How Was the Prophet (PBUH) Distinguished Over the Prophets Before Him?
بما فضل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم على من سبقه من الأنبياء؟
The hadith answers the question about the characteristics of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) that distinguished him from the other prophets:
Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: “I have been granted five things that none of the prophets before me was granted: I have been made victorious with the awe from a one month distance; the earth has been made a place of worship for me and a means of purification; so, anyone of my Ummah should pray wherever he may be when the time of prayer is due; the spoils of war have been made lawful for me, whereas it was not lawful for anyone before me; I have been granted (the privilege of) intercession; and all the prophets before me were sent to their people in specific, whereas I have been sent to all mankind.”
الحديث يجيب عن سؤال خصائص النبي ﷺ التي ميزته عن الأنبياء
عن جابر بن عبد الله-رضي الله عنه- أنَّ النبيَّ ﷺ قالَ: “أُعْطِيتُ خَمْسًا لَمْ يُعْطَهُنَّ أحَدٌ قَبْلِي: نُصِرْتُ بالرُّعْبِ مَسِيرَةَ شَهْرٍ، وجُعِلَتْ لي الأرْضُ مَسْجِدًا وطَهُورًا، فأيُّما رَجُلٍ مِن أُمَّتي أدْرَكَتْهُ الصَّلَاةُ فَلْيُصَلِّ، وأُحِلَّتْ لي المَغَانِمُ ولَمْ تَحِلَّ لأحَدٍ قَبْلِي، وأُعْطِيتُ الشَّفَاعَةَ، وكانَ النبيُّ يُبْعَثُ إلى قَوْمِهِ خَاصَّةً وبُعِثْتُ إلى النَّاسِ عَامَّةً“
1. Sent to All People | عموم الرسالة للناس كافة
Each of the earlier prophets was sent to his own people only, while Muhammad ﷺ was sent to all people (Sahih al-Bukhari 335). Allah says: “We have sent you ˹O Prophet˺ only as a deliverer of good news and a warner to all of humanity, but most people do not know.” (34:28)
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا (سورة سبأ: 28)
كان كل نبي من الأنبياء السابقين يبعث إلى قومه خاصة، وبعث النبي ﷺ إلى الناس عامة (صحيح البخاري 335)، كما قال تعالى: {وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا} (سبأ 34: 28).
2. The Entire Earth Made a Mosque and Pure | جعل الأرض كلها مسجداً وطهوراً للأمة
The earth was made a place of prayer for him, so that anyone of his community whom the time of prayer reaches may pray where he is, and it was made a means of purification (Sahih al-Bukhari 335). When water cannot be found, Allah commands: “purify yourselves with clean earth by wiping your faces and hands” (5:6).
فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا فَامْسَحُوا بِوُجُوهِكُمْ وَأَيْدِيكُم مِّنْهُ (سورة المائدة: 6)
جعلت له ﷺ الأرض مسجدا وطهورا، فأيما رجل من أمته أدركته الصلاة فليصل (صحيح البخاري 335)، وعند فقد الماء يتيمم بالصعيد الطيب كما أمر الله تعالى (المائدة 5: 6).
3. The Grand Intercession (Al-Maqam al-Mahmud) | الشفاعة العظمى والمقام المحمود في أرض المحشر
On the Day of Resurrection, when people are in unbearable distress and the earlier prophets decline to intercede, the Prophet ﷺ will come beneath the Throne and fall in prostration, and it will be said: “O Muhammad, raise your head; ask and you will be given, intercede and your intercession will be accepted” (Sahih al-Bukhari 4712). Ibn Umar explained that the nations will ask their prophets to intercede until the intercession comes to the Prophet ﷺ, “and that is the day when Allah raises him to the Praised Station” (Sahih al-Bukhari 4718).
عَسَىٰ أَن يَبْعَثَكَ رَبُّكَ مَقَامًا مَّحْمُودًا (سورة الإسراء: 79)
يوم القيامة حين يبلغ الناس من الغم والكرب ما لا يطيقون، ويعتذر الأنبياء عن الشفاعة، يأتي النبي ﷺ تحت العرش فيقع ساجدا لربه، ثم يقال: «يا محمد ارفع رأسك، سل تعطه، واشفع تشفع» (صحيح البخاري 4712). وقال ابن عمر: إن الناس يصيرون يوم القيامة جثا، كل أمة تتبع نبيها، يقولون: يا فلان اشفع، حتى تنتهي الشفاعة إلى النبي ﷺ، فذلك يوم يبعثه الله المقام المحمود (صحيح البخاري 4718).
4. Victory with Awe and Lawful Spoils | النصر بالرعب وإحلال الغنائم رحمة وتخفيفاً
He was supported by awe at a distance of a month's journey, and the spoils of war, which were lawful to no one before him, were made lawful for him (Sahih al-Bukhari 335). In another hadith he said that spoils were lawful to no one before us, “because Allah saw our weakness and inability, so He made them lawful for us” (Sahih Muslim 1747).
فَكُلُوا مِمَّا غَنِمْتُمْ حَلَالًا طَيِّبًا (سورة الأنفال: 69)
نصر ﷺ بالرعب مسيرة شهر، وأحلت له المغانم ولم تحل لأحد قبله (صحيح البخاري 335)، وفي حديث آخر قال ﷺ: «فلم تحل الغنائم لأحد من قبلنا، ذلك بأن الله تبارك وتعالى رأى ضعفنا وعجزنا فطيبها لنا» (صحيح مسلم 1747).
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What are the five unique virtues mentioned in the hadith of Jabir?
Support through awe at a month's distance, the earth made a place of prayer and a means of purification, the spoils of war made lawful, the intercession, and being sent to all people (Sahih al-Bukhari 335).
How does Prophet Muhammad's mission differ from that of the earlier prophets?
Each earlier prophet was sent to his own people only, whereas Muhammad ﷺ was sent to all people (Sahih al-Bukhari 335; Quran 34:28).
What does it mean that the earth was made a mosque and a means of purification?
Whoever the time of prayer reaches may pray where he is, and when water cannot be found, clean earth is used to purify (Sahih al-Bukhari 335; Quran 5:6).
What is the "Praised Station" (Al-Maqam al-Mahmud) promised to the Prophet?
It is the Prophet's station of intercession on the Day of Resurrection: Ibn Umar said that the nations ask their prophets to intercede until the intercession comes to the Prophet ﷺ, and that is the day when Allah raises him to the Praised Station (Sahih al-Bukhari 4718).