Hafizur Rahman Qadri Barelvi writes that some people say the Prophet ﷺ is a human like themselves and present this verse of the Quran as evidence.
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ
You say, apparently in human form, I am like you.
According to them, the Prophet is human and a human cannot be light (noor). If anyone holds the belief that the Prophet ﷺ is light, then holding such a belief is shirk (polytheism).
The stance of Ahl al-Hadith on the issue of Noor and Human
Respected readers, the answers to Qadri Barelvi’s arguments will be given sequentially at the end of this chapter. First, we will present the belief of Ahl al-Hadith from the Quran that all the Prophets, peace be upon them, were indeed human; no Prophet came into this world as light, rather all the Messengers themselves declared their humanity:
Humanity of the Prophets, peace be upon them, with 60 evidences from the Quran
Evidence number: 1
قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِن نَّحْنُ إِلاَّ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ وَلَـكِنَّ اللّهَ يَمُنُّ عَلَى مَن يَشَاء مِنْ عِبَادِهِ
The disbelievers were told by the messengers that it is certain that we are humans like you, but Allah Almighty bestows His grace upon whomever He wills among His servants.
This blessed verse clarifies that in humanity, we share the same nature with you, meaning our species and your species are the same; you are human and we are human. But in the second part of the verse, a distinction is made that Allah has favored us by granting prophethood and messengership. However, keep in mind that in terms of status, the rank of a messenger and prophet is the highest among creation. Whoever believes that the status of a prophet is like my status, the honor of a prophet is like my honor, the dignity of a prophet is like mine, the character and appearance of a prophet are like mine, and the greatness of a prophet is like mine, then according to our belief, such a person is not a Muslim but rather a disbeliever. Here, when it is stated that we are humans like you, it is only in terms of human species. Many people often slander the people of truth by saying that they honor the Prophet (peace be upon him) as if he were an elder brother; all of this is false and slander. Otherwise, no Muslim or believer can even think like this. Millions of brothers, fathers, mothers, tribes, and families cannot even compare to the dust of the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) shoe. No one has a status like the status of the Prophet (peace be upon him). No one has a rank like the rank of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The status of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is higher than all creation.
Whoever has heard the words of Muhammad ﷺ
Has become a slave of Muhammad ﷺ in heart and soul
No one has ever attained or will attain
A status as high as Muhammad’s ﷺ
If you want God to be pleased with you
Respect Muhammad ﷺ with heart and soul
In this blessed verse, all the prophets (peace be upon them) have declared their humanity:
Therefore, the Ahl al-Hadith have adopted this belief:
Argument Number: 2
Allah Almighty grants prophethood only to humans, as stated:
مَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُؤْتِيَهُ اللّهُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحُكْمَ وَالنُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ يَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ كُونُواْ عِبَادًا لِّي مِن دُونِ اللّهِ
It is not permissible for any human that Allah gives him the Book, judgment, and prophethood, and then he tells people to become his servants instead of Allah.
From this blessed verse, it is clear that Allah Almighty bestows the Book, wisdom, and prophethood only upon humans. Allah Almighty made the Imam of the universe, peace be upon him, clearly declare his humanity:
Argument Number: 3
قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنتُ إَلاَّ بَشَرًا رَّسُولاً
Say, “Allah is the One; I am only a human messenger besides Him.”
In this blessed verse, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is clearly commanded to declare that say, “I am a human messenger.” Allah has commanded this declaration, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has proclaimed it. Yet it is not understood why the clerics do not believe in the words of Allah and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and keep repeating “Noor Noor” and issue fatwas of blasphemy against those whose belief is according to Allah’s Quran. At another place, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was again commanded to make a clarifying declaration of his humanity.
Argument Number: 4
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَيَّ
Say, “I am only a human being like you; revelation comes to me.”
Argument Number: 5
Allah Almighty again commanded the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to declare:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَهُكُمْ إِلَهٌ وَاحِدٌ
Say, “I am only a human being like you; it is revealed to me that your God is One.”
Argument Number: 6
In another place, Allah Almighty addressed the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and said that a human being is not everlasting.
