Prophecy and Revelation Flashcards
Who is Angel Jibril?
- -While Muhamaad (PBUH) was in contemplation, Jibril appeared before him in the year 600 AD and said, “Read”, upon which he replied, “I am unable to read”. Thereupon the angel caught hold of him and embraced him heavily. This happened two more times after which the angel commanded Muhammad (PBUH) to recite the following verses: “Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who Created man, out of a clot of congealed blood: Proclaim! And the Lord is Most Bountiful,– Who taught by the pen– Taught man that which he knew not.” (96:1-5)
- -Jibreel appeared to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at appointed times, to reveal verses of the Quran and ask him to repeat them. The Prophet would then listen, repeat, and memorize the words of Allah. The Angel Jibreel would often take on the shape or form of a man when appearing to the prophets. At other times, he would share revelation by voice only.
- -Jibreel is most known for his important role of inspiring and communicating Allah’s revelation through the prophets, peace be upon them all.
What is the difference between a prophet (Nabi) and a messenger (Rasool)?
- In Islam, there are two types of messengers which are used by the Quran, the Rasool and the Nabi. Both positions are regarded highly by Islam’s followers. While all messengers were Nabi, only a few were both a Nabi and a Rasool. The difference lies in the responsibilities that each is given.
- -Rasool is defined as a messenger, an individual who was given a new Sharia or code of law by Allah (God). The message is received by the Rasool as a vision while he is asleep or as a conversation with angels while he is awake.
- -A Rasool is born a Nabi but becomes officially a Rasool the instant he receives the position and makes it known. Of the several thousand Nabis and the 25 prophets that are mentioned in the Quran, there are five Rasools.
- -This Sharia can never be changed, and there can be no other prophet after Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) because he is the last prophet. He also holds the highest rank and position among all the prophets, Rasools, and Nabis.
- -Of a slightly lower rank than a Rasool is the Nabi who is also a messenger of Allah (God). Unlike the Rasool, though, the Nabi is not given a new Sharia but follows the Sharia which was given to the Rasool who came before him.
- -“Nabi” is a term that is used in both Arabic to refer to “prophet.” While a Rasool can communicate with angels, a Nabi can only see them in his sleep. Both the Rasool and the Nabi are tasked with sharing and delivering the messages of Allah to His people.
Who is prophet Ibrahim (pbuh)?
o Ibrahim is depicted in the Qur’an as somebody who, from a very early age, had problems trying to understand God and trying to discover God; being restless, knowing that perhaps the Pagan environment which he was in did not have the answers. That, ultimately, God was not the star or the sun or the wind or the moon - all these forces that he saw - God was in something else.
o ‘Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was true in faith, and bowed his will to God’s which is Islam’ (Sura 3 v 67).
o Ibrahim had a specific allocation given to him by God, which is that from his offspring will be all the prophets and from them - for Muslims - comes Muhammad (PBUH). But he does have a relationship with God: first of all he is baffled as to how he has a son at such a late stage through Hagar and then through Sarah.
o The tradition of God testing Ibrahim’s devotion to him by asking him to sacrifice Ishmael is the heart of the Ibrahimic tradition and the Ibrahimic stories. Ibrahim was the first Prophet who was asked for the ultimate sacrifice: “I want you to sacrifice your own flesh and blood for me”. And he passed the test because he was prepared to do it, in his submission and devotion to God.
o Allah told Ibrahim, “I’d like you to build my house for me…” - that is a Kaaba - “…here on this mound of earth, in this sacred place and I’d like you to erect the walls and I want you to purify this place.” Part of this purification is what we see today in the Kaaba. The Islamic tradition has restricted this purity ritual to Muslims only.
o There are various things that are part of the Ibrahimic story, culminating in the ultimate sacrifice which is carried out on the last day of Hajj. As a symbolic gesture, Muslims re-enact what Ibrahim was going to do with Ishmael by sacrificing a lamb or sheep.
Who is prophet Musa (pbuh)?
o He was born a Jew but brought up by Pharaoh’s daughter. He accidently killed an Egyptian and hid into God’s Promised Land. He was given the word of God in the Tawrat (Torah).
o The story of Prophet Moses does not only relate to him as a person; it relates to a whole nation who was saved from tyranny and humiliation. The story tells us many incidents on how they were saved, how one individual like Moses could stand against a big tyrant like Pharaoh, and how such a regime tried to tarnish the image of Moses, who was symbolically the only voice of objection in the country.
o The story also tells us how Moses won the magicians to his side when they realized the truth, how Moses led the Children of Israel through the sea to the safe abode, how Pharaoh and his guard tried to tarnish the image of such a small believing community and forge lies against them, and how Allah took care of the Children of Israel in the barren desert and disgraced their enemy by drowning in the sea.
o The story tells us about the later disobedience of the Children of Israel and their ungratefulness when they refused to enter the Holy Land and fight beside their Prophet and when they asked Moses to make them an idol to worship.
What are the similarities between Musa & Muhammad (PBUH)
Of all previous prophets, no prophet other than Musa and Muhammad (PBUH) led their people and fulfilled their roles as prophets and state leaders who govern a community and lead a society.
They succeeded on both earthly and heavenly levels. This does not mean that other prophets did not lead their people in this life; rather, we are speaking specifically about establishing a state and liberating people from tyranny.
In the life of Musa, Pharaoh represented the tyranny while in the life of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the leaders of the Quraish tribe represented tyranny with their persecution to slaves and weak people.
Both Musa and Muhammad (PBUH) led their people to deliverance and managed to establish a government. In such a similarity, there are many lessons, all of which can only be perceived by detailing the story of Musa in the Quran.
Who is prophet Isa (pbuh)?
The Prophet Isa was the last of the Messengers before Muhammad (PBUH).
o In his time, an evil and corrupted community of Jews controlled the land and rejected belief in Allah. This community depended only on what they witnessed themselves, they were in love with money and property & were merciless to the poor but kind to the rich. However the miracles which Allah bestowed on Isa were made to cure the Jew’s narrow, worldly point of view.
o Isa’s birth was a miracle as Allah had made a virgin mother (Maryam) the mother of the Prophet. However the birth of Isa challenged the Jew’s perception, custom and law. He was born in an unusual way, spoke to people whilst still in his cradle and grew up in the care of a poor mother. He lived amongst the poor and cared about them too, he also treated everyone kindly no matter what their class (both rich and poor).
o Allah granted the Messiah Prophet Hood and revelation, he gave him the Gospel and supported him with the Holy Spirit and wonderful miracles. Allah gave him the power to give sight to those who were blind and bring the dead to life by the permission of Allah. All this restored trust and belief in the miracles of the Messengers and the reports of divine power was contained in the Torah.
o Isa spent his time travelling to places to convert others towards Islam, in his travel he met with both ease and hardship. He endured all this with patience and gratitude.
o The Jewish authorities wanted to crucify him, but God wouldn’t allow it to happen, ‘They said in boast, “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Apostle of God”; but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but so it was made to appear to them’ (Sura 4 v 157). Muslims believe he didn’t die but instead was taken up by Allah to Heaven.
Explain prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as khatam al-nabiyyin (Seal of the Prophets)
o While he performed no miracles and died a normal death, he did however bring the Qur’an which is the greatest miracles of all time.
o Muslims believe its God’s final word to humanity, given to Muhammad (PBUH) in such a form that it couldn’t be distorted. This means they can’t be any new Prophets, which makes him the Seal to the Prophets.
o This is the key to Muslim understanding of Risalah. God sent many Prophets to men to help them to be good Muslims, but their message was either lost or distorted. So Muslims believe the Bible has parts of the Tawrtat, Zabur and Injil, but not sufficient for people to read them and know how to serve God.
o The Qur’an was given to Muhammad (PBUH) by God in Arabic, and it was immediately written down in Arabic, so there are no differences between copies of the Qur’an. They’re the word of God which is why they all have exactly the same Arabic letters. By contrast, Muslims point out that the Bible has lots of differences- it’s in different languages and Jewish and Christian scholars don’t always agree on what the text should be.
o The teachings of Islam is that all Prophets should be regarded with equal respect, when the name of any Prophet is mentioned, the words ‘PBUH’ should be said. All Prophets brought the same message of Islam, but there have only been 4 who were given Holy Books, and of these only Muhammad (PBUH) was given the book in its final unalterable form, and so there can be no new religions or any additions to Islam. The doctrine of Muhammad (BUH), ‘the Seal of the Prophets’, means that, for Muslims, Islam is the final religion.
Mohammad was not the father of any one of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of God and the seal (the last) of the Prophets, and Allah has the knowledge of all things (Qur’an 33: 40)
This belief in Muhammad (PBUH) being ‘the Seal of the Prophets’ has many implications for Muslims:
- With there being no more Prophets, it means we are reassured that his example must be the final example of how to live your life, Muhammad (PBUH) gave Muslims the perfect example of how to live.
- Anyone who claims to have a new message, or to be on a par with the Prophet can’t be Muslim.
- There can be no new belief other than what in the Qur’an.
What is the Qur’an?
o The Qur’an provides guidance for mankind in all times and situations. This revelation corresponds to our position on earth and in history. It can be defined as follows:
The speech of Allah, sent down upon Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), through Angel Jibra’il, in its precise meaning and wording, transmitted to us by numerous people, both verbally and in writing.
Unique and protected by God from corruption.
o The Qur’an has been referred to with many different names such as Furqan (Criterion), Tanzil (sent down), Dhikr (reminder) and Kitab (scripture).
Explain the revelation and how it came to prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Allah hasn’t only brought about the creation, but continues to sustain and direct it. He had provided many forms of guidance, indeed a system of guiding principles, of which the laws of ‘nature’ are a part.
