The Wisdom Behind Sending the Prophets Throughout History – A Scholarly Response to the Claim: “Why did God not delay the prophets until the age of…
In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate. All praise belongs to Allah, Lord of all worlds, and may blessings and peace be upon the one sent as a mercy to all creation.
To proceed:
Among the questions that are sometimes raised when discussing prophethood and the divine messages is the following: “Why did Allah not delay the sending of the prophets until the era of photography and audio recording, so that people today could see them with their own eyes and hear their voices? Does the absence of documented visual and audio evidence not indicate that the prophets were merely myths and legends?”
Those who raise this claim further argue: “If Allah were truly wise and intended to guide all of humanity, He would have sent the prophets in the technological age, so they could be filmed and recorded, leaving us with decisive proof of the truth of prophethood.”
Although this question may appear logical on the surface, it is in fact built upon multiple methodological errors in understanding the nature of human knowledge and the wisdom behind divine revelation. It also reflects a clear neglect of the recognized principles of sound historical and scientific inquiry. It is therefore appropriate to examine this claim carefully and comprehensively, exposing its methodological flaws and the deeper wisdom it overlooks.
Methodological Errors in the Claim
First Error: Ignoring Reliable Testimony as a Valid Source of Knowledge
The first and most fundamental methodological error in this claim is the complete disregard of transmitted reports as a valid and widely accepted source of human knowledge. The claimant overlooks the fact that most of what human beings know is acquired through reliable testimony and well-documented historical transmission, not through direct personal observation.
You, as a reader, believe in the existence of many great historical figures such as Newton, Napoleon, al-Shāfiʿī, al-Mutanabbī, and al-Khwārazmī, even though you have never seen them with your own eyes or heard their voices. You also accept the reality of major historical events such as the Battle of Ḥiṭṭīn, the Crusades, and the conquest of Constantinople, despite never witnessing them or seeing them recorded on camera.
Even modern sciences themselves rely heavily on transmission and documentation. You accept scientific theories and experimental results based on what has been conveyed to you through books and academic research, without personally observing every experiment or attending every discovery.
A truthful, mass-transmitted report (one conveyed by many independent sources across generations) is recognized by all rational people as authoritative evidence. Upon it rest most human knowledge in history, geography, literature, and the sciences. Whoever rejects transmitted knowledge as a source of truth effectively rejects the vast majority of what humans know and places themselves in a self-contradictory position.
Therefore, the absence of photography or audio recordings is not evidence against the existence of the prophets. Rather, the continuous, reliable transmission of their accounts across generations is strong evidence of their truthfulness and historical reality.
Second Error: Neglecting Divine Perfection and Its Necessity for Revelation
The second methodological error lies in a profound neglect of divine perfection and its necessary implications for revelation and guidance. Those who raise this claim ignore a fundamental truth: Allah will hold people to precise and perfect account on the Day of Judgment, distinguishing between the righteous and the wicked, the believers and the disbelievers, and those who did good and those who did evil.
Absolute justice and perfect wisdom require that the One who holds people accountable must also clarify for them the path of good and the path of evil, and explain the standards by which they will be judged.
If Allah were to hold people accountable without having sent them revelation and guidance, this would constitute clear injustice—and Allah is far above all injustice. As He says: “Allah does not intend any injustice toward the servants.” [Sūrat Ghāfir, 40:31]
Thus, sending revelation and messengers is a necessary requirement of divine justice and perfect wisdom. It is not an optional or secondary matter that can be postponed based on technological conditions.
As long as Allah will judge humanity in every age and time, He must guide them in every age and time, regardless of whether photography or recording devices exist. Accordingly, prophets must be sent when and where people are in need of guidance. Once the message has been delivered and the revelation preserved in full, the need for new prophets comes to an end—this is the case with the final message.
Divine perfection entails justice, justice entails clarification and guidance before judgment, and clarification is achieved through revelation and the sending of messengers.
Allah affirmed this principle when He said: “We never punish until We have sent a messenger.” [Sūrat al-Isrāʾ, 17:15]
There is no punishment without prior warning, and no accountability without prior explanation and guidance.