وَمَا جَعَلْنَا لِبَشَرٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ الْخُلْدَ أَفَإِن مِّتَّ فَهُمُ الْخَالِدُونَ
We have not given any human before you eternal life; so when death comes to them, will they remain forever?
Once, I went to give a lecture and taught the mentioned Quranic verses. After finishing, a man came and sat beside me and said that what you explained—that Allah told the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Say, I am a human like you”—was said only to the Prophet. We cannot say that the Prophet (peace be upon him) called himself a human; if we say so, it would be disrespectful. I asked, “Sir, please tell me, how many Gods are there?” He replied, “Is this even a question? Allah is only one.” I said, “Saying Allah is one is not disrespectful.” He asked, “How so?” I said, “Allah Almighty only told the Prophet (peace be upon him) قل هو الله احد to say that Allah is One. The Prophet (peace be upon him) can say that Allah is One, but we cannot.” After hearing this, the man fell silent and left. If one removes the lens of prejudice and reflects on the evidence of the Quran and Sunnah, the straight path is not far.
Argument Number: 7
All the Prophets, peace be upon them, upon whom Allah bestowed favor, were from the descendants of Adam, peace be upon him:
أُوْلَـئِكَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ مِن ذُرِّيَّةِ آدَمَ
These are the people upon whom Allah has bestowed favor. All the Prophets are from the descendants of Adam, peace be upon him.
Argument Number: 8
Humans are made of dust, not of light.
وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ اللّهُ إِلاَّ وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَاء حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولاً فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاء إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ
And it is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him except by revelation or from behind a veil or by sending a messenger to reveal, by Allah’s command, what Allah wills. Indeed, He is Most High, Most Wise.
Argument Number: 9
All the Prophets, peace be upon them, who came into this world were men. Allah Almighty says:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ فَاسْأَلُواْ أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ
And We sent before you only men to whom We revealed [Our message]. So if you do not know, ask those who possess the message.
Argument Number: 10
يَا بَنِي آدَمَ إِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنكُمْ يَقُصُّونَ عَلَيْكُمْ آيَاتِي فَمَنِ اتَّقَى وَأَصْلَحَ فَلاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
O children of Adam, if there come to you messengers from among you who recite to you My verses, then whoever fears Allah and reforms – there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve.
Proof Number: 11
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى
And We sent not before you except men to whom We revealed [Our message]. So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
Proof Number: 12
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى
And We sent not before you except men from among the communities, to whom We revealed [Our message].
Description:
One aspect related to humanity is the attribute of servitude. This aspect was never understood by the polytheists, which Allah Almighty repeatedly explained in the Holy Quran. Thus, it was stated: Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was a servant of Allah.
Proof Number: 13
لَن يَسْتَنكِفَ الْمَسِيحُ أَن يَكُونَ عَبْداً لِّلّهِ
The Messiah, peace be upon him, is not ashamed of being a servant of Allah.
For further emphasis, he repeated this attribute of servitude with his own tongue; he said it at the very beginning.
Evidence Number: 14
قَالَ إِنِّي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ آتَانِيَ الْكِتَابَ وَجَعَلَنِي نَبِيًّا
Indeed, I am a servant of Allah; He has given me the Scripture and made me a prophet.
Evidence Number: 15
Similarly, regarding Prophet Zakariya, peace be upon him:
ذِكْرُ رَحْمَتِ رَبِّكَ عَبْدَهُ زَكَرِيَّا
This is a mention of the mercy of your Lord upon His servant Zakariya.
Evidence Number: 16
Regarding Prophet Nuh, peace be upon him:
كَذَّبَتْ قَبْلَهُمْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ فَكَذَّبُوا عَبْدَنَا
Before them, the people of Nuh also denied Our servant.
Evidence Number: 17
Prophet Ayyub, peace be upon him, was also a servant; thus it is stated:
وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا أَيُّوبَ إِذْ نَادَى رَبَّهُ
Mention Our servant Ayyub when he called upon his Lord.
Evidence Number: 18
Prophet Dawud, peace be upon him, was also a servant of Allah; thus it is stated:
وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُودَ ذَا الْأَيْدِ
Mention Our servant Dawud, the possessor of great strength.
