Examining Misconceptions About the Virtues and Characteristics of Prophet Muhammad
A Few Investigations Related to the Virtues of the Prophet ﷺ
The dignity of the Prophet ﷺ is unparalleled. From numerous texts of the Quran and Hadith, one can perceive the countless virtues and the unparalleled, matchless grandeur of the Prophet ﷺ. He is the first person in human history whom Allah has bestowed such a high rank and status. Despite his elevated status, the Prophet ﷺ was a human being. As a human, he possessed the same human characteristics found in all people. However, he was distinguished in some human qualities, which are proven through authentic evidence, such as the fact that his sweat was incredibly fragrant.
Those who exaggerate his status have attributed qualities to him that go beyond human traits and for which there is no valid evidence. Regarding such claims, the Prophet ﷺ said:
"Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the son of Mary, for I am only a servant of Allah. So say, 'the servant of Allah and His Messenger.'" (Sahih al-Bukhari: 3445)
In the following lines, I present an investigation into a few claims attributed to the Prophet ﷺ.
First Claim: The Prophet ﷺ never experienced drowsiness.
Response: Sleep is a necessity for humans, and it is a natural trait. Thus, the Prophet ﷺ also slept and woke up. In fact, he provided us with the best example of sleeping and waking, teaching us the etiquette of sleeping early, reciting supplications before sleep, sleeping on the right side, waking up early, and reciting supplications upon awakening. There is a famous hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari where three individuals made certain statements: one said, “I will pray all night,” another said, “I will fast continuously,” and the third said, “I will remain away from women and will not marry.” When the Prophet ﷺ heard about these statements, he said:
"By Allah, I fear Allah more than any of you, and I am the most conscious of Him, yet I fast and break my fast, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me." (Sahih al-Bukhari: 5063)
Drowsiness is a form of sleep, and therefore the Prophet ﷺ, like any other human, would sleep and experience drowsiness. In fact, there is explicit mention of drowsiness in the hadith. Once after the Fajr prayer, the Prophet ﷺ turned to his companions and said:
"I will tell you what kept me from coming to you this morning: I got up during the night, performed ablution, and prayed as much as was decreed for me. Then I became drowsy in my prayer and fell into a deep sleep, and there I was with my Lord, the Blessed and Exalted, in the best of forms." (Sahih al-Tirmidhi: 3235)
Only Allah is free from drowsiness and sleep. The Almighty says:
"Allah! There is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep." (Ayat al-Kursi)
Second Claim: Flies never landed on the Prophet’s body ﷺ.
Flies are part of the human environment. Wherever humans live, flies are generally present, especially during meals. The Prophet ﷺ even provided guidance regarding flies:
"If a fly falls into one of your vessels (of food or drink), submerge it, then discard it, for under one of its wings is disease, and under the other is a cure." (Sahih al-Bukhari: 3320)
Flies sit on people, walls, and food. It is not far-fetched to believe that flies could have landed on the Prophet ﷺ as well, because he was also a human being who ate, drank, and lived among people. There is no authentic evidence proving that flies never landed on his blessed body. If such a specific attribute existed for the Prophet ﷺ, he would have surely informed us, or his beloved companions, who described his every detail, would have mentioned it. However, neither the Prophet ﷺ nor any companion has conveyed this. Some scholars have expressed this view, but it is not accepted due to the lack of authentic evidence.
In addition, the denial that flies landed on the Prophet ﷺ often comes from those who believe he was a being of pure light. They argue that a being of light would not be subject to flies. However, the Prophet ﷺ was not a being of light, nor was he a creature distinct from humans. He was undoubtedly a human, and thus, we accept his human traits unless there is specific evidence of any unique characteristic.
Some people deny that flies landed on the Prophet ﷺ’s body because flies are associated with filth, and they believe that something impure could not touch the Prophet’s body. However:
1. Flies do not only land on filth; if that were the case, why do they land on walls, food, water, and people, none of which are filthy?
2. If flies were inherently impure, the Prophet ﷺ would have instructed us to discard any drink or food into which a fly had fallen, but instead, he told us to submerge the fly and continue consuming the drink or food.
3. Flies may sit on filthy substances, but their impurity is not such that they would render something impure simply by landing on it. Just as a small amount of filth in a large quantity of water does not make the water impure unless it changes its color, taste, or smell.
4. If a fly clearly has filth on it and it falls into food or drink, one should discard the affected portion. If it lands on a person’s body and leaves a noticeable smell, the area should be cleaned as part of good hygiene.
