What is a prophet?

[Jafar moh 175]

In the upcoming weeks I will be attending a sunday service where we will have a public speaker come and give the word, and this lady goes by the title of Prophet.

 My question is, could someone help me understand on how the Christian faith coin the term 'Prophet' ; what does it mean? How can we have modern day prophets--- what is the necessity of modern day prophets if we maintain the belief that Jesus was also a prophet. Furthermore, how do some Christians assert that Muhammad was not a prophet when they believe in prophets that come after Jesus? (what is the criteria of being a prophet?)

proph·et

ˈpräfət/

noun

noun: prophet; plural noun: prophets; plural noun: Prophets; plural noun: the Prophets

1. 1.

   a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.

   "the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah"

   synonyms:

   seer, soothsayer, fortune teller, clairvoyant, diviner; More

2. 2.

   (in Christian use) the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve minor prophets.

   • (in Jewish use) one of the three canonical divisions of the Hebrew Bible, distinguished from the Law and the Hagiographa, and comprising the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the twelve minor prophets.

 

Also, I was wondering if I could get some explanations or commentaries on these 3 verses,

2 Corinthians 11:13-15New International Version (NIV)

¹³ For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

 

 

[baqar 1,006]

3 hours ago, Jafar moh said:

Furthermore, how do some Christians assert that Muhammad was not a prophet when they believe in prophets that come after Jesus? 

1.       1. Some Christians do believe that Muhammad was a prophet, but they are only a handful, a very, very small number. And the reason probably is that the Church has never taken an official stand in the matter.  And they have not done so because since the Crusades, Islam was seen very poorly in Europe. And when the hatred did subside, they could not associate the Paraclete with Muhammad because, as I gather from European writings, the Paraclete was supposed to have a son but Muhammad had no surviving son.

It    It would take a very courageous man to try and change established opinion. Favourable views were not forthcoming until about 200 - 300 years ago with people like the Scotsman Thomas Carlyle, the Englishman Edward Gibbon, the Frenchman Alphonse de Lamartine and the German poet Goethe. 

      Islam, on the other hand, believes that not only Noah, Abraham, David, Jacob, Joseph, Moses and Jesus were prophets, but even Krishna, Buddha and Confucius may have been prophets. It is difficult to say that with absolute certainty because the Quran does not mention all the prophets and it is not easy to go through their old-time scriptures to establish their credentials. 

2.       2.  But what is the source of your view that Christians believe in prophets after Jesus?

[Jafar moh 175]

1 hour ago, baqar said:

 2.  But what is the source of your view that Christians believe in prophets after Jesus?

Firstly, the church I attend comes from a type of protestant Christianity, as far as the Catholic faith goes I cannot really speak for them (but if i could say anything through experience all catholic friends I have addressed with this issue maintain that there is no such thing as 'modern day prophets'

If it comes to source, I could reference you to www.crosswalk.com, and if you would like excerpts from the article: 

Do they still exist?

In Acts 2:17-18 we read, "In the last days, God said, ‘I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.'" Clearly, since the time of Christ we have been living in "the last days" and this gift is anything but gone.

However, perhaps more than with any other label, we must use extreme caution when either demonstrating this gift or receiving it from others, because we are forewarned: "Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." 1 John 4:1

 

and then goes on to list the criteria of what to look for in a 'modern day prophet' ; this is something I only recently have been looking into and it did spark my curiosity especially based on the fact that I might be meeting a self proclaimed prophet soon. 

[Son of Placid 841]

@Jafar moh, If she is a prophet she will truly inspire you. You have a pure enough heart to recognize it, come back and let us know.

 

[Christianlady 722]

20 hours ago, Jafar moh said:

In the upcoming weeks I will be attending a sunday service where we will have a public speaker come and give the word, and this lady goes by the title of Prophet.

 My question is, could someone help me understand on how the Christian faith coin the term 'Prophet' ; what does it mean? How can we have modern day prophets--- what is the necessity of modern day prophets if we maintain the belief that Jesus was also a prophet. Furthermore, how do some Christians assert that Muhammad was not a prophet when they believe in prophets that come after Jesus? (what is the criteria of being a prophet?)

proph·et

ˈpräfət/

noun

noun: prophet; plural noun: prophets; plural noun: Prophets; plural noun: the Prophets

1. 1.

   a person regarded as an inspired teacher or proclaimer of the will of God.

