that of all the prophets who preceded him; and the loftier a matter is, the more plainly it is set forth in the Scripture.

Some Christians imagine that this refers to the very existence of the Messiah’s essence. Their notion is mirrored by a faction of extremists who claim affiliation with Islam—among others—who assert that the very essence of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, existed before Adam was created. They say he was fashioned from the light of the Lord of all worlds, that he came into being before Adam, and that everything else was created from him. Indeed, they sometimes speak about Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in terms akin to what the Christians say about the Messiah, even alleging that the universe draws its ongoing sustenance from him. They cite purported hadiths in support of this, yet every one of them is fabricated.

These people do not claim that what pre-existed was a divine nature; rather, they allege the pre-existence of his very reality and essence, pointing to something that in fact has no real existence—just as the Christians point to a supposed pre-existent divinity that united with the Messiah, though it, too, has no true existence.

Among such extremists are those who report that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever says, ‘I am entirely human,’ has disbelieved, and whoever says, ‘I am not human,’ has…”