The Humanity of the Messenger: A Wisdom, Not a Deficit: A Scholarly Refutation of the Misconception: "How can we believe that this human is a…
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the most noble of Messengers.
A question is occasionally raised regarding Prophethood and divine messages: “How can we believe that this human, who eats, drinks, and sleeps just like us, is a Messenger from the Lord of the worlds? If the message were truly from God, He would have sent a being who is clearly from another realm, so that no one would have an excuse to disbelieve.”
While this question may appear logical or born of a sincere desire for truth, it is actually rooted in serious methodological errors regarding the nature of Prophethood and the divine wisdom behind sending Messengers. It ignores the profound benefits of having a human Messenger. We shall address this question with a careful scholarly analysis to reveal these errors and the hidden wisdoms.
Methodological Errors in the Misconception
1. Negation Without Proof and Creating Arbitrary Rules
The first glaring error is that critics establish a rule of their own making and then judge Allah the Almighty by it. They implicitly claim: "Revelation only descends upon angels" or "A Messenger must be non-human."
The logical question is: What is your evidence for this rule? From where did you derive this restriction? Is there any rational or textual proof that Allah cannot reveal His word to a human?
Rationally: There is no logical impossibility in Allah revealing to a human. Is He unable to do so? Or are humans incapable of receiving revelation? Both notions are self-evidently false. Allah is Power over all things, and humans are rationally capable of receiving revelation just as they are capable of other forms of knowledge and inspiration.
Historically: All divine religions testify that their Prophets were human. Nūḥ (Noah), Ibrāhīm (Abraham), Mūsā (Moses), ʿĪsā (Jesus), and Muhammad—peace be upon them all—were humans. This is a historically mass-transmitted fact (Mutawātir) that only a stubborn person would deny.
Establishing rules without evidence is a flawed methodology, similar to someone saying, "Gold must only be red," and then denying the existence of yellow gold because it contradicts their imagined rule.
2. Prejudiced Bias and Double Standards of Proof
The second error is approaching the claim of Prophethood with a clear bias and using double standards that are not applied to any other claim in life.
While we generally judge claims by looking at clues, evidence, and witnesses, critics of Prophethood start with the assumption of falsehood and set impossible hurdles for acceptance. This bias appears in two ways:
Treating humanity as evidence of lying: Simply being human does not necessitate that a claimant is lying, as we have shown it is logically possible.
Demanding "Impossible Evidence": Asking for signs that are not required in any other field of human knowledge.
The Qur’ān mentions the stubbornness of the polytheists during the time of the Prophet ﷺ and how they demanded impossible signs, such as the verse: “And they say, 'Why was there not sent down to him an angel?' But if We had sent down an angel, the matter would have been decided; then they would not be reprieved” [Sūrat al-Anʿām: 8].
They also said: (“What is this Messenger that eats food and walks in the markets? Why was there not sent down to him an angel to be a warner with him?” [Sūrat al-Furqān: 7].
The logical question is: Why this clear bias against Prophethood? The answer is simple: accepting Prophethood brings responsibilities and obligations, and the human soul naturally resists what limits or disciplines it. The problem is often not a lack of evidence, but the strength of personal desire (Hawā) and resistance to divine command (Taklīf).
3. Judging Based on Ignorance of Divine Wisdom
The third error is using one's own ignorance of divine wisdom as "proof" that such wisdom does not exist. When critics cannot disprove a human Messenger through logic or history, they fall back on: "I see no wisdom in it, therefore there is no wisdom."
This is a logical fallacy. It assumes Allah is obligated to reveal the secrets of His actions to them before they believe. We don't even demand this of fellow humans in specialized fields, so how can we demand it of the Lord of mankind?
If this logic were applied to life, results would be absurd. Someone who died before the discovery of Radium would have been "right" to deny its existence. A patient who does not understand why a doctor prescribes a specific medicine would be "justified" in denying that the doctor has any wisdom. The human mind is limited in its perception; an individual's ignorance of a specific wisdom does not mean it is absent.
The Great Wisdoms Behind a Human Messenger
1. An Infallible Practical Model
One of the greatest wisdoms is that a human Messenger serves as an infallible practical model (Maʿṣūm) for the divine message.
The divine message answers the question: What does Allah want from us? * The human Messenger answers the question: How do we achieve what Allah wants?
There is a massive difference between hearing Allah say "Establish prayer" and seeing Muhammad ﷺ stand in prayer at night until his feet swell. There is a difference between hearing "Be patient" and witnessing the Prophet's patience at the city of al-Ṭāʾif, where he was pelted with stones until blood ran from his feet, yet he prayed: “O Allah, guide my people, for they do not know”.
A human Messenger translates divine commands into daily, applicable behavior. He shows you how to live by the Qur’ān, how to deal with human weakness without surrendering to it, and how to elevate the soul without forgetting one's humanity.
If the Messenger were an angel, any negligent person would have a ready excuse: "He is an angel, he doesn't get tired; he doesn't need sleep; he has no desires. How can I follow someone who does not share my nature?" An angel would be an argument for the lazy, not a role model for the strivers. The human Messenger closes this door entirely. His life says: "I am like you; I get hungry, I feel joy and sorrow, I get tired—and yet I obeyed Allah. So what is your excuse?"
2. Human Communication and Connection
A human Messenger speaks our language—not just in words, but the language of feelings, experiences, pain, and hope.
When the Prophet ﷺ comforted a mother who lost her child, he did so from a heart that had tasted the bitterness of loss, having lost his own children and his most beloved relatives. When he reassured someone who was afraid, he did so from a heart that knew fear and overcame it through Īmān (faith) and trust in Allah.
Imagine if an angel, who has never felt grief, tried to comfort the grieving. Or a being who never eats tried to teach us about the patience of fasting. Their words would lack the emotional truth that comes from shared experience. A human Messenger understands the human context: he knows when to be firm and when to be gentle, when to rebuke and when to forgive. This deep connection can only be achieved by one who shares our humanity and has lived our complex human experience.
3. Preserving the Nature of the Test and Trial
Among the profound wisdoms is that the humanity of the Messenger preserves the very nature of the test and trial for which this worldly life was created.
If an angel were to appear to all people and speak to them directly, what would be the difference then between them and Muhammad ﷺ? Both would be human, and both would have been spoken to by an angel; therefore, everyone would be a Prophet! This would lead to the abolition of Prophethood or making everyone a Prophet, both of which are nonsensical.
Furthermore, the appearance of an angel to everyone would nullify the nature of the test itself. Does a person who sees an angel with their own eyes need faith (Īmān)? They would be compelled to acknowledge the truth, just as they are compelled to acknowledge the existence of the sun at midday.
Allah, Glory be to Him, desires faith that springs from a love for the truth and a sincere desire for it; this is why the realm of the Ghayb (the Unseen) exists. Allah wants to reveal the reality of hearts through the Unseen: those who love the truth will find it, and those who dislike it will find an excuse to flee from it.
If the Unseen were removed by the appearance of angels, the sincere and the hypocrite, the lover and the hater, the seeker and the fleer would all be equal, as everyone would declare belief when they find no way to deny it. Where is the justice in that? The divine wisdom made the Prophet's humanity a precise scale to reveal people's true mettle: those who want the truth find it in the clearest proof, and those who want falsehood find enough misconceptions to silence their consciences.
Addressing Potential Objections
"But the appearance of an angel would be more powerful in persuading and guiding people."
The Response: Power in persuasion is not always the objective; rather, the objective is to reveal truths and establish justice. Allah does not want to force people into faith; He wants them to believe by their own choice after the clear evidence has been established.
"But the appearance of an angel would reduce doubt and hesitation."
The Response: Allah the Almighty does not intend to eliminate doubt entirely, but rather He wants humans to overcome their doubt through sincere searching and fair reflection. Reasonable doubt and logical questioning are not flaws; they are paths to reaching Yaqīn (certainty).
"But people would be more obedient if they saw the angel."
The Response: Obedience arising from sensory fear is not what is sought; rather, it is obedience arising from love, conviction, and a desire for goodness. History bears witness that many who saw miracles with their own eyes did not believe, but instead said: “This is nothing but obvious magic” [Sūrat al-Māʾidah: 110].
Conclusion: The Radiant Truth
After this journey through the corridors of this misconception, it is clearly evident that its proponents have not provided a single valid argument. Instead, they have revealed a series of blatant methodological errors: they claimed without proof, judged without evidence, and failed to show any link between humanity and falsehood in the claim of Prophethood. Finally, they resorted to judging based on their ignorance of divine wisdom.
The truth is that the humanity of the Messenger is not a deficiency to be apologized for or a flaw to be hidden; it is a perfection to be proud of and a wisdom to be praised. The human Messenger is a role model to be followed, not just a miracle to be watched. He is a practical teacher who shows us "how" to apply the religion, not just a theoretical messenger telling us "what" to do.
He speaks to us in the language of hearts before tongues. He understands our human suffering because he lived it, and he closes the door to weak excuses because he achieved what is required of us despite sharing our human nature.
Divine wisdom has made the humanity of the Messenger a fair and precise scale that reveals the reality of hearts: those who sincerely want the truth find it in the clearest demonstration, and those who seek falsehood and stubbornness find enough excuses to justify their turning away. This is part of perfect divine justice: that every person is given what they deserve based on their sincere intention and real effort. Guidance is for those who want it, and misguidance is for those who choose it.
Glory be to Allah, who made the humanity of His Messenger a great sign for those who reflect, a conclusive argument against the stubborn, and a vast mercy for all the worlds. Allah spoke the truth when He said through the tongue of His noble Messenger: “Say, 'Exalted is my Lord! Was I ever but a human messenger?'” [Sūrat al-Isrāʾ: 93].
All praise is due to Allah, who chose Messengers from among humans, making them a guide and a good example for people, and through them perfected the religion and completed His favor. We ask Him, Glory be to Him, to keep us firm in following them and to gather us in their company.
And Allah knows best. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions.