40 Distinctive Virtues of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. These points are derived from the book:
‘Bidayat As-Sul Fi Tafdil Ar-Rasul’ بداية السول في تفضيل الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم
‘Beginning of the journey in the preference of the Messenger ﷺ’
by Imam Izz Ibn Abd-us-Salam (may Allah have mercy on him) العز عبد العزيز بن عبد السلام السلمي
The book ‘Bidayat As-Sul’ is very short in Arabic and has been published in English also. All students of Seerah are recommended to buy it. Below is a paraphrased summary from a student who has studied it and given @piousfacts permission to share their notes.
- Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the chief/master of all mankind.
He ﷺ has said: “I am the master of the children of Adam, and it is no boast.” A ‘master’ is someone that is characterised by sublime attributes and luminous qualities of character. Thus, this makes him the best in both worlds. He ﷺ is the best in this world due to his tremendous qualities and he is also the best in the next world due to his high status.
2. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will be given the ‘banner of praise’ on the day of rising.
3. Everyone will be behind Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on the day of rising.
This special quality indicates his highest rank; a rank that is even above all other prophets of Allah ﷻ, who all came before him.
4. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has been promised forgiveness for all his wrong actions.
Although Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not commit any sins, Allah ﷻ has still promised him forgiveness in the opening Ayats of Surah Fath. On the day of judgement, it is this most sinless and most forgiven person who will intercede for all of mankind and jinn, for their reckoning to commence.
5. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the first to intercede and the first whose intercession is accepted.
This indicates that he is most special as he is the only person whose intercession will be accepted for the ‘general intercession’ or the ‘major intercession’. Thereafter, the specific intercessions will take place, open to all the prophets, as well as those whom Allah ﷻ permits to intercede.
6. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has saved his special supplication to intercede for his Ummah.
All prophets were given a special supplication that was guaranteed to be accepted. They all hastened to make this supplication in this world on behalf of their Ummah but Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saved it for the next life on behalf of his Ummah.
7. Allah ﷻ took an oath by the life of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the Qur’an.
“By your life, [O Muhammad], indeed they were, in their intoxication, wandering blindly.” (15:72)
Allah ﷻ takes a number of oaths within the Qur’an; on things that show the magnificence of His creating and those things which are beneficial to mankind. However, the only oath He takes on a human being is the oath that He takes in the name of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
8. Allah ﷻ uses titles for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which show respect and endearment when addressing him.
“O Prophet!” (8:64 and other places)
“O Messenger!” (5:41)
“O You who are enwrapped in your clothing!” (73:1)
“O You who are enveloped in your cloak!” (74:1)
This quality is not established about anyone else, but rather it is established that each prophet was called by their names, which are blessed themselves. None the less, this indicates that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was most near and dear to Allah ﷻ.
9. The miracle of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will continue to live until the day of judgement.
All the miracles of the other prophets had come to an end after their demise. However, the greatest miracle given to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the Qur’an, will continue to exist until the last day.
10. The stones would greet Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the palm trunk had sighed for him.
These events are not established about any of the other prophets, signifying that even non-living creatures had love and respect for him. It is well established that stones would greet Prophet Muhammad ﷺ even prior to his prophethood saying, “Peace be upon you, O Messenger of Allah.” It is proven through mass-transmitted narrations of the palm trunk which wept, and the Sahabah heard it, when Prophet Muhammad ﷺ took a Minbar and no longer leant on it during Khutbah.
11. The miracles of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ were more wondrous than the miracles of the other prophets.
For example, Musa عليه السلام had made water gush from a stone by the permission of Allah. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had made water gush from his fingers by the permission of Allah.
12. Isa عليه السلام could heal the blind but Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was able to place a person’s eye back into their socket as well as restore their eyesight.
We do not point these out to compare the great prophets of Allah but merely to point to the highest station which belongs to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
13. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ could bring spiritually dead people from disbelief to Imaan.
The number of those is greater than the number of whom Isa عليه السلام revived from physical death.
14. Allah ﷻ records a reward for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ each time anyone in his Ummah does a good deed.
This reward is available for all prophets when a member of their Ummah does a good deed, for indeed they were guided to it in lei of their prophet. However, their Ummahs have passed but the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will live until the last day. A larger Ummah means more rewards written for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Over half the residents of Jannah will consist of those from the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
15. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was sent to the whole of mankind.
Each prophet was sent to their own people whilst Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was sent to all of mankind as well as to the Jinn, up until the end of times. The scope of his prophethood extends beyond his people, beyond his time period, and beyond mankind itself.
16. Allah ﷻ spoke to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ at a place beyond the Lote Tree of the Furthers Limit.
Prophet Musa عليه السلام also had the privilege of speaking with Allah ﷻ on Mount Sinai but Allah ﷻ spoke to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ a place beyond the seventh heaven, a place that even Jibreel عليه السلام has not visited.
17. The Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the first and last.
His Ummah is the last in this world but first to be accounted for in the next world and subsequently the first to enter Jannah.
18. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will be the first to come out of his resting place on the day of judgement.
19. All of creation will turn to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for his intercession.
Even the other prophets will ask Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to intercede to Allah ﷻ to start the accounting on the day of judgement.
20. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has been given the Waseelah.
This is a position which, out of all of creation, is reserved for only one. We make Dua in the Dua after Adhan for the Waseelah, the Fadheelah, and Maqam-ul-Mahmoud to be granted to him. The Waseelah is the highest level in Jannah, under the Arsh of Allah ﷻ, and it is reserved for him.
