The Prophets that have an Independent and New Religion in Quran

 As we know Allah sends a number of prophets to guide human beings to the right path. Among these prophets, there are those who have an independent and new religion. Our aim in this article is about those prophets and God willingly we are going to tackle it as below:

There were five prophets who had divine books and independent teachings. They are referred to as Nuh (Noah) (AS), Ibrahim (Abraham) (AS), Musa (Moses) (AS), ‘Isa (Jesus) (AS), and Muhammad (SA) in the following verse:

"He has prescribed for you the religion which He had enjoined upon Noah and which We have [also] revealed to you, and which We had enjoined upon Abraham, Moses and Jesus, declaring, ‘Maintain the religion, and do not be divided in it.’ Hard on the polytheists is that to which you summon them. Allah chooses for it whomever He wishes, and He guides to it whomever returns penitently [to Him].[1]

These people have a special name given to them “Olu al-Azm”

The meaning of Olu al-Azm

The word "Olu al-Azm" is found in verse 35 of Surah Ahqaf.

So be patient just as the resolute among the apostles were patient, ,……”[2]

 Why are they called Olu al-Azm?

And Ulu al-Azm means the prophets who had an independent and new Sharia and religion.

In the hadiths, conditions are mentioned for these prophets:

Having a universal invitation,

having Sharia and religion,

having the divine book,

    In particular, only five of God's prophets had such characteristics; that is, they had both universal invitation, Sharia and the Divine Book. Those five people are Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus (PBUH) and the Prophet of Islam Muhammad (PBUH).

In hadiths, the books of Prophet Noah and Prophet Abraham (PBUH) are referred to as Saaf, and the Torah is the book of Prophet Moses, the Bible is the book of Prophet Jesus (PBUH), and the Qur'an is the book of the Prophet of Islam (PBUH).

The word "Olu Al Azm" is mentioned once in the Qur'an. God says: "Be patient like the first of the messengers of determination..."; [1] Be patient like the messengers of first determination and...

Then have patience (O Muhammad) even as the stout of heart among the messengers (of old) had patience….”[3].

Determination means strong will. Ragheb says in the vocabulary: Determination means to decide to do something.[4]

In the dictionary of Lasan al-Arab, it is stated:

Messengers of Ulu al-Azam are those who have decided to carry out the work of God that they have committed to[5], in the Holy Qur'an, a determination is sometimes used to mean patience[6], And sometimes it means keeping the promise.[7]  

 

References:

[1]  Qur’an (42:13), شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِۦ نُوحًۭا وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِۦٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰٓ أَنْ أَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا۟ فِيهِ ۚ كَبُرَ عَلَى ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ مَا تَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَيْهِ ۚ ٱللَّهُ يَجْتَبِىٓ إِلَيْهِ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهْدِىٓ إِلَيْهِ مَن يُنِيبُ

[2] Qur’an: Surat Al-'Aĥqāf 35, فَٱصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعَزْمِ

[3] Qur’an : Surat Al-'Aĥqāf 35, فَٱصْبِرْ كَمَا صَبَرَ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعَزْمِ مِنَ ٱلرُّسُلِ وَلَا تَسْتَعْجِل لَّهُمْ

[4] Ragheb Esfahani, Vocabulary of the Qur'an, the word "determination".

[5] Ibn Manzoor, Lasan al-Arab, vol. 12, p.  «و أُولُو العَزْمِ من الرُّسُلِ: الذینَ عَزَمُوا على أَمرِ الله فیما عَهِدَ إلیهم». 

[6] Shuri, 43.

[7] Taha, 20:115, وَلَقَدْ عَهِدْنَآ إِلَىٰٓ ءَادَمَ مِن قَبْلُ فَنَسِىَ وَلَمْ نَجِدْ لَهُۥ عَزْمًۭا