Why is the name of no prophet from the lands of the
East, such as India, China, or Japan, mentioned? Firstly, the Quran does not
mention the names of the villages to which the messengers were sent. Rather,
the Quran is a book of guidance and mercy, and the messengers convey God's will
to people, conveying what is best for their lives and benefits them in the
Hereafter. As for why the name of no prophet from the lands of the East, such
as India, China, or Japan, is mentioned, the Quran states that a messenger was
sent to every nation, as God Almighty says: “Indeed, We have sent you with the
truth as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. And there was no nation but
that there had passed within it a warner” [Surat Fatir: 24].
The Quran does not mention all the messengers whom
God Almighty sent to the nations, but it clarifies the human ills for which the
messengers were sent to address so that they may serve as a reference for
people to turn to in reforming their lives, livelihoods, and circumstances. God
Almighty says, "And, indeed, We have sent messengers before you (O
Muhammad SAW); of some of them We have related to you their story, and of some
We have not related to you their story, and it was not given to any messenger
that he should bring a sign except by the leave of Allah. So, when the
Commandment of Allah comes, the matter will be decided with truth, and the
followers of falsehood will then be lost” (78) (Surat Ghafir).
There is disagreement regarding the number of
messengers sent by God Almighty. In the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, on the authority
of Abu Dharr (may God be pleased with him), he said, "I said, 'O Messenger
of God, how many messengers were there?'" He said, "Three hundred and
thirteen, a great multitude." I said, "O Messenger of God, who was
the first of them?" He said, "Adam." I said, "O Messenger
of God, was he a prophet sent by God?" He said, “Yes, God created him with
His own hands, breathed into him of His spirit, and spoke to him before.” Then
he said, “O Abu Dharr, four were Syriac: Adam, Seth, Enoch (who is Idris, the
first to write with a pen), and Noah. And four were Arabs: Hud, Shu’ayb, Salih,
and your Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).” (Narrated by Abu
Dharr al-Ghifari; Source: Sahih Ibn Hibban; Hadith scholar’s ruling: He
included it in his Sahih.
Twenty-five prophets and messengers are mentioned in
the Holy Quran. Eighteen of them are mentioned in Surat Al-An’am, in the words
of God Almighty: “And that was Our Proof which We gave Ibrahim (Abraham)
against his people. We raise whom We will in degrees. Certainly your Lord is
All-Wise and All-Knowing, and We bestowed upon him Ishaque (Isaac) and
Ya'qub (Jacob); each of them We guided, and before him, We guided Nuh (Noah),
and among his progeny Dawud (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Ayub (Job), Yusuf
(Joseph), Musa (Moses), and Harun (Aaron). Thus do We reward the good-doers.
And Zakariya (Zachariya), and Yahya (John), and 'Iesa (Jesus), and Iliyas
(Elias), each one of them was of the righteous. And Zakariya (Zachariya), and
Yahya (John), and 'Iesa (Jesus), and Iliyas (Elias), each one of them was of
the righteous. * And Isma'il (Ishmael) and Al-Yas'a (Elisha), and Yunus (Jonah)
and Lout (Lot), and each one of them We preferred above the 'Alamin (mankind
and jinns) of their times. (Surat Al-An'am: 83-86). The other seven are
mentioned in separate surahs, namely Adam, Hud, Salih, Shu'ayb, Idris,
Dhul-Kifl, and Muhammad, may God’s peace and blessings be upon them all. In the
words of God Almighty: “Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah and the family of
Abraham and the family of 'Imran over the worlds” (Surat Al Imran 3:33), and
His words: “And to 'Ad (people, We sent) their brother Hud. He said, "O my
people! Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. (La ilaha
ill-Allah: none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). Will you not fear
(Allah)?"” (Surat Al-Araf 11:50), and His words: “And to Thamud (people),
We sent their brother Salih (Saleh). He said, "O my people! Worship Allah;
you have no other Ilah (God) but Him. He brought you forth from the earth and
settled you therein, then asked forgiveness of Him and turned to Him in
repentance. Certainly, my Lord is Near (to all by His Knowledge), Responsive."