   "the Old Testament prophet Jeremiah"

   synonyms:

   seer, soothsayer, fortune teller, clairvoyant, diviner; More

2. 2.

   (in Christian use) the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve minor prophets.

   • (in Jewish use) one of the three canonical divisions of the Hebrew Bible, distinguished from the Law and the Hagiographa, and comprising the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the twelve minor prophets.

 

Salam Jafar Moh,

The definitions you quoted are good. Also, a prophet is basically a person who prophesies, like a teacher is a person who teaches.

Quote

How can we have modern day prophets--- what is the necessity of modern day prophets if we maintain the belief that Jesus was also a prophet.

Having modern day prophets fulfills Joel 3:  (I bodlened some.)

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; " - Joel 3:1

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt1403.htm

Quote

Furthermore, how do some Christians assert that Muhammad was not a prophet when they believe in prophets that come after Jesus? (what is the criteria of being a prophet?)

There are false prophets and true prophets that come. When Christians assert that Muhammad was not a prophet, that means they do not accept him as a true prophet. (If we did, we would be Muslims.)

Quote

 

Also, I was wondering if I could get some explanations or commentaries on these 3 verses,

2 Corinthians 11:13-15New International Version (NIV)

¹³ For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. ¹⁴ And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. ¹⁵ It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

 

 

Paul's letters can be difficult to understand, as Apostle Peter expressed lol.

 "Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction." - 2 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)

 

That's why for me personally, I concentrate on Jesus Christ's words. One place where he talks about false prophets and false disciples here:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ - Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:15-23, NIV)

Peace and God bless you

[Jafar moh 175]

Thanks for the input!

Week one

She was a nice lady, her name is Prophet Sharon Rivest and I believe she resides in Quebec but came here to hold their service. She doesn't give off a very negative or chilling vibe but I was nervous when she began choosing random people from the crowd and addressed their problems and how they will be solved (that was done last night, this morning she did not put them on the spot)

Afterwards dozens of people wanted to get a prayer and a possible prophecy from her, and the church pastor insisted I have one so I waited in line (mostly to be nice but also because It looked fun):

Once my turn came she gently put her hand on my upper chest and began speaking in tongues (I have heard tongue speakings but not like this) and to be fully honest I did not feel any different... very anxious yes and nervous because there was like 15 people watching me but I did not feel very uplifted; she would fall in and out of tongue speaking but between that she would pretty much reiterate the same things she's been saying to everyone else like blessings and that sort, however one thing that is unique that she said to me was ' I see a lot of creativity in your hands ' and asked me if I was a student, to which I answered yes, then asked me what I was taking, and I told her I'm trying to get into engineering. After that she sort of smiled at me and finished up and began to do the same for others...

Cool experience so far. Am I fit to call her a false prophet in terms of biblical understanding? Don't see any reason yet as far as the scripture goes

I don't know if I feel inspired... what is it supposed to feel like? I think she is a nice lady and she impacted many of the listeners but she seemed like a normal pastor to me; aside from the tongues she seemed virtually the same as anyone.

[myouvial 372]

1 hour ago, Jafar moh said:

Thanks for the input!

Week one

She was a nice lady, her name is Prophet Sharon Rivest and I believe she resides in Quebec but came here to hold their service. She doesn't give off a very negative or chilling vibe but I was nervous when she began choosing random people from the crowd and addressed their problems and how they will be solved (that was done last night, this morning she did not put them on the spot)

Afterwards dozens of people wanted to get a prayer and a possible prophecy from her, and the church pastor insisted I have one so I waited in line (mostly to be nice but also because It looked fun):

Once my turn came she gently put her hand on my upper chest and began speaking in tongues (I have heard tongue speakings but not like this) and to be fully honest I did not feel any different... very anxious yes and nervous because there was like 15 people watching me but I did not feel very uplifted; she would fall in and out of tongue speaking but between that she would pretty much reiterate the same things she's been saying to everyone else like blessings and that sort, however one thing that is unique that she said to me was ' I see a lot of creativity in your hands ' and asked me if I was a student, to which I answered yes, then asked me what I was taking, and I told her I'm trying to get into engineering. After that she sort of smiled at me and finished up and began to do the same for others...

