Why Allāh Sent Prophets and Messengers
Understanding why the Lord of the worlds sent prophets and messengers to mankind.
And to worship Allāh means to obey Him and to do all that He has ordained — and to fear Him by abstaining from all that He has forbidden.
In the Name of Allāh, The Beneficent, The Merciful
Ever since people innovated the dogma of joining others in worship along with Allāh, Allāh had been sending Prophets and Messengers to His devotees in order to invite them to the worship of Allāh and Allāh Alone, to order them not to ascribe partners unto Him and bring them out of the darkness of polytheism and into the light of Monotheism. All the Prophets preached the belief in the Oneness of Allāh. The following verses from the Noble Qurʾān illustrate this fact:
“Indeed, We sent Nooh (Noah) to his people and he said: ‘O my people! Worship Allāh! You have no other Ilaah (God) but him. (Lā ilāha illá Allāh, none has the right to be worshipped but Allāh). Certainly, I fear for you the torment of a great Day!'” (Al-Aʿrāf, The Heights 7:59)
“And to ‘Aad (people, We sent) their brother Hood. He said: ‘O my people! Worship Allāh! You have no other Ilaah (God) but Him. (Lā ilāha illá Allāh, none has the right to be worshipped but Allāh). Will you not fear (Allāh)?'” (Al-Aʿrāf, The Heights 7:65)
“And to (the people of) Madyān (Midian), (We sent) their brother Shuʾayb. He said: ‘O my People! Worship Allāh! You have no other Ilaah (God) but Him. (Lā ilāha illá Allāh, none has the right to be worshipped but Allāh). Verily, a clear proof (sign) from your Lord has come unto you, so give full measure and full weight and wrong not men in their things, and do not make mischief on the earth after it has been set in order, that will be better for you, if you are believers.'” (Al-Aʿrāf, The Heights 7:85)
“And to Thamūd (people, We sent) their brother Ṣāliḥ. He said: ‘O my people! Worship Allāh! You have no other Ilaah (God) but Him. (Lā ilāha illá Allāh, none has the right to be worshipped but Allāh).'” (Al-Aʿrāf, The Heights 7:73)
“And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): Worship Allāh (Alone) and avoid (or keep away from) Tāghūt (all false deities).” (Al-Nahl, The Bee 16:36)
Every Prophet was sent unto his own nation for their guidance, but the Message of Prophet Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhī wa sallam – peace be upon him) was general for all mankind and jinn (a being created from smokeless flames).
“Say [O Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhī wa sallam)]: ‘O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allāh.'” (Al-Aʿrāf, The Heights 7:158)
So the aim of sending these Prophets and Messengers to mankind and jinn was only that they should worship Allāh Alone, as Allāh said:
“And I (Allāh) created not the jinn and men except they should worship Me (Alone)” (Al-Dhāriyāt, The Winds that Scatter 51:56)
And to worship Allāh means to obey Him and to do all that He has ordained, – and to fear Him by abstaining from all that He has forbidden. Then those who will obey Allāh will be rewarded in Paradise, and those who will disobey Him will be punished in the Hell-fire.
Source: Taken from ‘Interpretations and Meanings of the Noble Qurʾān
