 - General Knowledge from the Qur'an

STORIES OF THE PROPHETS
IN THE QUR'AN

Allah has sent all communities throughout history prophets to com-
municate them His religion. As Allah emphasises in the Qur'an, all acts
and moral qualities of these prophets set an example for believers.
Allah has advised believers to take prophets as their role models:
You have an excellent model in the Messenger of Allah, for all
who put their hope in Allah and the Last Day and remember
Allah much. (Surat al-Ahzab, 21)
For that reason every believer should carefully examine all the infor-
mation given in the Qur'an about the prophets, learn about their lives,
their practice of moral excellence and the deep devotion they showed
to Allah. In this way he can seek the high morality of the most worthy
people who ever lived on the face of the earth...
In addition, every event Allah narrates in the Qur'an regarding the
prophets is surely enlightening and instructive for the lives of all be-
lievers. That is because believers who follow the prophets will go
through similar experiences to what the prophets and their followers
went through, as Allah stated in His verse 'or did you suppose that
you would enter the Garden without facing the same as those who
came before you?...'. (Surat al-Baqara, 214)
Therefore a careful examination of the life styles of the prophets
Allah narrates in the Qur'an will benefit believers. Allah states in the
Qur'an that there are lessons in the stories of the prophets for 'people
of intelligence':
There is instruction in their stories for people of intelligence.
This is not a narration which has been invented but confirma-
tion of all that came before, a clarification of everything, and a
guidance and a mercy for people who believe. (Surah Yusuf, 111)