How Many Messengers in Islam? Understanding Prophethood

How many messengers in Islam were truly sent to guide humanity? For Muslims, this isn’t just about counting, but it’s a deep way to think about Allah’s great kindness and smart plans. We believe that over time, many prophets and messengers were chosen by God to show the right path to everyone. Thinking about these messengers helps us understand how deep our faith really is and also helps us connect with the lasting moral lessons that have been part of our spiritual history for a long time.

How Many Messengers in Islam and Their Divine Mission

When we ask “how many messengers in Islam?”, we realize that Islam teaches us about two broad categories of chosen people: prophets (anbiya) and messengers (rusul). While exact numbers are known only to Allah, it is authentically reported in hadith that there were 124,000 prophets, and among them 315 were messengers.

عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ: قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ كَانَ أَوَّلَ؟ قَالَ: «آدَمُ» . قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَنَبِيٌّ كَانَ؟ قَالَ: «نَعَمْ نَبِيٌّ مُكَلَّمٌ» . قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كم المُرْسَلُونَ؟ قَالَ: «ثَلَاثمِائَة وبضع عشر جماً غفيراً»

وَفِي رِوَايَة عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ قَالَ أَبُو ذَرٍّ: قَلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَمْ وَفَاءُ عِدَّةِ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ؟ قَالَ: «مِائَةُ أَلْفٍ وَأَرْبَعَةٌ وَعِشْرُونَ أَلْفًا الرُّسُلُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاثُمِائَةٍ وَخَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ جَمًّا غَفِيرًا»

Abu Dharr told that he asked God’s messenger who was the first of the prophets and he replied that it was Adam. He asked if he was really a prophet and he replied, “Yes, he was a prophet to whom a message was given.” He asked God’s messenger how many messengers there had been, and he replied, “There have been three hundred and between ten and twenty all told.”

 In a version on the authority of Abu Umama Abu Dharr told that he had asked God’s messenger the number which made up the full complement of the prophets, and he replied, “A hundred and twenty-four thousand among whom were three hundred and fifteen messengers all told.”

The divine mission of these messengers was to share Allah’s teachings, remind people to worship Him alone, and set moral rules. Whenever humans started to turn away from worshipping Allah and fell into idolatry or bad behavior, Allah sent messengers to guide them back to the right path. That’s why when we ask ““how many messengers in Islam? ” We realize there’s a big, caring plan that ensures Allah never lets people be without direction.

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The Difference Between Prophets and Messengers

When we think about the question  “how many messengers in Islam? ” This leads to an important difference:

Prophets (Nabi): Those who continue the message of previous messengers without being given a new law. They guide people according to existing revelations.

Messengers (Rasul): Those who are given a new revelation.

In addition, The scholars have said: A prophet (nabi) is anyone to whom Allah has revealed something, whether he was commanded to convey it or not. If he was not commanded to convey it, then he is a prophet but not a messenger. If he was commanded to convey it, then he is both a prophet and a messenger. This opinion, however, is the more correct one.

So, Prophet (Nabi) and Messengers (Rasul) both received revelation from Allah. A question might now come to your mind, how could a prophet not be commanded to convey the divine law when revelation was sent to him?

The answer is: Allah revealed the law to the prophet in order to revive and uphold the law, meaning that those who saw him would follow his example and imitate him, without him being obliged to convey it explicitly.

An example of this is what happened with Adam (peace be upon him). Adam was indeed a prophet who received divine speech, as this was reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). However, he is not counted among the messengers, because the Sunnah — indeed the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah — indicate that the first messenger whom Allah sent was Noah (peace be upon him).

As for Adam, he surely worshipped Allah according to revelation sent to him, thus he was someone who received revelation but was not commanded to deliver it, and that is why he is not counted among the messengers.

This distinction matters because when we explore “how many messengers in Islam?” We understand why the messengers had such enormous burdens — they were often opposed, persecuted, and even threatened with death for preaching pure monotheism (tawheed).