(Surat Hud 11:61), and His words: “And to the Madyan (Midian) people (We sent)
their brother Shu'aib. He said, "O my people! Worship Allah; you have no
other Ilah (God) but Him, and give not short measure or weight. I see you in
prosperity, and verily I fear for you the torment of a Day encompassing.”
(Surat Hud 11:84), and His words: “And (remember) Isma'il (Ishmael), and Idris
(Enoch), and Dhul-Kifl (Isaiah); all were from among As-Sabirin (the patient
ones, etc.).” (Surat Al-Anbiya 21:85).
There is disagreement regarding three of those
mentioned in the Holy Quran: were they prophets or not? They are Dhul-Qarnayn,
Tubba', and Al-Khidr. A group of scholars held that Dhul-Qarnayn was a prophet,
as was Tubba'. However, it is preferable to suspend judgment on their
prophethood, given the authentic hadith narrated by the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings be upon him): "I do not know whether Tubba' was
cursed (i.e., expelled from Allah's mercy and upon whom He is angry) or not,
and I do not know whether Dhul-Qarnayn was a prophet or not…" (Narrated by
Abu Hurayrah; Source: Al-Muhalla; Summary of the hadith scholar's ruling (Ibn
Hazm): Its chain of narration is authentic, and we know of no defect in it at
this time. As for Al-Khidr, the more likely view is that he was a prophet,
based on the verse in his story: "And as for the wall, it belonged to two
orphan boys in the town; and there was under it a treasure belonging to them;
and their father was a righteous man, and your Lord intended that they should
attain their age of full strength and take out their treasure as a mercy from
your Lord. And I did it not of my own accord. That is the interpretation of
those (things) over which you could not hold patience." { Surat Al-Kahf:
82}, meaning that revelation was sent down to him therein, indicating his
receipt of divine inspiration. This surpasses the rank of a righteous saint,
although scholars differ on this point. Some say he was a righteous saint,
while others believe he was an angel. However, the most likely interpretation
is that he was a prophet or messenger.
The Quran is not a book of stories that recounts
every event or the name of every prophet along with his life story. The Quran
clearly states that God sent His prophets to all nations of the world, relating
the stories of some without naming others: "And for every Ummah (a
community or a nation), there is a Messenger; when their Messenger comes, the
matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be
wronged." (Surat Yunus 47). "And We certainly sent into every nation
a messenger, [saying], 'Worship Allah and avoid evil.'" And verily, We
have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming):
"Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false
deities, etc., i.e., do not worship Taghut besides Allah). "Then of them
were some whom Allah guided, and of them were some upon whom the straying was
justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of those who
denied (the truth)" (Surat An-Nahl 16:36). "And, indeed, We have sent
messengers before you (O Muhammad SAW); of some of them We have related to you
their story, and of some We have not related to you their story, and it was not
given to any messenger that he should bring a sign except by the leave of
Allah. So, when the Commandment of Allah comes, the matter will be decided with
truth, and the followers of falsehood will then be lost." (Surat Ghafir
40:78)
The Quran provides a detailed account of some
nations, from which any nation existing today can draw lessons. Because of the
widespread polytheism, tyranny, and moral corruption that had become rampant
among previous nations—such as the spread of immorality, discord, and a loss of
modesty—God Almighty inflicted upon them His punishment.
Pharaoh possessed complete political control over
the land and people of Egypt, a level of control unmatched by any of his
predecessors. This is depicted in the Quran in the words of God Almighty:
"And Fir'aun (Pharaoh) proclaimed among his people, saying, 'O my people!
