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So in our last lesson or two lessons we've talked about the necessity of sending profits and messengers

and some of the roles and responsibilities of profits and messengers.

Why does Allah send ambia and rusul?

And what does the Qur'an tell us about the function of the ambia and rusul?

We're still doing our introductory series of lectures before we jump into the actual topic of the actual profits.

So today we're going to get into our first really technical issue and that is what is a nebi and what is a Rasul

and what is the difference between a nebi and a Rasul.

So today's topic is going to be a relatively advanced one which is about a technical issue that the distinction

between the ambia which is the plural of nebi and the Rasul which is the plural of Rasul.

So let us begin with the linguistics.

What do the words nebi and Rasul indicate in the Arabic language?

The word nebi, it comes as Ibn Maunvor, the famous lexicographer of the Arabic language.

You wrote one of the most significant early dictionaries, I should say medieval dictionaries in Islam.

It is called the sound of the Arabic which is considered to be the first primary reference of the Arabic language

or the Arabic dictionary if you like.

He writes that the word nebi, it comes from neboa, nunba wahtam arbuta, neboa, which means nobility or a high place.

Neboa is also used as a landmark, that people will give you directions based upon, oh that's something over there.

So turn left over here, turn right over there.

So a neboa is something that is raised, something that is respected, something that is used is a landmark.

And from this he said, the word nebi is very obvious because a nebi is someone that is respected, that Allah has raised him high

and that he becomes a landmark in an icon for the rest of humanity.

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