Question
As Salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuhu,
I had a question regarding if Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, our beloved Prophet is the best of all prophets, peace be upon them all, as a lot of scholars say he is the best and there is a consensus on this.
Hadiths, such as the following, have created some fog in my head in regard to this, such as:
لَا يَنْبَغِي لِعَبْدٍ أَنْ يَقُولَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ مَتَّى
“No servant should say that I am better than Jonah son of Mata.”
Source: Sahih Bukhari 3234
And:
وَمَنْ قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ مَتَّى فَقَدْ كَذَبَ
“Whoever says that I am better than Jonah son of Mata has told a lie.”
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi, 3245, Sahih
As well as another hadith:
لَا تُخَيِّرُونِي عَلَى مُوسَى فَإِنَّ النَّاسَ يَصْعَقُونَ فَأَكُونُ أَوَّلَ مَنْ يُفِيقُ فَإِذَا مُوسَى بَاطِشٌ بِجَانِبِ الْعَرْشِ فَلَا أَدْرِي أَكَانَ فِيمَنْ صَعِقَ فَأَفَاقَ قَبْلِي أَمْ كَانَ مِمَّنْ اسْتَثْنَى اللَّهُ
“Do not say I am better than Moses for mankind will faint on the Day of Judgment and I will be the first to recover, and Moses at that time will be holding the side of the Throne. I do not know if he would faint and recover before me, or if Allah will make an exception for him.”
Source: Sahih Muslim 2373
And:
Anas ibn Malik reported: A person came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, “O best of creation!” So the Prophet said:
ذَاكَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام
“That is Abraham, upon him be peace.”
Source: Sahih Muslim 2369
As well as this hadith:
Anas ibn Malik reported: A man said, “O Muhammad! O master son of our master! O best of us son of the best of us!” So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِتَقْوَاكُمْ وَلَا يَسْتَهْوِيَنَّكُمْ الشَّيْطَانُ أَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهِ مَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ تَرْفَعُونِي فَوْقَ مَنْزِلَتِي الَّتِي أَنْزَلَنِي اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ
“O people, say what you must say but do not allow Satan to deceive you. I am Muhammad the son of Abdullah, the servant of Allah and His Messenger. By Allah, I do not love that you raise my status above what Allah the Exalted has granted me.”
Source: Musnad Ahmad 12141 , Sahih
Please clarify or explain, in detail if possible, if the narrative that a lot of Muslims have that our beloved Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is the best of all creation and/or the best of Prophets, may Allah bless them and grant them peace.
Thanks,
Wasalaam.
Answer
There are two types of narrations regarding the virtue of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and give him peace). The first are those which explicitly mention that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) is the greatest and most virtuous. For example, Imam Muslim has recorded the following hadith of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) via Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him):
“I am the leader of the descendants of Adam, the first from whom the earth will be opened, the first intercessor, and the first whose intercession will be accepted.”
A variation of this hadith recorded by Imam Tirmidhi states:
“I am the master of the children of Adam on the Day of Judgement, and I am not boasting. The banner of praise will be in my hand, and I am not boasting. There will not be a single prophet on that day, not Adam nor anyone other than him, except that he will be under my banner. And I am the first one whom the earth will be opened for, and I am not boasting.”
These narrations are explicit in stating that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) has a unique status in being the best of creation.
The second type of narrations are those where the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) discourages the companions from giving him preference over other Prophets. The scholars of hadith have listed a variety of reasons why the Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) may have done this. Below are a few reasons:
- The Prophet (may Allah bless him and give him peace) made the remarks prior to knowing that he was the best of creation.
- They were stated out of humility and respect.
- Giving preference was discouraged where it could lead to disrespect of other prophets.
- Giving preference was discouraged where it could lead to argument and confrontation.
- In relation to being a prophet, all prophets are equal. However, certain prophets may have unique qualities and virtues that are exclusive to them. As for an overall rank and standing the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and give him peace) has the highest standing.
صحيح مسلم (4/ 1782)
حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَنَا سَيِّدُ وَلَدِ آدَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ يَنْشَقُّ عَنْهُ الْقَبْرُ، وَأَوَّلُ شَافِعٍ وَأَوَّلُ مُشَفَّعٍ
مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح (9/ 3645)
وَإِنَّمَا خُصَّ يُونُسَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ بِالذِّكْرِ مِنْ بَيْنِ الرُّسُلِ لِمَا قَصَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ فِي كِتَابِهِ مِنْ أَمْرِ يُونُسَ، وَتَوَلِّيهِ عَنْ قَوْمِهِ، وَضَجْرَتِهِ عَنْ تَثَبُّطِهِمْ فِي الْإِجَابَةِ، وَقِلَّةِ الِاحْتِمَالِ عَنْهُمْ وَالِاحْتِفَالِ بِهِمْ حِينَ رَامُوا التَّنَصُّلَ فَقَالَ عَزَّ مِنْ قَائِلٍ: {وَلَا تَكُنْ كَصَاحِبِ الْحُوتِ} [القلم: 48] وَقَالَ: {وَهُوَ مُلِيمٌ} [الصافات: 142] فَلَمْ يَأْمَنْ – صَلَّى اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ – أَنْ يُخَامِرَ بَوَاطِنَ الضُّعَفَاءِ مِنْ أُمَّتِهِ مَا يَعُودُ إِلَى نَقِيصَةٍ فِي حَقِّهِ فَنَبَّأَهُمْ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ لَيْسَ بِقَادِحٍ فِيمَا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ، وَأَنَّهُ مَعَ مَا كَانَ مِنْ شَأْنِهِ كَسَائِرِ إِخْوَانِهِ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَالْمُرْسَلِينَ، وَهَذَا قَوْلٌ جَامِعٌ فِي بَيَانِ مَا وَرَدَ فِي هَذَا الْبَابِ فَافْهَمْ تَرْشُدْ إِلَى الْأَقْوَمِ.
Takmilah Fath al-Mulhim 10:415
Answered by:
Ifta Research Fellow
Checked & Approved by:
Mufti Abdul Rahman Mangera
Mufti Zubair Patel