We, the Ahl As-Sunnah Wa’l Jama, believe that it is indeed permissable to call the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] “Noor”. The Qur’an has chosen and applied this word itself to the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace]. The companions would often call him [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] “Noor”. However, it is often at this point, that those who oppose this view believe from some erroneous conviction that they hold, that we claim the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] was not human!! This is indeed strange and a gross accusation. For those who claim that he was not a human, have clearly ventured out of the bounds of Islam, and have entered into Kuffr. The belief of Ahl As-Sunnah Wa’l Jamma is that the Noble Prophet Muhammad [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] is Noor and human – as we shall now seek to demonstrate.

Allah Ta’ala says in the Holy Qur’an.

“O People of the Scripture, there has come to you Our Messenger making clear to you much of what you used to conceal of the Scripture and overlooking much. There has come to you from Allah a light (of Guidance) and a clear Book”.

(Surah Al-‘Mai’dah’ Verse 15).

Imam Tabari and Qadi Shawkani write under this verse that the meaning of Noor in this verse is used for our Prophet Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and by noor it means the he is the light of guidance for entire humanity.

[Tafsir Tabari Tafsir Fathul Qadeer By Imam Tabari and Qadi Shawkani, under above verse]

Many Mufassireen (Commentators of the Quran) have stated that by noor here is meant Rasullah (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam). The prophet was noor. He was guidance for the whole of mankind. Therefore, he was both noor and human.

From the above evidence we conclude that it is permissible to call Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] “Noor” and it is not Kufr or Shirk as some people consider it to be.

Continuing with the Verses:

Say (O Muhammad): “I am no more than a human being like you; one to whom revelation is made: ‘Your Lord is the One and Only God.’ Hence, whoever looks forward to meet his Lord, let him do righteous works, and let him associate none with the worship of his Lord.”

(Surah al-Kahf Verse 110)

And We did not make the prophets forms not eating food, nor were they immortal [on earth].

(Surah al-Anbiya Verse 8)

Claiming Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) a part of Allah is Shirk, same as Christians did by claiming Prophet Isah (May Allah bless him and grant Him peace) the son of Allah. And if we Claim Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) a part of Allah or Allah’s Noor then we have been distracted and we have commited shirk.
There is no Verse from The Quran or any Hadith about Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) being a part of Allah or Allah’s Noor.

Proof from the Hadith.

Imam Tirmidhi wrote that when Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) smiled, it seemed as if Noor was coming from his teeth.
(Chap on Shamaa’il Tirmidhi)

Allama ibn Jawzi writes:

That when Adam (May Allah bless him and grant Him peace) was being created, the noor (knowledge) of Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] was placed in Adam [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace]’s forehead and Adam [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] saw Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace], Adam [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] asked “Who is he?” Allah Ta’ala replied “He is the last Prophet and will be the chief of your children.”

(Al Wafa chap on Birth of Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] by Ibn Jowzi).

This the Knowledge (About Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that every Prophet had, which was that there would come last prophet of Allah, named “Ahmed”.

Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
Muhammad bin Hamza radhiAllahu ‘anhu narrates that once RasoolAllah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam made my fingers glow with light (by Allah’s will).

[Sirat Tun-Nabi Ibn Kathir chapter Muj’izat]

Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:

‘One companion radhiAllahu ‘anhu reports that upon the occasion of Hajja-tul-Wida [the Prophets last seremon on the day of Hajj] he saw that the blessed face of RasoolAllah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was shining like the moon. [Tareekh Ibn Kathir, vol.6 chap, Moa’jeezat]

Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes

Ka’ab bin Malik radhiAllahu ‘anhu recited a [na’at] poem in the presence of the Prophet Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam [part of which we have translated from Arabic is]:

‘We have come to you and you have transformed our darkness into light (of Guidance) and have removed the barriers’ of ignorance.

[Tareek, and Sirat-Tun-Nabi, Ibn Kathir Chapter Muj’izat]

Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:

Hassaan Bin Thaabit radhiAllahu ‘anhu said: ‘RasoolAllah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam is that star from which even the moon of the fourteenth night obtains it light’.

[Tareekh Ibn Kathir, chap Wilada]

Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:

From Ibn Hashaam who narrates that Hassaan Bin Thaabit RadiAllahu ‘anhu who said: ‘ When I was eight years old, a Jew was calling to the people, they gathered around him and asked him what was the commotion, he replied: “The star of Ahmad has risen, that which is born tonight”

[Tareekh Ibn Kathir, vol.2 Sirat-Toon-Nabi Ibn Hassham chapter Milad un Nabi.]

All these references are proof of the light of RasoolAllah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, which was felt by the people and witnessed by those in his presence.

What was the first thing that Allah created?

There is a difference of opinion amongst the Scholars with regards to what was the first to be created, whether it was water, Arsh, (Throne) Rooh (noor) of Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, We say that Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] was the first creation of Allah Almighty.

Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes

The Prophet Muhammad [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] said that I always stayed amongst the pure and then at the end I appeared in to my Mother.

[Sirat-Un-Nabi Wiladatun-Nabi By Hafidhh Ibn Kathir]

Qadi AyyazIn his book As-Shifa narrated from Abdullah Ibn Abbas that Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallams Noor (Knowledge of Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam ) was created 2000 years before the creation of the world.

[Shifa, chapter 1 page 48]

Ibn Mohammad bin Abdul Wahhab al Najdi writes,

There is a Hadith in which RasoolAllah (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) stated: ‘I was a Prophet even when Adam ‘alaihi salaam was between clay and water (i.e. in the process of being created)

[“This Hadith is transmitted by Tirmidhi, Muktaser Sirat-al-Rasool by Ibn Muhammad ibn Mohammad bin Abdul Wahhab al Najdi, Baihaqi, Ahmad, Hakim and Dhahabi declare it to be Sahih”]

Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) stated: ‘I have always been amongst the good (group), and my Noor (Knowledge of Prophet (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam ) was present even before Adam ‘alaihi salaam’.

[“Qadhi Iyyad from Tabari Al-shifa Chap, Millad-un Nabi”]

The Companions used to call Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant Him peace] Noor (Guidance).

We should know that if there is any Hadith that goes against any verse of The Quran is Hadith Mawdu (fabricated Hadith) or people are misuderstanding it.

Everything contained in this chapter is evidence in support of the fact that the Noor of RasoolAllah (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was present long before human creation. For this reason the Ahl-as-Sunnah believe that although RasoolAllah (Sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) was a human being (bashar), it is also justified to call him Noor.

This was the reality of the creed of Noor, which is the belief of the Ahl-as-Sunnah wa ‘al Jamaa’ah.