Number of Prophets

Allah sent many prophets and messengers at different times between Adam and Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh). Only Allah knows the number of them. Adam (A.S) was the first of the prophets, and Muhammad (Pbuh) was last prophet and messenger. He was sent as a mercy to all the nations.

Of these prophets and messengers, twenty five prophets are mentioned by name in the Qur’an. They are:

     1.     Adam

     2.     Idrees

     3.     Nuh

     4.     Salih

     5.     Shu’ayb

     6.     Hud

     7.     Ibraaheem

     8.     Lut

     9.     Isma’eel

     10.  Is’haq

     11.  Ya’qub

     12.  Yusuf

     13.  Yunus

     14.  Musa

     15.  Harun

     16.  Ayyub

     17.  Dawood

     18.  Sulaiman

     19.  Ilyas

     20.  Al Yasa

     21.  Dhul Kifl

     22.  Zakariyyaa

     23.  Yahya

     24.  Isa, and

     25.  Muhammad

[May Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them all]

The messenger did not choose to do the work of guiding people themselves. If fact, it was Almighty Allah who chose them. The four prominent Prophet before Muhammad (Pbuh) were Nuh, Ibraaheem, Musa and Isa.

The Qur’an teaches us that every human community received its messenger who spoke its own language. The essence of the message of all the prophets was the same – to call their people to worship only Allah and not to commit the sin of Shirk!

Prophet Muhammad (Pbuh) was the last of the long succession of the Prophets. He was the seal of all Prophets who had gone before him. The Prophets were all human beings. They were given the same message – Allah is One and commands are to be obeyed. Allah refers to all the Prophets as Muslims because all of them submitted to His Will. All of them followed the Stright Path. They were all His true and faithful slaves. They submitted to His Will in every part of their lives. Allah gave many of them books.