Recently, I have been observing on Facebook an increasingly heated and regrettable controversy among scholars over the question of when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ became a Prophet. The debate has taken on various forms and, at times, has descended into mutual mudslinging.
I had no intention of writing anything on this subject. However, at the earnest request of some of my Facebook friends and followers, I am presenting, very briefly, the essence of my limited understanding of the matter.
In my knowledge and experience, certain aspects of the question of when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ became a Prophet are such that it is virtually impossible for scholars from all schools of thought to reach a consensus on them.
On such matters, scholarly debate, disputation, and discussion may certainly take place. However, it hardly needs to be said that arriving at a collective conclusion or achieving the desired outcome is often next to impossible. Neither side is likely to concede even the slightest ground on its position, whether that position is right or wrong—unless Allah wills otherwise (illā mā shāʾ Allāh).
There are, however, other aspects of this question on which scholars from different schools of thought may appear to disagree, even though their differences are merely terminological, relate to the manner of expression and presentation, or arise from their consideration of particular contexts. In other words, these are not fundamental disagreements.
For example:
A. Some understand the beginning of his Prophethood to mean that his Prophethood had been decreed and recorded in al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ (the Preserved Tablet)—that is, its inscription in the Divine Decree (al-taqdīr).
It should be noted that this decree was recorded fifty thousand years before the creation of the heavens and the earth, immediately after the creation of the Pen (al-Qalam). At that time, in accordance with Allah Most High's eternal knowledge and will, the destinies of all things in the universe were determined and recorded in al-Lawḥ al-Maḥfūẓ.
B. Others understand the beginning of his Prophethood to mean that, before the creation of Adam (peace be upon him), his Prophethood was made known to all in the realm of spirits, and that they were required to affirm their faith in him and pledge their support for him. In brief, this refers to the Divine announcement and the taking of the covenant (al-ikhbār wa akhdh al-mīthāq).
C. Still others understand the beginning of his Prophethood to mean the actual entrustment of the prophetic mission to him in the earthly realm. This began when he received revelation in the Cave of Ḥirāʾ at the age of forty. From that point onward, he began to discharge the responsibilities of Prophethood in practice.
It is therefore clear that each of these statements pertains to a different context and refers to a different stage. Considered within its respective context and scope, each statement is correct.
For this reason, I do not believe that there is any sound justification for turning this matter into a controversy, a polemical debate, or a challenge to others.
An analogy may help clarify the point.
Suppose an authority selects a number of qualified candidates for the post of professor. Subsequently, the relevant department issues an official notification announcing their selection. The selected candidates are then formally appointed to their respective posts, complete the prescribed procedures, and assume their duties.
Notice that this process involves three distinct stages:
1. Selection of the candidates.
2. Issuance of the official notification announcing their selection.
3. Formal appointment and assumption of duties.
It is worth noting that, even if the candidates are designated as professors in the selection process and the subsequent notification, and are already known as qualified individuals selected for these positions, they will acquire the practical status of professors and receive official recognition as such only from the date on which they formally join their posts in accordance with the prescribed procedures.
A further aspect of this issue, on which—as noted at the outset—it is virtually impossible for scholars of all schools of thought to reach a consensus, concerns the question of who or what was the first creation of Allah Most High and what constitutes the primordial cause of creation.
According to a particular group of Sufis and their followers, the first creation of Allah Most High was Sayyid al-Mursalīn, Muḥammad ﷺ, and he is also the primordial cause of all creation. The Barelvis likewise hold this view.
Christians maintain a comparable belief concerning our master ʿĪsā (Jesus, peace be upon him). According to their belief, Jesus was the first creation of Allah Most High and is the primordial cause of creation.
In reality, this question is closely connected with the Logos theory and the theory of the Muḥammadan Light (Nūr Muḥammadī). The underlying issues are so profound and the debate branches out into so many complex areas that it is virtually impossible for scholars from all schools of thought to reach a consensus on this subject.
According to the aforementioned Sufis, the Nūr Muḥammadī constitutes an intermediary entity. Through it, Allah Most High manifests Himself to Himself in a state characterized by a combination of essence and attributes, emerging from a state described as utterly unknowable, inconceivable, indeterminate, and unrestricted. This is termed the first determining entity or first manifestation. Subsequently, the universe came into existence through a gradual process of emanation from this entity.
— Hazari, Ṣūfī Tattver Ātmakathā (The Autobiography of Sufi Thought), p. 39.
For a detailed discussion of this subject, please refer to my book The Nature of Tasawwuf (Taṣawwuf-er Svarūp), particularly the section on the Logos Theory (Naẓariyyat al-Kalima al-Ilāhiyya) and the Theory of the Muḥammadan Light (Nūr Muḥammadī).