ibnMuslim writes "Firstly: Allah the Exalted created the human beings and empowered them with additional means for acquiring knowledge so that they may live on this Earth as the vice-regents of Allah, and make use of that which the Earth contains for their sustenance, making it easy for them to take the Earth as a place for worshipping Allah.

Secondly: Although Allah has blessed the human being with an ability to comprehend that which is around him, he has only been able to learn very little about the vast world that surrounds him, a world which his life is so intimately interwoven with.

This is because, where the human being is concerned, most of what is in this world is either partially or completely hidden from his observation.

This, in turn, produces a need for a competent source of knowledge, a source whose knowledge encompasses all that is contained in the world, removing the veil that covers human knowledge and providing humanity with a glimpse of the unseen.

Thirdly: Since the human being has been created in order to worship Allah and has been commanded to do so, it is incumbent upon him to know the object of his worship, Allah the Exalted.

It is not possible for a person to acquire this knowledge in detail by the use of reason alone. Similarly, it is impossible for him to know how to worship Allah through reason alone. Thus, the human being is in constant need of a reliable source to teach him what he needs to know about Allah the Exalted and how to worship Him.

Fourthly: The human being is a social being. He cannot live by himself, cut off from the rest of the Creation. Therefore, he requires rules and regulations to organize his individual, family, and social life. Without such regulations, his life would be full of chaos and strife.

When the regulations governing human life are taken from the Divine Law, order and stability are guaranteed.

This is because Allah the Exalted, Who provides these laws, is fully aware of what He created and He knows what is best for His Creation.

Additionally, the human being has an instinctive awareness of the fact that there has to be another life in where people will be recompensed for what they did during their life of this world.

Thus, the dictates of wisdom necessitate that Allah the Exalted would convey these laws to His Creation.

Fifthly: We have already explained the nature of the relationship between the Creator and the human being. The communication between the human being and his Creator can be through the angels. However, due to the fact that the nature of the angels is vastly different from the nature of the human being, it was necessary to have a unique means to facilitate the communication between the angels and humanity.

This is why Allah the Exalted decreed, in His infinite wisdom, to select individuals of distinctive character from amongst humanity. These individuals were specially prepared in order to enable them to communicate with the angels. As a result, the angels were able to descend upon these individuals with the Divine Law of Allah the Exalted.

All of these factors, taken together, confirm the need for the Messengers to be sent, so these important objectives can be fulfilled.

Prophethood is Granted by Allah: Prophethood is a status that is given exclusively by Allah the Exalted. He gives it to whomever He pleases of His servants who possess the qualities required to shoulder its responsibilities. It is not something that one may attain through hard work, strenuous acts of worship, self-purification, or spiritual and physical exercises.

Therefore, a person may use his God-given talents and become a celebrity sportsman, a wise scholar or a sincere worshipper, yet, with all of that put together he cannot become a Prophet or Messenger, because Prophethood is a rank that is over and above the rank of the regular human being. It is beyond what a human being is capable of reaching through his own efforts. Accordingly, he who is selected by Allah the Exalted is granted a unique quality not needed by the ordinary person.

This quality is communication with Allah the Exalted by means of Divine Revelation. Allah the Exalted said, “Say, Certainly I am only a human being like you; Divine Revelation has come to me…� [Al-Kahf: 110]

Divine Revelation is from Allah alone. Human effort has nothing to do with either attaining it or avoiding it. Prophethood is imposed upon a person, not earned. It cannot be achieved through meditation or spiritual growth. Wordly values and material wealth are of no consequence. Allah the Exalted selects for Prophethood whoever He wishes whenever He wishes, according to His wisdom, knowledge and mercy.

Allah the Exalted said, “Allah chooses the Messengers from the Angels and from the people. Certainly, Allah is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.� [Al-Hajj: 75]

Allah also said, “…Allah knows with whom to place His message...� [Al-An`âm: 124]

Allah says to Mûsâ (Moses, peace be upon him), “I have chosen thee above (other) men, by the mission I (have given thee) and the words I (have spoken to thee)." [Al-A`râf: 144]

Allah the Exalted gives a general description of the Messengers when He says, “They were, in our sight, truly, of the company of the Elect and the Good.� [Sâd: 47]
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