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:

Assalam-o-alaikum Sir,

I hope you are absolutely fine by the grace of Almighty Allah.

I have a question about History of 124,000 Prophets of Allah Almighty and I want to know why Human History is blank regarding details of all Prophets of Allah Almighty.

I have heard that the era between two specific Prophets (I don't know their names, but if you know then do inform me) is totaly blank from Prophets details. Some people call that era, Dark Ages but I think that era is named in Urdu as Zamana Jahiliat when people were busy in various kind of sins.

So, please let me know the reason of no details of all Prophets and secondly tell me of what era's of History, we do not find any sign/ details of Prophets.

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Answer:

Why no details of other prophets

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 none worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Although there is a narration which mentions that 124,000 Prophets were sent by Allah Subhanah to the earth recorded by Musnad Ahmad and Tabarani, the truth is that this hadith has not been narrated by any of the respected scholars of ahaadiths in their ‘sahih’ or authentic collections. None of the respected scholars 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.

The absolute majority of the scholars of hadith have classified the narration which specifies the number as 124,000 as a ‘weak’ or ‘daeef’ narration; and Allah Alone Knows Best.

It would be safer to align our beliefs to what has been mentioned in the Glorious Quran and the authentic Sunnah in this matter, rather than propagating a specific number from a weak narration.

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.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 35 Surah Fatir verses 24-26:

24 Verily We have sent thee (O Mohamed (saws)) in Truth as a bearer of glad tidings and as a warner: and there never was a people without a ‘Warner’ having lived among them (in the past).

25 And if they reject thee (O Mohamed (saws)), so did their predecessors to whom came their Messengers with Clear Signs, Books of Dark Prophecies, and the Book of Enlightenment.

26 In the end did I punish those who rejected faith: and how (terrible) was My rejection (of them)!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 17 Surah Israa verses 13-15:

13 Every man's augury We have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a scroll which he will see spread open.

14 (It will be said to him:) "Read thine (own) record: sufficient is thy soul this day to make out an account against thee."

15 Who receiveth guidance receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent Our Messenger!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 26 Surah Shuaraa verses 208-209:

208 Never did We destroy a people but had its ‘Warners’

209 by way of Reminder; and We never are unjust.

Thus it should suffice for the believers to believe that to every people Allah Subhanah has sent His Guides to guide them to the Right Path. If the exact number of the Prophets which were sent to mankind, where exactly they were all sent, what were their names, in which era each amongst them was sent, and what exactly transpired with each of them, etc. was important for the guidance of mankind to the Truth, Allah is our witness brother, The Lord and His Last Messenger (saws) would have surely informed the believers about it! Since the Glorious Quran and the authentic Sunnah are silent on these issues, we must rest assured that these details are neither important nor necessary for one’s guidance to the Straight Path.

Your Question: I have heard that the era between two specific Prophets (I don't know their names, but if you know then do inform me) is totaly blank from Prophets details. Some people call that era, Dark Ages but I think that era is named in Urdu as Zamana Jahiliat when people were busy in various kind of sins.

So, please let me know the reason of no details of all Prophets and secondly tell me of what era's of History, we do not find any sign/ details of Prophets.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.56 Narrated by Abdullah Ibn Masud

A man said, "O Allah's Messenger (saws)! Shall we be punished for what we did in the ‘Ayyam ul-Jaahiliya’ (Pre-Islamic Period of ignorance)?" The Prophet (saws) said, "Whoever does good in Islam will not be punished for what he did in the Pre-Islamic Period of ignorance, and whoever does evil in Islam will be punished for his former and later (evil deeds)."

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 3.423 Narrated by Urwa bin Az Zubair

Hakim bin Hizam said, "O Allah's Messenger (saws)! I used to do good deeds in the ‘Ayyam ul-Jaahiliya’ (Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance); keeping good relations with my kith and kin, manumitting slaves and giving alms. Shall I receive a reward for all that?" Allah's Messenger (saws) replied, "You embraced Islam with all the good deeds which you did in the past."

‘Ayyam ul-Jaahiliya’ is generally associated with an era (of an individual or a community, etc.) whereby they lived their lives in ignorance of the Laws and Boundaries of Allah Subhanah.....thus the period or era immediately before the advent of Islam brought by the Last and Final Messenger (saws) would be classified as ‘Ayyam ul-Jaahiliya’ or Pre-Islamic Period of Ignorance.

Respected brother in Islam, we are not entirely sure what you need to clarify regarding the ‘Ayyam ul-Jaahiliya’…..if you kindly rephrase your question, or clarify your question, we would strive to the best of our ability to try to respond to your query in light of the Guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah, Insha Allah.

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

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan