The Creator, Owner, and Ruler of the entire universe, Almighty Allah, appointed mankind to serve in the portion of the infinite realm that we call the world, the place we currently inhabit. He gave humanity the power to know, think, and understand, the ability to distinguish between good and evil, and the capacity to make choices and use their will. He granted them authority over their actions. In short, He gave them freedom and sent them to the earth as His vicegerent.
In essence, there are two sides in the world, which humans can freely choose between: truth (Haq) and falsehood (Batil). The side of truth represents the path of Allah, while falsehood represents the path of Satan. Allah, in His mercy, sent divine messages and prophets to guide humanity towards the truth, so that they may find the path that leads to peace and tranquility in this world and eternal happiness and comfort in the hereafter, which is called Paradise. However, if one chooses the path of Satan, they will face troubles and difficulties in this world and eternal punishment in Hell in the hereafter. The act of using the given choice to side with Allah is called Islam.
The Sovereign of the Universe, with this guidance, placed mankind on the earth. He also gave instructions to the first humans (Prophet Adam and Eve) about how they should live on earth. These first humans were not born in the darkness of ignorance and lack of knowledge. Rather, they were sent to the earth with knowledge. They knew certain truths and had learned the rules of life. Their way of life was obedience to Allah, that is, Islam. They had commanded their descendants to be “Muslims,” meaning obedient to Allah.
The blessing of Islam has always come to humanity from two sources. The first is the word of Allah, and the second is Allah’s prophets (peace be upon them). These prophets were not only tasked with spreading His words, proclaiming His commands, and explaining them, but also with demonstrating how these teachings could be implemented and how others could be guided through their example. The first prophet sent by Allah to the earth was Prophet Adam, and the final prophet was Prophet Muhammad.
The prophets mentioned in the Qur’an are as follows:
- Prophet Adam (A.S.)
- Prophet Idris (A.S.)
- Prophet Noah (A.S.)
- Prophet Hud (A.S.)
- Prophet Salih (A.S.)
- Prophet Ibrahim (A.S.)
- Prophet Ismail (A.S.)
- Prophet Lut (A.S.)
- Prophet Ishaq (A.S.)
- Prophet Ya’qub (A.S.)
- Prophet Yusuf (A.S.)
- Prophet Ayyub (A.S.)
- Prophet Shu’ayb (A.S.)
- Prophet Musa (A.S.)
- Prophet Harun (A.S.)
- Prophet Dawud (A.S.)
- Prophet Sulayman (A.S.)
- Prophet Dhul-Kifl (A.S.)
- Prophet Ilyas (A.S.)
- Prophet Alyasa (A.S.)
- Prophet Yunus (A.S.)
- Prophet Zakariya (A.S.)
- Prophet Yahya (A.S.)
- Prophet Isa (A.S.)
- Prophet Muhammad (S.A.V.)
In addition to these, the names of Prophet Uzair, Prophet Luqman, and Dhul-Qarnayn are mentioned, but it is unclear whether they were prophets.
The prophets were also tasked with supervising individuals and communities to help them achieve the goals set forth by the Qur’an, correcting the shortcomings in human life. These two elements are so closely connected that if they are separated, one cannot grasp the true meaning of religion or find the right path. If you separate the Qur’an from the Messenger of Allah, you cannot reach the truth.
Just as in ancient times, in our era, humans can reach the blessing of Islam from the same two sources. The first is the word of Allah, which is now found only in the Qur’an, and the second is the Seerah of the Prophet, which is preserved only in the life and Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
As always, today, one can only come to understand Islam by comprehending both the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and by understanding them through each other. Whoever is able to understand both with the help of each other will have truly understood Islam. Otherwise, neither the religion can be understood, nor the correct path can be found.
The task of the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the same, as they carry the same purpose. Therefore, our understanding of them depends on how well we comprehend their mission and purpose. If this truth is forgotten, the Qur’an will only remain a collection of words, and the Seerah of the Prophet will merely be a story of events.
Source: Maududi, “The Struggle for Monotheism Throughout History and the Life of Prophet Muhammad.”