Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

Critical Studies on the Quranic Exegesis

The Human Image of the Prophet Muḥammad: An Anthropological Reading of Meccan Verses

Document Type : Original article

Authors
Seyyedeh Fatemeh Behbahanizadeh 1
Fathiyeh Fattahizadeh 2
1 PhD student ,Department of Quranic Studies and Hadith, Faculty of Theology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor , Department of Quranic Studies and Hadith, Faculty of Theology, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/naghdeara.2026.556352.1361
Abstract
This study offers a systematic reading of the human dimensions of the Prophet Muḥammad as depicted in the Meccan verses of the Qurʾān. Employing the method of interrogative thematic interpretation (al-tafsīr al-istinṭāqī al-mawḍūʿī) developed by Muḥammad Bāqir al-Ṣadr, the authors—writing from within the framework of Shīʿī theological principles—analyse four existential domains. First, the physical dimension: the Prophet’s bodily needs, fatigue, and vulnerability are presented not as deficiencies but as the very locus of revelatory experience. Second, the affective dimension: Sūrat al-Ḍuḥā and Sūrat al-Sharḥ are interpreted as divine interventions that address the Prophet’s emotional distress, transforming vulnerability into resilience. Third, the cognitive-epistemic dimension: the gradual revelation of the Qurʾān is shown to be a pedagogical method that strengthens the Prophet’s heart through active engagement, while clear boundaries are placed on his knowledge of the Unseen (ghayb). Fourth, the practical dimension: the Prophet possesses no autonomous power to compel belief or alter the natural order; his role is limited to warning and heralding. The study concludes that the Meccan verses deliberately present a balanced image of the Prophet as a complete human being (insān kāmil) who experiences all inherent creaturely limitations. This reading corrects both exaggerated (ghuluww) and reductionist accounts of prophecy, while affirming that divine revelation enters the world precisely through concrete human embodiment.
Keywords
Meccan Verses
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
Thematic Exegesis
Qur&‌‌‌rsquo
anic Anthropology
Psychology of Religion
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 30 December 2025
  • Revise Date 21 April 2026
  • Accept Date 21 April 2026