Who Is Muhammad SAW Truly

Who is Prophet Muhammad SAW, truly?
We know him as the final Prophet and Messenger. We proclaim his name in the Shahadah, send blessings upon him, and follow his Sunnah.
But do we truly recognise who Muhammad SAW is, or do we merely know his name, history, and prophethood?
Let us examine several indications from the Quran and Hadith.

“I AM THE SAYYID OF THE CHILDREN OF ADAM”
Prophet Muhammad SAW said:
أَنَا سَيِّدُ وَلَدِ آدَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، وَأَوَّلُ مَنْ يَنْشَقُّ عَنْهُ الْقَبْرُ، وَأَوَّلُ شَافِعٍ، وَأَوَّلُ مُشَفَّعٍ
“I am the Sayyid of the children of Adam on the Day of Resurrection. I will be the first for whom the grave is opened, the first to intercede, and the first whose intercession is accepted.”
[ Sahih Muslim]

Pay attention to the word used by the Prophet himself:
سَيِّد – SAYYID
Sayyid carries the meaning of Lord, Master, Chief, or Leader.
All humanity are the children of Adam.
Yet Muhammad SAW declares:
“I am the Sayyid of the children of Adam.”

So the question is:
If Muhammad SAW is the Sayyid of all the children of Adam, what is his true position in relation to humanity?
The next indication takes this question even further.
 
WHY DOES EVERYONE ULTIMATELY TURN TO MUHAMMAD SAW?
In the lengthy Hadith of the Great Intercession (Shafa‘ah Kubra), humanity will be in tremendous distress on the Day of Resurrection and will search for someone who can intercede.
They will go to Adam AS, followed by Nuh AS, Ibrahim AS, Musa AS, and Isa AS.
Eventually, they will come to Muhammad SAW.
He will say:
أَنَا لَهَا
“I am the one for it.”
He will then prostrate. Thereafter, he will be told:
“Raise your head. Ask, and you will be given. Speak, and you will be heard. Intercede, and your intercession will be accepted.”
[Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim]
Consider the progression:
Adam → Nuh → Ibrahim → Musa → Isa → Muhammad SAW
Why does it ultimately end with Muhammad SAW?
Why, at the moment when all humanity desperately needs help, do the previous prophets ultimately direct them to him?
Once again, we are shown that the position of Muhammad SAW is not that of an ordinary human being.
But the question of who he truly is does not end there.

WHEN ADAM WAS STILL BETWEEN SPIRIT AND BODY
When asked about his prophethood, Prophet Muhammad SAW replied:
وَآدَمُ بَيْنَ الرُّوحِ وَالْجَسَدِ
“When Adam was still between the spirit and the body.”
[Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi]
Physically, Muhammad ibn Abdullah was born long after Adam AS.
Yet his prophetic station had already been established when Adam was still between spirit and body.
We should therefore not restrict our recognition of Muhammad SAW merely to the history of his physical life.
There is a difference between knowing the life story of Muhammad SAW and recognising the true reality and station of Muhammad SAW.
This leads us to another question.
If his station is so extraordinary, why has he been presented to us as “only a human being like you”?
IS MUHAMMAD SAW REALLY “ONLY A HUMAN BEING LIKE YOU”?
The Quran states:
قُلْ إِنَّمَآ أَنَا۠ بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ يُوحَىٰٓ إِلَىَّ أَنَّمَآ إِلَٰهُكُمْ إِلَٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ فَمَن كَانَ يَرْجُوا۟ لِقَآءِ رَبِّهِۦ فَلْيَعْمَلْ عَمَلًۭا صَٰلِحًۭا وَلَا يُشْرِكْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِۦٓ أَحَدًۢا
“Say: Indeed, I am NOT a human being like you, to whom it is revealed that your God is One God. So whoever hopes to meet his Rabb, let him do righteous deeds and associate no one in the worship of his Rabb.”
[Al-Kahf 18:110]
Yet this verse is commonly translated as:
“Indeed, I am only a human being like you…”
Consider how profoundly this distortion in translation affects the recognition of Muhammad SAW.
When the words “only a human being like you” are used, Muhammad SAW ultimately comes to be understood as an ordinary human being like us, with the only distinction being that he received revelation.
This is where the distortion in translation obscures the recognition of Muhammad SAW.
Yet the indications we have examined point towards a far greater station:
He is the Sayyid of the children of Adam.
On the Day of Resurrection, everyone ultimately turns to him.
His prophetic station had already been established when Adam was still between spirit and body.
So why should we continue to judge Muhammad SAW merely by his human appearance?

APPEARANCE IS NOT REALITY
Muhammad SAW appeared as an ordinary human being.
He ate, drank, walked, had a family, and lived among humanity.
But appearance is not reality.
He appeared in ordinary human form while concealing the reality of his greatness.
This concealment was a test of recognition for humanity.
If the reality of his greatness had been revealed completely and openly, where would the test of recognition remain? 
The test is:
Can humanity recognise the Lord when the Lord appears in the same form as them?
Some see the outward appearance and never look beyond it.
Some know the name Muhammad but never ask who Muhammad truly is.
Appearance becomes the veil.
Concealment becomes the test.
Recognition unveils the reality.
And there is yet another indication that we repeatedly recite without truly questioning its significance.

WE SEND BLESSINGS UPON MUHAMMAD SAW — ALLAH RETURNS THEM
The Quran states:
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ ۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا
“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send blessings upon him and greet him with peace.”
[Al-Ahzab 33:56]

Prophet Muhammad SAW said:
مَنْ صَلَّى عَلَيَّ وَاحِدَةً صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ عَشْرًا
“Whoever sends blessings upon me once, Allah sends blessings upon him tenfold.”
[Sahih Muslim]
We send blessings upon Muhammad SAW.
Allah returns those blessings to us.
Why?
Do not merely repeat it as a practice.
Examine the relationship being shown.
Who is Muhammad SAW?
What is Allah, truly?
And what is the relationship between Allah and Muhammad SAW?
 
MUHAMMAD SAW IS THE LORD
Now return to the first Hadith:
أَنَا سَيِّدُ وَلَدِ آدَمَ
“I am the Sayyid of the children of Adam.”
The Prophet himself gives us an indication of his station.
Sayyid – Lord.
All humanity are the children of Adam.
And Muhammad SAW is the Sayyid of the children of Adam.
Yet he appeared in human form, leading people to judge him only by what their eyes could see.
This is where the SIHULK path of recognition begins.
Allah is not a thing or an unseen object of worship.
Allah is the name of the highest and most exalted rank.
And Prophet Muhammad SAW is the bearer of that supreme rank.
He is the Lord.