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in category Messengers & Prophets

What is the difference between a prophet and a messenger (nabi and rasool)?

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Masters in Education from Nottingham University in the UK. Also studied Masters in Islamic Studies and Islamic Banking & Finance. Political activist with interests in Geopolitics, History and Phil ...
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In a Nutshell:
Prophets (anbiya) brought revelation to nations or peoples that were receptive (e.g., Adam, Ismaeel, Ishaaq, Suleiman or Yahya). Messengers (rusul) were sent to hostile nations that had abandoned revelation (e.g., Nuh, Hud, Saleh, Lut, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa, Yusuf and Muhammad). Prophets are not messengers, but messengers can be prophets, where they gain followers who are receptive to their message.

Introduction

There is wide-spread confusion and differences between the scholars regarding the terms prophet and messenger (nabi vs rasool) and the differences between the two roles. I will set out the evidences on this topic and the strongest view which has been expressed by Ibn Taymiyyah that explains the differences between the two roles well.



Evidences Differentiating between Prophets and Messengers (nabi and rasool)

The following evidences are usually cited:

وَأَنزَلْنَا إِلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ مِنَ الْكِتَابِ وَمُهَيْمِنًا عَلَيْهِ فَاحْكُم بَيْنَهُم بِمَا أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ عَمَّا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً وَمِنْهَاجًا وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلَٰكِن لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِي مَا آتَاكُمْ فَاسْتَبِقُوا الْخَيْرَاتِ إِلَى اللَّهِ مَرْجِعُكُمْ جَمِيعًا فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ فِيهِ تَخْتَلِفُونَ

"For each Messenger I sent a Sharia and way of life" (Quran 5:48)

ثُمَّ اَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلَنَا تَتۡـرَا​ ؕ كُلَّ مَا جَآءَ اُمَّةً رَّسُوۡلُهَا كَذَّبُوۡهُ​ فَاَتۡبَـعۡنَا بَعۡـضَهُمۡ بَعۡـضًا وَّجَعَلۡنٰهُمۡ اَحَادِيۡثَ​ ۚ فَبُـعۡدًا لِّـقَوۡمٍ لَّا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ
Then We sent Our messengers in succession. Every time there came to a nation its messenger, they denied him, so We made them follow one another [to destruction], and We made them narrations. So away with a people who do not believe. (Qur'an 23:44)

اِنَّاۤ اَنۡزَلۡنَا التَّوۡرٰٮةَ فِيۡهَا هُدًى وَّنُوۡرٌ​ ۚ يَحۡكُمُ بِهَا النَّبِيُّوۡنَ الَّذِيۡنَ اَسۡلَمُوۡا لِلَّذِيۡنَ هَادُوۡا وَ الرَّبَّانِيُّوۡنَ وَالۡاَحۡبَارُ بِمَا اسۡتُحۡفِظُوۡا مِنۡ كِتٰبِ اللّٰهِ وَكَانُوۡا عَلَيۡهِ شُهَدَآءَ​​ۚ
Indeed, We revealed the Torah, containing guidance and light, by which the prophets, who submitted themselves to Allah, made judgments for Jews. So too did the rabbis and scholars judge according to Allah’s Book, with which they were entrusted and of which they were made keepers. (Qur'an 5:44)

وَلَـقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلِكَ فِىۡ شِيَعِ الۡاَوَّلِيۡنَ‏ وَمَا يَاۡتِيۡهِمۡ مِّنۡ رَّسُوۡلٍ اِلَّا كَانُوۡا بِهٖ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُوۡنَ‏
(O Muhammad), certainly We did send Messengers before you among the nations which have gone by and whenever a Messenger came to them, they never failed to mock him. (Qur'an 15:10)

The Prophet (saw) distinguished between both groups:

عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍ قَالَ : قُلْتُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، كَمْ الأْنِبَياء ؟ قال :مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ وَأَرْبَعَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ أَلْفًا " قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ: كَمِ الرُّسُلُ مِنْهُمْ؟ قَالَ: " ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ وَثَلَاثَةَ عَشَرَ جَمٌّ غَفِيرٌ
The Messenger (saws) was asked by Abu Dharr about the number of Anbiya and Rusul. He (saws) replied there were 124,000 Prophets among whom 315 were Messengers. (Musnad Ahmad, Tabarani and ibn Hibban)

In the other part of this hadith in another narration the Prophet (saw) said prophet Adam (as) is a nabi:

