💯 Miscellaneous benefits from Yemen

BENEFIT 39: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PROPHET & A MESSENGER? Sheikh Muḥammad khalīl Al-Harrās ḥafidhahullāh wrote: 'Ar-Rasūl - linguistically - is anyone who is sent with a message (i.e. a Messenger)...and the plural is either 'Rusl' (with a sukoon on the seen), or 'Rusul' (with a Dhammah). As for the legislative definition: (A Messenger refers to) a human, male, freeman [the opposite of a slave], who is inspired with a legislation and commanded to convey it. But if he is inspired with a legislation, without being commanded to convey it, then he is a Prophet (Nabiyy). Thus, every Messenger is a Prophet - and not the opposite.” [His explanation of Al-Wāsiṭiyyah] Our teacher Abū Zur'ah Aṣ-Ṣomāli ḥafidhahullāh commented: “The aforementioned definition is not free from criticism, because the Prophet ﷺ said: “There was not a Prophet who came before me except that it was a duty upon him to direct his nation to the best of what he knows for them, and to forbid them from the evil that he knows will harm them.” (Reported by Muslim, on the authority of Abdullāh ibn 'Amr radhiyallāhu 'anhu) This Ḥadīth proves that it was a duty upon every Prophet to convey the message. Therefore, the best definition, which is the one with the least exceptions and criticism, is to say: ((هو من أوحي إليه بشرع من قبله وأمر بتبليغه)) '(A Prophet is) someone who is inspired with the same legislation as his predecessor and is entrusted with conveying it.' This is the best definition, although, it is not free from criticism.