Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

I WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY PROPHETS (PBAH)ARE CAME, FROM THE BEGINIG OF THE WORLD. OR FROM THE BEGINING OF ISLAM,

Please let me know the details

THANK YOU

YOUR`S BROTHER

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

Answer:

How many prophets came to earth?

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Beloved brother, although there is a narration found in Musnad Ahmad and Tabarani that in excess of 124,000 Prophets were sent to this earth, the majority of the good scholars in Islam have classified this hadith as a ‘weak’ or ‘daeef’ narration.

None of the respected and eminent recorders and scholars of ahaadith like Bukhari, or Muslim, or Tirmidhi, or Abu Dawood, or Ibn Maajah, etc. have made mention of the exact number of Prophets that came unto mankind.

In light of the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, what we do know for sure is that Allah Subhanah sent His Prophets to every community and Ummah through all times and ages, starting with the first man on earth, Prophet Adam (a.s.) and ending with the Last and Final Prophet and the Seal of Allah’s Messengers, Prophet Mohamed ibn Abdullah (saws).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 40 Surah Mumin verse 78:

78 We did aforetime send Prophets before thee (O Mohamed (saws)): of them there are some whose story We have related to thee, and some whose story We have not related to thee.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 13 Surah Raad verse 7:

7 And the Unbelievers say! "Why is not a Sign sent down to him (Prophet Mohamed (saws)) from his Lord?" But thou (O Prophet (saws)) art truly a warner, and to every people (We have sent) a Guide.

Thus it should suffice for us to believe that to every people Allah Subhanah has sent His Guides to guide them to the Right Path; and since the Glorious Quran and the authentic Sunnah are silent on the exact number of the Prophets that came unto mankind, we must believe with conviction that the number is neither important nor necessary for one’s guidance to the Straight Path; for if it was, Allah and His Messenger (saws) would have made us aware of that number!

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your Brother in Islam,

Burhan