Where has it been mentioned that all the Prophets were raised up and came from the Middle East? Other than the few Prophets who have been mentioned by name in the Noble Qur’an or in the Hadith, we do not have knowledge of the others. How do we know that of the tens of thousands of other Prophets that were raised up for mankind, they were not sent to other lands and parts of the Earth?
The Eminent Religious Authority Ayatollah Saafi Gulpaygani was presented with the query: Why were all the Prophets (peace be upon them) raised up only from within the Middle East? Also, why are the stories of only a limited number of Prophets mentioned in the Qur’an? Why is it that more than any other Prophet, the story of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) has been mentioned in the Qur’an? Also, what will the final outcome be of those people who were not fortunate enough to hear the call of the previous Prophets.
These types of questions in relation to the appointment of the Prophets are not something new and have been asked of others too. For example, the Noble Qur’an quotes the disbelievers as saying, in relation to the Messengership of the Noble Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his progeny): “Why then has this Qur’an not been sent down to a person from one of the two great cities?” (43:31) The Noble Qur’an answers these people and others like them by saying: “Allah best knows where He places His message.” (6:124)
In this regard, it is worthy to mention the following points:
Firstly, where has it been mentioned that all the Prophets were raised up and came from the Middle East? Other than the few Prophets who have been mentioned by name in the Noble Qur’an or in the Hadith, we do not have knowledge of the others. How do we know that of the tens of thousands of other Prophets that were raised up for mankind, they were not sent to other lands and parts of the Earth?
Secondly, the environment and surroundings must be taken into consideration before appointing and designating Prophets – of which only Allah, who is the One who appoints all Prophets, is aware of. Just as in the various lands such as Palestine, the Arabian Peninsula, Makkah and Madinah, a great number of religious people who believed in Allah and individuals who had the aptitude to accept the invitation of the Truth could be found, so too could people be found in other areas – for example, Greece had a large number of philosophers. In any case, this decision (of appointing Prophets) is all in the command of Allah, and Allah is much more knowledgeable than others in this regard.
In any case, the Prophets that have been mentioned in the Noble Qur’an have all been raised up from these, their specific, blessed lands.
The secret of why the story of Prophet Moses has been narrated more than any other Prophet’s is that his situation provides very many occasions or opportunities to learn valuable lessons. It is also a lesson for the Muslims since the encounters between the Muslims and the Ahlul Kitab (People of the Scriptures, meaning followers of the Christian and Judaic faiths) were large in number and thus, they could draw from these examples.
The truth is that posing such questions are not advantageous; rather, that which is important is to carefully study and investigate the invitation of the previous Prophets and to act according to their commandments and teachings.
However, in relation to those people who lived in the past – and even those who are living today – to whom the message of the Prophets has not reached, we must state the following: these people will not be called to account or taken to task for that which was not conveyed to them since the Hujjat’Allah (proof or argument of Allah) was never completed upon them. In relation to this, the Qur’an states: “And We never send down punishment until We have sent (to the people) a Messenger.” (17:15)
Therefore, in whatever fashion the Justice of Allah requires, they will be dealt with.
