1. Q118.
Was Rasoolullah (SAW) a Human Being? Isn't it
true that he is 'noor'? Isn't it an insult to him to say that
he was an ordinary Human Being?
Answer.
1.Rasoolullah(SAW) is called a man
The Quran says in Surah al Kahf
18:110 Say:
"I am but a man like yourselves”
41:6 Say thou:
"I am but a man like you”
2.A Messenger from among yourselves
“It is He Who has sent amongst the Unlettered an
apostle from among themselves”
62:2
Allah did confer a great favor on the believers when
He sent among them an Apostle from among themselves
3:164
3.If not human then was he an angel?
If we say he was not a human then what was he. Among created beings (Makhlook)
possibilities are Angel or Jinn (God forbid). He cannot be an angel because angels do not
have a free will hence their reward will be much lesser than humans who lead a
righteous life in spite of human free will. Besides Allah does not send angels to warn
humans.
25:7 And they say: "What sort of an apostle is this who eats food and walks through the
streets? Why has not an angel been sent down to him to give admonition with him?
4.Human Attributes
The prophet had human failings and human weaknesses. He cried when his son Ibrahim
died. He felt tired and exhausted. He felt pain when he was injured and suffered
immense pain during his sickness during his last days. He bled when he was injured all
these are human characteristics.
5.Rasoolullah(SAW) called himself a human being
a) Sahih Muslim 4:6293 Salim, the freed slave of Nasriyyin, said : “I heard Abu Huraira
as saying that he heard Allah’s Messenger(SAW) as saying: “O Allah Muhammed is a
human being. I loose my temper just as human beings do, and I have held a covenant
with thee which thou wouldst not break: For a believer whom I give any trouble or
invoke curse or beat, make that an expiation his nearness to thee on the day of
judgement.”
b) Abu Dawud 3:3576 Umm Salamah reported Allah’s Messenger as saying: I am only a
human being, and you bring your disputes to me, some perhaps more eloquent in their
plea than others, so that I give judgement on their behalf according to what I hear from
them. Therefore, whatever I decide for anyone which by right belongs to his brother, he
must not take anything, for I am granting him only a portion of hell.”
6.Afzalul Bashar
No doubt Rasoolullah was a "Bashar" ie human. However among men as the prophet of
Allah and the best implementor of Islam he was indeed an "Afzalul Bashar" ie and elated
one among the humans. Hence we should not say that he was like any normal human
being rather we should realise and accept his true status as an elated human