Whats the difference between Nabi (Prophet) and Rasool (Messenger)?

Question

We only know of 25 Prophets/messenger as mentioned in the Quran, so who are prophets and who are messengers, or are they both?

Answer 1

Same meaning, just the prophet comes from the word (Prophecy) or Arabic nabi (mutanabiq), will tell you of what to come, and a messenger, is just a messenger says what he is told, prophet Muhammad (s) was both.

Edit: Ibn Taymiyah was supporter of Muawiya and yazid, please don't spread his rubbish here.

Sami: could you stop stalking me please, this is becoming weird.

Abu Harith: Is that why you hate Ali (as), you want to fight Ali(as), you hypocrite. True colors are coming out, satan is in your blood.

Answer 2

According to the Quran, every "Nabi" is a "Rasoul," but not every "Rasoul" is a "Nabi."

@ Sami its otherwise...

"When Allah made (His) covenant with the PROPHETS, (He said): Behold that which I have GIVEN you of the SCRIPTURE AND KNOWLEDGE. And afterward there will come unto you a MESSENGER, CONFIRMING that which ye possess.  Ye shall believe in him and ye shall help him. He said: Do ye agree, and will ye take up My burden (which I lay upon you)in this (matter)? They answered: We agree. He said: Then bear witness. I will be a witness with you."

Verse 3:81, among many other verses, provides the definitions of "Nabi" (Prophet) and "Rasoul" (Messenger). Thus, "Nabi" is a messenger of God who delivers a new scripture, while "Rasoul" is a messenger commissioned by God to confirm existing scripture; he does not bring a new scripture. According to the Quran, every "Nabi" is a "Rasoul," but not every "Rasoul" is a "Nabi." It is not logical that God will give a scripture to a prophet, then ask him to keep it exclusively for himself, as stated by some Muslim "scholars" (2:42, 146, 159).

The Quranic definition of Prophet, and how all the prophets were given Scripture to deliver, is also confirmed in the following verse:

"The people used to be one community when God sent THE PROPHETS as bearers of good news, as well as warners. HE SENT DOWN WITH THEM THE SCRIPTURE, bearing the truth, to judge among the people in their disputes" 2:213

In other terms ALL THE PROPHETS are MESSENGERS, but NOT ALL the MESSENGERS are PROPHETS.

shaikh ul iblees taimyah

Answer 3

Prophet and Messenger:

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him):

“A Prophet (Nabi) is one to whom Allaah reveals (yanbi’uhu) something, and he passes on what Allaah has reveals to him. If he is sent with that to those who go against the commandments of Allaah, to convey a message from Allaah to them, then he is a Messenger. But if he follows a sharee’ah that came before him, and is not himself sent to anyone to convey the message from Allaah to them, then he is a Prophet and not a Messenger…” (al-Nubuwwaat, p. 255)

Question:

Are the Prophets mentioned in the saying of Allaah, the Most High: “Verily, We have inspired you (O Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)) as We inspired Nooh…", Messengers or not? And who is the first Messenger?

Answer:

The Prophets mentioned in the saying of Allaah, the Most High: “Verily, We have inspired you (O Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)) as We inspired Nooh and the Prophets after him.” - An-Nisaa’ (4):163

The ones who are mentioned in the context of the saying of Allaah, the Most High, are all Messengers: “Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allaah after the Messengers.” - An-Nisaa’ (4):165

And all the Prophets who are mentioned in the Qur’aan are Messengers because of the saying of Allaah, the Most High: “And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم)); of some of them We have related to you their story and of some We have not related to you their story.” - Ghaafir (40):78

And the first of the Messengers is Nooh and the last of them is Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) because of the saying of Allaah, the Most High: “As We inspired Nooh and the Prophets after him.” - An-Nisa (4):163

And it is established in a hadeeth regarding intercession that the people will come to Nooh and they will say to him: “You are the first Messenger that Allaah sent to mankind.”

And to the saying of Allaah, the Most High about Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم): “Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of Allaah and the last (end) of the Prophets.” - Al-Ahzaab (33):40

And if Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was the last of the Prophets, then he (صلى الله عليه وسلم) was also the last of the Messengers for there is no Messengership without Prophethood and to this it is said: “Every Messenger is a Prophet but not every Prophet is a Messenger.”

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen

Majmoo' Fatawaa wa Rasa'il - Volume One, Number 122

EDIT:

Mu'aawiyyah radhiallaahu anhu was a Sahaabi. So every Sunni has the obligation to support him and fight those who fought him.

More to come inshaAllaah...

Answer 4

See this question and its answer:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 5

Nabi is a Prophet who was sent down with a book ( like Prophet Muhammad was sent down the Qur'an; Prophet Isa or Jesus was sent down the Torah, so on...

Rasool is a Prophet who spread the message of  the books that were sent down

Answer 6

I don't believe there is any difference.  Allah uses the titles interchangeably in the Holy Qur'an.  The Prophet (sa) also used the terms interchangebly in the hadeeth as well.

http://www.askislam.org/people/prophets/...

The second question in the list of questions on the above link answers the very question that you asked in detail.  It's an audio answer.

love for all, hatred for none

Answer 7

To understand it is very easy;

Just as in a assembly, all the members are equal but some get the MINISTRY and one becomes the prime minster but all initially are  the members of Parliament,

In a same way initially all are rasools but who got the divine book or scriptures  by Allah are termed as nabi  EVEN one is EMAM UL AMBIA from all of them!!!

  

Answer 8

Messanger/rasoul have a book like our Prophet, Jesus Moses etc...

Nabi/Prophet comes with a Prophecy but no book.

every rassoull is a nabi but not every nabi is a rassoul

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@FTL (Turba Charged) + @1Qfaqtor

this is basic Islam, you guys don't even know the basics about Islam yest you are debating, shame on you....

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@FTL (Turba Charged)

its up to you. stop cursing me, ill stop asking you to stop cursing me. its very simple.

and don't tell me you don't, cause you curse the prophet companion and that more than cursing me personally.

you think you just gonna come here spread your lies and get away with it?

Answer 9

According to the majority of scholars, a prophet is the one who receives divine revelation but is not commanded to convey it to people, whereas a messenger is the one who is commanded to convey the divine revelation he has received to people.

It has also been said that the messenger is the one who is sent with new legislation, whereas the prophet is the one who comes as a follower of a previous set of legislations.

Or

A Rasul (Messenger) is one who has received a Shari'a and is required to convey it.

It is also said: A Nabi is one who has received a dependent Shari'a, i.e. it is attached to a previous Shari'a.

A Rasul is one who has received an independent Shari'a'.

Rest Allah knows the best~!

Answer 10

i dont believe that there is a difference between a Prophet and a Messenger

although some ppl may believe that there IS a difference