The Concept of Prophethood in Islam and Hinduism

In this short publication (The Concept of Prophethood  in Islam and Hinduism) we are going to compare the concept of Avatar or incarnation of God on earth according to the Hindu philosophy with the concept of prophethood or messengership in the Islamic belief system. We will also explain why Muslims do not believe in incarnation as interpreted by Hindu scholars and philosophers.

Prophethood or messengership in Islam is a special relationship between the seen and unseen worlds, the earth and the sky, the human being and the divine world, between the Creator and the creation. The concept of messengership in Islam is originally based on selection and choice of  Allah. A prophet in Islam is a mediator between common people and Allah who receives a divine message and conveys it to people.

According to Islam, prophets and messengers are human beings in many natural features but at the same time they were characterized by many distinct features and special qualities that may not exist in many people; rather, those good qualities could not be found together in any person.