The truth of prophecy and matters unique to the prophets

Selections from the Book The Prophet Minister Joseph al-Siddiq…

Written by Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi...

Episode  (33)

Prophethood serves as a means of communication between the Creator and His creation, delivering His divine law and acting as an embassy between the King and His subjects. It's an invitation from the Merciful, the Compassionate, the Blessed and Exalted, through His creation, to lead them out of darkness into light, and to transfer them from the narrowness of this world to the vastness of the Hereafter. It's a bestowed grace from Allah upon His servants, a divine favor that He bestows upon them. This is the divine favor bestowed upon the recipients of prophethood. As for the Prophet himself, it's a manifestation of Allah's favor upon him, a divine selection from among all mankind, a gift from the Lord to him above all creation. Prophethood is not attained through knowledge or training, nor achieved through extensive obedience or worship, as some may assume. It's solely a divine grace and selection, for Allah, as He Himself has declared: {selects for His mercy whom He wills, and Allah is the possessor of ‎great bounty} [Al-Baqarah: 105].‎

Prophethood is not attained through the prophet's choice or acquired through his seeking. Therefore, when the disbelievers said: {And they said, "Why was this Qur’an not sent down upon a great ‎man from [one of] the two cities?"} [Az-Zukhruf: 31]‎, Allah, Blessed and Exalted, responded to them: {Do they distribute the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have ‎apportioned among them their livelihood in the life of this world and ‎have raised some of them above others in degrees [of rank]”} [Az-‎Zukhruf: 32]‎. Therefore, it is Allah alone who determines and favors whom He wills among people, selects from His servants whom He pleases, and chooses from His creation according to His wisdom. The choice is not for anyone other than Him, and the selection is not for anyone besides Him.

Truly, belief in prophethood is the path to knowing Allah, loving Him, and the way leading to Allah's satisfaction, His Paradise, and the means to salvation from His punishment and attaining His forgiveness. Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Belief in prophethood is the foundation of salvation and happiness. Whoever does not realize this aspect faces confusion between guidance and misguidance, faith and disbelief, and cannot distinguish between right and wrong''.

The need of servants to acknowledge prophethood is greater than their need for the air they breathe, the food they eat, and the water they drink. For losing any of these would mean losing worldly life. However, failing to acknowledge prophethood results in a much greater and bitter loss, as it entails losing both the worldly life and the Hereafter, may Allah protect us. Undoubtedly, knowing Allah, believing in Him and worshipping Him, knowing His Messenger and obeying him, are essential for every accountable creature. It is part of Allah's wisdom that the more crucial something is for people to know, the easier and more straightforward He makes it.

The need of people to know about prophethood and acknowledge the Messenger has been clarified by the Almighty in His book in a manner far greater than can be explained in this article, as the explanation would be lengthy. Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: "Explaining the prophethood as mentioned in the Quran is greater than what can be elaborated upon in this context, as it is the cornerstone of the religion, the essence of prophetic mission, and the source of all goodness and the gathering of all guidance".

Prophet Joseph, peace be upon him, fulfilled the duties of prophethood and conveyed the message following the path of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, peace be upon them. He was among the chosen of creation whom Allah honored with prophethood. Prophet Joseph called to monotheism and emphasized the exclusive worship of Allah, which is the best form of devotion. Allah benefitted people through him in his era across various levels, including beliefs, ethics, economics, and crisis management. He served as a distinguished role model, adorned with excellent morals and protected from doubts and worldly desires. He contributed to purifying souls and elevating them from any harmful influences. His impact was evident on everyone he encountered, including the wife of the Aziz, his prison companions, the king, and his brothers, among others.

Among the things that distinguish the prophets are:

1-  Revelation.

2- The eyes of the prophets sleep but their hearts do not sleep

3- Prophets do not leave inheritance.‏

4- Giving them a choice at death.

5- The earth does not consume their bodies.

6- Infallibility.

I mentioned the details with evidence and issues related to this topic, such as the difference between a prophet and a messenger, prophecy and message, the reality of prophecy, the wisdom behind sending messengers, the roles of prophets and messengers, the importance of believing in prophets and messengers. I covered these topics extensively in my books: "Noah, the Great Flood, and the Birth of the Second Human Civilization", "Abraham Khalilullah", and "Moses Kalimullah"; Those who wish to delve deeper can refer to them.[1]

Episode references:

- Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi, The Prophet Minister Joseph al-Siddiq, pp. 632-635.

- The Book of Prophecies, Ibn Taymiyyah, (1/20).

- Preventing the conflict between reason and transmission, (9/66).

For further information and review of the sources for the article, see:

The Book of The Prophet Minister Joseph al-Siddiq on the official website of Sheikh Dr. Ali Muhammad al-Sallabi: