Prophet Muhammad Praised in al-Quran
Bismillah, praise be to Allah the lord of the worlds and we ask Allah to increase the honor of Prophet Muhammad and all the Prophets before him and to keep us steadfast to Islam,
Allah honored His chosen Prophet in many verses of the Qur’an. Some verses highlight the refined manners of the Prophet as in Su rat al-Qalam, Ayah 4:
{وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ}.
This ayah means: [Certainly you have the great manners (morals).]
Su rat at-Tawbah, Ayah 128, highlights the sublimity of the Prophet’s genealogy and status. Allah said:
{لَقَدْ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مِنْ أَنْفُسِكُمْ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيْهِ مَا عَنِتُّمْ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَحِيمٌ}.
This ayah means: [A messenger from among you came who grieves for what is hard on you, who wants very much that which benefits you (the guidance…). He is very kind and merciful to the believers.]
Su rat al-Fath, Ayah 29, points out Allah’s praise of Prophet Muhammad in the books Allah revealed to His prophets:
{مُحَمَّدٌ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِمْ مِنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِي الْإِنْجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَى عَلَى سُوقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ}
Surah Al-^Imran, Ayah 81, shows that Prophet Muhammad is favored over the rest of the prophets:
{وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ النَّبِيِّينَ لَمَا ءَاتَيْتُكُمْ مِنْ كِتَابٍ وَحِكْمَةٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَكُمْ رَسُولٌ مُصَدِّقٌ لِمَا مَعَكُمْ لَتُؤْمِنُنَّ بِهِ وَلَتَنْصُرُنَّهُ قَالَ ءَأَقْرَرْتُمْ وَأَخَذْتُمْ عَلَى ذَلِكُمْ إِصْرِي قَالُوا أَقْرَرْنَا قَالَ فَاشْهَدُوا وَأَنَا مَعَكُمْ مِنَ الشَّاهِدِينَ}
Ayahs 4 and 5 of Surat al-Hujurat, Ayah 24 of Surat al-Anfal, and Ayah 63 of Su rat an-Nur all show the obligation of respecting, aggrandizing, and holding the Prophet at a sublime status. Ayahs 4 and 5 of Surat al-Hujurat:
{إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُنَادُونَكَ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْحُجُرَاتِ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْقِلُونَ (4) وَلَوْ أَنَّهُمْ صَبَرُوا حَتَّى تَخْرُجَ إِلَيْهِمْ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَهُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ}
mean: [Certainly most of those who call you from behind your wives’ chambers lack understanding. Had they patience until you went out to them this would have been better for them. Allah is forgiving and merciful. Ayah 24 of Surat al-Anfal:
{يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ }
means: [O believers, respond obediently to Allah and to the Messenger when he calls you to that which makes you alive (life by Islam after death by blasphemy)]. Ayah 63 of Surat an-Nur:
{لَا تَجْعَلُوا دُعَاءَ الرَّسُولِ بَيْنَكُمْ كَدُعَاءِ بَعْضِكُمْ بَعْضًا}
means: [Do not call the Prophet the way you call one another] This refers to how they used to call the Prophet, ‘O Muhammad’, ‘O Abul-Qasim’; rather, the Ayah orders honoring him by calling him ‘O Prophet of Allah’, ‘O Messenger of Allah’).
Surat al-Ahzab, Ayahs 6 and 53 indicate the continuity of the obligation of aggrandizing the Prophet. Allah said:
{النَّبِيُّ أَوْلَى بِالْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَأَزْوَاجُهُ أُمَّهَاتُهُمْ}
. {وَلَا أَنْ تَنْكِحُوا أَزْوَاجَهُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِ أَبَدًا}.
These ayahs mean: [The Prophet is more deserving to the believers than their own selves. and his wives are the mothers of the believers] and [Do not ever marry his wives after him]
Surat al-Hijr, Ayah 72 reveals that Allah swore by the Prophet’s life– thereby honoring his status. Allah said:
{لَعَمْرُكَ إِنَّهُمْ لَفِي سَكْرَتِهِمْ يَعْمَهُونَ}.
This ayah means: [I adjure by your life O’Prophet Muhammad) they (the blasphemers) are confused and hesitant in their intoxication.]
Allah knows best.