RISALAH - PROPHETHOOD - icjs.co.uk Lesson 4 - Risalah (Prophethood).pdf · the conditions for prophethood which we talked about earlier? Answer the questions about the prophets’

RISALAH - PROPHETHOOD

ISLAM LESSON 4

Kallam Allah — God’s speech through which he

interacts and gives guidance to the world.

This speech is like a light which God shines on

the world, to radiate knowledge, reason,

guidance, etc.

Nur Allah — this is the light which shines

through human beings through varying

degrees, and the highest degree is prophecy.

LET’S START AT THE BEGINNINGProphecy comes from God’s guidance to Humanity

WHAT IS A PROPHET?

RECEIVE THE WORD OF GOD TO GUIDE

HUMANITY (TANZIL — DIRECT REVELATION)

PROPHETS.

FREE OF SIN (IMPECCABLE) AND FREE FROM ERROR

(INFALLIBLE)

124,000 PROPHETS, 25 NAMED IN QURAN

FULLY HUMAN

?

Prophets must be free of sin and error yet fully human in order to show humanity what it’s capable of achieving.

What would be the problem if prophets were to be sinful?

Match up the prophets to their Arabic Names.

Task 1 —

List some differences between the Biblical idea of prophets and the Islamic idea of prophets.

Give examples.

Task 2 —

01.Prophets not sinless in Bible.

02.Do not receive tanzil (direct revelation from God) but are agents of God to take message to different people.

04.Not necessarily prophets throughout their entire lives, but may be chose for particular purpose or event.

BIBLE V. ISLAM

05.Some stories in the Bible show the prophets to be fallible human beings

03.Message from God expressed in the words of the Prophet.

06.There are prophets in the Quran that are not in the Bible and those in the Bible which are not in the Quran.

For Muslims, these stories are false, added into the

Bible at a later date.

What explanation could there be?How do you think Muslims will explain the stories in the Bible of the prophets sinning?

Which of the prophets on the list of 25 do you think are the most important?

Why?

Task 3 —

0201Rasul — comes with a scripture

Nabi — comes to give guidance without scripture, or to reinforce an earlier Rasul

Two types of prophet

Noah

Abraham

Moses

Jesus

Muhammad

RASUL Prophets with

Shari’a

FIRST PROPHET — ADAM

What problem arises with the story of Adam and

the conditions for prophethood which we talked

about earlier?

Answer the questions about the prophets’ lives that are in the handout.

Task 4 —

“It is He who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, that he may uplift it above every religion, though the unbelievers may hate it.” - 61:9

MUHAMMAD.

Muhammad is referred to as the “Seal” of the prophets. The Quran makes it

clear that there will be no more prophets after him.

Last and greatest Prophet

“Night of Power”, when Muhammad first began to receive the Quran. Still

celebrated during Ramadan through prayer and study.

Laylat al-Qad’r

Muhammad is called the “perfect human being”, and therefore is understood to be the best possible example of living a good life.

al-insan al-kamil

Birthday of Muhammad, celebrated on the 12th Islamic Month of Rabi’ al-Awwal.

Mawlid al-Nabi

BIRTH OF MUHAMMAD

570 CE

BAHIRA IDENTIFIES MUHAMMAD AS PROPHET

582 CE

LAYL AL-QAD’R610 CE

LAYLAT AL-MIRAJ617 CE

HIJRA: MEKKAH TO MEDINA

622 CE

HAJJ632 CE

DEATH OF MUHAMMAD

632 CE

Differences in approaches to ProphecySUNNI V. SHI’A

Imams are considered colleagues of the Prophets. They’re not prophets themselves but are divinely inspired and protected

from sin — they continue the work of the prophets in leading and guiding humanity.

IMAMS

Can you think of any differences in Prophecy between Sunni and Shi’a

Muslims?

Abrahamis described as a hanif - a true believer in pure monotheism, and was therefore of no particular religion. He links all three major faiths together, and they are normally referred to as the “Abrahamic faiths”.

GCSE Practice:

Explain why Prophethood is important to the Muslim faith. [6]