Cool experience so far. Am I fit to call her a false prophet in terms of biblical understanding? Don't see any reason yet as far as the scripture goes

I don't know if I feel inspired... what is it supposed to feel like? I think she is a nice lady and she impacted many of the listeners but she seemed like a normal pastor to me; aside from the tongues she seemed virtually the same as anyone.

Does she talk consciously ? which means :

Does she have knowledge of self-harmony, universe-harmony ?

What is her plan for all humanity ?

Does she take responsibility for what all she has done in community ?

Does she talk consciously ?

[Jafar moh 175]

1 hour ago, myouvial said:

Does she talk consciously ? which means :

Does she have knowledge of self-harmony, universe-harmony ?

What is her plan for all humanity ?

Does she take responsibility for what all she has done in community ?

Does she talk consciously ?

I am sorry I don't fully understand your questions, could you elaborate?

[myouvial 372]

45 minutes ago, Jafar moh said:

I am sorry I don't fully understand your questions, could you elaborate?

My question may be used as criterion about the degree of the righteousness/honesty of the human.

Nobody want to get deceived by other people. So that is my criterion set up.

My questions above is influenced by this hadis in al-Kafi :

You must never let your tongue answer me with something that is otherwise in your
conscious.

[andres 395]

In what way is an Islamic Prophet infallible? I believe David is considered to be a Prophet in Islam. According to the Bible he commited some awful sins. Not so in the Quran? Could it be so that Islamic prophets only are infallible when they speak the word of God (like the Pope when he speaks ex cathedra) or are they ) considered totally without sin? Was Muhammed without sin in deed and mind?

[myouvial 372]

13 hours ago, andres said:

In what way is an Islamic Prophet infallible? I believe David is considered to be a Prophet in Islam. According to the Bible he commited some awful sins. Not so in the Quran? Could it be so that Islamic prophets only are infallible when they speak the word of God (like the Pope when he speaks ex cathedra) or are they ) considered totally without sin? Was Muhammed without sin in deed and mind?

In the way of Muslim's learning, taking example (uswatun hasanah) from the thinking, talking/speech and doing/action of the Prophet, i learn how much higher his level of humanity than me (this is my personal proof). Since we live separately in time from the Prophet, the data/information of/about the Prophet can be biased or true.

Whatever you choose about various data, it will be your responsibility. As precaution, taste/learn one at a time.

[baqar 1,006]

19 hours ago, andres said:

In what way is an Islamic Prophet infallible? I believe David is considered to be a Prophet in Islam. According to the Bible he committed some awful sins. Not so in the Quran? 

We have had this conversation a few years back.  But you are right. 

1. In Islamic thinking, it does not make sense that God would appoint a sinner as a prophet.

And since you mention David, you are right again, it is "not so in the Quran."  While the Quran does share with the Bible some things about him, like his fight with Goliath, it never shows him in poor light. 

I cannot tell you the exact number from the top of my head but there are around 15-20 references to David in the Quran but not one of reproach or reprimand and some are indeed glowingly high.

So the two scriptures are clearly at odds on this point.

2. The Islamic view that a prophet should be without sin rests on this very simple principle, that God will not appoint someone who tells lies, to tell people not to tell lies. See the point?

And there is nothing in the Quran or other records to support the suggestion that any of the prophets had sinned.  

However, please note that though a prophet is sinless, he may still commit a misdemeanour.

You see, there are things in life that are not necessarily sinful, but which could be bettered or improved upon. That is why a misdemeanour is not necessarily a sin.   

3. As far as prophesying is concerned, that is the problem of studying a scripture in a translation. 

You see, the English word 'prophet' is used not only for a messenger of God but also for someone who can prophesy. Now most prophets have been given the ability to prophesy but unlike the word 'prophet', the Arabic words for a prophet / messenger - 'nabi' and 'rasool' do not necessarily include the ability to prophesy. It is not an essential trait of a prophet. It is an usual accompaniment, a common bonus, and a very useful one at that, but not an integral part.