Evidence Number: 19
وَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ سُلَيْمَانَ نِعْمَ الْعَبْدُ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌ
We gave Dawood (David) the gift of Suleiman (Solomon), who was a very good servant.
Argument Number: 20
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was also a servant, as the Lord of the Worlds says:
تَبَارَكَ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ الْفُرْقَانَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ لِيَكُونَ لِلْعَالَمِينَ نَذِيرًا
Blessed is He who sent down the Qur’an upon His servant that he may warn the worlds.
Argument Number: 21
سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَى بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلاً مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى
Exalted is He who took His servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa.
Argument Number: 22
أَلَيْسَ اللَّهُ بِكَافٍ عَبْدَهُ وَيُخَوِّفُونَكَ بِالَّذِينَ مِن دُونِهِ
Is Allah not sufficient for His servant? Yet they threaten you with others besides Him.
Argument Number: 23
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ الْكِتَابَ وَلَمْ يَجْعَل لَّهُ عِوَجَا
All praise is due to Allah, who has sent down upon His servant the Book and has not made therein any deviance.
Argument Number: 24
هُوَ الَّذِي يُنَزِّلُ عَلَى عَبْدِهِ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ لِيُخْرِجَكُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ
It is He who sends down upon His servant verses of clear evidence that He may bring you out from darknesses into the light.
Argument Number: 25
وَإِن كُنتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِّمَّا نَزَّلْنَا عَلَى عَبْدِنَا فَأْتُواْ بِسُورَةٍ مِّن مِّثْلِهِ
If you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our servant, then produce a surah like it.
Argument Number: 26
One who has a family and lineage is indeed a human being. Allah Almighty says:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ مِنَ الْمَاء بَشَرًا فَجَعَلَهُ نَسَبًا وَصِهْرًا وَكَانَ رَبُّكَ قَدِيرًا
And it is He who has created from water a human being and made him [a relative by] lineage and marriage. And your Lord is competent [concerning creation].
These matters pertain only to humans; no luminous being has a tribe, family, or lineage. He is neither a son-in-law nor a father-in-law nor a parent, whereas all the relatives of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, existed. Then what is the reason for denying his humanity?
Argument Number: 27
All the messengers came from the human species, as Ibrahim, peace be upon him, prayed:
رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ
Our Lord, and appoint among them a messenger from themselves.
Argument Number: 28
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولاً مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ
He it is Who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His verses.
Evidence Number: 29
كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِيكُمْ رَسُولاً مِّنكُمْ
Just as We sent a Messenger to you among yourselves.
Evidence Number: 30
لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ
Indeed, Allah conferred a favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves.
Evidence Number: 31
لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ
A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves.
All humans are earthly creatures; none are beings of light. Initially, humans were created from clay. The first human was Prophet Adam (peace be upon him).
Evidence Number: 32
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ مِنْ حَمَإٍ مَسْنُونٍ
We created man from sounding clay, from mud molded into shape.
Evidence Number: 33
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ سُلَالَةٍ مِنْ طِينٍ
And We created man from an extract of clay.
Evidence Number: 34
خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ مِنْ صَلْصَالٍ كَالْفَخَّارِ
Allah created man from clay like pottery that is sounding.
Evidence Number: 35
وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنْسَانِ مِنْ طِينٍ
And the origin of man’s creation was from clay.
Argument Number: 36
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فِي رَيْبٍ مِنَ الْبَعْثِ فَإِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ
O people, if you have any doubt about the resurrection, then consider that We created you from dust.
Argument Number: 37
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ ثُمَّ إِذَا أَنْتُمْ بَشَرٌ تَنْتَشِرُونَ
And among His signs is that He created you from dust, then behold, you are human beings spread abroad in the world.
Argument Number: 38
وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ
Allah created you from dust.
Argument Number: 39
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ تُرَابٍ
Allah is the One who created you from dust.
Argument Number: 40
هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ طِينٍ
He is Allah, the One who created you from clay.
Argument Number: 41
اِنَّا خَلَقْنٰهُمْ مِّنْ طِیْنٍ لَّازِبٍ
We created them from sticky clay.
