How is the Faith in Prophets in Other Religions?
Even though there are some differences in the concept of prophethood, belief in the prophets is a common principle for the divine religions. In Judaism, a prophet is the person who provides communication between human beings and the supernatural powers, who undertakes the duties of representation and mediation, and chosen by God. The prophet is a "mediator" in charge of mediating revelation, transferring what is entrusted to them as it is, conveying God's teachings/words accurately to people. In Judaism, the most important place in prophethood is attributed to Musa (Moses) who was given the Torah. The Jewish people accept that there were other prophets after Musa, and the prophethood ended with Malachi. They believe no other prophet will be ever sent after him.(Abdurrahman Küçük, Günay Tümer, Mehmet Alparslan Küçük, Dinler Tarihi, p. 299-300) Belief of the Jews in prophets is limited to the prophets that are mentioned in their holy book.
Christians, for whom the faith in prophets is not among their principles of religion, accept the prophets of Judaism. They accept Isa (Jesus) not as a prophet but as a god. According to Christians, Isa is the Redeemer. He is not a prophet. He was sent among people to save them. His death by crucifixion was redemption for the sins of humanity. Those, who believe he is the Redeemer and are baptized, will reach salvation. Jews do not accept Isa and Muhammad, and Christians do not accept Muhammad as prophets. However, Islam commands Muslims to embrace all prophets that were sent by Allah.
Other religions and Islam have different understanding of prophethood. Their view of the prophets is different than Islam. In Judaism, Yaqub (Jacob) wrestles with God. It is written in their holy books that Ibrahim introduced his wife to Pharaoh as his sister, Lut got drunk and fornicated with his daughters, Dawud sent a commander to battle to get the commander's wife. Jews also call Uzair "son of Allah". In Christianity, Isa is called "son of God" and also "incarnation of God", while his disciples are called "Isa's Messengers". It is written in Gospels that people prostrated and prayed to Isa, and he forgave their sins. Christians also believe that Isa is the ruler of the al-Malhama al-Kubra. (Abdurrahman Küçük vd., Dinler Tarihi, p. 453-454)
Islam, which favors a common ground in the matter of prophets as it does in all other matters, does not attribute aspects that will not suit prophethood to them, does not deify them, and accepts them as servants and messengers of Allah. Prophets are distinguished people who are honored by revelation and possess some superior qualities that are not found in other people. According to Islam, they are servants and messengers of Allah. They do not have power to benefit themselves and eliminate harm without Allah's will. They do not know the ghaib (unseen, divine secrets) apart from those taught by Allah. So Islam strongly opposes to deify the prophets and to see them as son of Allah.
The Holy Qur'an explains that Isa is servant and messenger of the Almighty Allah and he conveyed the tawhid (oneness) like other prophets. It rejects deifying Isa, and confirms that He is a prophet and he was given the Gospel. According to the various verses in the Holy Qur'an, Isa said he was servant of Allah, Allah sent him a book and he was made a prophet (Maryam, 19/30-36) He strongly denied claims that he and his mother were deities and abstained from associating himself with Allah. (Ma'idah, 5/116-117)
The Holy Qur'an invites Jews and Christians to believe in "Abraham's religion" which does not associate anyone with Allah. In the Holy Qur'an, it is said that Ibrahim revealed his submission by taking the path of Islam, when Allah told him to "Submit", and he replied "I have submitted [in Islam] to the Lord of the worlds." (Baqarah, 2/131) This path is the path of all other prophets. The Holy Qur'an orders: "Say, 'We have believed in Allah and in what was revealed to us and what was revealed to Ibrahim, Ismael, Ishaq, Yaqub, (Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob) and the Descendants, and in what was given to Moses and Isa and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them. And we are Muslims [submitting] to Him." (Ali 'Imran, 3/84)
According to the religion of Islam, common religion of all messengers is Islam. The Almighty Allah says, "Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam." (Ali 'Imran, 3/19). Even though their rules are different, all the prophets invited people to worship Allah and the oneness of Him, and to abandon everything that is worshiped except Him. The Holy Qur'an says all of the prophets chose Islam, and they willed their children to die as Muslims (Baqarah, 2/132), they prayed to Allah to make them Muslims in submission to Him and make their descendants an ummah in submission (Baqarah, 2/128) and asks: "Or do you say that Abraham and Ishmael and Ishaq and Yaqub and the Descendants were Jews or Christians? Say, 'Are you more knowing or is Allah?' " (Baqarah, 2/140) Our Prophet also said "The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different."and explained that they invite people to the same religion. (Bukhari, Anbya, 48)
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