The essential thing that identifies a prophet is his sublime faith in God and his undiminished eagerness to obey Him as best as humanly possible. And of course, the fact that God has chosen him for the task of passing on His message to the people.

As far as prophesying is concerned, most (or perhaps all) prophets were given some knowledge beyond what the eyes can behold. And that is what they based their prophecies on. But no prophet has complete knowledge of the Unseen. 

4. The lady that the OP speaks about may be a prophet in the sense that she can prophesy but as mentioned, that definition has nothing to do with a divine commission.          

5. Finally, while all prophets are without sin, they are not all equal. They are all excellent people but no two people can ever be the same. However, they are all worthy of respect, even though they may not be exactly equal. 

The Quran tells us very clearly that prophets are not all the same (2:253) but at the same time, it also tells us that we should not play one against the other (Q. 2:136; 3:84). 

They are all worthy and deserving of the highest respect and honour.

[baqar 1,006]

19 hours ago, andres said:

Could it be so that Islamic prophets only are infallible when they speak the word of God 

Not at all.

They are without sin ALWAYS.

19 hours ago, andres said:

Was Muhammed without sin in deed and mind?

[baqar 1,006]

19 hours ago, andres said:

Could it be so that Islamic prophets only are infallible when they speak the word of God 

Not at all.

They are without sin ALWAYS.

19 hours ago, andres said:

Was Muhammed without sin in deed and mind?

[baqar 1,006]

Absolutely without sin.

[andres 395]

Did Muhammed and Jesus also commit "misdemeanours" ? (a word unfamiliar to me) 

Does the Quran say Prophets are without sin, or is it a theological conclusion? 

[baqar 1,006]

1 hour ago, andres said:

Did Muhammed and Jesus also commit "misdemeanours" ?

 

We don't believe so.

1 hour ago, andres said:

Does the Quran say Prophets are without sin, or is it a theological conclusion? 

Pretty much both

[andres 395]

I found this list 

Edited February 7, 2017 by andres

[andres 395]

I found this list of Prophets named in the Quran. Except for the 4 last ones, they are "borrowed" from the Jewish Bible. Is there no oral tradition of any Prophets in Arabia before Muhammed?

Names of the 25 Prophets:
Adam
Idris (Enoch)
Nuh (Noah)
Hud (Heber)
Salih (Methusaleh)
Lut (Lot)
Ibrahim (Abraham)
Ismail (Ishmael)
Ishaq (Isaac)
Yaqub (Jacob)
Yusuf (Joseph)
Shu’aib (Jethro)
Ayyub (Job)
Dhulkifl (Ezekiel)
Musa (Moses)
Harun (Aaron)
Dawud (David)
Sulayman (Solomon)
Ilias (Elias)
Alyasa (Elisha)
Yunus (Jonah)
Zakariya (Zachariah)
Yahya (John the Baptist)
Isa (Jesus)
Muhammad

Edited February 7, 2017 by andres

[baqar 1,006]

The Quran confirms that numerous prophets were sent throughout history in all parts of the world. They were sent with the language of the people to whom they were sent (14:4).

Outside the Quran, the total number of prophets often cited is around 124,000. 

[Kamaaluddeen al-Ismail 50]

The Prophets are the best of mankind, and the most noble of creation before Allaah. Allaah chose them to convey the call of Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah to mankind, and Allaah has made them the intermediaries between Him and His creation in conveying His Laws. They were commanded to convey the message from Allaah, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“They are those whom We gave the Book, Al‑Hukm (understanding of the religious laws), and Prophethood. But if these disbelieve therein (the Book, Al‑Hukm and Prophethood), then, indeed We have entrusted it to a people (such as the Companions of Prophet Muhammad) who are not disbelievers therein”
[al-An’aam 6:89] 

The Prophets’ task was to convey the message from Allaah even though they were human, hence the issue of infallibility may be examined from two angles: 

