What Does the Quran Actually Command?
Muslims are taught that they have to love the Prophet, that he is closer to Allah than anyone else, and that he is Allah’s beloved. But nowhere in the Quran will you find that.
And even if Allah had told you that, Allah commanded us to make no distinction between His prophets. So how is that? Why couldn’t we love him if he had been Allah’s most beloved prophet?
Because Allah can choose whomever He wills and raise him in rank.
“Those messengers—We favored some over others…”
Quran 2:253
But for us, the command is clear: make no distinction between the prophets.
“We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us… and what was given to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob… and what was given to Moses and Jesus… We make no distinction between any of them…”
2:136
“The Messenger has believed… and the believers… We make no distinction between any of His messengers.”
2:285
Say: “We believe in Allah… and we make no distinction between any of them…”
3:84
If Allah commands us not to make distinctions between His messengers, then where did the idea come from that one prophet deserves a special form of devotion that the others do not?
Isn’t the Muslim story similar to the Christians’?
Christians made Isa the Son of God because he was born through a miracle. Muslims made Muhammad the most beloved because making him the Son of God was strictly forbidden.
Can you see the similarity?
Now let’s see how this idea of love works and how easily it can become idolatry.
I have 4 arguments to help you understand what love really means and when it becomes idolatry.
1. Can We Love Someone We Never Knew?
Did you have a grandparent who died before you knew them? Or a great-grandparent, or an uncle you never met? Have you heard stories about them from your parents?
If you have, you may respect them because of those stories. You may appreciate what they did. But can you truly love someone you never met, never spoke to, and never knew personally?
Love normally grows through relationship, experience, and truly knowing a person.
Don’t jump to say “You can’t compare with the Prophet“, just keep reading …
Because your parents did love him—the person they knew. They loved the person they had met, lived with, and known.
So in this case, love is for someone we actually know.
Before you say, “It’s not the same because the Prophet was chosen by Allah,” let me tell you something else.
2. Why Don’t You Love Musa The Same Way?
Do you love Prophet Musa as much as Prophet Muhammad—or even more?
Because Allah told you in the Quran many stories of the Prophets from their life. And the one that has the bigger part of the Quran, is not Mohammed’s, it’s Musa’s life story. We know Musa’s struggles, fears, conversations, mistakes, mission, and journey.
All you know and follow about Prophet Mohammed is not from Allah’s Book, it’s from what people told you about him.
So why do you really love Prophet Muhammad?
Is that love coming from the Quran?
Or from books written later?
Let’s recap: It’s not because you have known him;
It’s not because Allah told you about his life.
You love the Prophet because the Hadiths taught you so.
3. When Admiration Becomes Idolatry
Do you see how people search and mimic and follow all those starts from tv: actors, singers, football players and even influencers?
You see them crying at their concerts, trying to touch them, to get they autograph or make a photo with them.
They search for what they wear, what perfume they like, how their houses are, their kids and they would buy anything they recommend.
Why? Aren’t they just people?
It’s not because they believe in their recommendation, it’s because they want to be LIKE THEM.
They are talented. Yes, I listen to some of their music, and I like a few of them. But everything beyond that becomes IDOLATRY.
It is no longer simply enjoying their music or their acting.
People want to become like them.People idolize them.
Idolatry begins when admiration becomes imitation and devotion.
Hadiths vs Quran
And I already know the argument that comes next “But Allah commanded us to obey the Messenger,” and that he is an example living – to correct you, he WAS an example living for people that were with him, not for us.
Now think about what the Quran gave us: simple rules:
• The order to pray. How? However you think submission to Allah it is?
• To give zakat? How much? All that is in excess for you
• To wash for prayer. How? 5:6 “wash your face, your hands to elbow, and wipe your hand and feet”
But people want more. They want to make like the Prophet did.
Hadith made people become obsessed with the Prophet: how he sat, ate, slept, dressed, cut his hair, entered a room etc. While Allah’s Book gives broad guidance and leaves space for individual lives.
In their mind it’s because they fear that they don’t do the same, they are not worthy of the same. Well here are 2 things to discuss:
1. Fear is from Satan.
Allah told you to fear only Him. Not anything else. Every other fear from pain, animals, losing, gaining etc it’s from SATAN
“It is only Satan who frightens his supporters. So do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are believers.”
3:175
I’m not talking about the natural instinct that makes you move away from danger. Allah created that within us.
I’m talking about the constant “what if” fear that controls people.
What if I pray wrong?
What if I miss one detail?
What if I don’t copy the Prophet exactly?
What if Allah rejects me?
This intrusive kind of fear is from Satan. It makes you doubt yourself and even doubt the natural understanding Allah gave you.
2. No matter what you do, you will never be like the Prophet, you are not chosen like the Prophet. Ok?
You can’t be like him, you are a different person and no other prophets are like him, if you know what I mean. They didn’t compare with each other. They RESPECTED each other, and they had their own personality and character, and that made them truly submit to Allah.
Not by copying and mimicking somebody else’s movement (Hadith teach people how to even spit like the Prophet 😅)
Now think about these 2 examples:
Idolatry for stars and Idolatry for the Prophet, aren’t those the same?
So is this love for the Prophet or Idolatry?
4. The Only One We Can Love Without Seeing
Argument 4 and the most important is that there is only One Being whom we are asked to love without seeing: Allah.
That’s our test in this life, loving Him without seeing Him.
We have never seen Him, yet we trust Him, worship Him, rely on Him, and love Him.
But we have from Him signs and feelings that He exists, that He protects us, that He is always present.
The ONLY ONE that we can love, but cannot see is Allah.
If we give that same unseen devotion to human beings we have never met, are we crossing a line that belongs only to Allah?
Conclusion:
It may look like an innocent act, but look how it ends. Look how love can mean idolatry.
Few of you will feel accused, few will feel anger, few will feel deceived… This is a big topic, and for some of you it may stop your heart for a moment because you genuinely believed that what you felt was love for the Prophet.
But this article is not to heal wounds, this article is to open souls who are seeking Allah and have been deceived in order to find the truth.