Third Error: Assuming That Seekers of Truth Require Seeing the Prophets
The third methodological error is the unfounded assumption that a sincere seeker of truth can only be guided by physically seeing the prophets through modern technological recordings.
This assumption contradicts reality and the nature of genuine intellectual inquiry. Whoever truly seeks the truth will pursue it through all available means: reflecting on the signs in the universe, examining widely transmitted texts, considering rational proofs, and studying historical evidence. Through this sincere search, such a person will reach the truth by Allah’s permission.
As for one who does not truly seek the truth, no form of evidence—visual, recorded, or otherwise—will benefit them, no matter how clear or powerful it may be.
Had such skeptics seen the prophets standing before them, they would have immediately claimed: “This is magic and deception,” or “This is an optical illusion,” or “This is cinematic trickery and technological manipulation,” or “This is psychological illness and hallucination.”
Indeed, the Qurʾān itself recounts how many people rejected the truth even while seeing the prophets directly and witnessing miracles with their own eyes. The people of Pharaoh saw the miracles of Mūsā (Moses), yet they said: “This is nothing but obvious magic.” [Sūrat al-Aʿrāf, 7:107]
The people of Ṣāliḥ saw the she-camel emerge from solid rock, yet they denied the truth and slaughtered her. The people of ʿĪsā (Jesus) witnessed the revival of the dead and the healing of the blind and the leper, yet they still said: “This is nothing but obvious magic.” [Sūrat al-Māʾidah, 5:110]
The real problem, therefore, is not the type or strength of evidence, but the absence of sincere willingness to seek the truth and the deviation of the heart from accepting guidance.
Allah has provided sufficient proofs, signs, and evidences for every sincere and fair-minded seeker. Whoever genuinely desires guidance will find it, and whoever chooses misguidance and stubborn rejection will follow that path. As Allah says: “So whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve.” [Sūrat al-Kahf, 18:29]
The Fourth Error: Arguing from Ignorance
The fourth methodological error in this claim is that the one raising it turns his own ignorance and lack of knowledge of the wisdom involved into “proof” that no such wisdom exists. When he fails to know or understand the reason why prophets were not sent in the age of photography and recording, he immediately concludes that this is decisive evidence that the prophets never existed in the first place.
This is a clear and blatant logical fallacy. A person’s limited knowledge of a particular wisdom never means that such wisdom does not exist. In the same way, people’s ignorance of the American continent before its discovery did not mean that it did not exist, and people’s ignorance of electricity before it was discovered did not mean that it was nonexistent.
The human mind is limited in its knowledge and perception and cannot encompass all divine wisdoms and lordly secrets. A person’s ignorance of the wisdom behind a certain matter does not justify denying that matter or judging it to be false. Allah, exalted is He, says: “You have been given of knowledge only a little.” [Sūrat al-Isrāʾ, 17:85]
Once it becomes clear that this claim is built upon ignoring one of the greatest sources of human knowledge (reliable transmitted reports), neglecting the necessity of revelation, and arguing from ignorance, it becomes evident that the failure of its argument does not undermine the establishment of proof against people.
Presumed Wisdoms Behind the Absence of Preserved Images of the Prophets
Before entering this discussion, it must be noted that what follows are presumed and speculative wisdoms, not definitive ones. Allah knows best the true wisdom behind His actions and His perfect planning.
First Wisdom: Protecting the Sanctity of the Prophets
One possible great wisdom behind the absence of preserved, authentic images of the prophets is the protection of their sanctity, honor, reverence, and dignity.
If their true images, fully matching their real appearance, had existed, this might have emboldened mockers and morally corrupt individuals to violate their sanctity, demean them, or ridicule them. We already see today how some deviant individuals violate the sanctity of the prophets’ names and mock them in films, books, and articles.
If people dare to mock even the mention of the prophets’ names, how much more likely would they be to insult, distort, or defile their actual images, had those images existed and been widely circulated?
