ABSTRACT
The body of work developed in Islam's classical period created a protective shield around prophetic figures in the Qur'an. Despite the classical era's plethora of views that presented traditional, rational and philosophical approaches, there was a sudden re-emergence of new ʿilm al-kalām approaches by modernist scholars that led to an extreme revision of prophethood. These approaches created a rift in Muslim scholarship. The latter understandings and interpretations of this notion influenced the collective Muslim psyche and social behaviour, which caused a level of scepticism towards the entire institution of prophethood. Due to this, a significant body of scholarly work and literature developed, such as those of Muhammad Iqbal (1877–1938) and Said Nursi (1877–1960), to discuss the possibilities of the continuance or reimagining of prophecy in Islam. The discourse was delineated by the debate between the superiority of rational versus a tradition-based engagement on prophecy. This opened the door for revision and reconstruction of a key area of Islamic philosophy and theology: prophethood.
