Friday (9/8/2024) Notes From The Quran : RASUL, NABA'

 

Non Muslims can skip this. It is too technical.

This "Friday Notes from the Quran" does require some research with which I am familiar.  I can find the references quickly. But I have been extremely busy the past weeks. Learning new skills. And I was down with a bug the past 10 days. Time is so precious.

For those of you who have been reading this column, and the 15 years or so of this blog, you may understand some things in this blog much better if you notice some words that I never use (wrt 'religion'). For example I rarely or ever use the English word "prophet". I feel it is the incorrect English word and I will explain why here.

Today I would like to discuss the words rasul and naba'. 
And the English word 'prophet'.
The word rasul means a messenger. 

Arsal, rasul, risala have the same root.
Risala means a message, a book, a document.
Arsal means the act of sending / despatching someone or some message.
Rasul is the messenger that is sent or despatched (arsal) with the risala / message.
So remember arsal, rasul, risala.

• For example 'wa arsal na ka'
• wa = and
• arsal = sent / despatched 
• na = we
• ka = you

And we sent / despatched you

Sura 25:48      هو الذي أرسل الرياح   

or 'huwallazi ARSALA al riyahu' - He is the one who DISPATCHED the wind

 
Sura 5:67  يا أيها الرسول بلغ ما أنزل إليك من ربك وإن لم تفعل فما بلغت رسالته  

which means 'Oh Rasul, convey what is sent down upon you from your Lord, and if you do not do so then you will not have conveyed His RISALA'

• The job of the Rasul is to convey the RISALA.
• If the Rasul did not convey the RISALA then he would not have done his job.
• So you can see the sequence ARSAL - RASUL - RISALA.
  

The word NABI comes from NABA' which means a story, a narration, a history. 

For example :  Surah 5:27   اتل عليهم نبأ ابني آدم بالحق (Wa utlu alayhim NABA' ibna adama bil haq)

which means 'And recite upon them the story (NABA') of the two sons of Adam, truthfully'. 

Surah 7:101   تِلْكَ ٱلْقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآئِهَا ۚ      

which means, 'Those were the towns, We recite unto you their story (ANBAA-IHA)' 

The word NABI simply means a narrator or the person telling the story.

On the other hand, the English word PROPHET means a person who makes prophesies. 
Or a person who can see the future. 
Here is the Cambridge dictionary:

prophet, noun -  a person who is believed to have a special power that allows them to say what a god wishes to tell people, especially about things that will happen in the future.
An Old Testament prophet :  Let us hear the words of the prophet Isaiah on the coming of the Prince of Peace.  

Most certainly the English word "prophet" is a christian biblical word.

The Quran says that the Rasul or Messenger IS NOT A FORTUNE TELLER OR SEER into the future.

Surah 69:42    وَلَا بِقَوْلِ كَاهِنٍۢ ۚ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تَذَكَّرُونَ 

which means "And it is not the speech of a fortune teller (KAHIN), little indeed you take heed'

The Quran is not the speech of a KAHIN or a FORTUNE TELLER or a person who makes prophesies about the future.

So the English words like "prophet" or "seer" or "fortune teller"   have no place in the Quran.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.