The Magnificent Blessing in the Advent of Our Prophet Muhammad

Allah the Most High said:

﴿لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ﴾

(Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from among themselves,)

Meaning, from their own kind, so that it is possible for them to speak with him, ask him questions, associate with him, and benefit from him. Just as Allah said:

﴿وَمِنْ ءايَـتِهِ أَنْ خَلَقَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَجاً لِّتَسْكُنُواْ إِلَيْهَا﴾

(And among His signs is that he created for them mates, that they may find rest in.)

Meaning; of their own kind. And Allah said;

﴿قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَاْ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَى إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَـهُكُمْ إِلَـهٌ وَاحِدٌ﴾

(Say: "I am only a man like you. It has been revealed to me that your God is One God'') ﴿18:110﴾.

﴿وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلاَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُونَ فِى الاٌّسْوَاقِ﴾

(And We never sent before you any of the Messengers but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets) ﴿25:20﴾.

﴿وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً نُّوحِى إِلَيْهِمْ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى﴾

(And We sent not before you any but men unto whom We revealed, from among the people of townships) ﴿12:109﴾, and,

﴿يَـمَعْشَرَ الْجِنِّ وَالإِنْسِ أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ رُسُلٌ مِّنْكُمْ﴾

(O you assembly of Jinn and mankind! "Did not there come to you Messengers from among you...'') ﴿6:130﴾.

Allah's favor is perfected when His Messenger to the people is from their own kind, so that they are able to talk to him and inquire about the meanings of Allah's Word. This is why Allah said,

﴿يَتْلُواْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتِهِ﴾

(reciting unto them His verses) ﴿3:164﴾, the Qur'an,

﴿وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ﴾

(and purifying them), commanding them to do righteous works and forbidding them from committing evil. This is how their hearts will be purified and cleansed of the sin and evil that used to fill them when they were disbelievers and ignorant.

﴿وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ﴾

(and instructing them (in) the Book and the Hikmah,) the Qur'an and the Sunnah,

﴿وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبْلِ﴾

(while before that they had been), before sending this Prophet, Muhammad ,

﴿لَفِى ضَلَـلٍ مُّبِينٍ﴾

(in manifest error. ) indulging in plain and unequivocal error and ignorance that are clear to everyone.

﴿أَوَ لَمَّا أَصَـبَتْكُمْ مُّصِيبَةٌ قَدْ أَصَبْتُمْ مِّثْلَيْهَا قُلْتُمْ أَنَّى هَـذَا قُلْ هُوَ مِنْ عِندِ أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىءٍ قَدِيرٌ - وَمَآ أَصَـبَكُمْ يَوْمَ الْتَقَى الْجَمْعَانِ فَبِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ وَلِيَعْلَمَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ - وَلِيَعْلَمَ الَّذِينَ نَافَقُواْ وَقِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْاْ قَاتِلُواْ فِى سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ أَوِ ادْفَعُواْ قَالُواْ لَوْ نَعْلَمُ قِتَالاً لاَّتَّبَعْنَـكُمْ هُمْ لِلْكُفْرِ يَوْمَئِذٍ أَقْرَبُ مِنْهُمْ لِلإِيمَـنِ يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يَكْتُمُونَ - الَّذِينَ قَالُواْ لإِخْوَنِهِمْ وَقَعَدُواْ لَوْ أَطَاعُونَا مَا قُتِلُوا قُلْ فَادْرَءُوا عَنْ أَنفُسِكُمُ الْمَوْتَ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـدِقِينَ ﴾

t(165. (What is the matter with you) When a single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say: "From where does this come to us'' Say, "It is from yourselves.'' And Allah has power over all things.) (166. And what you suffered on the day the two armies met, was by the leave of Allah, in order that He might test the believers). (167. And that He might test the hypocrites, it was said to them: "Come, fight in the way of Allah or defend yourselves.'' They said: "Had we known that fighting will take place, we would certainly have followed you.'' They were that day, nearer to disbelief than to faith, saying with their mouths what was not in their hearts. And Allah has full knowledge of what they conceal.) (168. (They are) the ones who said about their killed brethren while they themselves sat (at home): "If only they had listened to us, they would not have been killed.'' Say: "Avert death from your own selves, if you speak the truth.'')