Argument Number: 42
مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ
We created you from this earth, then We will return you to it.
Argument Number: 43
At the time of the birth of the father of all humanity, Prophet Adam (peace be upon him), it was said to the angels:
إِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِنْ طِينٍ
When your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to create a human being from clay.”
The first human being is Prophet Adam (peace be upon him), and all other humans have descended from Adam.
Argument Number: 44
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً
O people, fear your Lord who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women.
There are other verses with similar meanings, for example (Surah Az-Zumar verse 6, Surah Al-An’am verse 98, Surah Al-A’raf verse 189). From the above-mentioned Quranic verses, it is understood that the wife of Adam (peace be upon him) was the mother of all humans, created from the body of Adam (peace be upon him). It is clear that all humans are from their progeny. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was also a son of these two. If there is any doubt, then as an example, I present the undeniable proof of the lineage of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) being a son of Adam (peace be upon him). Consider carefully whether he was earthly or luminous.
The Pure Lineage of the Imam of the Universe:.
Muhammad, peace be upon him, son of Abdullah, son of Abdul Muttalib, son of Hashim, son of Abd Manaf, son of Qusayy, son of Kilab, son of Murrah, son of Ka’b, son of Lu’ay, son of Ghalib, son of Fihr, son of Malik, son of Nadr, son of Kinana, son of Khuzaymah, son of Mudrikah, son of Ilyas, son of Mudar, son of Nizar, son of Ma’ad, son of Adnan, son of Uud, son of Hamzah, son of Salaman, son of Aws, son of Bawz, son of Qamwal, son of Abu Bakr, son of Awwam, son of Nashid, son of Haza, son of Baldas, son of Yadlaf, son of Tabikh, son of Jahim, son of Nahish, son of Maki, son of Abqar, son of Ubaid, son of Al-Du’aa, son of Hamdan, son of Sanbar, son of Yathribi, son of Yahzan, son of Yilhan, son of Arwi, son of ‘Ayd, son of Daishan, son of ‘Isa, son of Afnad, son of Ayham, son of Muqassir, son of Nathith, son of Zarh, son of Sami, son of Mazy, son of ‘Awda, son of ‘Aram, son of Qidar, son of Ismail, son of Ibrahim, son of Tarikh, son of Nakhur, son of Sarwagh, son of Ra’u, son of Falaq, son of ‘Abir, son of Shalakh, son of Arfakhshad, son of Sam, son of Nuh, peace be upon him, son of Lamech, son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalalel, son of Qinan, son of Anush, son of Sheeth, peace be upon him, son of Adam, peace be upon him.
It is regrettable that due to people’s foolish thinking, they have read the genealogy of 80 generations from you, peace be upon him, back to Adam, peace be upon him, yet still claim that you, peace be upon him, are not human but rather luminous beings. Break down the door of foolishness and come out. Use the prescription of humanity for the correction of belief.
It is our duty to say and inform.
It is your choice to accept or not accept.
Argument Number: 45
The disbelievers were very surprised that Bashar became a messenger.
وَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنْذِرِ النَّاسَ
Were the people surprised that We sent a man from among them to warn the people?
Argument Number: 46
أَوَعَجِبْتُمْ أَنْ جَاءَكُمْ ذِكْرٌ مِنْ رَبِّكُمْ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْكُمْ لِيُنْذِرَكُمْ
Are you surprised that a man from among you was sent by your Lord to give you admonition so that he may warn you?
Argument Number: 47
بَلْ عَجِبُوا أَنْ جَاءَهُمْ مُنْذِرٌ مِنْهُمْ فَقَالَ الْكَافِرُونَ هَذَا شَيْءٌ عَجِيبٌ
Rather, those people were astonished that a guide from among themselves came to them, and the disbelievers said, “This is indeed a strange thing.”