25 Named Prophets in the Quran: Who Are They?

Twenty-five prophets and messengers are mentioned in the Noble Qur’an. Eighteen of them are listed in Surah Al-An‘am, while the rest are mentioned across various other surahs. They are: Adam, Hud, Salih, Shu‘ayb, Idris, Dhul-Kifl, and Muhammad (may Allah’s peace be upon them all). Allah Most High says:

“Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah…” [Aal ‘Imran: 33]

“And to ‘Aad [We sent] their brother Hud…” [Hud: 50]:

“And to Thamud [We sent] their brother Salih…” [Hud: 61]

“And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu‘ayb…” [Hud: 84]

“And Ishmael and Idris and Dhul-Kifl…” [Al-Anbiya: 85]

As for the eighteen who are mentioned together in Surah Al-An‘am, Allah says:

“And that was Our [conclusive] argument which We gave Abraham against his people. We raise by degrees whom We will. Indeed, your Lord is Wise and Knowing. And We gave to him Isaac and Jacob — all [of them] We guided. And Noah, We guided before; and among his descendants, David and Solomon and Job and Joseph and Moses and Aaron. Thus do We reward the doers of good. And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias — and all were of the righteous. And Ishmael and Elisha and Jonah and Lot — and all [of them] We preferred over the worlds.” [Al-An‘am: 83-86]

Among these twenty-five, four were Arabs: Hud, Salih, Shu‘ayb, and Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon them all).

Though how many messengers in Islam is a large figure, the Quran explicitly names 25 prophets, many of whom were also messengers.

• Adam
• Noah (Nuh)
• Hud
• Salih
• Abraham (Ibrahim)
• Lot (Lut)
• Ishmael (Ismail)
• Isaac (Ishaq)
• Jacob (Yaqub)
• Joseph (Yusuf)
• Shu‘ayb
• Job (Ayyub)
• Moses (Musa)
• Aaron (Harun)
• Ezekiel (Dhul-Kifl)
• David (Dawud)
• Solomon (Sulaiman)
• Elijah (Ilyas)
• Elisha (Al-Yasa)
• Jonah (Yunus)
• Zechariah (Zakariya)
• John (Yahya)
• Jesus (Isa)
• Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)

When we ask “how many messengers in Islam? ”, we recognize that there are more than just the 25 prophets whose names are mentioned. There were thousands of other messengers whose names and stories are not known to us. The Quran (Surah Ghafir 40:78) says:

“And We have certainly sent messengers before you. Among them are those whose stories We have related to you, and among them are those whose stories We have not related to you.”

This shows that the number of messengers in Islam is much bigger than the ones we are familiar with.

The Role of Messengers in Spreading Monotheism

The messengers (peace be upon them) carried out the greatest role in the life of humanity, as they were the link between mankind and their Lord, Blessed and Exalted be He. Out of His mercy, Allah Almighty did not leave any people without sending them a messenger to give them glad tidings and to warn them. Allah Most High says:

“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], ‘Worship Allah and avoid Taghut (false gods).’” (An-Nahl: 36)

So there has never been a group of people, from the time of Adam (peace be upon him) until the Day of Resurrection, except that a messenger or prophet came to them commanding them to worship Allah and warning them against that which angers the Lord, Blessed and Exalted be He.

And out of His immense mercy and perfect justice, Allah Almighty has decreed that people will not be punished until a messenger comes to them and the proof is established upon them. Allah says:

“And We would never punish until We had sent a messenger.” (Al-Isra: 15)

Another way to understand how many messengers in Islam is by reflecting on their unified message: the worship of one God alone without any partners. Every messenger in Islam came with the core declaration, “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.”

Noah called his people for 950 years to abandon idol worship. Abraham smashed the idols and debated the tyrants of his time. Moses stood before Pharaoh, the false god-king. Jesus (peace be upon him) reaffirmed the oneness of God. And Prophet Muhammad ﷺ completed the message.

So, how many messengers in Islam? Enough to ensure that no community was left without a warner. Allah says in Surah Fatir 35:24:

“And there was never a nation but that a warner had passed among them.”

Stories of Messengers That Inspire Believers Today

As Muslims, knowing how many messengers in Islam strengthens our faith because each story carries lessons of patience, reliance on Allah, and steadfastness.

– The courage of Abraham, who entered the fire that his people had prepared to torture him, sacrificing everything for the sake of Allah—so Allah made the fire cool and safe for him.

