Is Believing That Prophets Were Given Power by Allah Considered Shirk?
Question
I used to believe that Allah gave some people the power to prophesy so that they could prophesy. They could not have prophesied without Allah's help. Is believing this minor shirk or major shirk?
Islamic Ruling & Answer
Believing that Allah granted Prophets certain abilities or knowledge by His permission is not shirk. Shirk occurs when someone believes that a person possesses independent power equal to Allah or shares in His divine attributes.
Allah granted His Prophets special abilities, miracles, and knowledge according to His will and permission. However, these abilities were never independent; they were always given by Allah and remained under His control.
Believing that Prophets could only do what Allah enabled them to do is part of Islamic belief and does not amount to shirk.
Shirk occurs when someone believes that a person independently possesses divine powers or shares Allahโs unique qualities, such as absolute knowledge of the unseen or control over creation.
The Prophets themselves did not claim independent power; rather, everything they possessed came from Allah.
Quran Reference
Allah says:
โSay: I do not tell you that I possess the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen...โ
(Surah Al-Anโam 6:50)
Allah also says:
โHe alone knows the unseen, and He does not disclose His unseen to anyone except whom He chooses from His messengers.โ
(Surah Al-Jinn 72:26โ27)
Conclusion
Believing that Allah granted Prophets special abilities or knowledge through His permission is not shirk. Shirk only occurs when divine qualities or independent powers are attributed to anyone besides Allah.
Answered by
Mufti Tosif Qasmi
November 29, 2025 ยท Updated May 21, 2026
Researched & verified under our editorial & answer-review policy.
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