The Necessity of Appointment of the Prophets Based on the Principle of Divine Grace

The need for the prophets is worth discussing from two different viewpoints: 1. Man¨s need for prophets. 2. The necessary nature of Divine Grace. Philosophers and theologians have offered different theories concerning the need for the appointment of the prophets. Concerning these theories, criticism has been expressed and questions have been raised. According to philosophers, what is meant by necessity is that it must exist for Him and can not be separated from His essence. Based on this, grace and generosity are essential attributes of God. Most theologians, however, rely on the concepts of good and bad according to the intellect in order to prove the necessity of the dispatch of the prophets. This definition of necessity differs from that of philosophers. The rule of divine grace viewed by Shi¨ah great theologians, like ShaykhMufid and Khawajah Tusi, has been criticized and analyzed. The necessity of dispatch of messengers on the basis of divine justice has also been analyzed.