Prophethood

Nubuwwah [Prophethood] is derived from naba’ [news], because Prophethood includes informing from Allah; or it is derived from nabwah [highness].  According to the first possibility, the word Nabiyy has the pattern of fa^il with the meaning of the doer, because he informs from Allah about what was Revealed to him. Or it could be with the meaning of the receiver; then it would mean he is informed from Allah, meaning that the Angel informs him from Allah.

Prophethood is intellectually possible, not impossible. Certainly Allah the Exalted sent the Prophets as a Mercy to the slaves, because the intellect does not have what frees the people from the need for the Prophets. The mind does not independently know the things that save one in the Hereafter, so in sending the Prophets there is a necessary welfare for the slave, because of their need for that.  So Allah is Generous by providing Prophethood for His slaves.  It is the embassy between Allah and His slaves.

The Difference between the Prophets and the Messengers

Know that the Prophet and the Messenger both share in the reception of Revelation.  Allah Revealed a Law to both of them to work according to and to convey to the people, except that the Messenger comes with the abrogation of the Law of the Messenger before him, or he comes with a new Law. It is Revealed to the Prophet who is not a Messenger to follow the Law of the Messenger before him and to convey it. For that reason the scholars said, “Every Messenger is a Prophet, but not every Prophet is a Messenger.”  Furthermore, there is also a difference between Prophets and Messengers in that the Angel would be ascribed with being a Messenger and Prophethood would only be for the human.