Huzoor (rh): There is no difference. Only an expression denoting different aspects of their office.
Questioner: Sir, we say, la ilaha illallah muhammadur rasulullah, don’t say nabiullah.
Huzoor (rh): That’s right. So, that shows there is no difference. That proves that had there been a difference, nabi was something different other than rasul, then Allah should have told you to say, la ilaha illallah muhammadur rasulullah wanabiullah.
Questioner: Sir, in one sheet it is mentioned he was nabi and rasulullah. I don’t know the name or man.
Huzoor (rh): Yes. That shows, if you go through the history, that shows there must have been some objection raised against him. Some people might have said that he is either rasul and not nabi or nabi and not rasul. Because this is the style of the Holy Quran. Whenever in Bible or in Apocrypha some objection and allegation has been made against a prophet or a pious person whom Allah wants to defend, then Allah mentions that in the Holy Quran in a very subtle manner. Sometimes it doesn’t mention the allegation at all. It only defends the prophet in a manner that sometimes people just miss the point altogether. For example, when the Holy Quran tells us of Mary’s piety and chastity, the Christians miss the point totally. They think that no mother of any prophet was chaste and pious. Only Mary has been mentioned as chaste and pious, so she has a superiority over all others. While the point is exactly the opposite. No mother of a prophet was ever considered to be unchaste, except the mother of Jesus Christ. So Allah had to defend her. So it’s not a superiority, it is the possibility of faltering into a pit from which Allah saves the people. Because if they faltered about the concept of Mary, naturally they wouldn’t believe in Jesus Christ either. So Allah has saved us from committing that error and defended Mary. Because she was the only lady among the mothers of prophets who was considered to be unchaste. So this is the style. So if a prophet has been exceptionally mentioned as Rasul and Nabi, while other prophets have not been so clearly mentioned both together, that means there must be some significance. It has to be found out in history through investigation.
