2.3.4 Belief in the Messengers

Meaning of Belief in the Messengers

Belief in the messengers is one of the six pillars of faith. A Muslim is not considered a true believer until he or she believes that Allah chose human beings as messengers, sent them to guide people, supported them with clear signs, and commanded all creation to follow them. Allah says:

“The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and so have the believers. All of them have believed in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers.”
(Qur’an 2:285)

In the famous ḥadīth of Jibrīl, the Prophet ﷺ explained that faith includes belief in the messengers:

“It is that you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and that you believe in divine decree, its good and its bad.”
(Muslim)

Belief in the messengers is not just to affirm that they existed. It is to accept that they spoke the truth, that they conveyed Allah’s message completely, and that following them is necessary for success in this life and the next.

Why Allah Sent Messengers

Allah did not create humanity without purpose and then leave them without guidance. He sent messengers to explain the purpose of life, to clarify what pleases Him and what angers Him, and to show the straight path in practice. Allah says:

“Messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that mankind will have no argument against Allah after the messengers.”
(Qur’an 4:165)

So the sending of messengers removes excuses. No one can say they did not know what Allah wanted from them, because across history He sent messengers repeatedly to different peoples. Allah says about all prophets together:

“We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, (saying), ‘Worship Allah and avoid Tāghūt (false gods).’”
(Qur’an 16:36)

The central message of all messengers was Tawḥīd, the worship of Allah alone. Details of law and practice may differ between communities, but the foundation was always the same. The messengers called people to pure worship, warned them against shirk, and taught them morality, justice, and good conduct.

Human Nature of the Messengers

One of the essential aspects of this belief is that the messengers were human beings, not divine and not part of Allah. They ate, drank, married, felt pain, and experienced joy and sadness. Their humanity allowed them to be practical examples and role models. Allah says:

“And We did not send before you (O Muhammad) except men to whom We revealed, so ask the people of the Reminder if you do not know. And We did not make them bodies that did not eat food, nor were they immortal.”
(Qur’an 21:7–8)

The fact that they were human protects Tawḥīd. The messengers are not to be worshiped, prayed to, or treated as partners of Allah. They are servants of Allah whom He honored by choosing them to carry revelation. At the same time, they are the best of humanity in character and obedience.

When some people rejected the Prophet ﷺ because he was human, Allah responded:

“Say, ‘I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your god is one God.’”
(Qur’an 18:110)

The miracle is not that a human speaks, but that a human speaks with revelation from Allah. This is what sets prophets and messengers apart from other people.

Prophets and Messengers as Truthful and Trustworthy

All of the messengers were truthful, trustworthy, and known for integrity before they were sent. When they called their people, they emphasized that they were not seeking personal gain, and that they were honest. Nūḥ, Hūd, Ṣāliḥ, Lūṭ, and Shuʿayb عليهم السلام all said similar words to their peoples:

“Indeed, I am to you a trustworthy messenger. So fear Allah and obey me. And I do not ask you for it any payment. My reward is only from the Lord of the worlds.”
(Qur’an 26:107–109)

Belief in the messengers includes certainty that they did not lie about Allah, that they did not betray the message, and that they conveyed exactly what Allah commanded. In a ḥadīth qudsī Allah says:

“I have indeed given you (O Muhammad) a Book which water cannot wash away, you recite it while asleep and awake.”
(Muslim)

This and other texts show that the Messenger ﷺ delivered the message completely and perfectly. In his Farewell Sermon, he asked the people:

“Have I not conveyed (the message)?” They said, “Yes.” He said, “O Allah, bear witness.”
(Muslim)

This principle applies to all messengers in relation to their nations. They delivered what Allah entrusted to them and did not hide revelation or distort it.

The Core Message: Tawḥīd and Obedience

Although this chapter does not go into the details of Tawḥīd itself, it is important to understand that all messengers had the same core call. Allah summarizes the message of all prophets:

“And indeed, We sent Nūḥ to his people and he said, ‘O my people, worship Allah, you have no deity other than Him.’”
(Qur’an 23:23)

And similarly:

“And to ʿĀd (We sent) their brother Hūd. He said, ‘O my people, worship Allah, you have no deity other than Him.’”
(Qur’an 11:50)

This repeated pattern shows that the foundation of every prophetic mission is to correct what people worship and how they relate to their Lord. Laws and details differ, but the heart of the message is always the same: worship Allah alone, obey His commands, and avoid disobedience and shirk.

Belief in the messengers therefore means accepting the unity and consistency of this call, and not imagining that later prophets contradicted earlier ones in matters of belief and the oneness of Allah.

Belief in All Messengers Without Distinction

A core part of faith is to believe in all of Allah’s messengers, not just some of them. It is not allowed to believe in one prophet and reject others, or to insult or belittle any prophet. Allah says:

“Those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and seek to make a distinction between Allah and His messengers and say, ‘We believe in some and disbelieve in others,’ and wish to adopt a way in between, those are truly disbelievers.”
(Qur’an 4:150–151)

By contrast, the believers say:

“We make no distinction between any of His messengers.”
(Qur’an 2:285)

This means we affirm all of them as true messengers of Allah. We do not deny or accuse any of lying. However, revelation itself teaches that some messengers were given special rank and virtues over others. Allah says:

“Those messengers, We have favored some of them over others.”
(Qur’an 2:253)

So there is a difference between rejecting a prophet, which is disbelief, and recognizing, based on revelation, that Allah gave certain messengers additional honors and responsibilities.

Known and Unknown Messengers

The Qur’an and Sunnah mention some prophets and messengers by name, such as Nūḥ, Ibrāhīm, Mūsā, ʿĪsā, and Muhammad عليهم الصلاة والسلام, but not all. Allah tells us that there were many others:

“And We have certainly sent messengers before you. Among them are those about whom We have related to you, and among them are those about whom We have not related to you.”
(Qur’an 40:78)

Islam teaches that Allah sent messengers to every nation and people in history. Their stories might not be known to us, but our belief includes them in general. We affirm that Allah’s mercy and justice required that He not leave any people without guidance.

Belief in the messengers therefore has two levels. Belief in specific messengers whose names and stories are known through revelation. And belief in many other messengers whose names we do not know but whom Allah certainly sent.

The Final Messenger Muhammad ﷺ

Among all the messengers, Allah chose Muhammad ﷺ as the final messenger, and his message as the last and universal guidance for all humanity and jinn until the Day of Judgment. Allah says:

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets.”
(Qur’an 33:40)

“Seal of the Prophets” means that there will be no prophet after him. This is confirmed by the Prophet ﷺ:

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘The line of messengers and prophets has come to an end. There will be no messenger after me and no prophet.’”
(At-Tirmidhī)

Belief in the messengers in our time therefore includes a specific requirement. It is to believe that Muhammad ﷺ is the final messenger, that his message is preserved, and that obedience to him is obligatory. Allah says:

“But no, by your Lord, they will not truly believe until they make you (O Muhammad) judge in all disputes between them, then find no resistance in themselves against what you have decided and submit in full submission.”
(Qur’an 4:65)

Accepting his finality also means rejecting any claim of new revelation or new prophet after him, no matter how sincere someone seems. Any such claim contradicts this pillar of faith.

The Role of Miracles

Allah supported His messengers with signs and miracles as proof of their truthfulness. These miracles are not tricks or magic. They are extraordinary events that Allah creates to confirm that the messenger is truly from Him. For example, Allah says about Mūsā عليه السلام:

“So he threw his staff, and suddenly it was a serpent, manifest. And he drew out his hand, and suddenly it was white for the observers.”
(Qur’an 26:32–33)

About ʿĪsā عليه السلام Allah says:

“And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead by Allah’s permission.”
(Qur’an 3:49)

Each community was given signs suited to its time. The greatest and lasting miracle of Muhammad ﷺ is the Qur’an itself, a miracle in its language, message, and impact, which remains unchanged. Allah says:

“And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our servant, then produce a surah like it and call your witnesses besides Allah, if you should be truthful.”
(Qur’an 2:23)

Belief in the messengers includes belief in the miracles that are authentically reported about them, without exaggerating them into divinity or denying that they were granted only by Allah’s permission.

The Protection of Messengers from Major Sin

Another aspect of belief in the messengers is to understand their purity and protection from major sin in their role as prophets. They do not lie in the name of Allah, they do not betray the message, and they do not persist in clear major sins. Allah commands Muhammad ﷺ:

“Say, ‘It is not for me to change it on my own accord. I only follow what is revealed to me.’”
(Qur’an 10:15)

This shows they do not act in matters of religion based on personal desire. When mistakes occurred, Allah corrected them promptly and guided them back. For example, after the incident of the blind man, Allah revealed:

“He frowned and turned away when the blind man came to him.”
(Qur’an 80:1–2)

The correction itself is proof that the prophets were not left to persist in error or misguidance. They are the best of humanity, closest to Allah, and most obedient to Him. Belief in them means respecting their rank and not attributing to them what does not befit a chosen messenger of Allah.