1 – Infallibility in conveying the message

2 – Infallibility from human error 

Firstly: With regard to the first issue, the Prophets were infallible in conveying the message from Allaah. They did not conceal anything that Allaah had revealed to them, and they did not add anything from themselves. Allaah said to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): 

“O Messenger (Muhammad)! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allaah will protect you from mankind”
[al-Maa'idah 5:67] 

“And if he (Muhammad) had forged a false saying concerning Us (Allaah),

We surely would have seized him by his right hand (or with power and might),

 And then We certainly would have cut off his life artery (aorta),

And none of you could have withheld Us from (punishing) him”

[al-Haaqqah 69:44-47] 

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And he (Muhammad) withholds not a knowledge of the Unseen”

[al-Takweer 81:24] 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on this verse: He is not stingy with that which Allaah has revealed to him, concealing some of it. Rather he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the most trustworthy of the inhabitants of heaven and the people of earth, the one who conveys the message of his Lord, the faithful conveyor (of the message). He does not withhold any part of it, from rich or poor, from ruler or subject, from male or female, from city-dweller or Bedouin. Hence Allaah sent him to an illiterate and ignorant nation, and he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not die until they had become knowledgeable scholars, steeped in knowledge…

End quote. 

So with regard to conveying the religion of his Lord, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not make any mistakes at all, whether major or minor, rather he was infallible and under the constant protection of Allaah. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 6/371: 

All the Muslims are unanimously agreed that the Prophets (peace be upon them) – especially Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – are infallible and protected from error in that which they conveyed from Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“By the star when it goes down (or vanishes).

Your companion (Muhammad) has neither gone astray nor has erred.

Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.

It is only a Revelation revealed.

He has been taught (this Qur’aan) by one mighty in power [Jibreel (Gabriel)]”

[al-Najm 53:1-5] 

Our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is infallible in all that he conveyed from Allaah, in word and deed and in what he approved of. There is no dispute on this point among the scholars.

End quote. 

The ummah is agreed that the Messengers are infallible in their conveying the message. They did not forget anything that Allaah revealed to them, except for things that were abrogated. And Allaah guaranteed His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) that he would remember it and would not forget it, except for that which Allaah wanted him to forget, and He guaranteed to remember the whole Qur’aan in his heart. Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning): 

“We shall make you to recite (the Qur’aan), so you (O Muhammad) shall not forget (it)”

[al-A’la 87:7] 

“It is for Us to collect it and to give you (O Muhammad) the ability to recite it (the Qur’aan).

And when We have recited it to you [O Muhammad through Jibreel (Gabriel)], then follow its (the Qur’aan’s) recitation”

[al-Qiyaamah 75:17-18] 

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 18/7]: 

The verses which point to the Prophethood of the Prophets indicate that they are infallible with regard to the message that they convey from Allaah, so what they convey from their Lord can only be true. This is the meaning of Prophethood and this implies [?] that Allaah tells [the Prophet] of the unseen and he tells the people of the unseen. So the Messenger is commanded to call people and to convey the message to them.

End quote. 

Secondly: With regard to the Prophets as people, they may make mistakes. This may be discussed as follows: 

1 –They do not commit major sins 

With regard to major sins, the Prophets do not commit major sins at all, and they are protected from such major sins both before their missions began or afterwards. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/319: 

The view that the Prophets are infallible and protected against committing major sins, as opposed to minor sins, is the view of the majority of Muslim scholars and of all groups. It is also the view of the scholars of tafseer and hadeeth and fuqaha’. Indeed, nothing has been narrated from any of the salaf, imams, Sahaabah, Taabi’een and those who followed them except that which is in accordance with this view.

End quote. 

2 – Matters that have nothing to do with conveying the message and the revelation. 

With regard to minor sins, these may be committed by them, or by some of them. Hence the majority of scholars are of the view that they are not infallible when it comes to minor sins. But if they committed such actions they were not left to persist therein, rather Allaah pointed that out to them and they hastened to repent therefrom. 

The evidence that they might commit minor sins and that they were not left to persist therein is the verses in which Allaah says of Adam (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Thus did Adam disobey his Lord, so he went astray.

