Are Hindus considered people of the book?

Society Religion & Philosophy
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Re: Are Hindus considered people of the book?

Allah subhanahu wa ta 'ala tells us in the Qur'an of only 25 Prophets by their names:

  1. Adam
  2. Sheeth
  3. Idris(Enoch)
  4. Nuh(Noah)
  5. Hud
  6. Saleh
  7. Ibrahim(Abraham)
  8. Ismail(Ishmael)
  9. Ishaaq (Isaac)
  10. Lut (Lot)
  11. Yaqub(Jacob)
  12. Yusuf(Joseph)
  13. Shu'aib
  14. Ayyub(Job)
  15. Musa(Moses)
  16. Harun(Aaron)
  17. Dhul-Kifl(Ezekiel)
  18. Dawud (David)
  19. Sulaiman(Solomon)
  20. Ilyas (Elijah)
  21. Yunus (Jonah)
  22. Zakariya (Zechariah)
  23. Yahya (John)

  24. Isa (Jesus)

    Alaiyhimis-Salaam (Upon them all be peace).

  25. Muhammad al-Mustafa (Sal' Allahu 'alaiyhi wa sallam)

There were Five (5) Major books (Risalah) given to humanity by our Prophets from Allah (swt):

  1. Prophet Ibrahim - Sahifah (scrolls)
  2. Prophet Musa - Taurat (Torah)
  3. Prophet Dawud - Zabur(Psalms)
  4. Prophet Isa - Injil (Gospel)

(alaiyhis-salaam)

  1. Prophet Muhammad (Sal' Allahi 'alaiyhi wa sallam) - Qur'an al-Karim

The Ulul ul-A'dham were (5) Five of the Prophets who underwent the most difficulty because they had accomplished the task ordained to them by Allah (swt) in the most difficult of times. They are:

  1. Prophet Nuh
  2. Prophet Musa
  3. Prophet Isa
  4. Prophet Ibrahim (alaiyhimis-salaam)
  5. Prophet Muhammad al-Mustafa (Sal' Allahu 'alaiyhi wa sallam)

Although the descriptions of only the above mentioned of the Prophets (alaiyhimis-salaam) is given in the Qur'an, The Most Beloved Messenger of Allah Muhammad al-Mustafa (saws) informed us that there were 124,000 Prophets in total as recorded in the Musnad of Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal, (5,169)

In the Qur'an, Allah (swt) clearly tells us:

"We sent not an apostle except (to teach) in the language of his (own) people, in order to make (things) clear to them. Now Allah leaves straying those whom He pleases and guides whom He pleases: and He is Exalted in power, full of Wisdom."

Surah Ibrahim (Abraham) (14): Ayah 4

"Verily We have sent thee [Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s] in truth, as a bearer of glad tidings, and as a warner: and there never was a people, without a warner having lived among them (in the past)."

Surah al-Fatir (The Originator of Creation) (35): Ayah 24

"Who receiveth guidance, receiveth it for his own benefit: who goeth astray doth so to his own loss: No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another: nor would We visit with Our Wrath until We had sent an apostle (to give warning)."

Surah al-Isra (Night Journey to Bait al-Maqdis), Ayah 15

**To every people (was sent) an apostle: when their apostle comes (before them), the matter will be judged between them with justice, and they will not be wronged. **

Surah an-Nasr (The Help): Ayat 47

There may be many religions once of Divine origin which have become distorted and lost their truth. That is why we cannot definitely say that such and such persons were sent as prophets to such and such places. We may speculate that Confucius, Buddha were prophets, but it can be only speculation. I am not saying that they were prophets. What history merely tells us about those men is not satisfactory, and based upon information gathered from different sources.

Yet, it's known that at the time Confucius and Buddha lived, their teachings influenced great numbers of people. What is practiced today by their followers is no doubt because of distortions in the original teachings, and does not appeal to sense and nature; rather it is extremely unnatural: who can be attracted to the sanctification of animals, or the extremes of asceticism and sense deprivation, or to such customs as the cremation of wives with their deceased husbands?

To say that someone is a prophet when he is not is kufr in Islam, an unbelief as grave as refusing to believe in a true prophet. We can only say that it may have been that they were prophets, given the hadith of Rasul-Allah (saws) that mentions either 124 or 224 thousand prophets as having appeared in all parts of the world. In the light of this hadith, when we look at the various religious beliefs and practices in different places of the world are better understood.

Many Native American Indians believe in One God who never eats and drinks nor is constrained by time; and that He rules and governs all things in the universe, everything, without exception, being under His sovereignty and dependent on His will. They also refer to some of God’s attributes that He has no partner, and if He did, there would surely be conflicts between the partners.

It seems that true Messengers conveyed these truths to them, truths still present in what remains of soundness in their actual, present beliefs. As the original Message was passed down the generations it may have suffered alterations until it became confused and obscured.

There are also two views amongst Muslims as to who the Prophet Dhul-Kifl may have been.

In Arabic, Dhu' al-Kifl means "Belonging to Kifl" or "From Kifl". The actual city in which Buddha lived most of his life, was called Kapilbastu, now known as Kapilbastu, Nepal.

Even though it is held by many Muslims as well that he was Prophet Ezekiel as mentioned in the Bible, some Muslims also believe that Dhul-Kifl refers to Siddharta Gauthama Buddha, and that the place where he lived for 30 years of his life was called "Kapilbastu" also known as al-Kifl as Allah (swt) mentioned him in the Qur'an:

And (remember) Isma'il, Idris, and Zul-kifl, all (men) of constancy and patience; We admitted them to Our mercy: for they were of the righteous ones.

Surah al-Anbiya (The Prophets): Ayah 85-86

We cannot say for sure of who Dhu' al-Kifl was - what we can be sure of that Allah (swt) did not send but a warner on haqq (truth) to all peoples of the world. Through the passage of time, their beliefs became distorted and corrupted by their nafs (desires of the self) and the whisperings of evil by the accursed one.

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