The disbelievers were greatly astonished at the prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), wondering how a human could become a messenger. Similarly, nowadays people accept prophethood but deny humanity and insist on being luminous. The disbelievers believed that a human could not be a messenger; rather, being a luminous creation was a condition for prophethood. Therefore, they did not believe in the prophets who were sent to them because they saw the prophets with their own eyes and clearly observed their human characteristics. Upon seeing this, they said that these humans could not be prophets because they lacked the condition of being luminous creatures. The Holy Quran has both stated and refuted this belief. Allah Almighty says:
Proof Number: 48
وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ أَنْ يُؤْمِنُوا إِذْ جَاءَهُمُ الْهُدَى إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا أَبَعَثَ اللهُ بَشَرًا رَسُولًا
And when guidance came to the people, nothing prevented them from believing except that they said, “Has Allah sent a human being as a messenger?”
Argument Number: 49
The leaders of the people of Prophet Noah (peace be upon him) also held the belief that a human cannot be a prophet:
فَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ قَوْمِهِ مَا هَذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَتَفَضَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَأَنْزَلَ مَلَائِكَةً
The leaders of his (Noah’s) people clearly said, “This is just a human like yourselves who wants to gain superiority over you, and if Allah had willed to appoint a prophet, He would have appointed angels as prophets.”
Argument Number: 50
The people of Prophet Hud (peace be upon him) also held the same belief that it was necessary for a messenger to be luminous; otherwise, he could not be a messenger, as stated in the Holy Quran:
وَقَالَ الْمَلَأُ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِلِقَاءِ الْآخِرَةِ وَأَتْرَفْنَاهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا مَا هَذَا إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ يَأْكُلُ مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ مِنْهُ وَيَشْرَبُ مِمَّا تَشْرَبُونَ وَلَئِنْ أَطَعْتُمْ بَشَرًا مِثْلَكُمْ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا لَخَاسِرُونَ
The chiefs of his (Hud’s) people, who disbelieved and denied the meeting of the Hereafter, and whom We had made prosperous in worldly life, said: “This (Hud) is only a man like yourselves; he eats your food and drinks your water. If you obey a man like yourselves, then you will surely be losers.”
Argument Number: 51
In another place it is stated:
قَالُوا مَا أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُنَا وَمَا أَنْزَلَ الرَّحْمَنُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنْتُمْ إِلَّا تَكْذِبُونَ
Those people said, “You are just like us, and the Most Merciful has not revealed anything; you are only lying.”
The meaning of this statement was that since you are human and a human cannot be a prophet, therefore you are not a prophet because Allah has not revealed any revelation to them, so no revelation will be revealed to you either. They denied their prophethood because of their humanity.
Argument Number: 52
إِذْ جَاءَتْهُمُ الرُّسُلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا اللَّهَ قَالُوا لَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّنَا لَأَنْزَلَ مَلَائِكَةً فَإِنَّا بِمَا أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَافِرُونَ
When the prophets came to them from before and behind, saying, “Do not worship anyone except Allah,” they said, “If our Lord had willed, He would have sent down angels. So we do not believe in what you have been sent with.”
Their belief was that humanity contradicts prophethood, meaning humanity and prophethood cannot coexist in one person. That is, whoever is human cannot be a prophet, and whoever is a prophet cannot be human, which implies that a prophet must be a luminous creation. Therefore, he cannot be human. And they say:
مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَى بَشَرٍ مِنْ شَيْءٍ
Allah has not revealed anything to any human.
Their meaning was that Allah has never sent any human as a prophet or messenger. The Pharaoh’s people also held the belief that a human cannot be a messenger. Because Moses (peace be upon him) and Aaron (peace be upon him) were human, they did not believe in them, as Allah Almighty states in the Holy Quran:
Argument Number: 53
فَقَالُوا أَنُؤْمِنُ لِبَشَرَيْنِ مِثْلِنَا وَقَوْمُهُمَا لَنَا عَابِدُونَ
They said, “Shall we believe in two human beings like ourselves while their people are our slaves?”
Argument Number: 54
Allah Almighty responded to the false objection of all nations as follows:
قُلْ لَوْ كَانَ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَلَائِكَةٌ يَمْشُونَ مُطْمَئِنِّينَ لَنَزَّلْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ مَلَكًا رَسُولًا
Say, “If there were angels walking about on the earth, We would have sent down to them an angel as a messenger.”
