Today’s Quranic Word is Rasool = رسول 

Rasool (رَسُول) means messenger. Its plural form is Rusul (رُسل). As we have seen in the video, Rasool literally means messenger.

A Rasool (messenger) is someone who is sent to deliver a message, or risaalah ( رِسَالَة ). A messenger has to be someone trustworthy as he will represent the person who appointed him to bring the message to wherever he is sent. The message can be from anyone but commonly, Rasool in the Quran refers to someone sent by Allah.

Allah informed us in the Quran of the messenger sent by the King to Prophet Yusuf while he was in prison, may the peace of Allah be upon him:

وَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ ائْتُونِي بِهِ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ الرَّسُولُ قَالَ ارْجِعْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَاسْأَلْهُ مَا بَالُ النِّسْوَةِ اللَّاتِي قَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي بِكَيْدِهِنَّ عَلِيمٌ

[Quran 12:50]

And the king said, “Bring him to me.” But when the messenger came to him, [Joseph] said, “Return to your master and ask him what is the case of the women who cut their hands. Indeed, my Lord is Knowing of their plan.”

And likewise, Allah informed us that Balqees sent a messenger to Prophet Sulaiman AS:

وَإِنِّي مُرْسِلَةٌ إِلَيْهِم بِهَدِيَّةٍ فَنَاظِرَةٌ بِمَ يَرْجِعُ الْمُرْسَلُونَ

[Quran 27:35]

But indeed, I will send to them a gift and see with what [reply] the messengers will return.”

The Messengers of Allah (Rusulullaah)

The messengers, in this case, are those given revelations with new legislation to deliver to the people.

Allah SWT has chosen mankind and preferred them over other creations. He chose the believers from mankind and preferred them over others. From the believers, He chose the prophets and preferred them over others. Then, from amongst the prophets, He chose the messengers and preferred them over other prophets.

These messengers have been tested and deemed trustworthy by Allah SWT. Allah did not send just anyone with His legislation; He sent the best of the best. When some people said, “They will never believe until they are given the same revelation that has been given to the messengers.” Allah responded to them saying:

وَإِذَا جَاءَتْهُمْ آيَةٌ قَالُوا لَن نُّؤْمِنَ حَتَّىٰ نُؤْتَىٰ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ ۘ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ ۗ سَيُصِيبُ الَّذِينَ أَجْرَمُوا صَغَارٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعَذَابٌ شَدِيدٌ بِمَا كَانُوا يَمْكُرُونَ

[Quran 6:124]

And when there comes to them a sign (from Allah) they say: “We shall not believe until we receive the like of that which the Messengers of Allah had received.” Allah knows best with whom to place His Message. Humiliation and disgrace from Allah and a severe torment will overtake the criminals (polytheists, sinners, etc.) for that which they used to plot. 

Out of the 25 prophets mentioned in the Quran, some are messengers like Muhammad, Isma’eel, ‘Isa, Musa, Dawood, Ibraheem, and others. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all. All messengers are prophets but not all prophets are messengers. However, the exact number of messengers is only known to Allah. He says:

وَرُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَاهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ ۚ وَكَلَّمَ اللَّهُ مُوسَىٰ تَكْلِيمًا

[Quran 4:164]

And [We sent] messengers about whom We have related [their stories] to you before and messengers about whom We have not related to you. And Allah spoke to Moses with [direct] speech.

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The Duty of Rusulullaah

Allah’s chosen messengers were appointed to deliver the message of Allah to mankind, to give glad tidings to the believers, and to warn the disbelievers. Allah says:

مَّا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا تَكْتُمُونَ

[Quran 5:99]

The Messenger’s duty is but to convey (the Message). And Allah knows all that you reveal and all that you conceal.

  Allah also says: 

رُّسُلًا مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا

[Quran 4:165]

[We sent] messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that mankind will have no argument against Allah after the messengers. And Allah is ever Exalted in Might and Wise.

It is upon us to believe in them all and we do not separate or segregate between them in ranks or importance; as their message is one and they are from the same source, Allah. Whoever believes in one and not the others or puts higher rank on one over the other has indeed disbelieved in them all and in Allah. Allah says:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا. أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ حَقًّا ۚ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا. وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَلَمْ يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ أُولَٰئِكَ سَوْفَ يُؤْتِيهِمْ أُجُورَهُمْ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

[Quran 4:150-152]

Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers wish to discriminate between Allah and His messengers and say, “We believe in some and disbelieve in others,” and wish to adopt a way in between – Those are the disbelievers, truly. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment. But they who believe in Allah and His messengers and do not discriminate between any of them – to those He is going to give their rewards. And ever is Allah Forgiving and Merciful.

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To Follow a Messenger is to
Follow the Source of the Message

We should believe in Allah and His messengers and follow the final messenger that was sent to us, Muhammad ﷺ. He only came to deliver to us the message of Allah. Allah likened following His messengers to following Allah. As it says in the Quran: 

مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ ۖ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا

[Quran 4:80]

He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah; but those who turn away – We have not sent you over them as a guardian.

Likewise, Allah has chosen messengers from among the angels. He informed us saying:

اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ

[Quran 22:75]

Allah chooses from the angels, messengers and from the people. Indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing.

An example of the messengers from among the angels is Jibreel AS. Allah revealed in Suratul Maryam how He sent Jibreel to appear before Maryam in the form of a man. When Maryam saw him, she said:

قالَت إِنّي أَعوذُ بِالرَّحمٰنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّا

[Quran 19:18]

She said, “Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Merciful from you, [so leave me], if you should be fearing of Allah.”

Jibreel responded:

قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَنَا رَسُولُ رَبِّكِ لِأَهَبَ لَكِ غُلَامًا زَكِيًّا

[Quran 19:19]

He said, “I am only the messenger of your Lord to give you [news of] a pure boy.”

Allah also sent angels as messengers to Prophet Ibraheem AS.

قَالَ فَمَا خَطْبُكُمْ أَيُّهَا الْمُرْسَلُونَ

[Quran 51:31]

[Abraham] said, “Then what is your business [here], O messengers?”

This was a question Prophet Ibraheem asked the angel messengers, whom Allah sent to destroy the people of Prophet Lut AS. 

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A Guidance for Mankind

We should obey the Messengers of Allah, follow their examples, and put in the effort to read and understand the message they delivered to us from Allah.

Allah’s final messenger, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, brought to us the message of the Quran, which is guidance for mankind.

شَهرُ رَمَضانَ الَّذي أُنزِلَ فيهِ القُرآنُ هُدًى لِلنّاسِ وَبَيِّناتٍ مِنَ الهُدىٰ وَالفُرقانِ

[Quran 2:185]

The month of Ramadan [is that] in which was revealed the Quran, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion.

May Allah open our hearts to receive His guidance in the best of ways.

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Conjugations of Rasool ( رَسُول ) found in the Quran

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Discover More Quranic Arabic Words

Now that you’ve learned the different conjugations of the word رَسُول and how it is used in the Quran, you can recognise the word when you recite the Quran or hear it recited.

If you want to further deepen your connection with the Quran, check out our Arabic Unlocked App to discover a fun, easy, and effective way to learn new Arabic vocabulary.

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