– The humility of Moses despite his great miracles, and his patience with Pharaoh, until Allah parted the sea for his sake.

– The forgiveness of Joseph toward his brothers and his patience over being separated from his father, until Allah decreed for him to become the ruler of Egypt.

– The patience of Job through his illness, until Allah healed him and honored him.

– The miraculous birth of Jesus, his miracles, and his unwavering truthfulness.

All these stories are signs that how many messengers in Islam is not just a number, but a living inspiration for every believer. The prophet Muhammad told us:

عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: (ما يصيب المسلم من نصبٍ ولا وَصَبٍ ولا هم ولا حزنٍ (حزنٍ) ولا أذًى ولا غم، حتى الشوكة يشاكها، إلا كفَّر الله بها من خطاياه)؛ [صحيح البخاري]،

Abu Hurayra reported the Prophet as saying, “No Muslim is afflicted by difficulty, continuous pain, anxiety, grief, injury, or care, or even by a thorn with which he is pierced, without God thereby making an atonement for his sins.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

Seal of Prophethood: Why Prophet Muhammad Is the Final Messenger

It becomes clear to us how deeply mankind is in need of the messengers, and how great is Allah’s mercy and justice toward humanity. For He sent them messengers and prophets to guide them to the path of truth. One of the greatest tangible proofs of mankind’s need for a messenger is the human need for laws and morals that organize their lives and regulate their behavior, thereby distinguishing them from the rest of the animals. People are left with three choices:

1.Either they live without any religion to organize their lives and control their conduct,

2.or they appoint others to legislate a religion for them,

3.or they adhere to the true religion that has come to them with clear proofs and guidance, thus aligning themselves with the innate nature (fitrah) upon which they were created, allowing their lives to be properly ordered and harmonized.

If they choose the first, they live in a vile animalistic state, where the strong devours the weak, and their only difference from beasts lies in outward appearance and form.

If they choose the second, they submit to servitude under a group of humans who dominate them and subject them to the worst kinds of oppression and torment.

Thus, there remains only the third option: to judge by the true religion, taking from it their laws, learning from it what is lawful so they may do it, and what is forbidden so they may avoid it. Herein lies the pinnacle of happiness. Indeed, there is no real happiness for any human being except by following the religion that Allah has chosen for His servants, the religion for which He sent the messengers and revealed the divine laws.

So, why is Prophet Muhammad the Final Messenger? The wisdom behind that is that during the times of the earlier messengers, nations lived in isolation, with little interaction or contact among them except through primitive means. However, the situation changed greatly after the message of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Distances became traversable, and international communication became far more extensive—especially in later eras—making it possible to convey the message to all the people on earth. Thus, by His perfect wisdom, Allah decreed the conclusion of prophethood.

Now, we come to the final of messengers’ chain. Allah sent Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as the Seal of the Prophets. This means there are no prophets or messengers to come after him.

“Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the prophets.” (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:40)

The Messenger of Allah, Muhammad, came to us with the great miracle of the Qur’an in the Arabic language, which reveals to us the beauty of its words and the sublime nature of this religion through its morals and teachings. 

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Conclusion

So, how many messengers in Islam? The answer -according to Sunnah: there were a hundred and twenty-four thousand among whom were three hundred and fifteen messengers, 25 of them are mentioned in Quran. They came to different peoples across the ages so no one could say they did not receive the truth.

The finality of prophethood with Muhammad ﷺ means we follow him alone now, while loving and believing in all the messengers who came before. The stories of these messengers in Islam continue to guide our hearts, shape our ethics, and remind us of our purpose: to worship Allah alone.

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FAQs

How many messengers in Islam are named in the Quran?
The Quran names 25 prophets, many of whom were also messengers.

What is the difference between prophets and messengers?
The scholars have said: A prophet (nabi) is anyone to whom Allah has revealed something, If he was not commanded to convey it, then he is a prophet but not a messenger.

How many total messengers in Islam?
According to hadith, there were 315 messengers and 124,000 prophets.

Why is Prophet Muhammad called the Seal of the Prophets?
Because he is the last messenger sent by Allah, after whom no new prophet will come.

Why does Allah send so many messengers in Islam?
To ensure every nation received guidance and proof of the truth, so that no one can claim ignorance on the Day of Judgment.