Tahir-ul-Qadri, in one of his writings, mentions an incident related to a dream of Imam Bukhari (رحمہ اللہ) under the title “Flies Sitting on the Blessed Body of the Prophet ﷺ”. Under this heading, Imam Bukhari’s dream is described, where he sees the Prophet ﷺ sitting, and Imam Bukhari is fanning him with a hand fan. Some flies are moving towards the Prophet ﷺ, and Imam Bukhari is driving them away from the blessed body with the fan. The interpretation of the dream is also mentioned, but I do not wish to write further; what has been mentioned suffices for the intended purpose.
Third Point: The claim that the Prophet ﷺ always appeared slightly taller than the person standing near him.
Response: In human society, people’s heights generally fall into three categories:
1. Some people are tall.
2. Some people are of average height.
3. Some people are short.
Among these, average height is generally considered ideal, although all creation belongs to Allah. However, Allah granted the Prophet ﷺ such stature that he was regarded with respect in human society. Hazrat Anas bin Malik (رضی اللہ عنہ) narrates:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was of medium height, neither tall nor short, with a well-built body and wheat-colored complexion. His hair was neither curly nor straight, and when he walked, he lifted his feet as if descending a slope.” (Sahih Tirmidhi: 1754)
If a companion or person was taller than the Prophet ﷺ, it is obvious that the Prophet ﷺ would appear shorter beside them. This does not affect the honor and dignity of the Prophet ﷺ, nor does it detract from his greatness and reverence. I will explain this with a unique example. Just as some companions may have been taller than the Prophet ﷺ, some may have also been older. In “Fada’il-us-Sahaba” with an authentic chain, an incident is mentioned where it is reported that Hazrat Abbas (رضی اللہ عنہ), the uncle of the Prophet ﷺ, was asked whether he was older than the Prophet ﷺ. The question was meant to ask who was older in age. Hazrat Abbas (رضی اللہ عنہ) responded, “The Prophet ﷺ is greater than me, but I was born before him.” (Fada’il-us-Sahaba by Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Hadith No. 1831)
From this incident, we understand two things: First, if someone is taller or older than the Prophet ﷺ, that does not make them greater in rank or status than the Prophet ﷺ. Allah has elevated the Prophet ﷺ to a level that no one can reach. Second, it shows how much respect the companions had when speaking. Instead of saying, “I am older than the Prophet ﷺ,” Hazrat Abbas said, “The Prophet ﷺ is greater, but I was born before him.” SubhanAllah.
Fourth Point: The claim that the earth would immediately absorb the Prophet’s waste.
Response: This claim is mentioned in a fabricated narration. Hazrat Aisha (رضی اللہ عنہا) narrates:
“When the Prophet ﷺ would enter the bathroom and then exit, I would enter and find no trace of anything, except the fragrance of perfume. I mentioned this to the Prophet ﷺ, and he said: ‘Do you not know that we, the group of prophets, have bodies formed from the bodies of the people of Paradise, so whatever comes from us is absorbed by the earth.'”
Ibn Adi has mentioned this narration in Al-Kamil fi al-Duafa’ and said that it contains Hussain bin Alwan, whose narrations are mostly fabricated, and he is known to forge hadith. Ibn Hibbaan also classified this narration as fabricated, and many other hadith scholars have severely criticized both this narration and its narrator, Hussain.
People have used this fabricated hadith to claim that the Prophet’s bodily excretions, such as urine and feces, were pure, but this hadith cannot be relied upon. Likewise, narrations about people drinking the Prophet’s blood and urine to argue for the purity of his excretions are not authentically proven either. Thus, as a human being, the Prophet ﷺ’s excretions were impure. This is why he ﷺ would perform purification (istinja) using stones, clay, or water, and he would perform ablution after relieving himself to prepare for prayer. I have written a detailed discussion on this topic, which can be found on my blog “maqboolahmad.blogspot.com”.
Fifth Point: The claim that the Prophet ﷺ did not cast a shadow.
Response: The Prophet ﷺ had a shadow just like any other human being. There are many evidences in the Quran and Hadith. The Prophet ﷺ used the human shadow to define prayer times. In this, his shadow was no different from that of other humans. As a human, the Prophet ﷺ cannot be denied the presence of a shadow. Additionally, there are hadiths that specifically mention the Prophet ﷺ’s shadow. In Musnad Ahmad and Majma’ al-Zawa’id, it is mentioned that once the Prophet ﷺ went to the house of Zainab (رضی اللہ عنہا), and she first saw his shadow entering the house.
I had a debate with a Barelvi boy named Muhammad Abdul Qayyum Haider Qureshi on this topic, and he was left speechless and unable to respond. You can also read about this on my blog.
Author: Sheikh Maqbool Ahmad Salafi Hafizahullah
(Jeddah Dawah Center, Hai Al-Salamah, Saudi Arabia)
Interpreter: Hasan Fuzail