أيُّ الأنبياءِ كان أوَّلَ؟ قال: آدمُ، قلتُ: يا رسولَ اللهِ، ونَبيٌّ كان؟ قال: نعمْ، نَبيٌّ مُكلَّمٌ
"Who was the first nabi? He (the Prophet) sad: Adam.
I said, O Messenger of Allah: 'Was he a prophet?'
He replied, 'Yes a nabi whom Allah spoke to.'" (al-Mustadrak 2966)

Some object to these narrations stating the narration is munkar - one of the chains has a weak narrator whilst the other chains omit the part stating "310 were messengers". But this hadith was narrated on the authority of Abu Dhar, Sadi ibn Ijlan, Jundub ibn Abdullah and Abdullah ibn Sakhr. There are some weak narrations of the hadith, but the meaning was narrated by several chains of narrators and in some authentic narrations as well, which elevates its rank.

On the other hand, there is a narration arguing Nuh (as) was the first rasool as in the narration of shafa'ah in the Day of Judgement:

ولكنِ ائتوا نوحًا، فإنه أولُ رسولٍ بعثه اللهُ إلى أهلِ الأرضِ
"Rather, go to Nuh as he is the first rasool sent to people of the earth." (Ibn Al-Arabi, Ahkam al-Qur'an, Vol. 4, p. 89)

So, there is a distinction between both terms. The same distinction was also made by Allah:

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ وَلاَ نَبِيٍّ إِلاَّ إِذَا تَمَنَّىٰ أَلْقَى ٱلشَّيْطَانُ فِيۤ أُمْنِيَّتِهِ فَيَنسَخُ ٱللَّهُ مَا يُلْقِي ٱلشَّيْطَانُ ثُمَّ يُحْكِمُ ٱللَّهُ آيَاتِهِ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he spoke, Satan threw into it [some misunderstanding]. (Qur'an 22:52)

In another hadith when the Prophet (saw) was teaching al-Bara a du'aa before sleeping:

قَالَ فَرَدَّدْتُهُنَّ لأَسْتَذْكِرَهُنَّ فَقُلْتُ آمَنْتُ بِرَسُولِكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ قَالَ ‏"‏ قُلْ آمَنْتُ بِنَبِيِّكَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلْتَ ‏"
"And as I repeated these words to commit them to memory, I said:" I affirm my faith in your Messenger (rasool) whom you sent."
He said: Say:" I affirm my faith in the Prophet (nabi) whom you sent." (Sahih al-Muslim 6544)

So, if both terms are the same the Prophet (saw) would have approved his du'a.


Scholarly Opinions

Imam al-Tabari (839-923 CE)

  • Work: Jami' al-Bayan, a famous Qur'anic commentary
  • View: Emphasized that every messenger (rasul) is inherently a prophet (nabi), but not every nabi is a rasul. The distinction lies in the revelation of a new Shar'iah (divine law).
  • Quote: "...A difference was made between nabi and rasul. Each rasul is a nabi, but not each nabi is a rasul..."

Al-Qurtubi (1214-1273 CE)

  • Work: Al-Jami' li-Ahkam al-Qur'an – another revered Qur'anic exegesis
  • View: Similar to al-Tabari, highlighting that rusul were entrusted with bringing distinct scriptures or law codes for their people.
  • Quote: "And the difference between a nabi and a rasul is that every rasul is a nabi but not every nabi is a rasul. A rasul is he who comes with a renewed shar'iah and a divinely revealed Book which commands obedience…"

Ibn Taymiyyah (1263-1328 CE)

  • Work: Widely respected scholar, his analyses are found across legal, theological, and historical studies.
  • View: Focused on messengerhood emphasizing universality - the core message could apply to multiple nations across time.
  • Quote: "Every rasul is a nabi, but not every nabi is a rasul. The rasul must have a revelation sent to him, and which he proclaims (as an apostle); his law may abrogate previously-revealed laws"

Ibn Kathir (1301–1373 CE)

  • Work: Tafsir ibn Kathir - Highly influential commentary on the Qur'an.
  • View: Drew heavily on linguistic nuances between the Arabic words to argue that rusul carried a sense of being sent on a specific mission, often in contentious circumstances.
  • Quote: "The word 'rasul' is mentioned [in the Qur'an] to emphasize the concept of 'being sent from one place to another, as with kings who send a rasul [messenger] in order to communicate an important message…"

Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (1149-1209 CE)

  • Work: Mafatih al-Ghayb, also known as al-Tafsir al-Kabir (The Great Exegesis)
  • View: A highly rational thinker, Razi placed significant emphasis on a combination of textual evidence and logical deduction.
  • He analysed the implications of 'sending' inherent to the notion of a rasul. According to his interpretation, messengers must both receive messages and actively convey them to their people. Therefore, in his categorization, a prophet who primarily received revelation for themselves or a very limited community, without wider propagation, might not rank as a rasul.

