The ruling on whether Prophets were sent to polytheistic nations
29-11-2015 | IslamWeb
Question:
Assalaamu alaykum Brother. I was just wondering whether Prophets were sent to polytheistic nations, and not only Messengers. I repeat, could Prophets have been sent to polytheistic nations as well, and not just Messengers?
Answer:
All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad 
is His slave and Messenger.
Whether the Prophets were sent to the polytheistic nations or not is based on the most preponderant opinion of the scholars about the definition of a Prophet and the difference between a Prophet and a Messenger. It was said that there is no difference between a Prophet and a Messenger, but this is a weak view.
The correct view is that there is a difference between them. The majority of the scholars hold the view that the Prophet is the one to whom revelation came down with a legislation for him to act upon but who was not ordered to convey it and that the Messenger is the one to whom revelation came down with a legislation and who was ordered to convey it.
Based on this definition, the Prophets were not sent to polytheistic nations.
It was also said that the Prophet is the one who was sent to people who consented and who were believers and that the Messenger is the one who was sent to offenders and disbelievers.
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah 
said in An-Nubuwwaat (the book of prophecies):
“The Prophet is the one whom Allaah informs and who in turn informs the people of what Allaah informed him about; if in addition to this he was sent to those who violated the Command of Allaah to convey a message from Allaah to them, then he is a Messenger. However, if he acts according to a previous legislation (of a previous Messenger) and was not sent to convey a message from Allaah to anyone, then he is a Prophet and not a Messenger. Allaah says (what means): {And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet except that when he spoke [or recited], Satan threw into it [some misunderstanding].} [Quran 22:52] Allaah says: {any messenger or prophet}; so Allaah mentioned the messenger, which includes both kinds, and he singled out one of them as a messenger; this is the absolute Messenger whom Allaah ordered to convey His Message to the people who denied Allaah, such as Prophet Nooh (Noah)…”
The saying of Allaah (which means): {And We did not send before you any messenger or prophet} is evidence that a Prophet is also sent, but he is not called a Messenger because he was not sent to a people with what they do not know. Rather, he used to order the believers with what they know is the Truth, such as a scholar; it is for this reason that the Prophet said, "The scholars are the heirs of the Prophets."
But it is not a condition that the Prophet comes with a new legislation; Prophet Yoosuf (Joseph) was upon the religion of Ibraaheem (Abraham), and Daawood (David) and Sulaymaan (Solomon) were Messengers and they were both upon the legislation of the Torah…
Based on this view chosen by Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah, the Prophets were also not sent to polytheistic nations.
Allaah knows best.