Is not mine the dominion of Egypt and these rivers flowing underneath me? See
you not then?” (Surat Az-Zukhruf 43:51). And in his words: “I show you only
what I have seen.” O my people! Yours is the kingdom this day; you are uppermost
in the land. But who will save us from the torment of Allah, should it befall
us?" Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said, "I show you only that which I see
(correct), and I guide you only to the path of right policy!” (Surat Ghafir
40:29) His tyranny reached such a point that he accused Moses and his followers
of spreading corruption in the land and of seeking to change the religion of
the Egyptians to the worship of men, as Allah Almighty says: "Fir'aun
(Pharaoh) said, 'Leave me to kill Musa (Moses), and let him call his Lord (to
stop me from killing him)! I fear that he may change your religion or that he
may cause mischief to appear in the land!" (Surat Ghafir 40:26)
The people of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) were
among the most tyrannical, oppressive, and arrogant people in the world. Even
after preaching for 950 years, only a handful of people believed in the Prophet
Noah (peace be upon him). God says, and His word is the truth: “But they belied
him, so We saved him and those along with him in the ship, and We drowned those
who belied Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations,
etc.). They were indeed a blind people.” (Surat Al-A’raf 64) And His saying,
may He be exalted: “And recite to them the news of Nuh (Noah). When he said to
his people, "O my people, if my stay (with you) and my reminding (you) of
the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of
Allah is hard on you, then I put my trust in Allah. So devise your plot, you
and your partners, and let not your plot be in doubt for you. Then pass your
sentence on me and give me no respite.” (Surah Yunus 71). And His saying,
"The Most High said, 'They said, "Shall we believe in you when the
meanest (of the people) follow you?" (111)” (Ash-Shu’ara). Meaning: How
can we follow you when we see your followers only as the lowest and most
despicable of people? This reveals their arrogance towards the truth and their
ignorance of reality. For if their intention had been to seek the truth, they
would have said—if they had any doubt or ambiguity regarding his
message—“Explain to us the validity of what you have brought, using the methods
that lead to that understanding.” And the people of Nuh (Noah) aforetime,
verily, they were more unjust and more rebellious and transgressing [in
disobeying Allah and His Messenger Nuh (Noah)] (52)” (Surat An-Najm)
The people of the Prophet Hud (peace be upon him),
namely the people of 'Ad, were the strongest people who ever lived on Earth,
physically. God Almighty says concerning them: "Do you wonder that there
has come to you a Reminder (and advice) from your Lord through a man from
amongst you that he may warn you? And remember that He made you successors
after the people of Nuh (Noah) and increased you amply in stature. So remember
the graces (bestowed upon you) from Allah, so that you may be successful."
(Surat Al-Araf 7:69)
Nimrod was the governor of Iraq, where the Prophet
Abraham (peace be upon him) was sent. He was a dictator of the worst kind,
unchallenged both internally and externally, to the point that he considered
himself a god. He argued with our master Abraham using the arguments of an
atheist. The Quran depicts this argument in the words of God Almighty: “Have
you not considered the one who argued with Abraham about his Lord because Allah
had given him dominion? When he said, “Have you not looked at him who disputed
with Ibrahim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allah), because Allah had given him the
kingdom? When Ibrahim (Abraham) said (to him), "My Lord (Allah) is He Who
gives life and causes death." He said, "I give life and cause
death." Ibrahim (Abraham) said, "Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise
from the east and then causes it to rise from the west. " So the
disbeliever was utterly defeated. And Allah guides not the people who are Zalimun
(wrongdoers, etc.).” (Al-Baqarah 2:258)
Thamud, the people of the Prophet Salih (peace be
upon him), were the most numerous of nations. They were technologically
advanced for their time. They built houses by carving into solid rock, a
difficult task even by today's standards. God Almighty says of them, "And
remember when He made you successors after 'Ad (people) and gave you
habitations in the land, you built for yourselves palaces in plains and carved
out homes in the mountains. So remember the graces (bestowed upon you) from
Allah, and do not go about making mischief on the earth." (Surah Al-A'raf
74).
The people of Prophet Lot (peace be upon him) were
among the most morally corrupt people on earth. They were the first to indulge
in homosexuality, considering this heinous act permissible and acceptable.
Righteous, and God depicts the dialogue between truth and falsehood: the
dialogue of our master Lot with his people in the words of God Almighty:
"And (remember) Lout (Lot), when he said to his people: 'You commit
Al-Fahishah (sodomy, the worst sin), which none has preceded you in
(committing) it in the 'Alamin (mankind and jinns).'" 28 "Verily, you
do sodomy with men and rob the wayfarer (travellers, etc.)! And practice
Al-Munkar (disbelief and polytheism and every kind of evil wicked deed) in your
meetings." But his people gave no answer except that they said,
"Bring Allah's torment upon us if you are one of the truthful." 29.
