Researched by : A. Muhammad
We are told in the Quran that the prophets of God
are sent with the Scripture:
"The people used to be one
community when God sent the prophets as bearers of good news,
as well as warners. He sent down with them the Scripture,
bearing the truth, to judge among the people in their disputes"
2:213 (also confirmed in 3:81)
The term 'Scripture'
is consistantly associated with 'prophets'
in the Quran.
If we count the number of prophets named in the
Quran we find a total of twenty prophets mentioned by their names.
Each one of these 20 is specifically called a prophet in the Quran.
If we read verses 83-86 of Sura 6 we read 18 names,
starting with Abraham and ending with Lot. Verse 89 confirms that all
these 18 were prophets of God:
"These are the ones to whom
we have given the Scripture wisdom and prophethood"
These prophets are:
1- Abraham (also named
as a prophet in 19:41 and 33:7)
2- Isaac (also in
19:49 and 37:112)
3- Jacob (also in
19:49)
4- Noah (also in 33:7)
5- David (also in
17:55)
6- Solomon
7- Job
8- Joseph
9- Moses (lso in 19:51
and 33:7)
10- Aaron (also in
19:53)
11- Zachariah
12- John (also in
3:39)
13- Jesus (also in
19:30 and 33:7)
14- Elias
15- Ismail (19:54)
16- Elisha
17- Jonah
18- Lot
If we add the names of the two prophets:
19- Idris (named a
prophet in 19:56)
20- Muhammad (who is
confirmed to be the last of the prophets (33:40)
We find that the total number of those who are
named as prophets in the Quran is
20
However we are told that that the two prophets
Moses and Aaron received the same Scripture. The Statute book was
given to both Moses and Aaron (37:117 and 21:48), therefore the total
number of Scripture given to the 20 prophets is 19. This means that
the Quran, besides being the last Scripture, is also the 19th
Scripture delivered through the 20 prophets mentioned in the Quran.
We note that there are others spoken of in the
Quran, but not as prophets, nor as deliverers of Scripture, they are:
Adam (described as one of the chosen 3:33 …….. not
associated with the word messenger or prophet)
Hud, Saleh, and Shu 'aib (named as messengers in
26:125/ 143/ 178 respectively)
Zal-Kifl (described as steadfast, patient and
righteous 21:85 and 38:48)
Luqman (described as one endowed with wisdom 31:12)
Nowhere in the Quran is any of these messengers
associated with the term 'Scripture'.
Non of them delivered a Scripture. Thus according to the definition
of 2:213 they are not prophets. Three of the six are called
messengers (Hud, Saleh, and Shu'aib) while the other three (Adam,
Zal-Kifl and Luqman) are only spoken of as receiving God's blessings.
We note that the Quran informs us that God has sent
other messengers in the past that we are not told about in the Quran:
"We have sent messengers
before you, some of them we mentioned to you, and some We did not
mention to you." 40:78 (also 4:164)
However, it is indeed of interest to note that the
only two verses that assert that fact (40:78 and 4:164), both speak of
messengers and not of prophets.
This confirms that God Almighty has sent to mankind
19 Scripture.
The Quran is the 19th
and Final Scripture.
All Praise to Almighty God
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