Section: Refuting Their Appeal to Certain Verses as Proof of a Limited Mission

As for their citing the words of Allah, the Exalted:

“Just as We have sent among you a messenger from your own midst who recites to you Our revelations.” (al-Baqara 2:151)

and His saying,

“Allah has indeed shown great favor to the believers when He raised up among them a messenger from themselves, who recites to them His verses…” (Āl ʿImrān 3:164),

this is of the same tenor as His statement:

“A messenger has certainly come to you from among yourselves; what you suffer weighs heavily on him, he is most eager for your well-being, and, toward the believers, kind and merciful.” (al-Tawba 9:128).

The scope of these verses, however, is a matter of debate. They may well be addressed to all humankind, the sense being: “We have sent to you a messenger who is a human being, for you would not have been able to receive directly from an angel. Thus Allah bestowed His favor upon you by sending a human messenger.”

Allah, Exalted is He, says:

“They say, ‘Why has an angel not been sent down to him?’ Had We sent down an angel, the matter would have been settled and they would have been granted no respite. And if We had made the messenger an angel, We would still have made him appear as a man, thereby confounding for them what they are already confounding.” (al-Anʿām 6:8-9).