Page 66 - World Religions I - Islam

Study Section 8: Doctrines of Islam - continued

8.1 Connect

Prophets in Islam are those individuals who Muslims believe were sent by God to various communities
in the past in order to serve as examples of ideal human behavior and to spread God’s message on
Earth. Some transmit divine revelation through the intercession of an angel, as in the prophet
Muhammad. Many Old Testament individuals are considered prophets in Islam, including Adam,
Joseph, Aaron, Elisha, Job, Moses, David. John the Baptist and Jesus are considered New Testament
prophets. Jesus was the only prophet who never sinned. Some Muslims even believe that Mary and Sarah
(Abraham’s wife) were prophets, but are debated among Muslim theologians.

In Islam, every prophet preached the same core beliefs, especially the Day of Resurrection or the Day of Judgement
and life after death. Let’s learn more about the prophets in Islam…

8.2 Objectives

1. The student should be able to list the Muslim prophets and explain why they were chosen as prophets
by God.

2. The student should be able to explain the Islamic view of Jesus and how that differs from the Christian
view and the Bible.

8.3 The Prophets

• According to the Qur'an, a messenger has been sent to all people to warn them to turn back to Allah.
o "For We assuredly sent amongst every People a messenger, (with the Command), 'Serve Allah, and
eschew Evil'. Of the People were some whom Allah guided, and some on whom error became inevitably
(established). So travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who denied (the Truth)." -
An-Nahl (The Bee) 16:36
o "To every people (was sent) a messenger. When their messenger comes (before them), the
matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged." - Yunus (Jonah) 10:47
• The Qur'an indicates that descendants of Abraham and Imran were favored by God to bring His will to the peoples
of the nations. Imran is Arabic for the biblical figure of Amram, the father of Moses and Aaron, who is regarded
by Muslims as being the ancestor of Mary and Jesus through his son Aaron. There is some confusion in the Qur'an
concerning the father of Mary, who is also listed as Imran.
o "Surely Allah chose Adam and Nuh and the descendants of Ibrahim and the descendants of Imran above
the nations." - Al- Imran (The Family of Imran) 3:33
• Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God through Islam, and that their respective
followers believed it as well.
o "When his Lord said unto him (Abraham): Surrender!, he said: I have surrendered to the Lord of the
Worlds. The same did Abraham enjoin upon his sons, and also Jacob, (saying): O my sons! Lo! Allah hath
chosen for you the (true) religion; therefore die not save as men who have surrendered (unto Him). Or
were ye present when death came to Jacob, when he said unto his sons: What will ye worship after me?
They said: We shall worship thy god, the god of thy fathers, Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac, One Allah,
and unto Him we have surrendered." - Al-Baqarah (The Cow) 2:131-33
o Therefore, each prophet preached the same main belief in worshipping Allah and in the avoidance of
idolatry and sin.

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