In this blessed verse, Allah Almighty has made the matter clear that those living on earth were not beings of light but of dust. If they had been beings of light, We would have sent a luminous angel as a messenger. Because the inhabitants of the earth were humans, therefore, humans were sent as messengers.
One false objection and its answer:.
Some people instill in the hearts of illiterate simple people the idea that since the disbelievers called the Prophets, peace be upon them, “mortal,” therefore whoever calls a Prophet mortal is a disbeliever. معاذ الله
The first point is that when they called the Prophets, peace be upon them, “mortal,” they did so by denying their prophethood. In fact, the reason for their disbelief was not calling the Prophets mortal, but rather their disbelief was in not accepting a mortal as a Prophet and Messenger. That is, whoever does not accept a mortal as a Prophet, this is disbelief. Pure faith is that one accepts the Prophet as mortal as well as a Messenger and Prophet, because all the Messengers, peace be upon them, themselves declared their mortality.
As it is in Surah Ibrahim, they never approved of this disbelief but rather rejected it. The Prophets, peace be upon them, acknowledging this fact is proof that calling a Prophet mortal is not disbelief but faith, and therefore the Prophets, peace be upon them, approved it.
Proof Number: 55
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, denied being luminous as stated in the Holy Quran:
قُلْ لَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ عِنْدِي خَزَائِنُ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَعْلَمُ الْغَيْبَ وَلَا أَقُولُ لَكُمْ إِنِّي مَلَكٌ
Say, “I do not tell you that I have the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, nor do I tell you that I am an angel.”
A Propaganda Against Ahl-e-Haq:
When these people find no evidence from the Quran and Hadith against the Ahl al-Haqq, they say that they are blasphemers of the Prophet, may Allah forbid. The Ahl al-Hadith hold the belief that blasphemy is out of the question; whoever even imagines blasphemy against the Prophet becomes a disbeliever and is liable to be killed. When asked what kind of blasphemy they commit, it is commonly known that since childhood, people have been made to detest Wahhabis by saying that they honor the Prophet as much as a big brother. They made this claim because some scholars of truth said that it is permissible to call the Prophet a brother. But the status of the Prophet is exalted above the entire universe; all the brothers, sons, and fathers of the universe combined cannot even reach the status of a small companion of Allah’s Messenger. The status of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is higher than all the Prophets (peace be upon them) and all the angels. Whoever says that the honor, dignity, and status of the Prophet is only as much as that of a brother cannot be considered a Muslim in our view. However, calling him a brother merely in a religious relationship is not blasphemy. All the Prophets who came were relatives and brothers of their nations, as the Quran states:
Proof Number: 56
إِذْ قَالَ لَهُمْ أَخُوهُمْ هُودٌ أَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
When their brother Hud (peace be upon him) said to them, “Do you not fear?”
Proof Number: 57
وَإِلَى عَادٍ أَخَاهُمْ هُودًا
And to the people of ‘Aad, their brother Hud (peace be upon him) was sent. He said, “O my people, worship Allah alone; you have no deity other than Him. Will you not fear Him?”
Proof Number: 58
وَإِلَى ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمْ صَالِحًا
And to the people of Thamud, their brother Salih (peace be upon him) was sent as a messenger.
Proof Number: 59
وَإِلَى مَدْيَنَ أَخَاهُمْ شُعَيْبًا
And to the people of Midian, their brother Shu’ayb (peace be upon him) was sent.
These four Quranic verses are sufficient proof that Allah Almighty referred to the Prophets (peace be upon them) as brothers of their nations. From this, it is understood that if a follower calls the Prophet (peace be upon him) a brother, there is no element of disrespect in it. Reflect upon this, try to understand the matter calmly without anger.
May hatred be removed, and the heart become a mirror,
May your chest be illuminated with the light of knowledge.
Proof Number: 60
Some people have declared the servants of Allah to be a part of Allah; they are outright ungrateful. It is stated:
وَجَعَلُوا لَهُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ جُزْءًا إِنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ لَكَفُورٌ مُبِينٌ
And they have taken some of Allah’s servants as a part of Him. Indeed, man is clearly ungrateful.
