I need some assistance with these assignment. the basic islamic message of one god Thank you in advance for the help! Religion Number Question Quranic understanding of prophets before Muhammad and the scriptures given to the prophets
The Quran teaches that the prophets who predated Muhammad were sent and assigned a special mission or task by Allah to give guidance to man. These prophets were accorded with a belief to worship God and to make others subscribe to this belief. According to the Quran, these prophets taught and proclaimed the tawhid [oneness of Allah], the worshipping of Allah alone, belief in the day of Resurrection and Judgement and the turning away from sin and idolatry.
The Quran holds that because these prophets were spread out across time and distance, they preached and taught Islam in accordance to variable times. However, all these prophets are spoken of in the Quran as having foretold the coming of Allah’s last prophet and messenger, Muhammad. By stating that the prophets taught and preached Islam, it is meant that their message was Allah’s words and will.
Question 2: What Muslims believe regarding the aforementioned prophets and how they fit in with the basic Islamic message of one God
As previously stated Muslims regard the prophets who preceded Muhammad as Allah’s messengers. However, Muslims believe that all the prophets who preceded Muhammad are lower than Muhammad himself, for Muhammad brought fuller and clearer message of Allah. Nevertheless, faith in Allah’s prophets is important as it is in the pillars and articles of Islam. Muslims are categorical that Allah sent his prophets to every nation and that these prophets appeared and preached all over the world. Because of this, it is an effort in futility, trying to make a full list of the names of all the prophets. Muslims have to believe in all the prophets nevertheless without distinction and discrimination, just as it is written in the Quran 2:136, 285 and 384 that Allah makes no distinction among the prophets.
According to Muslims, the prophets who preceded Islam helped strengthen the basic Islamic message of the oneness of Allah by preaching and teaching this message. Specifically, all the prophets spoke of Allah as all-knowing and all-powerful being who alone was worthy of devotion and worship. The prophets made it clear that the belief in, devotion and worship of Allah is what characterized true religion. The prophets also taught of the consequences that would follow anyone who does not believe in the oneness of Allah.
What happened to the scriptures given to these prophets according to the Quran
Indeed, the Quean teaches that Islam faithfully proceeded from prophets such as Noah Moses and Isa (Quran 42:13). In this light, it is held that scriptures given by the pre-Muhammadan prophets are genuine and sacred, as can be seen in Quran 29:46. The Quran teaches that all scriptures are entitled to respect (Quran 4:136 and 3:84) and that the Torah and the Gospels were handed over to Musa and Isa, respectively as can be seen in (Quran 7:157 and 2:89). Muslims believe that the Quran confirms and explains with a fuller scope, previous scripture, as can be seen in Quran 10:37.
References
All the verses quoted are from the Holy Quran in English.
