Thus Ḥassān ibn Thābit—an ordinary believer—when he took up the defense of Allah and His Messenger and lampooned the idolaters who rejected the Messenger, Allah supported him with the Holy Spirit, namely Gabriel, peace be upon him. Everyone on earth knows that Muḥammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—never claimed that the divine nature became united with the human nature of Ḥassān ibn Thābit. It is therefore clear that the Prophet’s statement that Allah strengthened Ḥassān with the Holy Spirit in no way implies a fusion of divinity and humanity. Consequently, being aided by the Holy Spirit is not an exclusive prerogative of the Messiah; the People of the Book themselves acknowledge that other prophets, such as David and others, were likewise supported by the Holy Spirit. Indeed, they even say that the disciples possessed the Holy Spirit. Muslims, Jews, and Christians all agree that the Holy Spirit can be present in persons other than the Messiah—indeed, even in people who are not prophets at all, as will be shown, God willing.

The purpose here is simply to expose their falsehood against Muḥammad—may Allah bless him and grant him peace. This kind of support resembles the Almighty’s words:

“You will not find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even though they be their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kinsfolk; such are those in whose hearts He has inscribed faith and whom He has supported with a spirit from Him” (Qur’an 58: 22).

This support “with a spirit from Him” is granted, in general, to everyone who refuses to love the enemies of the messengers—even if those enemies are his own relatives. Rather, he loves those who believe in the messengers, even if they are strangers, and detests those who disbelieve in the messengers, even if they are close kin. Such is the religion of Abraham.