Prophethood, Holy Books and Angels
Risalah: Allah’s Communication with Humanity
Risalah is one of the most important concepts in Islamic theology. It means prophethood or “message,” and it refers to the way Allah has chosen to guide human beings throughout history: not by making His will obvious to everyone directly, but by selecting certain individuals to receive and convey His revelation. Without Risalah, humans would have no reliable knowledge of how Allah wants them to live. The Qur’an states in Surah al-Imran (3:144): “Muhammad is not but a messenger; there have been messengers before him.” This verse places Muhammad within a long line of prophets and insists that prophethood itself did not begin or end with any single individual — though it did find its culmination in him.
The Prophets: From Adam to Muhammad
Islamic tradition teaches that Allah sent prophets to every community throughout history, beginning with Adam. Muslims use two Arabic terms: a nabi is a prophet who receives revelation for his own community; a rasul is a messenger who brings a new scripture or law. Some prophets are named in the Qur’an; Muslims believe there may have been many thousands more. The following are key figures:
- Adam — the first human and the first prophet. Allah created him and appointed him as His khalifa (steward or representative) on earth. Adam represents the original covenant between humanity and Allah.
- Ibrahim (Abraham) — described as a hanif (one who turns purely to Allah, rejecting polytheism). He is considered the father of the prophets and rebuilt the Kaaba in Mecca with his son Isma’il as a house of pure monotheistic worship.
- Isma’il — Ibrahim’s son and co-builder of the Kaaba in Mecca. He is also revered as the ancestor of the Arab people and, through them, of the Prophet Muhammad.
- Musa (Moses) — the prophet to whom Allah revealed the Torah (Tawrat) and the Ten Commandments. He led the Israelites out of slavery and taught them the law of God.
- Dawud (David) — given the Psalms (Zabur) by Allah and remembered for his victory over Goliath and his role as a just king.
- Isa (Jesus) — a highly revered prophet and messenger in Islam, born miraculously of the Virgin Mary. Muslims believe Isa was given the Injil (Gospel) and performed miracles by Allah’s permission. Crucially, Islam does not teach that Isa is divine or the Son of God — he is a prophet, not a deity.
Adam is described as Allah’s khalifa (steward on earth). Ibrahim is described as a hanif (one who turns purely to Allah). Both terms are specific Qur’anic descriptions with exam significance: they indicate the role or spiritual status of these prophets rather than simply their identity.
Muhammad: The Seal of the Prophets
Muhammad (peace be upon him) holds a unique position in Islamic belief. He is known as the seal of the prophets (Khatam an-Nabiyyin). This means that prophetic revelation ended with Muhammad; no new prophet will bring a new message from Allah after him. The Qur’an was revealed to him over 23 years beginning in a cave on Mount Hira, as described in Surah al-Alaq (Surah 96), the first revelation.
Islam teaches that the original message given to all previous prophets was essentially the same: submit to the one God. Over time, earlier revelations became distorted or incomplete. The Qur’an, revealed to Muhammad, is understood as the final, fully preserved and undistorted message from Allah. Surah al-Ma’idah (5:46) confirms the continuity of revelation: “We sent after them Isa the son of Maryam, confirming that which came before him in the Torah.”
Shi’a Muslims believe that after the Prophet Muhammad — who was the last prophet — authority over the Muslim community passed to a line of twelve Imams descended from the Prophet through his son-in-law Ali. These Imams are not prophets (prophethood ended with Muhammad), but they are considered infallible guides whose interpretation of the Qur’an and Islamic law is authoritative.
This belief distinguishes Shi’a Islam sharply from Sunni Islam, which does not accept the concept of infallible Imams. For Sunni Muslims, guidance after the Prophet comes from the Qur’an, the Sunnah (the Prophet’s example), and the scholarly community (Ulema). Both traditions, however, agree that prophethood itself is definitively closed with Muhammad.
The Holy Books: Kutub
Islam teaches that Allah revealed scriptures (Kutub) to various prophets throughout history. Four are given special prominence:
- Sahifah — the scrolls revealed to Ibrahim (and according to some traditions, Adam). These are the earliest recorded revelation.
- Tawrat — the Torah, revealed to Musa. The original Tawrat was the word of Allah; Muslims believe the version now in the Torah has been subject to alteration over time.
- Zabur — the Psalms, revealed to Dawud. Surah al-Ma’idah (5:46) confirms the continuity of these earlier books with the final message.
- Injil — the Gospel, revealed to Isa. Muslims believe the original Injil was a pure message from Allah; they do not regard the four Gospels of the Christian New Testament as identical to the original Injil.
The Qur’an is the last and final revealed scripture. Unlike previous scriptures, which Muslims believe became distorted over time, the Qur’an is held to be perfectly preserved in its original form. Surah al-Alaq (Surah 96) records the first revelation: “Read! In the name of your Lord who created.”
The Angels: Allah’s Messengers in Creation
Islam teaches that Allah created angels (mala’ikah) from light before He created humanity. Angels are immortal, free from sin, and without free will — they carry out Allah’s commands perfectly and without deviation. Surah Fatir (35:1) describes the angels as “messengers with wings.” The belief in angels is one of the six Sunni articles of faith. Surah an-Nahl (16:102) specifically identifies Jibril as the one who conveyed the Qur’an to the Prophet.
Four angels have named roles that are essential exam knowledge:
- Jibril — the chief angel and the angel of revelation. He delivered the Qur’an word by word to Muhammad over 23 years.
- Izra’il — the angel of death, responsible for taking the final breath of every soul at the moment of death.
- Mika’il — the bringer of rain and sustenance. He is associated with provision and the physical wellbeing of creation. (The guardian of paradise in Islamic tradition is Ridwan, not Mika’il.)
- Israfil — the angel who will blow the trumpet on the Day of Judgement to signal the resurrection of all souls.
Alongside the four named angels, Islam teaches that every human being has recording angels (Kiraman Katibin — “honourable scribes”) on their left and right shoulders. The angel on the right records good deeds; the one on the left records sins. These records will be read out on the Day of Judgement.
For many Muslims, the awareness of recording angels acts as a powerful moral guide. Knowing that no action — however private — goes unrecorded encourages honesty, compassion and avoidance of wrongdoing even when no human witness is present. This belief connects the Islamic doctrine of angels directly to ethics and everyday conduct.
The four named angels are: Jibril (revelation), Izra’il (death), Mika’il (rain and sustenance), Israfil (trumpet on the Day of Judgement). Surah Fatir (35:1) describes angels as messengers with wings; Surah an-Nahl (16:102) links Jibril to the revelation of the Qur’an.