Some people hold the belief that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is a fragment of Allah’s light. Such people should correct their belief in the light of the Quran. When Allah Almighty has clearly explained this issue in the Holy Quran that the Prophet, peace be upon him, is a human messenger, and a clear declaration has been made about him in the Quran:
قُلْ سُبْحَانَ رَبِّي هَلْ كُنْتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَسُولًا
O Prophet, say to them, “My Lord is free from all defects; I am only a human messenger.”
This blessed verse clearly proves both humanity and prophethood, but stubbornness and prejudice have no cure. If one reflects with an open mind, the matter becomes clear.
In another place, Allah Almighty made the Prophet, peace be upon him, declare clearly in the Quran to inform those people:
قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ
Say, “I am only a human being like you.”
Allah called the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and the father of all humanity a human being:
إِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِنْ طِينٍ
While your Lord said to the angels, “I am going to create a human being from clay.”
All the messengers, peace be upon them, themselves acknowledged their humanity, as is clear from the Holy Quran:
قَالَتْ لَهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ إِنْ نَحْنُ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ مِثْلُكُمْ
Their messengers said to them, “We are only human beings like you.”
Despite seeing such clear evidence from the Quran, if someone does not accept the Prophet, peace be upon him, as human but considers him a luminous being, then in my opinion, he should worry about his faith because he denies the verses of Allah just to prove his self-made belief. Some people, when they see such clear evidence from the Quran, cannot even say that the Prophet, peace be upon him, was not human; they are forced to say that he was both human and light. This is like asking someone at noon whether it is day or night, and he says it is both day and night. This is a strange logic beyond our understanding. Because a luminous being is not earthly, and one who is earthly is not luminous; it is impossible for both to exist simultaneously. May Allah grant my Muslim brothers the ability to adopt belief according to the Quran and Sunnah. آمين
The entire Ummah agrees that the most honorable creation is man. The Lord of the universe proved by making even luminous beings prostrate before man that humans are superior to luminous beings, and luminous beings are inferior. So, to exclude the Prophet, peace be upon him, from the most honorable creation and include him among the lowliest creatures is a diminution of status, not an addition. The status of the Prophet, peace be upon him, is higher than that of luminous beings.
Now we will explain this issue in the light of Hadith whether the Holy Prophet ﷺ was light (noor) or a human being?
Humanity of the Imam of the Prophets ﷺ in the Light of Hadith
Evidence Number: 1
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
لا تطروني كما أطرت النصارى ابن مريم، فإنما أنا عبده، فقولوا : عبد الله ورسوله
Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising Jesus son of Mary. I am only a servant of Allah, so call me the servant of Allah and His Messenger.
Evidence Number: 2
Hazrat Abdullah Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) prayed and then turned to give the salam. He was asked if any new command regarding prayer had been revealed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked, “What happened?” The companions (may Allah be pleased with them) said, “You have prayed more than usual.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) then turned his feet towards the Qiblah and performed two prostrations, then gave the salam. Then, turning to the people, he said, “If any new command regarding prayer is revealed, I will inform you.
إنما أنا بشر مثلكم، أنسى كما تنسون، فإذا نسيت فذكروني
I am just a human like you; I also forget like you. If I forget, remind me.
Argument Number: 3
Hazrat Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
إنما أنا بشر، وإنكم تختصمون إلي، فلعل بعضكم أن يكون ألحن بحجته من بعض، فأقضي له بحق أخيه شيئا فلا يأخذه، فإنما أقطع له قطعة من النار
I am only a human being, and you bring your disputes to me. Perhaps one of you is quicker in presenting his argument than the other, so I judge in his favor according to the argument I hear. So listen, whoever I judge in favor of regarding the right of a Muslim, then consider him a piece of fire; whether he takes it or leaves it.
From this blessed hadith, two things become clear: first, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was only a human being; second, that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not an all-knowing seer of the unseen. If one abandons bias and reflects, reaching the truth becomes easy.
