LIGHT AND HUMAN (NOORANIYAT AND BASHARIYAT) OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD ﷺ
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'O People of the Book! There has come to you Our Messenger who makes clear to you much of that which you had hidden, in the Book and he pardons you much. Indeed, there has come to you from Allah a light and a Luminous, Book (The Quran)'
(Surah Al-Ma'ida. verse 15)
There has come to you from Allah a light, and a luminous, book i.e. light (noor) came as well as the book. Allah Ta'ala communicated in form of verses, and verses became words, which then became The Holy Quran. Prior to this, there was no embodiment of The Holy Quran. Similarly Prophet Muhammad ﷺ came to this world in a human appearance (bashar). Now! Think on. In which appearance Prophet ﷺ would have been before coming to this world? Anything or anybody has to have a formation or an appearance to come into this world.
Allah Ta'ala states in The Holy Quran:
'And if We had appointed an angel (as Messenger) We would surely have made him a man, and they would have the same doubt in him as they have now'
(Surah Al-An'aam. verse 9)
The infidels objected to the Prophethood of Prophet ﷺ. Their argument was that if Allah had to send a Messenger, He would have sent one of His angels. Thus, in this verse of The Holy Quran, Allah Ta'ala says that even if angels had come in human form, these infidels would still have had the same doubt.
For the guidance of mankind, Allah Ta'ala sent His beloved Messenger ﷺ in a human appearance. If Prophet ﷺ had arrived as a light (noor), human beings wouldn't have been able to see him, leave alone believing in him. Allah Ta'ala says He indeed sent a light (noor), but in a human appearance.
In Hadith e Jibreel(alaihis salaam), Hazrat Farook e Azam(Radi Allaahu Anhu) narrates that one-day while he and other companions were sitting in the company of Prophet ﷺ, a man in exceptionally white clothes, and with very dark black hair appeared before us. No signs of travel could be seen on him, nor did any of us recognize him. He came and sat before Prophet ﷺ. He rested his knees with the blessed knees of Prophet ﷺ 'and placed his hands upon the blessed thighs of Prophet ﷺ. He sat with great respect and love, and started asking questions. When he went away, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me: 'Umar! Do you know who the questioner was?' I said. 'Allah and His Messenger know best'. Prophet ﷺ said, 'he was angel Jibreel(alaihis salaam). He came to teach you your religion (deen).
If Jibreel(alaihis salaam), being light (noor) can appear as a human (bashar), then why Prophet Muhammad ﷺ cannot appear as a human?
Even us, the mankind came into this world as human beings. Prior to this, our form or appearance was also different.
Imam Taj ad-Din Subki(Radi Allaahu Anhu) says, 'It has been said that Allah Ta'ala created the spirit before the bodies. And the Prophet's ﷺ reference to his prophecy in the hadith is 'I was a Prophet while Adam(alaihis salaam) was still between the spirit and the body'.'
(Imam Qastallani, Mawahib al-Laduniya).
It is narrated by Imam Abdur Razaq(Radi Allaahu Anhu) that Hazrat Jabir Ibn Abdullah asked Prophet ﷺ, 'tell me of the first thing Allah Ta'ala created before all things?' Prophet ﷺ replied, 'O Jabir, the first thing Allah Ta'ala created was the light of your Prophet from His (created) light, and that light remained in the midst of His power for as long as He wished, and that was not, at that time, a Tablet, or a pen or a Paradise or Hell, angel or an earth'.
This is a very authentic hadith, but one of the sects who deny this hadith, name themselves as 'ahle hadith'. What hypocrisy?
The deviants defy this hadith by labelling it as a weak hadith. But can they deny The Quran? 'Indeed there has come to you from Allah a light, and a Luminous, Book (Quran)'
The Wahabis and its affiliates who oppose this view believe from some false conviction that they hold, that the Ahlus Sunnah Wa Jama'ah claim Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was not a human (bashar). This is weird and a blatant lie.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the best and the exalted bashar, and the best illustrious noor. Prophet ﷺ is a NOORI BASHAR.
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This article is an abridged English translation of an Urdu sermon delivered by his eminence, Peer Syed Imroz Dean Saifi, Hanfi, Maturidi of Masjid Anwaar e Madina, Surrey BC Canada
If there is an inaccurate translation, please pardon it and not let it be a means to negatively reflect on the honoured presenter.