Al-Baydawi (13th century CE)

  • Work: Anwar al-Tanzil wa Asrar al-Ta'wil (The Lights of Revelation and the Secrets of Interpretation), another respected Qur'anic exegesis.
  • View: Following a similar line of reasoning to Ibn Kathir, al-Baydawi focused on the connotations of being "sent" to deliver a message and withstand opposition with fortitude. His work suggests that even a prophet entrusted with reaffirming an existing divine code, yet facing harsh resistance during this mission, could be counted among the ranks of rusul.

Al-Alusi (1802–1854 CE)

  • Work: Ruh al-Ma'ani fi Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim wa al-Sab al-Mathani (The Spirit of Meanings in the Exegesis of the Great Qur'an and the Seven Oft-Repeated Verses).
  • View: A late classical era commentator, Al-Alusi offered a complex synthesis of previous works with an emphasis on context.
  • Argues that while scriptural revelation holds immense weight for both categories, the context of revelation affects whether one holds the rank of rasul. Thus, prophets in established communities reaffirming known laws would usually fall outside the 'rasul' domain. In contrast, figures introducing foundational tenets to entirely new populations more strongly fit the 'messenger' description.



Juristic Analysis of difference between Prophets and Messengers

Ibn Taymiyyah advocates opinion which seems to be quite persuasive. He starts by considering the linguistic perspective, asking what does the term nabi mean. Surah Naba (verse 2) uses the term to refer to news or information suggesting a nabi is one who informs others with the information he possesses. Rasool, however, means to send a delegate, envoy, emissary or ambassador, to a nation with whom one is usually not on good terms. From this reasoning, Allah sends messengers to nations who reject him (e.g., Nuh, the first rasool, Lut, Hud, Salih, Yunus, Ibrahim, Musa, Yusuf, Isa and so on upto Muhammad), whilst a prophet is sent to people who already accept him due to their belief in the previous rasool (such as Idris, Yaqub, Ishaaq, Sulayman, Dawud and others).

The people of Adam (as) and Idris (as) did not worship others with Allah as they were created by Allah in a pure way. Later the Shayateen deceived them and made them worshipping others. (Sahih al-Muslim 6853) So the people of Nuh (as) were the first mushrikeen. As ibn Abbas said in interpreting the verse:

كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنْذِرِينَ
"Mankind was one ummah; then Allah sent the prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners." (Qur'an 2:213)

He explained:

كَانَ بَيْنَآدَمَ وَنُوحٍعَشْرُ قُرُونٍكُلُّهُمْ عَلَىشَرِيعَةٍ مِنَ الْحَقِّ، فَاخْتَلَفُوا، فَبَعَثَ اللهُ النَبِيِينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنْذِرِينَ
"There were ten centuries between Adam and Nuh. All people followed a shari'ah of truth. They disagreed, so Allah sent nabis, bringers of good tidings and warners." (Tabari, Jami al-Bayan, Vol. 4, p. 275, )

The same thing was narrated by Qatadah, Ikrimah and others, but Mujahid made it specific:

فَكَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ بَعَثَ نُوحًا
"The first who was sent was Nuh." (Ibn Kathir, Tafseer al-Qur'an al-Adheem, Vol. 1, p. 229)

As the narration above says Nuh (as) was the first rasool, so he was the first rasool when people deviated too much from the divine trajectory.
Yusuf (as) also was sent to people who were disbelievers, so he was called rasool.

Ibn Taymiyyah argued:

ٌفَالنَبِيُ هُوَ اّلذِي يُنَبِئُهُ اللهُ، وهُوَ يُنْبِىءُ بِمَا أَنْبَأَ اللهُ بِهِ؛ فَإِنْ أُرْسَِل َمعَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى مَنْ خَالَف أَمْرَ اللّهِ ليُبَلِغَهُ رِسَالَةً مِنَ اللهِ إِلَيهِ؛ فَهُوَ رَسُول
"The nabi is the one whom Allah informs and he informs people of what Allah has told him. But if he was sent with a message to those that go against Allah's commands, he is a rasool. But if he follows a shari'ah that came before him and is not sent to anyone to convey Allah's message to them, then he is a nabi and not a rasool." (Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Nubuwaat, Vol. 2, p. 714)

All the evidences support this view with no contradiction. As such it is the strongest position.

وَلَـقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا مِنۡ قَبۡلِكَ فِىۡ شِيَعِ الۡاَوَّلِيۡنَ‏ وَمَا يَاۡتِيۡهِمۡ مِّنۡ رَّسُوۡلٍ اِلَّا كَانُوۡا بِهٖ يَسۡتَهۡزِءُوۡنَ‏
(O Muhammad), certainly We did send Messengers before you among the nations which have gone by and whenever a Messenger came to them, they never failed to mock him. (Qur'an 15:10)

أَفَكُلَّمَا جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰ أَنْفُسُكُمُ اسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ
But is it [not] that every time a messenger came to you, [O Children of Israel], with what your souls did not desire, you were arrogant? And a party [of messengers] you denied and another party you killed. (Qur'an 2:87)

فَإِنْ كَذَّبُوكَ فَقَدْ كُذِّبَ رُسُلٌ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ جَاءُوا بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالزُّبُرِ وَالْكِتَابِ الْمُنِيرِ
Then if they deny you, [O Muhammad] - so were messengers denied before you, who brought clear proofs and written ordinances and the enlightening Scripture. (Qur'an 3:184)

لَقَدْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهِمْ رُسُلًا ۖ كُلَّمَا جَاءَهُمْ رَسُولٌ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰ أَنْفُسُهُمْ فَرِيقًا كَذَّبُوا وَفَرِيقًا يَقْتُلُونَ
We had already taken the covenant of the Children of Israel and had sent to them messengers. Whenever there came to them a messenger with what their souls did not desire, a party [of messengers] they denied, and another party they killed. (Qur'an 5:70)

وَلَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أَصْحَابُ الْحِجْرِ الْمُرْسَلِينَ
And certainly did the companions of Thamud deny the messengers. (Qur'an 15:80)

ذَٰلِكَ جَزَاؤُهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ بِمَا كَفَرُوا وَاتَّخَذُوا آيَاتِي وَرُسُلِي هُزُوًا
That is their recompense - Hell - for what they denied and [because] they took My signs and My messengers in ridicule. (Qur'an 18:106)

وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِئَ بِرُسُلٍ مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فَأَمْلَيْتُ لِلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ثُمَّ أَخَذْتُهُمْ ۖ فَكَيْفَ كَانَ عِقَابِ
And already were [other] messengers ridiculed before you, and I extended the time of those who disbelieved; then I seized them, and how [terrible] was My penalty. (Qur'an 13:32)

Other scholars like Razi argued in a similar vein:

"A nabi is one who is not given a new book, but rather establishes the book which was revealed to the rasool before him. He does not abrogate the book and the code of law which was in vogue before him. He sees the angel in a dream or the rasool of the time informs him that he has been chosen as a nabi." (Razi, Mafaatih al-Ghayb Vol. 23, p. 43)



Conclusion

Scholars generally agree there is a distinction between messengers and prophets, differing on peripheral minutiae.

Scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah and Razi explain this issue clearly and well:

  • Prophets (anbiyaa) brought revelation to nations or peoples that were receptive (e.g., Adam, Idris, Ismaeel, Ishaaq, Dawud, Suleiman or Yahya).
  • Messengers (rusul) were sent to hostile nations that had abandoned revelation (e.g., Nuh, Hud, Saleh, Lut, Yunus, Musa, Yusuf, Isa and Muhammad).

Prophets are not messengers, but messengers can be prophets, where they develop followers who are receptive to their message.



References

Alusi, Ruh al-Ma'ani
Baydawi, Anwar at-Tanzeel
Ibn Al-Arabi, Ahkam al-Qur'an
Ibn Kathir, Tafseer al-Qur'an al-Adheem
Ibn Taymiyyah, al-Nubuwat
Nasafi, Madarik at-Tanzeel
Qurtubi, al-Jami li Ahkam al-Qur'an
Shawkani, Fath al-Qadeer
Razi, Mafatih al-Ghayb
Tabari, Jami al-Bayan


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