What is the literal meaning of 'Nabi' in Islamic terminology?

Explanation

The word 'Nabi' is derived from the Arabic root 'naba'a' which means 'to give news' or 'to inform.' In Islamic terminology, a Nabi is specifically one who receives revelation from Allah and is entrusted with conveying His message to the people. Every Nabi is essentially a messenger in the broad sense, though in Islamic theology a distinction is sometimes made between a Nabi (prophet) and a Rasul (messenger), where every Rasul is a Nabi but not every Nabi is necessarily a Rasul.

Good to know

In Islamic belief, Allah sent approximately 124,000 prophets (Anbiya) to guide humanity, with the first being Prophet Adam (علیہ السلام) and the last being Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The Quran mentions 25 prophets by name. The concept of Risalat (prophethood) is one of the fundamental articles of faith in Islam, and belief in all prophets is obligatory upon every Muslim. The distinction between Nabi and Rasul is an important topic in Islamic theology, where a Rasul is given a new Shariah or scripture while a Nabi follows and reinforces the existing Shariah.

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