The Bestowal of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ): A Qur’ānic and Prophetic Perspective
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Introduction
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the final messenger and the most honored of creation. His mission, character, and blessings are divinely bestowed. Understanding the concept of bestowal (ʿaṭāʾ) upon him whether in spiritual rank, intercessory capacity, or guidance to the Ummah is vital to appreciating his unique status in Islam. This article explores the concept of divine bestowal upon the Prophet ﷺ through the lens of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and classical scholarly commentary, while highlighting his role as a mercy to the worlds.
1. Qur’ānic Foundations of the Prophet’s Bestowal
The Qur’an repeatedly emphasizes that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was granted blessings unparalleled by any other creation.
a. Bestowal of Revelation and Guidance
Allah declares:
"وَإِنَّكَ لَتُهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ"“And indeed, you [O Muhammad] guide to a straight path.”(Qur’an, 42:52)
This verse affirms the Prophet’s role as a guide by divine permission, a unique form of spiritual leadership bestowed upon him (Ibn Kathīr, 2000).
b. Elevation of Mention
"وَرَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ"“And We raised high your mention.”(Qur’an, 94:4)
The elevation of the Prophet’s name is one of the clearest forms of divine bestowal. As interpreted by scholars, whenever Allah is mentioned in the shahādah, so is His Messenger ﷺ eternally linking them (Al-Qurṭubī, 2006).
c. Mercy to the Worlds
"وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ"“And We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.”(Qur’an, 21:107)
The Prophet ﷺ was not just a mercy to believers, but to all of creation. His very existence is a manifestation of Allah’s mercy bestowed upon the universe.
2. Prophetic Sayings Affirming His Divine Gifts
Numerous authentic hadiths document the Prophet’s bestowed qualities, including intercession, unparalleled knowledge, and unique status.
a. Intercession (Shafāʿah)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
"أُعْطِيتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ"“I was granted intercession.”(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 6304)
This refers to the Great Intercession (al-shafāʿah al-ʿuẓmā) on the Day of Judgment, which none but the Prophet ﷺ will possess—showing an exclusive bestowal of mercy and advocacy.
b. Leadership on the Day of Judgment
"أَنَا سَيِّدُ وَلَدِ آدَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَا فَخْرَ"“I will be the leader of the children of Adam on the Day of Judgment, and I am not boasting.”(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, 2278)
This status is not earned by effort alone, but divinely granted (muʿṭā), distinguishing the Prophet ﷺ among all creation.
c. Comprehensive Speech (Jawāmiʿ al-Kalim)
"فُضِّلْتُ عَلَى الْأَنْبِيَاءِ بِسِتٍّ..."“I have been given superiority over the prophets in six ways…”One of them: “I have been given concise and comprehensive speech.”(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 328)
The gift of concise yet profound expression, making truth clear with few words, is another unique bestowal from Allah.
3. Scholarly Reflections on His Status and Bestowal
a. Imam al-Būṣīrī (d. 1294 CE)
In Qaṣīdat al-Burda, he famously wrote:
"فَإِنَّ مِنْ جُودِكَ الدُّنْيَا وَضَرَّتَهَاوَمِنْ عُلُومِكَ عِلْمَ اللَّوْحِ وَالْقَلَمِ"
Though poetic, this expresses what many scholars affirm: that the Prophet ﷺ was blessed with divine knowledge and cosmic importance.
b. Imam al-Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ (d. 1149 CE)
In al-Shifāʾ, he states:
“Allah has honored the Prophet with special attributes not granted to anyone else.”(Al-Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ, 1998)
4. Dimensions of the Prophet’s Bestowal
a. Spiritual Bestowal
His light (nūr) is referenced in some scholarly traditions and verses:
"قَدْ جَاءَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُّبِينٌ"“There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear Book.”(Qur’an, 5:15)
Some tafsir scholars, like al-Ṭabarī, interpret “nūr” here to mean the Prophet ﷺ (Al-Ṭabarī, 2001).
b. Bestowal to the Ummah Through Him
His role was not only to receive but to transmit divine bestowal:
"لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ..."“There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves…”(Qur’an, 9:128)
Through him, the Ummah received divine mercy, guidance, forgiveness, and unity.
5. Modern Reflections on the Prophet’s Legacy
Contemporary scholars like Shaykh Ramadan al-Buti and Shaykh Nuh Keller describe the Prophet ﷺ as the greatest conduit of divine mercy not just historically, but cosmologically, as the axis around which creation revolves.
Conclusion
The bestowal of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is both vast and multifaceted spiritual, moral, and eschatological. The Qur’an, hadith, and classical commentaries affirm his exalted rank, divine gifts, and universal role as a mercy and leader. Love and reverence for him are thus an essential part of the faith, rooted not in emotion alone, but in revealed truths and scholarly affirmation.
"وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ"“And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah…”(Qur’an, 49:7)
References
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Al-Bukhari, M. I. (n.d.). Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī. Dār Ṭawq al-Najāh.
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Al-Qurṭubī, M. A. (2006). Al-Jāmiʿ li-Aḥkām al-Qurʾān (Vol. 20).
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