Answered by Sayyidi Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah protect him and benefit us by him)
When I first learned about Islam, I was taught that the Prophet ﷺ is merely a man and that we should not be excessive in praising him. How do I correct this belief?
You should heal yourself with the Qur’an, as this is one of the best sources of healing. You should read and reflect upon the verses which praise the Prophet ﷺ and mention his greatness and also read the commentaries on these verses. Reflect, for example, upon Allah’s statement: Truly you are in Our gaze.1
You should also realise that Allah chose him out of all mankind and the greatness of the Chosen One is according to the greatness of the One Who chose Him. Allah only magnifies people or things that are great in His sight.
Finally, you should reflect upon his unique attributes. Did any other human being ascend beyond the Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary (Sidrat al-Muntaha)? Will any other human say on the Day of Judgement at the point of intercession: “I am the one for this”? Did any other human being say that if all the Prophets were alive they would have to follow him? Yes the Prophet ﷺ is a human, but not like any other.
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1 Al-Tur, 52:48. One meaning of this is that the Prophet ﷺ constantly receives immense care and concern from Allah.