WHAT DOES PROPHETHOOD MEAN ? (I)

It is written at the end of the book Sharh-i Mawâqif by Sayyid Sherîf al-Jurjânî that, according to the scholars of Kalâm, a person to whom Allâhu ta’âlâ says, “I have sent thee to the people in such and such a country or to the whole of mankind,” or “Reveal [My will] to my slaves!” or gives a similar command, is called a “nabî” or “payghambar”(Messenger or Prophet). Being a Prophet does not require having certain conditions like riyâda or mujâhada or having been born with qualities suitable for prophethood. Allâhu ta’âlâ can bestow this gift upon anyone He chooses. He knows everything and does what is best. He does whatever He wills to do. He is the Almighty. According to the scholars of “Kalâm, it is not necessary for a Prophet to display a mu’jiza (miracle), either. It was said that he had to display miracles so that people would know that he was a Prophet, but this still is not a condition for him to be a Prophet. According to ancient Greek philosophers, to be a Prophet requires three conditions; firstly, to reveal the ghaib (unknown, mystery), that is, to explain past and future events when required; secondly, to do extraordinary things, that is, things that are mentally and scientifically impossible; thirdly, to see an angel in object and body and to hear Allâhu ta’âlâ’s wahy from the angel.

Neither for us nor for them [philosophers], is it necessary for a Prophet to know all of the unknown. And knowing some of it is not peculiar only to Prophets. It is admitted also by philosophers that those who undergo riyâda, that is, those who isolate themselves in a room and eat just enough so as not to die, some sick people who have lost consciousness, and some people while asleep disclose some mysteries. In this respect such people are not different from Prophets. Perhaps, what philosophers call the “ghaib” are the extraordinary and unusual things which are rarely seen. However, these are not the real unknown. Knowing them or reporting them once or twice does not mean to transcend the ordinary. This point keeps Prophets and others distinct. Scholars of Kalâm also report that Prophets will know the real myteries revealed to them by Allâhu ta’âlâ, but they say that knowing mysteries is not a requirement for being a Prophet. Also, the abovesaid grounds which philosophers put forward with respect to knowing the unknown are not correct. They are incompatible with Islam’s fundamentals. Furthermore, knowing the unknown on such grounds is quite a different subject. They are extraordinary wonders. There is no use in particularly dwelling on this.