One of the fundamental beliefs of religion is ‘prophethood’, that God sent prophets for man’s guidance in every age, the last in the chain of prophets being Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul Muttalib. These prophets were sent because there is a limit to human knowledge, and man cannot discover guiding principles for his life on his own. There is an unseen world and a life after death that man cannot discover merely through intellectual endeavours. That is why man needed to believe in God’s prophets and receive guidance from them. The guidance Prophet Muhammad received from God has been fully preserved in its original form. The first revelation the Prophet of Islam received forms part of the 96th chapter titled Al-Alaq (The Clot) of the Quran. God said: “Read! Your Lord is the Most Bountiful One Who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know.” (96:3-5) It is a declaration that man cannot find guidance on his own. In fields like agriculture, horticulture, engineering, etc., man gains knowledge through experience in his daily life. However, the superior knowledge required for man’s eternal guidance cannot be attained by man’s efforts. Therefore, it is necessary to receive higher learning through prophetic guidance.
Prophet Ibrahim's Example for Present Muslims