21. 70,000 people from the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will go to Jannah without any reckoning. This blessing has not been established about any other Ummah.
22. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has been given the Kawthar.
The water from the Hawdh of Kawthar quenches thirst forever. True followers of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will be given the privilege to drink from this on the day of judgement. May Allah ﷻ make us of them. Aameen.
23. The Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is the last Ummah in the Dunya but ahead of the other Ummahs in virtues.
Although people amongst the other Ummahs lived longer lives, the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are ahead in virtues. This is because the reward for each good deed that is committed by the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is multiplied atleast by 10, then even more by 70 or 700 or even more.
24.The Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is granted certain blessings that were not given to the Ummah of any other prophet.
For instance:
– War booty is permissible for this Ummah only.
– The rows of this Ummah are like the rows of the angels.
– All the earth is a place of prayer for this Ummah.
– The earth is a mean of purification for this Ummah (Tayammum).
These special blessings indicate the high rank of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the special favour shown to his Ummah.
25. Allah ﷻ praises the character of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the Qur’an.
“Indeed you are truly on a vast character.” (68:4)
When Allah ﷻ Himself, the Most Excellent and Majestic, holds the character of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in high esteem, it only indicates its true immensity.
26. Allah ﷻ spoke to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through various modes of Revelation.
Some prophets received revelation primarily or solely through one or a few different modes of Revelation but Prophet Muhammad ﷺ received it through all of them.
27. The Qur’an that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ consists of all that the previous Books of Divine Revelation contained and more.
This includes the content of the Zaboor, Injeel and the Tawrah. The Qur’an also consists of the Mufassal Surah, which are not included in any other Books of Divine Revelation.
28. The Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has performed less actions than those previously but will receive a greater reward.
They have been gifted ‘The Night of Qadr’ which gives them the rewards of 1000 months or even more of worship.
29.Allah ﷻ offered Prophet Muhammad ﷺ the keys to the treasures of the earth and gave him a choice between being a prophet who is a king or a prophet who is a slave of Allah without being a king.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ consulted Jibreel عليه السلام who indicated “Adopt humbleness!” He ﷺ said, “Indeed, [I will be] a prophet who is a slave. I will be hungry one day and full one day. When I am hungry, I will call on Allah. When I am full, I will thank Allah.”
30. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was sent as a “mercy to all beings.” (21:106)
He ﷺ is not only a blessing to the believers, but also to the disbelievers. Those who disbelieved in him were not destroyed in this world unlike the sinful people of previous nations.
31. The perfection of his life is unparalleled.
He was always forbearing, grateful, gentle to others and firm in his Beliefs, never got angry for himself, wonderful to socialise and liaise with, patient upon difficulties faced in upholding the Deen of Allah. He was always in a state of awe and humbleness before Allah ﷻ, evident in his all aspects of his life like his eating, drinking, dress, general living, and worship.
32. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was immensely gentle.
This is shown in the words of Allah ﷻ: “It is a mercy from Allah that you were gentle with them.” (3:159)
33. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was resolute against the disbelievers and merciful towards the believers.
This is shown in the words of Allah ﷻ: “Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and those who are with him are strong to the unbelievers, merciful to one another.” (48:29)
34. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was grieved out of concern for his Ummah.
His eagerness for his community to believe and his compassion for everyone is found in the words of Allah ﷻ: “A messenger has come to you from among yourselves. Your suffering is distressing him; he is deeply concerned for you; he is caring and merciful to the believers.” (9:128)
35. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was sincere in conveying his message of truth.
This is evident in the words of Allah ﷻ: “Turn away from them, for you are not to blame.” (51:54). Blame being directed at him indicates that he has never fallen short in his mission.
36. There will be testifiers and witnesses from the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ on the day of judgement.
When Allah ﷻ judges between his slaves – and the nations such as the nation of Nuh عليه السلام deny that the message of truth was conveyed – the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will be summoned and will testify to the truth. This quality is not established about any of the other Ummah. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will be a witness on behalf of his Ummah.
37. The Ummah Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is protected from agreeing on misguidance.
This indicates the words of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ: “Allah will not let my community ever agree in misguidance and the hand (i.e. support) of Allah is over the group.”
38. The Qur’an that was revealed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ will always be preserved.
Unlike the other Books of Divine Revelation that got changed over time, the Qur’an will always be in its correct form. Allah ﷻ left it to the people to ensure their preservation which they failed at as an Ummah but He Himself assures the preservation of the Qur’an.
39. Allah ﷻ concealed those of the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ whose actions are not accepted.
Previous Ummahs would sometimes have their unaccepted deeds exposed to the community whereas Allah ﷻconceals the faults of the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. This is in lieu of him ﷺ being a mercy.
40. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was sent with concise but comprehensive words.
Speech was made very succinct for him and he excelled the Arabs – the most eloquent of all speakers – in his eloquence and his expressiveness, conveying a depth of meaning and wisdom which can be seen in his Hadith.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was favoured over all the creation. Just as Allah ﷻ favoured him over His human prophets and Messengers, He similarly favoured him over those He chose from His messengers among the heavenly beings and His angels. We ask Allah ﷻ, by His favour and generosity, to grant us success in following His Messenger – Prophet Muhammad ﷺ – in his teachings and his character, both outward and inward, and to place us among his party and his helpers. Indeed Allah ﷻ has power over all things and is worthy of the answer. There is no power or strength except by Allah, the Most High, the All-Encompassing.
May Allah bless our master, our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, his family, his companions, all the other Prophets, and grant them abundant peace constantly and always. Aameen.
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