The Difference Between a Prophet and a Messenger

Description

Translator's Foreword A Brief Biography of Shaykh Abu Nasr Muhammad Ibn 'Abdullaah al-Imaam His Name His Birth His Offspring His Upbringing and Seeking of Knowledge His Teachers His Students Author's Introduction Definition of an-Nabee in the Language and Its Usage Definition of ar-Rasool in the Language and Its Usage The Condition for Prophethood and Messengership amongst Aadam and his Offspring Prophethood Is Not Confirmed for Anyone except with a Legislative Evidence (for Their Prophethood) Principle: Every Messenger Is a Prophet but Not Vice-Versa Differences between Prophets and Messengers 1.1 The First: The Prophet Is the One Who Allaah Informs 1.2 The Second: Most of the Messengers Were Sent to a Disbelieving People 1.3 The Third: The Messenger Is Sent with the Language of His People 1.4 The Fourth: The Messengers Continue Conveying the Religion of Allaah to Their People up until They Embrace Islaam or Allaah Destroys Them 1.5 The Fifth: The Messengers' Legislation was Different in Most Cases 1.6 The Sixth: The First of the Messengers Was Nooh ('alayhi salaam) 1.7 The Seventh: The Difference between the Number of Prophets and Messengers 1.8 The Eighth: The Saving of the Messengers 1.9 The Ninth: The Messengers were Denied by their People 1.10 The Tenth: There Are Specific Rights of the Messengers 1.11 The Eleventh: The Agreement amongst the Scholars upon One Statement – That Maryam, Aasiyah, Haajar and the Mother of Moosaa – Were Not Messengers… 1.12 The Twelfth: The Virtue of the Messengers over the Prophets Two (Separate) Messengers Are Not Sent to One People The Different Levels of Virtue between the Messengers The Difference Between the Prophet-King and the Slave-Messenger Those Who Say: "There Is No Difference between a Prophet and a Messenger" A Refutation of the Proofs Employed by Those Who Say: "There is No Difference…" The Risaalah (Message) of the Prophets Is Limited and Not Absolute Mentioning the Messengers with the Term 'Prophets' Does Not Negate Them Being Messengers Matters Which the Prophets and Messengers Have in Common The Status of the Prophets before Their Prophethood The Prophets and Messengers Are the Absolute Best of Creation The Need of Human Beings for the Sending of the Messengers The Wisdom of Sending the Messengers The Duties of the Messengers The Ruling on the One Who Defames the Prophets and Messengers The Worst of People with Regards to Allaah's Punishment Is a Man Who Was Killed by a Prophet or a Man Who Killed a Prophet The Most Severely Tried amongst Mankind are the Prophets Allaah Took a Covenant from all of the Prophets and Messengers The Gatherings of the Prophets Are Preserved from Contention and Differing It Is Not Proper for a Prophet That He Has Deceitful Eyes The Prophets Do Not Die Until They Choose To The Prophets and Messengers Are Buried Wherever They Die The Prophets and Messengers Are Not Inherited From The Prophets and Messengers Are Alive in Their Graves The Earth Does Not Consume the Bodies of the Prophets The Meaning of His (sallaallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) Statement: "Do Not Show Preference between the Prophets" The Difference between the Prophet and the Muhaddath117 (al-Mulham) The Difference between the Prophet and the Walee Is It Possible for Someone from the Awliyaa' to Have the Status of the Prophets? The Angels Do Not Speak with the Awliyaa' and the Muhaddathoon Statements That Are Said Concerning Our Prophet Which Are in Opposition to Having Good Manners with Him The Raafidhah (Extremist Shee'ah) Place the Status of Their Imaams above the Status of the Prophets and Messengers The Excessiveness of the Soofees in Placing the Status of their Awliyaa' above the Status of the Prophets The Position of the Groups That Have Exited from al-Islaam A General Mention of the Collection of Books Containing Distortion and Defamation of the Prophets and Messengers The Criminality of Whoever Defames the Prophets and Messengers, Even Defaming Allaah, In the Era - are a Small Group of al-Hadaathiyoon (Innovators) The Weak Ahaadeeth in Connection to Our Topic Concerning the Prophets Closing Comments Appendix I: The Forty-Six Parts of Prophethood Appendix II: The Prohibition on Abbreviating the Salaah and Salaams upon the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) with SAW (and like terms)179 Glossary of Important Arabic Words and Phrases 'Aalim (pl. 'Ulamaa) Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah al-Ash'aree (pl. Ashaa'irah) al-Baatiniyyah al-Barzakh Dha'eef Dajjaal Dhimmi Dunyaa Eemaan Gubtah Haraam Hawaariyyoon Hikmah Ifraat Injeel Irsaal Ismah Israa'eeliyyaat Jaahiliyyah Jahmiyyah Jihaad Jumhoor Kaafir (pl. Kuffaar) Kabeerah (pl. Kabaa'ir) Kalaam Karaamah (pl. Karaamaat) Kayfiyyah Khilaafah Lawhul-Mahfoodh Majhool Marfoo' Matrook Mawqoof Mazboor Mi'raaj Mu'jizaah (pl. Mu'jizaat) Mukallaf Munkar Mushaf Mutawaatir Mu'tazilah Nabee (pl. Anbiyaa') Nubuwwah Qutb (pl. Aqtaab) Raafidhah Rujoolah Rasool (pl. Rusul) Risaalah Ru'yah Sagheerah (pl. Saghaa'ir) Salafus-Saalih Salafee Shaadh Sharee'ah Shaykh (pl. Shuyook) Shirk Siddeeq (pl. Siddeeqoon) Soofee (pl. Soofiyyah) Sunnah Tafreet Tafseer Taqiyyah Taqwaa Tareeq Tawbah Tawraah UIuhiyyah Umm Walad Ummah Wahi Wahi al-Manaamee Walee (pl. Awliyaa) Wara' Wasee (pl. Awsiyaa') Wilaayah Zaboor Zindeeq (pl.Zinaadiqah)