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Peace be upon them all
From Adam to Muhammad ﷺ, Allah sent prophets and messengers to every people — calling humanity to worship the One God and live with truth, mercy and justice.
Prophethood (nubuwwah) is a cornerstone of Islamic belief. Muslims hold that Allah, out of His mercy, did not leave humanity without guidance. To every nation He sent prophets and messengers — righteous human beings chosen to deliver His message, to teach people how to worship Him alone, and to show them how to live with sincerity and good character.
Belief in all the prophets is one of the six articles of faith. A Muslim believes in every prophet Allah sent, makes no distinction between them in faith, and honours each one. The Qur'an reminds us that messengers came to all peoples, though only some are named to us by name.
The Qur'an names twenty-five prophets explicitly — among them Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Dawud (David), Sulayman (Solomon), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad ﷺ. Their stories run through the Qur'an as living lessons in patience, trust in Allah, and steadfastness in the face of hardship. Though their times and peoples differed, the heart of their message was always the same: that there is no god but Allah.
The cards below introduce a selection of these noble prophets. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all.
Messengers of guidance
The first human being and the first prophet, whom Allah created and honoured. Through him we learn of human dignity, of repentance after error, and of Allah's forgiveness and mercy.
A prophet of immense patience who called his people to Allah for many long years. When they refused, Allah commanded the building of the ark and saved the believers from the flood — a lasting lesson in perseverance and trust in Allah.
Known as Khalīl Allah, the close friend of Allah, and the father of prophets. His unwavering devotion, his readiness to submit fully to Allah, and his rebuilding of the Kaʿbah with his son Ismaʿil make him a model of pure monotheism.
One of the great messengers, who spoke with Allah and was sent to Pharaoh to free the Children of Israel. He was given the Torah, and his story is among the most frequently recounted in the Qur'an — a testament to courage and reliance on Allah.
A prophet and a just king, to whom Allah gave the Zabur (Psalms). He is remembered for his devotion in worship, his beautiful praise of Allah, and the wisdom with which he judged among the people.
The son of Dawud, granted a kingdom and wisdom unlike any other. Allah taught him much, including understanding the speech of creatures, yet he remained humble and ever thankful to his Lord.
The Qur'an calls his story "the most beautiful of stories." Tested by betrayal, imprisonment and long separation, he met every trial with patience and faith, and was raised by Allah to honour and to forgiveness of those who wronged him.
The prophet of the whale, whose sincere turning back to Allah from within the darkness teaches that no one is ever beyond Allah's mercy when they call upon Him in earnest repentance.
A byword for patience. Tested with the loss of health and wealth, he never despaired of Allah's mercy, and his endurance was rewarded with restoration and relief — a comfort to all who suffer hardship.
The Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), born by Allah's command and given the Injil (Gospel). A noble messenger who performed miracles by Allah's permission and called his people to worship the One God. Muslims honour and love him deeply.
The Seal of the Prophets, sent as a mercy to all the worlds. Through him Allah revealed the Qur'an, the final and complete guidance for humanity. After him there is no prophet. May Allah's peace and blessings be upon him.
Twenty-five prophets are named explicitly in the Qur'an. Alongside those above, they include Idris, Hud, Salih, Ismaʿil, Ishaq, Yaʿqub, Lut, Shuʿayb, Harun, Ilyas, al-Yasaʿ, Dhul-Kifl, Zakariyya and Yahya — peace be upon them all.
While twenty-five prophets are named, the Qur'an makes clear that Allah sent many more messengers whose names we have not been told. A Muslim believes in all of them, honours all of them, and recognises that they carried one shared message across the ages. The completion of this long chain of guidance came with the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, after whom the message was made whole and preserved in the Qur'an for all time.
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