(Surat Al-Ankabut:28-29)
The people of Prophet Shu'ayb (peace be upon him),
who lived in Madyan, were among the most successful merchants and businessmen
of their time. However, they were also among the most cunning and deceitful
people. They said, as the Great Qur’an makes clear to us: "They said, 'O
Shu'aib! Does your Salat (prayer) (i.e., the prayers that you offer) spoil your
mind so that you command that we leave off what our fathers used to worship or
that we leave off doing what we like with our property? Verily, you are the
forbearer, right-minded!" (They said this sarcastically). (Surat Hud 87).
And Allah said concerning them, “And to (the people of) Madyan (Midian), (We
sent) their brother Shu'aib. He said, "O my people! Worship Allah! You
have no other Ilah (God) but Him [La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be
worshipped but Allah)]. "Verily, a clear proof (sign) from your Lord has
come unto you; so give full measure and full weight and wrong not men in their
things, and do not mischief on the earth after it has been set in order; that
will be better for you, if you are believers.” (Surat Al-Araf 7:85) And He said
concerning them, “And to (the people of) Madyan (Midian), We sent their brother
Shu'aib (Shuaib). He said, "O my people! Worship Allah, and hope for (the
reward of good deeds by worshipping Allah Alone, on) the last Day, and commit
no mischief on the earth as Mufsidun (those who commit great crimes,
oppressors, tyrants, mischief-makers, and corrupts).” (Surat Al-Ankabut 29:36)
The people of Yemen (Saba’), who were ruled by Queen
Bilqis, worshipped the sun and prostrated to it instead of Allah. Prophet
Solomon (peace be upon him) corrected this misconception, and they all embraced
Islam. He criticized their worship of the sun, as God Almighty says, "I
found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and Shaitan
(Satan) has made their deeds fair-seeming to them and has barred them from
(Allah's) Way, so they have no guidance" (Surat An-Naml 27:24).
Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was sent to the
Jews who had believed in Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) but rejected his
message. The Quran depicts their rejection of Jesus in the words of God.
Almighty: “And indeed, We gave Musa (Moses) the Book and followed him up with a
succession of messengers. And We gave 'Iesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary),
clear signs and supported him with Ruh-ul-Qudus [Jibrael (Gabriel)]. Is it that
whenever there came to you a messenger with what you yourselves desired not,
you grew arrogant? Some, you disbelieved, and some, you killed.” (87) (Surat
Al-Baqarah). And in His saying, "And (remember) when 'Iesa (Jesus), son of
Maryam (Mary), said, 'O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto
you, confirming the Taurat [(Torah) which came] before me, and giving glad
tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad. But when he
(Ahmad, i.e., Muhammad SAW) came to them with clear proofs, they said,
"This is plain magic" (Surah As-Saff: 6).
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the Seal
of the Prophets, was sent to all the people of the world, as revealed in the
clear verses of the Holy Quran, where God Almighty says: “Say (O Muhammad SAW):
"O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allah—to Whom
belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth. La ilaha illa Huwa (none has
the right to be worshipped but He); it is He who gives life and causes death.
So believe in Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad SAW), the Prophet who can
neither read nor write (i.e., Muhammad SAW), who believes in Allah and His
Words (this Quran, the Taurat (Torah), and the Injeel (Gospel), and also
Allah's Word: "Be!"—and he was, i.e., 'Iesa (Jesus), son of Maryam
(Mary)), and follow him so that you may be guided." (7:158) And His
saying, may He be exalted: “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a
mercy to the worlds.” (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:107) To warn those who considered the
Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) to be the son of God, and the Jews who
considered Ezra to be the son of God, and the polytheists, and the atheists,
and others. God says, "And the Jews say, 'Uzair (Ezra) is the son of
Allah,' and the Christians say, 'Messiah is the son of Allah.'" That is a
saying from their mouths. They imitate the saying of the disbelievers of old.
Allah's curse be on them for how they are deluded away from the truth! (9:30)
The Quran mentions each type of nation so that the
followers of any of these nations can seek guidance from the Quran, should they
wish to do so. Therefore, there is no need to mention each prophet and his life
story.
تعليقات