We call a man whom God in his own way communicates His guidance, a Prophet or messenger (Nabi/ Rasul). Prophets received the word of God through revelation and then communicate it to their fellow human beings.
The word Wahy (revelation) is a sense of guidance from God for his creation, brought by the Prophets, who received the word from God through one of the means mentioned in the following Qur’anic verse: ‘It is not fitting for a man that God should speak to him except by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or by sending of a messenger to reveal with God’s permission what God wills; for He is Most High, Most Wise’ (42:51).
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) received the revelation of the Qur’an through a special messenger sent by Allah for this purpose: Angel Jibril, who recited to him Allah’s words exactly.
The revelation of the Qur’an began in the Laila Al-Qadr of Ramadan (the 27th night) after Muhammad (PBUH) had passed the 40th year of his life, during the seclusion in the cave Hira on a mountain near Makkah. When he was visited by the Angel he went back to his wife Khadijah and recounted to her his dreadful experience. She confronted him and both of them consulted Waraqa, Khadijah’s relative and a learned Christian about it. Waraqa told Muhammad (PBUH) that he had encountered the one ‘whom Allah had sent to Moses’ and that he would be driven out by his people.
Why was the Qur’an sent down in stages?
The Qur’an was sent down in stages, this was done:
To strengthen the heart of the Prophet by addressing him continuously and whenever the need from guidance arose.
Out of consideration for the Prophet, since revelations was a difficult experience for him.
To gradually implement the laws of Allah.
To make understanding, application and memorisation of the revelation easier for the believers.
What are the origins of the Qur’an?
Humans need instructions from Allah. They were given to us by the Prophets but were distorted by each generation and so other messengers had to be given the word again.
There have been several written books of the word of Allah, but none were given in a way that could not be distorted.
Although Muhammad (PBUH) was highly intelligent, he couldn’t read or write. This meant that Allah could give him the word orally which Muhammad (PBUH) could learn by heart and so couldn’t distort it. The Qur’an was revealed to him over 23 years.
Explain the commemoration of the revelation of the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in everyday ritual and religious festivals
By reading the Qur’an, one is reminded that Muhammad (PBUH) brought down Allah’s message for mankind. This portrays the great miracle and achievement the Prophet was able to do, and encourages us to perform great acts in our life too.
The first of the Five Pillars of Islam is the shahada. Shahada is the Muslim profession of faith, expressing the two simple, fundamental beliefs that make one a Muslim: ‘La ilaha illa Allah wa-Muhammad rasul Allah’. ‘There is no god but God and Muhammad is the prophet of God’. Reciting this statement three times in front of witnesses is all that anyone need do to become a Muslim. A Muslim is expected to recite this statement out loud, with total sincerity, fully understanding what it means. Finally, by reciting this they are asserting the fact that they agree that Muhammad (PBUH) is in fact the messenger of Allah.
Explain the centrality and importance of belief in revelation and prophecy for Islam.
Without revelation there wouldn’t be a perfect and complete religion: “This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” (5:4)
The life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is full of countless examples that show his status as a role model for Muslim societies and individuals. His life is one that was dominated by a superior morality, good habits and gentle feelings- all of which are characteristics that help prevent people from getting entangled in a web of sin. Every sort of person can find truths in Muhammad’s (PBUH) life that constitute an example for them to follow.
The Prophet taught people that men and women are equal in front of their Lord and grants women divinely sanctioned inheritance, property, social and marriage rights, including the right to reject the terms of a proposal and to divorce. Prophet Muhammad (SAW) himself frequently counselled Muslim men to treat their wives and daughters well. “You have rights over your women,” he is reported to have said, “and your women have rights over you.” As the father of four daughters in a society that prized sons, he told other fathers that, if their daughters spoke well of them on the Day of Judgment, they would enter paradise.
Explain the relationship between the Islamic religious tradition and earlier Abrahamic faiths.
Both Judaism and Islam are monotheistic, believing in the existence of one. Allah is not the personal name of some altogether separate and distinctly different deity (e.g. Zeus).
Quran discusses many Biblical figures (such as Adam); in doing so, the Islamic scripture itself makes it abundantly clear that the God of Muhammad (PBUH), and the God of Jesus, and the God of Israel are all the same God. Since the Muslim God is also the Judeo-Christian God, Allah is in fact identical with — and not different from — the Hebrew God.
From the perspectives of both Judaism and Islam, Biblical beliefs about Jesus are seen as inconsistent with the uncompromising monotheism upon which both Judaism and Islam absolutely insist, as non-negotiable core articles of faith. For Jews and Muslims alike, God is one, and thus can’t believe in Christianity’s Trinity. For their part, Muslims do regard Jesus as a very great prophet indeed, but nothing more. Jews see Jesus as a false prophet. In either case, for both Judaism and Islam alike, Jesus is no saviour, is not divine, was never resurrected, and is not God incarnate (or the literal Son of God) in any sense whatsoever.