Obedience to the Messengers

Belief in the messengers is practical, not just theoretical. It requires obedience. Allah repeated throughout the Qur’an:

“Whoever obeys the Messenger has indeed obeyed Allah.”
(Qur’an 4:80)

And He says:

“And whatever the Messenger gives you, take it, and whatever he forbids you, abstain from it.”
(Qur’an 59:7)

Disobeying the messenger, after knowing his message, is a form of disobedience to Allah Himself. Following the messengers is the path to mercy and guidance. Allah says:

“And if you obey him, you will be guided.”
(Qur’an 24:54)

This general principle applies to all prophets in relation to their original communities. For us, it specifically means obeying Muhammad ﷺ, because his message abrogates previous laws and is preserved as the final revelation.

Respecting and Loving the Messengers

Religion teaches not only belief and obedience, but also love and respect for the messengers. They are the most honored of Allah’s creation. However, Islam sets a clear boundary. We respect and love them without turning them into objects of worship or treating them as divine. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the son of Mary. I am only a servant, so say, ‘the servant of Allah and His Messenger.’”
(Al-Bukhārī)

This shows the balanced attitude. We send peace and blessings upon them, mention them with honor, defend them from insults, and study their lives. But we always remember that they are servants of Allah and created beings, not partners with Him.

Loving the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ becomes part of one’s faith. He said:

“None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his father, his child, and all people.”
(Al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

This love, however, expresses itself by following his Sunnah, not by inventing new forms of worship that he never taught.

Consequences of Rejecting Messengers

The Qur’an repeatedly describes what happened to peoples who rejected their prophets. The sending of a messenger is a mercy, but rejection leads to accountability and punishment. Allah says:

“And We never punish until We have sent a messenger.”
(Qur’an 17:15)

When a messenger comes with clear signs and people knowingly oppose him out of arrogance and disbelief, they are liable to severe punishment in this life or the next. About the people of Nūḥ, ʿĀd, Thamūd, and others, Allah says:

“And each We seized for his sin.”
(Qur’an 29:40)

This does not mean that every person who has not heard of Islam is automatically punished. It means that those who are reached by the message and then reject it are held responsible. The details of Allah’s justice and mercy in each individual case belong to His perfect knowledge. What concerns us is that belief in the messengers includes fear of rejecting them and awareness of the seriousness of turning away from their guidance.

Unity of the Prophetic Way

Although the messengers were sent at different times, to different peoples, with some differences in law, their way is one. Allah instructs Muhammad ﷺ:

“Then We revealed to you (O Muhammad), ‘Follow the religion of Ibrāhīm, inclining to truth, and he was not of the polytheists.’”
(Qur’an 16:123)

Similarly, Allah says:

“He has ordained for you of religion what He enjoined upon Nūḥ and that which We have revealed to you, and what We enjoined upon Ibrāhīm, Mūsā, and ʿĪsā: ‘Establish the religion and do not be divided therein.’”
(Qur’an 42:13)

So Islam views all prophets as one brotherhood, all calling to the same core faith. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different but their religion is one.”
(Al-Bukhārī and Muslim)

Their laws may vary, just as children of one father may have different mothers, but their religion regarding Tawḥīd and submission to Allah is one. Belief in the messengers means recognizing this unity and not creating hostility between the followers of different prophets when they are sincere upon true guidance.

Summary of the Pillar

Belief in the messengers is to affirm with certainty that:

Allah chose human beings as messengers from among the best of creation, to guide their peoples to worship Him alone.

They were truthful, trustworthy, and protected from lying about Allah and betraying His message.

Allah supported them with revelation and miracles, each suited to their time and people.

All messengers called to Tawḥīd and obedience to Allah, even if details of law differed.

It is obligatory to believe in all messengers, those named and those unnamed, and to reject or mock any of them is disbelief.

Muhammad ﷺ is the final messenger, his message is universal and preserved, and there is no prophet after him.

True belief in the messengers requires love, respect, and practical obedience, within the limits set by revelation.

Allah has made following the messengers the path to salvation and made their stories a source of guidance, warning, and hope.