4. The fourth of the six essentials of îmân is “to believe in Allâhu ta’âlâ’s Prophets,” who were sent to make people attain the way He likes and to guide them to the right way. Lexically, ‘rusul’ (pl. of rasûl) were the ‘people sent, messengers.’ In Islam, ‘rasûl’ means ‘noble, respectable person whose nature, character, knowledge and intellect are higher than those of all the people of his time, and who does not have a single bad trait in his character and no disliked manner.’ Prophets had the quality ’Isma; that is, they did not commit any grave or venial sins before or after they were informed of their nubuwwa (prophethood, prophetship). After they were informed of their nubuwwa and until their nubuwwa was known and spread out, they did not have such defects as blindness, deafness or the like. It has to be believed that every Prophet had seven peculiarities: Amâna(trustworthiness), Sidq (devotion), Teblîgh (communication), ’Adâla(justness), ’Isma (immunity to sinning), Fatâna (superintelligence) and Amn al-’azl (security against dismissal from nubuwwa).

A Prophet who brought a new religion, (i.e. one with a new dispensation.) is called a “Rasûl” (Messenger). A Prophet who did not bring a new religion but invited people to the previous religion is called a “Nabî” (Prophet).^[1] In the communication (teblîgh) of the injunctions and in calling the people to Allâhu ta’âlâ’s religion, there is no difference between a Rasûl and a Nabî. We have to believe that all Prophets, without an exception, were devoted and truthful. He who denies one of them is regarded as having denied all of them.

_{[1] ‘Rasûl’ is also translated as ‘Prophet’ in the text.}