Second Wisdom: Protection from False Sanctification
The absence of authentic images may also serve to protect the prophets from being wrongly sanctified or worshiped besides Allah. This is exactly what happened with the people of Nūḥ (Noah), peace be upon him. They initially made statues of righteous people merely for remembrance and imitation, but over time these statues came to be worshiped instead of Allah.
Images and statues can lead to blameworthy exaggeration or even prohibited polytheism (shirk), especially as time passes and the original truths are forgotten.
Third Wisdom: Focusing on the Essence Rather Than the Appearance
What truly matters in a prophet is his message and guidance, not his physical appearance or outward form. His greatness lies in his teachings and character, not in his external looks. His message was preserved and conveyed, and through it the proof was fully established against humanity.
The absence of images directs people to focus on the substance and essence of the message, rather than becoming preoccupied with form and appearance.
Fourth Wisdom: Testing the Hearts
The absence of images may also serve as a test of the sincerity of faith. Whoever believes in the prophets without having seen them has a purer and stronger faith than one who believes only after seeing. The Prophet ﷺ said about his community: “The people who love me most from my nation are those who will come after me; one of them would wish to see me even if it cost him his family and his wealth.”[Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2832]
This discussion remains speculative and based on thoughtful reasoning, yet it shows that the absence of photography and visual documentation may carry multiple profound wisdoms. It is not a deficiency or shortcoming, as skeptics imagine.
Additional Evidence for the Truth of Prophethood
Historical mass transmission (tawātur): The accounts of the prophets have reached us through widespread historical transmission from numerous independent paths and sources. Denying them amounts to stubborn rejection of well-established historical facts.
Archaeological evidence: There exist many archaeological remains that confirm the existence of the prophets and the nations to whom they were sent, supporting the historically transmitted narratives.
Harmony with scientific discoveries: There is remarkable correspondence between what is mentioned in the revealed scriptures and modern scientific discoveries, which affirms the truthfulness of their divine source.
Linguistic and scientific inimitability: The linguistic and scientific inimitability of the Qurʾān, for example, stands as decisive proof of its divine origin and the truthfulness of the prophet to whom it was revealed.
Conclusion: The Clear Reality
Thus, this weak claim collapses in the face of sound reason, correct thinking, and proper scientific methodology, and its methodological errors become plainly evident.
It has become entirely clear that the proponent of this claim ignores transmitted knowledge as a valid and universally accepted source of human understanding, even though most of human knowledge and information comes through reliable historical transmission.
It has also become clear that he completely overlooks divine perfection, which necessarily entails revelation and the sending of messengers. As long as Allah will hold people accountable in every age, He must guide and direct them in every age.
It has further been shown that he falsely assumes that a sincere seeker of truth can only be guided through visual recording and documentation, whereas reality and history testify that an honest seeker needs only serious, fair reflection on the available proofs and evidences.
Finally, it has become evident that he argues from his own ignorance, treating his lack of knowledge of the wisdom as proof that no wisdom exists—a clear logical error.
The noble prophets came with sufficient proofs and clear miracles. Their accounts and teachings were transmitted through reliable mass transmission across centuries and generations, and this is sufficient for every sincere and fair-minded seeker of truth.
Allah knows best the interests and wisdoms involved, and there may be many great wisdoms behind the absence of images and recordings of the prophets that our limited minds cannot grasp.
The deficiency, therefore, is not in the proofs or evidences, but in sincerity of seeking, purity of heart, and fairness in investigation. Whoever seeks the truth sincerely will find it, and whoever turns away from it will be deprived of it.
“We never punish until We have sent a messenger.” [Sūrat al-Isrāʾ, 17:15]
“So whoever wills—let him believe; and whoever wills—let him disbelieve.” [Sūrat al-Kahf, 18:29]
All praise is due to Allah, who sent the messengers as bearers of glad tidings and as warners, and who revealed the scriptures as guidance for all people. We ask Him, exalted is He, to guide us to the truth concerning that over which people differ, by His permission, and to make us among those rightly guided who follow His prophets and messengers.
Allah knows best, and may blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, and upon his family and all his companions.