2. The station of risālah
In the lexicon of revelation, the word rasūl is referred to a prophet who, apart from receiving the revelation and conveying it to the people, shoulders the burden of conveying a divine message [risālah] and has the responsibility of delivering the message to the people. In this regard, the Glorious Qur’an says:
﴾ فَإِنْ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّما عَلىٰ رَسُولِنَا الْبَلاغُ الْمُبينُ ﴿
“But if you turn your backs, then know that Our Apostle’s duty is only to communicate in clear terms.”[1]
Therefore, the position of risālah is another station which is given to a nabī. In other words, each of the concepts of nubuwwah and risālah points to one of the peculiarities of the prophets who receive revelation from God in that they are called anbiyā’ (plural form of nabī) because they receive divine revelation and bear news. And they are called rusul (plural form of rasūl) because they have the responsibility of delivering the message [risālah].
From what have been stated so far, we can conclude that so long as prophets hold the position of nubuwwah and risālah, they are only guides who make known to people what is lawful [ḥalāl] and what is unlawful [ḥarām] and show them the ways to attain felicity and prosperity, and they have no responsibility except reporting what is revealed to them by God or delivering a message.
