On Differentiating Between Prophets

A’ūdhu biLlāhi mina sh-shayṭāni r-rajīm. Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm:

“لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِه”

(Qur’an 02:253)

“Lā nufarriqu bayna aḥadin min rusulihi”

“We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

This āyah from Sūratu l-Baqarah means we are not making any difference between prophets; all prophets. All of them are in the same way. This is its meaning. Maybe some people thought this means that they’re all in one rank. No. The meaning of this āyah – maybe some people don’t have knowledge or they don’t have good adab or good behavior, they are saying about Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam that he ﷺ is like others, or that some Prophets are doing so, they are not good. No, all of them are the same, in the way of Allāh ﷻ.

But in ranks, there is a difference. “تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ”, “Tilka r-rusulu fadḍalnā bā’dahum ʿalá bā’d”, “Those messengers – some of them We caused to exceed others.” (Qur’an 02:285). Which means all Prophets, Messengers of Allāh ﷻ, some of them are also higher than others. There is, of course the highest one, Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam. After him ﷺ, there is Uli l-‘Aẓim, which means the strong Prophets. And after that, there is also the 313 Prophets. And these are the highest between all Prophets. How many Prophets there are? There are one hundred twenty-four thousand. Because since thousands of years, Allāh ﷻ hadn’t let any time on this earth without prophets: since Ādam ‘alayhi s-salām, until Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam.

Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam is the last one, and he ﷺ completed what prophets slowly, slowly brought, the Heavenly order. Some of them are finished, some of them not used anymore, some of them Allāh ﷻ changed. But the most perfect religion after those, which was not changed is Islām. Because it is the religion of Allāh Azza wa Jalla.

Al-ḥamdu liLlāh, we are billions of people following this. The most crowded nation, is the nation of Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ʿalayhi wa sallam. And they must be the most lucky ones if they know the value. If they don’t know the value, they are unlucky. There is no benefit for them. May Allāh ﷻ make us to be thankful for Him ﷻ, for this big ni’mah. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbani 

19 February 2025/ 20 Sha’ban 1446

Fajr Prayer – Sheikh Nazim Dergah; London, UK