English
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: I said: “O Messenger of Allah, which of the prophets was the first?” He said: “Adam.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, was he a prophet?” He said: “Yes, a prophet who was spoken to.” 1 I said: “O Messenger of Allah, how many messengers were there?” He said: “Three hundred and some ten, a great multitude.” In another narration from Abu Umamah, Abu Dharr said: “O Messenger of Allah, what is the total number of prophets?” He said: “One hundred twenty-four thousand, 2 of whom the messengers are three hundred and fifteen, a great multitude.”
Possible references (unverified, pending editorial review)
- Candidate: Mishkat al-Masabih 5737 (unverified) 90% confidence
- Candidate: Musnad Ahmad 21546 (unverified) 30% confidence
Mishkat (candidate) 5737
Confidence and text similarity are not editorial verification.
Commentary and footnotes (2)
Note 1
(1) His statement: “a prophet who was spoken to”: That is, not only was he a prophet, but a prophet who was spoken to and received scriptures. (As stated in Al-Mirqat)
Note 2
(2) His statement: “One hundred twenty-four thousand, etc.”: Although the number in this Hadith is stated definitively, it is not conclusive. Belief in the prophets and messengers should be general without specifying a number, so as not to exclude any of them or include anyone who is not among them. (As stated in Al-Mirqat and the commentary on An-Nasafiyyah’s Aqaid)