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The well-known difference between a Prophet and a Messenger
is that a Messenger is one to whom a law is revealed and he is commanded to
convey it, whilst a Prophet is one to whom a law is revealed but he is not
commanded to convey it. But this distinction is not free of problems,
because a Prophet is also commanded to call people, convey the Message and
judge among the people.
Hence Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: The correct view is that the
Messenger is one who is sent to a disbelieving people, and the Prophet is
one who is sent to a believing people with the sharee’ah of the Messenger
who came before him, to teach them and judge between them, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
“Verily, We did send down the Tawraat (Torah) [to Moosa (Moses)], therein
was guidance and light, by which the Prophets, who submitted themselves to
Allaah’s Will, judged for the Jews” [al-Maa’idah 5:44]
So the Prophets of the Children of Israel judged by the Tawraat which Allaah
had revealed to Moosa.
With regard to the aayah,
“but he is the Messenger of Allaah and the last (end) of the Prophets”
[al-Ahzaab 33:40]
and why it did not say the last of the Messengers – the end of the Message
does not mean the end of Prophethood, but the end of Prophethood does mean
the end of the Message. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “There will be no Prophet after me,” and he did not say,
there will be no Messenger after me.
Thus we know that there is no Messenger and no Prophet after him (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him); he was the last of the Prophets and of the
Messengers, (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Source: Islam-QA.com |
