The Prophets Are Humans

taken from the study of Minatur Rahman by Sh. Yasir Burhami

This article aims to summarise the points as to why the Prophets (peace be upon them all) are human, and what are the scriptural evidences for this belief.

For many of us Muslims the knowledge that the Prophets were humans may come as common sense, but for many more others this sense eludes them, therefore we need correct reasoning and evidence to disarm people with absurd beliefs such as our Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) was made from light and did not cast a shadow.

The first evidence comes from Surah Kahf verse 110 where Allah says to Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) Say: "I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah. whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.

There is a belief that the Prophet (s.a.w) was made from light, and that he did not cast a shadow, this belief was backed up by a false hadith. To argue this false belief you can use the evidence provided in Surah Ma'ida verse 15 where Allah says O people of the Book! There hath come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that ye used to hide in the Book, and passing over much (that is now unnecessary). There hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book

The interpretation of this verse is that the light mentioned is the Quran, which is also the book. There is a second interpretation that the light mentioned is in reference to the Prophet (s.a.w), needless to say both these interpretations can be seen as correct. However with the latter you must not get confused, when Allah references the Prophet (s.a.w) as a light it must be interpreted as a light of guidance and not that the Prophet (s.a.w) is literally made from light.

The Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) along with all the other Prophets are human and not divine in anyway, none of them had knowledge of the unseen, this knowledge only lies with Allah. In short nobody knows the future, nobody can read the future, or know the future with certainty, not even the Prophets. Nobody except Allah has this knowledge.

To prove this point you have to use Surah A'raf [7:188] where Allah says Say: "I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah willeth. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil should have touched me: I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith."

Here is an important hadith:

Do not exaggerate in me the way the Christians exaggerated in the son of Maryam, for I am but a slave of Allah so say "Slave of Allah and His Messenger".
[Sahih al-Bukhari 55:654]

We understand from this hadith that the Prophet (s.a.w) is not divine, and he is nothing more than the slave of Allah and his messenger.

Summary of Evidences

  • Surah Kahf - 18:110
  • Surah Ma'ida - 5:15
  • Surah A'raf - 7:188
  • Bukhari: Book #55 Hadith #654

This article was taken from the study of Minnatur Rahman by Sh. Yasir Burhami.

Jazakallahu khayran for reading - and praise be to Allah for giving me the ability to write this article.