Evidence Number: 4
Narrated Hazrat Jabir رضي الله عنه that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إنما أنا بشر ، وإني اشترطت على ربي عزوجل، أى عبد من المسلمين سببته أو شتمته، أن يجعل ذلك له زكاة وأجرا
I am only a human being, and I have made a condition with my Lord that if I have ever spoken ill of any Muslim (and he was not deserving of it), then it will become a cause of goodness and reward for him.
Evidence Number: 5
Hazrat Zaid bin Arqam رضي الله عنه says that once the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم delivered a sermon, and after praising Allah, he said:
أيها الناس إنما أنا بشر يوشك أن يأتيني رسول ربي فأجيب
O people, listen, I am only a human being. It is likely that the one sent by my Lord, the Mighty and Majestic (the Angel of Death), may come to me with a message, and I will accept his message.
Evidence Number: 6
Hazrat Rafi’ bin Khadij رضي الله عنه narrates that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إنما أنا بشر، إذا أمرتكم بشيء من دينكم فخذوه، وإذا أمرتكم بشيء من رأيي، فإنما أنا بشر
I am only a human; when I command you regarding any matter of your religion, accept it, and when I command you based on my own opinion, remember that I am only a human.
Evidence Number: 7
Hazrat Mahmood bin Labeed رضي الله عنه says that the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إنما أنا بشر تدمع العين ويخشع القلب ولا نقول إلا ما يرضى الرب
I am only a human; my eyes weep, my heart grieves, and we will not say anything that displeases the Lord. This statement was made by the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم at the time of the death of his son Ibrahim.
Evidence Number: 8
In another noble hadith, the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم said:
إنما أنا بشر أرضى كما يرضى البشر وأغضب كما يغضب البشر
I am only a human; like humans, I feel pleased and happy, and like humans, I also get angry.
Evidence Number: 9
Among the creations, there are three types of rational beings: angels, jinn, and humans. Regarding the origin and creation of each, the Prophet ﷺ said:
خلقت الملائكة من نور، وخلق الجان من مارج من نار، وخلق آدم مما وصف لكم
(It means) that angels were created from light, jinn from the flame of fire, and Adam from clay and water, as mentioned in the Quran. This blessed hadith confirms that humans were created from clay. You ﷺ were also human, made of dust, not a creation of light.
Evidence Number: 10
Once, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said in the sermon of the eclipse prayer:
أيها الناس إنما أنا بشر رسول
O people, I am indeed a human messenger.
This statement of the Prophet is exactly in accordance with the verse of the Holy Quran because Allah Almighty also commanded His Prophet ﷺ to say:
هَلْ كُنْتُ إِلَّا بَشَرًا رَسُولًا
I am only a human messenger.
Evidence Number: 11
Thus, Umm al-Mu’minin Aisha رضي الله عنها, who was the honored wife of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم, narrates that:
كان بشرا من البشر
The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم was one of the humans.
Evidence Number: 12
Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbas رضي الله عنهما said after the death of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم:
إن رسول الله قد مات وإنه بشر
Indeed, the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم has passed away and he was a human.
Evidence Number: 13
Read from Ahmed Raza Khan Sahib Barelvi’s book Fatawa Africa, he writes that it is narrated from Hazrat Ibn Masood (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said every child’s navel contains a part of the soil from which he was created, so much so that after death he will be buried in it.
إنا وأبو بكر وعمر خلقنا من تربة واحدة فيها ندفن
I (the Prophet) and Abu Bakr and Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) were created from the same soil and will be buried in the same.
From this hadith, it is proven that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was made of dust, not light; he was created from soil.
From these blessed hadiths, the humanity of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has been established as clear as daylight. For believers, one Quranic verse and one Prophetic hadith are sufficient. There are hundreds of hadiths on this subject. Out of fear of length, I have only quoted a few hadiths, but people try in vain by various means to prove the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) as light. However, the truth is proven by the Quran and Sunnah, so no one can dare to deny it. I too once made a great effort to prove the Prophet (peace be upon him) as light, but it was futile because the fabricated speculative narrations, which have become popular among the common people and have no reality, have no authentic narration from the Prophet (peace be upon him) on this subject. These false stories are in clear contradiction to Allah’s Quran and also to hadith.
These claimants are of Islam but are strangers,
They have no scent of piety and no color in faith.