Then his Lord chose him, and turned to him with forgiveness, and gave him guidance”
[Ta-Ha 20:121-122] 

This indicates that Adam committed sin, but he was not left to persist therein, and he repented to Allaah from that. 

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“He said: ‘This is of Shaytaan’s (Satan’s) doing, verily, he is a plain misleading enemy.’

He said: ‘My Lord! Verily, I have wronged myself, so forgive me.’ Then He forgave him. Verily, He is the Oft‑Forgiving, the Most Merciful”

[al-Qasas 28:15-16] 

So Moosa (peace be upon him) confessed his sin and sought forgiveness from Allaah after he killed the Egyptian, and Allaah forgave him his sin. 

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“and he [Dawood] sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down prostrate and turned (to Allaah) in repentance.

So We forgave him that, and verily, for him is a near access to Us, and a good place of (final) return (Paradise)”

[Saad 38:23-24] 

Dawood’s sin was hastening to pass judgement before hearing the case of the second disputant. 

And our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was rebuked by his Lord for several things that are mentioned in the Qur’aan, such as the following (interpretation of the meaning): 

“O Prophet! Why do you forbid (for yourself) that which Allaah has allowed to you, seeking to please your wives? And Allaah is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Tahreem 66:1] 

This refers to the well-known story with some of his wives. 

Allaah also rebuked His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning the prisoners of war at Badr: 

Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (4588) that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: When the prisoners were taken captive, the Messenger of Allaah (S) (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them): “What do you think about these prisoners?” Abu Bakr said: “O Prophet of Allaah, they are our cousins and kinsmen. I think that we should accept a ransom from them which will give us some support against the kuffaar, and perhaps Allaah will guide them to Islam.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “What do you think, O Ibn al-Khattaab?” He said: “I say, no, by Allaah, O Messenger of Allaah. I do not agree with Abu Bakr. I think that you should hand them over to us so that we may strike their necks (execute them). Hand over ‘Aqeel to ‘Ali so that he may strike his neck, and hand over So and so – a relative of ‘Umar – to me, for these are the leaders and veterans of kufr.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) liked what Abu Bakr said and he did not like what I [‘Umar] said. The next day I came and found the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and Abu Bakr weeping. I said: “O Messenger of Allaah, tell me, what has made you and your companion weep? If there is a reason to weep, I will weep with you, and there is no reason, I will pretend to weep in sympathy with you because you are weeping.” The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I am weeping because I was shown the torture to which they were subjected. It was brought as close to me as this tree” – a tree which was near the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) – then Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning): 

“It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war (and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the captives), but Allaah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.

Were it not a previous ordainment from Allaah, a severe torment would have touched you for what you took.

So enjoy what you have gotten of booty in war, lawful and good”

[al-Anfaal 8:67-69] 

So Allaah permitted booty to them. 

From this hadeeth it is clear that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) chose to ransom the prisoners, this was a decision that he made by ijtihaad after consulting his companions, and he had no revelation from Allaah concerning that. 

The words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning): 

“(The Prophet) frowned and turned away.

Because there came to him the blind man (i.e. ‘Abdullaah bin Umm Maktoom, who came to the Prophet while he was preaching to one or some of the Quraysh chiefs)”

[‘Abasa 80:1-2] 

This is the famous story of the great companion ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Umm Maktoom and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), when Allaah rebuked him. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 4/320: 

What has been narrated from the majority of scholars is that they (the Prophets) are not infallible with regard to minor sins, but they are not left to persist therein. They do not say that this does not happen under any circumstances. The first group from whom it was narrated that they are infallible in all cases, and who say that the most, are the Raafidis (Shi’ah), who say that they are infallible and protected even against forgetfulness and misunderstanding. 

End quote. 

Some people think this is too much to suggest that Prophets may commit sin, and misinterpret some of the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah which indicate that. Two specious arguments lead them to do that: 

(i) – The fact that Allaah has commanded us to follow the Messengers and take them as our example. The command to follow them is taken as meaning that everything they did is an example for us to follow, and that every action and belief of theirs is an act of worship. If we suggest that that the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) committed a sin, there will be a dilemma, because that implies that we are commanded to imitate this sin which was committed by the Prophet because we are commanded to follow his example, but at the same time we should no agree with it or do it, because it is a sin.  

