In continuing to tell you about the great Prophets and Messengers of God who lived throughout the ages, we would now like to tell you about the noble Messenger Idris, peace be upon him. Prophet Idris was the messenger after Prophet Shith. Prophet Idris was not the son of Shith, but he was one of his descendants. If you remember we said during the time of Prophet Shith all the people of the earth were Muslim. After Prophet Shith died, all the people continued to be Muslim, and they all were Muslim during the time of Prophet Idris as well. Again, just think that there was a time when everyone was Muslim on the earth! What a difference from the way the earth is now!
Prophet Idris is one of the Prophets who was mentioned in the Qur'an by name, so we have no doubt about his prophethood. Although Prophet Idris lived so long ago we know interesting details about him from what God revealed to Prophet Muhammad. Prophet Idris was born in Babylon, which is the old name for a city in Iraq. Before Idris became a prophet, he was (of course) a Muslim following the rules revealed to Prophet Shith. Then at one point of time in his honorable life he began to receive Revelation from God and then he knew that he was a Prophet.
In the case of Prophet Idris, God revealed new rules which canceled some of the rules of Prophet Shith. So we know that Prophet Idris was a Messenger as well as a Prophet. When Prophet Idris told the people that a rule had changed, then the people had to stop following the rule taught by Prophet Shith and start following the new rule that God revealed to Prophet Idris.
When we speak about rules being changed, remember, we do not mean that a new Messenger taught a new belief. This is a very important point to bear in mind. All the Prophets and Messengers were Muslim from birth to death. They all carried the correct belief about Allah and His Messenger. The first Prophet, Prophet Adam, taught his people the correct belief about Allah, the Prophets and Messengers, angels, the Day of Judgment, what happens to people after they die, and that there would be a last Prophet and Messenger, Prophet Muhammad, whom they should follow if they lived to his time. After Prophet Adam died, Prophet Shith taught the same things about Allah, the Prophets and Messengers, and about the other matters of life and death. The belief of all the Prophets and Messengers is the same, and their belief is the belief of all the Muslims who are not Prophets and Messengers.
I would like to use an example hoping that the subject of correct belief would be more clear. Who among you has heard of angels? I expect that anyone reading this would say that he has heard of angels. Now if two people both believe that angels exist, but person number one believes that angels are pretty women with wings, and person number two believes that angels are honorable beings who are not male or female, then obviously, although these two people both believe that angels exist, at least one of them is wrong. In this case person number one is wrong and person number two is right. We know that person number two is correct because this is what God revealed to the Prophets and Messengers. God did not reveal to one prophet that angels are female and to another prophet that angels are neither male nor female! The truth is the truth! So the belief of all the Prophets and Messengers is the same, and their belief is the truth which we all should believe.
God created all the creation. Surely the One Who created everything knows the truth about all He created. All that God revealed to the Prophets and Messengers concerning unseen things is the indisputable truth about these things, including the information that God revealed about Himself. So whom should we believe, Prophets and Messengers who received Revelation from God, lived impeccable lives and performed miracles, or people who get drunk, cheat, lie, and commit adultery? Of course the thoughtful, wise person would believe the Prophets and Messengers in an issue where the two types believe differently.
Where else are you hearing this kind of talk except from the true Muslims? I say true Muslims because sadly some people nowadays who claim to be Muslim are not teaching what Prophet Muhammad taught. They were not careful to learn from a teacher who goes back, in a continuous chain of teaching, to Prophet Muhammad. Perhaps they read a book written by one who was astray. Consequently, they themselves went astray. So, when they talk about Islam incorrectly they lead others astray. We, who have learned about Islam as Prophet Muhammad truly taught it, must keep saying the truth openly, without shyness; how else will people know the truth about Islam?
Praise be to God Who enables us to do anything which we do. Truly we cannot do anything unless He enables us to do it.
ALLAH KNOWS BEST.
