Prophets and Prophecy – Part Two
Prophets of Islam – Part II
13. Ayyub (Job)
In a test to prove Ayyub’s steadfastness, Allah allowed Iblis (Satan) to try and tempt him from the path of righteousness. After a series of increasingly dreadful trials, Ayyub remained unshaken in his faith and Allah rewarded him, thus providing the best of all possible examples of faith.
14. Musa (Moses)
Musa, known as Moses in the Old Testament, is mentioned more often in the Quran than any other individual, and his life is related more than that of any other prophet. Among other things, he is credited for leading his people out of slavery in Egypt, receiving the Ten Commandments, and receiving the Tawrat (Torah) from God.
15. Harun (Aaron)
Harun was the elder brother of Musa, was appointed by Allah to aid his brother Musa. He was responsible for carrying out of the rituals of worship and became the first High Priest of the Israelites. He acted as the vicegerent of Musa and accompanied his brother through the desert journeys till he died atop Mount Hoor.
16. Dhu'l-kifl (Ezekiel)
Also known as Zulkifl, he denounced his people for their sins and corruption. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. he held out the promise of a return to the homeland and the restoration of the Temple of David. He became a powerful symbol of hope, resurrection, and regeneration.
17. Da’ud (David)
Da’ud was appointed prophet after he defeated the giant king Jalut (Goliath). During his rule as king he expanded his boundaries and spread the religion of Allah. He laid the foundations of Bait-ul Muqaddas (the Holy Mosque) and Allah gave him the Book Zubur (Psalms in the Torah).
18. Sulayman (Solomon)
Sulayman was one of the sons of Da'ud. Allah appointed him prophet and king after his father and gave him immense wisdom and power over all creation. He completed the construction of Bait-ul-Muqaddas whose foundations were laid by his father.
19. Ilyas (Elias)
After the death of Sulayman, the people once again reverted to their evil ways. Allah sent the prophet Ilyas to reform mankind once again. When they would not listen, Allah sent a drought as punishment. The people blamed Ilyas and conspired to kill him, but he vanished into the protection of Allah.
20. Al-Yasa (Elisha)
Al-Yasa was the cousin and spiritual successor of the Prophet Ilyas. He travelled widely preaching the word of Allah. He came to a barren land that was having a severe drought and prayed to Allah to show mercy to the people. Allah answered his prayers and made the area fertile once more.
21. Yunus (Jonah)
Yunus was appointed prophet by Allah towards the people of Ninewa (North Western Iraq), who refused to listen to his teachings. He became discouraged and prayed to Allah to punish these people but instead he was the one punished when he was swallowed by a large fish. Once free of the fish he prayed for forgiveness for abandoning his mission. He returned to the people who embraced his teachings.
22. Zakariyya (Zechariah)
Zakariyya was descended from Prophet Sulaiman and earned his livelihood as a carpenter. He kept the torch of Mosaic law burning by prayed devotedly and preaching zealously. He was responsible for the rituals of worship as well as the upkeep of Bait-ul Muqqadas.
23. Yahya (John)
Yahya was the son that Allah had promised to Zakariyya in his old age. He was kind hearted towards others, and was obedient to his parents and elders. He lived strictly according to the Torah and urged others to follow it for their salvation. He gave baptismal rites to all those who listened to his call.
24. 'Isa (Jesus)
Isa was the last prophet appointed by Allah. He was thirty years old when he began to receive divine revelations and started to preach the commandments of Allah, performing many miracles as well. The people defied his teachings and denied his legitimacy, collaborating with the Roman governor to have him framed for treason, which was punishable by crucifixion. According to the Qur’an Allah withdrew him from amongst his blood thirsty enemies and raised him to the heaven before this could happen.
25. Muhammad
In the Qur'an, he is called "Rahmatun-lil-aalameen, " the blessing for the universe.
According to the popular tradition, Muhammad was born in Makkah (Mecca) on Friday, August 29, 570 AD. Even from an early age, Muhammad never told lies nor fabricated events. He did not waste his time nor indulged in unproductive activities. He liked solitude, and devoted some of his time for meditation. He was meditating in a cave when the archangel Jibril came to him to tell him it was time to start spreading the message of Allah. Jibril provided him with guidance and Muhammad travelled the land to announce his prophet-hood.
Under the Prophet Muhammad’s preaching, faith in Islam made slow but steady progress. The Message of Allah was spread throughout the Arabian peninsula. The Prophet Muhammad gave his followers a code of conduct which was to govern the lives of all generations of Muslims in the future.
If you’d like to learn more about the Prophets of Islam, I’d like to suggest the following websites:
Prophets in Islam
Stories of the Prophets
Stories of the Prophets
Prophets in Islam
Be sure and check back next week when explore Buddha Siddharta Gautama.
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