This argument is valid and is appropriate if the sin is hidden and not obvious in such a way that it could be confused with acts of obedience. But Allaah has explained to His Messengers where they went wrong and enabled them to repent without delay. 

(ii) – Sins contradict perfection and are a shortcoming. This is true if they are not accompanied by repentance, for repentance brings forgiveness of sin, and does not contradict perfection or bring blame upon a person. Rather in many cases a person may be better after repenting than he was before he fell into sin. It is well known that no Prophet committed sin but he hastened to repent and seek forgiveness. The Prophets did not persist in sin or delay repentance, for Allaah protected them from that, and after repenting they became more perfect than they were before.   

3 – Unintentional mistakes with regard to some worldly matters 

With regard to mistakes in some worldly matters, it is permissible for them to make such mistakes although their reason is sound and their insight is strong. This happened to several of the Prophets including our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This happened with regard to various spheres of life such as medicine, agriculture, etc. 

Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (6127) that Raafi’ ibn Khadeej said: The Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah and found them pollinating the palm trees. He said: “What are you doing?” They said: “We always do this.” He said: “Perhaps if you do not do it, that will be better.” So they did not do it, and the harvest failed. They told him about that and he said: “I am only human. If I tell you to do something with regard to your religion, then do it, but if I tell you to do something based on my own opinion, then I am only human.” Hence it is known that the Prophets are infallible and protected from error with regard to the Revelation, so we should beware of those who cast aspersions upon the Messenger’s conveying of the Message and his laws, and say that it is his own personal opinion. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) could never do such a thing. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire.

It is only a Revelation revealed”

[al-Najm 53:3-4] 

The Standing Committee was asked: Do the Prophets and Messengers make mistakes? 

They replied: 

Yes, they make mistakes but Allaah does not let them persist in their mistakes, rather he points out their mistakes to them as a mercy to them and their nations, and He forgives them for their mistakes, and accepts their repentance by His Grace and Mercy, for Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful, as will be clear to anyone who studies the verses of the Qur’aan which speak of that. 

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 3/194 

And Allaah knows best.

[andres 395]

1 hour ago, baqar said:

The Quran confirms that numerous prophets were sent throughout history in all parts of the world. They were sent with the language of the people to whom they were sent (14:4).

Outside the Quran, the total number of prophets often cited is around 124,000. 

If that many prophets have been sent, why does the Quran only mention persons from the Bible. Except for Muhammed of course.  Are all others forgotten? No islamic prophet has yet been sent to our Scandinavian countries. That is certain. 

[andres 395]

1 hour ago, baqar said:

The Quran confirms that numerous prophets were sent throughout history in all parts of the world. They were sent with the language of the people to whom they were sent (14:4).

Outside the Quran, the total number of prophets often cited is around 124,000. 

If that many prophets have been sent, why does the Quran only mention persons from the Bible. Except for Muhammed of course.  Are all others forgotten? No islamic prophet has yet been sent to our Scandinavian countries. That is certain. 

[Son of Placid 841]

It would seem that in the OT many prophets did their time and were left to prove their own humanity later on. The fact that the Quran has chosen not to include these things does not mean they didn't happen, it means it wasn't recorded as such in the Quran. This can easily be understood as never happening, but can also be seen as the Quran not adding to what's already been written previous.

[andres 395]

45 minutes ago, Son of Placid said:

It would seem that in the OT many prophets did their time and were left to prove their own humanity later on. The fact that the Quran has chosen not to include these things does not mean they didn't happen, it means it wasn't recorded as such in the Quran. This can easily be understood as never happening, but can also be seen as the Quran not adding to what's already been written previous.

Had there been 124.000 prophets of course there is no need that the Quran mentiones them all. But the Quran does not say there are that many, only mentioning 25. And those 25 belong to the Jewish-Israelitic culture, except for Mohammed, who is Arab. Where is the Arab history? Not in the Quran. When it comes to my part of the world, we have not had a Prophet sent by God yet. We became Christian 1.000 years ago after having been gentiles from the very beginning.