Question: Why do you call Muhammad the Messenger of Allah when Allah gave the message to Jibril?
Answer: The Quran declares that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah. The Quran also mentions the modes of revelation, and why it was revealed indirectly through Jibril عليه السلام. Consider the following ayaat:
A Messenger
وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىٰ أَعْقَابِكُمْ وَمَن يَنقَلِبْ عَلَىٰ عَقِبَيْهِ فَلَن يَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا وَسَيَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِينَ
And not (is) Muhammad - except a Messenger, certainly passed away before him [the] (other) Messengers. So if he died or is slain will you turn back on your heels? And whoever turns back on his heels then never will he harm Allah (in) anything. And Allah will reward the grateful ones.
[Al-Quran 3:144]
A Messenger to All Humans
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
And not We have sent you except to all mankind (as) a giver of glad tidings and (as) a warner. But most [the] people (do) not know.
[Al-Quran 34:28]
A Messenger of Allah
مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّجَالِكُمْ وَلَٰكِن رَّسُولَ اللَّهِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمًا
Not is Muhammad (the) father (of) anyone of your men but (he is the) Messenger (of) Allah and Seal (of) the Prophets. And Allah is of every thing All-Knower.
[Al-Quran 33:40]
هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ شَهِيدًا
مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّهِ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانًا سِيمَاهُمْ فِي وُجُوهِهِم مِّنْ أَثَرِ السُّجُودِ ذَٰلِكَ مَثَلُهُمْ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ وَمَثَلُهُمْ فِي الْإِنجِيلِ كَزَرْعٍ أَخْرَجَ شَطْأَهُ فَآزَرَهُ فَاسْتَغْلَظَ فَاسْتَوَىٰ عَلَىٰ سُوقِهِ يُعْجِبُ الزُّرَّاعَ لِيَغِيظَ بِهِمُ الْكُفَّارَ وَعَدَ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ مِنْهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
He (is) the One Who (has) sent His Messenger with guidance and (the) religion, the true that He (may) make it prevail over the religions all. And sufficient is Allah (as) a Witness.
Muhammad (is the) Messenger (of) Allah, and those who (are) with him (are) firm against the disbelievers and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating, seeking Bounty from Allah and pleasure. Their mark (is) on their faces from (the) trace (of) the prostration. That (is) their similitude in the torarh And their similitude in the injeel (is) like a seed (which) sends forth its shoot then strengthens it, then it becomes thick and it stands upon its stem delighting the sowers that He (may) enrage by them the disbelievers. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them, forgiveness and a reward great.
إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ
When come to you the hypocrites, they say, "We testify that you (are) surely (the) Messenger (of) Allah." And Allah knows that you (are) surely His Messenger, and Allah testifies that the hypocrites (are) surely liars.
[Al-Quran 63:1]
The Message and its Revelation
مَا قَدَرُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ قَدْرِهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَقَوِيٌّ عَزِيزٌ
اللَّهُ يَصْطَفِي مِنَ الْمَلَائِكَةِ رُسُلًا وَمِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ بَصِيرٌ
يَعْلَمُ مَا بَيْنَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمَا خَلْفَهُمْ وَإِلَى اللَّهِ تُرْجَعُ الْأُمُورُ
Not they (have) estimated Allah (with) due [His] estimation. Indeed, Allah (is) surely All-Strong, All-Mighty.
Allah chooses from the Angels Messengers, and from the mankind. Indeed, Allah (is) All-Hearer, All-Seer.
He knows what (is) before them and what (is) after them. And to Allah return all the matters.
وَمَا كَانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَن يُكَلِّمَهُ اللَّهُ إِلَّا وَحْيًا أَوْ مِن وَرَاءِ حِجَابٍ أَوْ يُرْسِلَ رَسُولًا فَيُوحِيَ بِإِذْنِهِ مَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ عَلِيٌّ حَكِيمٌ
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلَا الْإِيمَانُ وَلَٰكِن جَعَلْنَاهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِي بِهِ مَن نَّشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ
صِرَاطِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي لَهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ أَلَا إِلَى اللَّهِ تَصِيرُ الْأُمُورُ
And not is for any بَشَرٍ that Allah should speak to him except (by) revelation or from behind a veil or (by) sending a messenger then he reveals by His permission what He wills. Indeed, He (is) Most High, Most Wise.
And thus We have revealed to you رُوحًا by Our Command. Not (did) you know what the Book (is) and not the faith. But We have made it a light, We guide with it whom We will of Our slaves. And indeed, you surely guide to (the) Path Straight,
(The) path (of) Allah, the One to Whom (belongs) whatever (is) in the heavens and whatever (is) in the earth. Unquestionably! To Allah reach all affairs.
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا
And they ask you concerning the الرُّوحِ. Say, "The الرُّوحُ (is) of (the) command (of) my Lord. And not you have been given of the knowledge except a little."
[Al-Quran 17:85; Translation edited]
نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ
عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ
Has brought it down, the الرُّوحُ [the] Trustworthy,
Upon your heart, that you may be of the warners
قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّلَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَجِبْرِيلَ وَمِيكَالَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ عَدُوٌّ لِّلْكَافِرِينَ
Say, "Whoever is an enemy to Jibreel - then indeed he brought it down on your heart by (the) permission (of) Allah confirming what (was) before it and a guidance and glad tiding(s) for the believers."
Whoever is an enemy (to) Allah and His Angels, and His Messengers, and Jibreel, and Meekael, then indeed Allah (is) an enemy to/for the unbelievers.
يَا أَيُّهَا الرَّسُولُ بَلِّغْ مَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ وَإِن لَّمْ تَفْعَلْ فَمَا بَلَّغْتَ رِسَالَتَهُ وَاللَّهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْكَافِرِينَ
O Messenger! Convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord, and if not you do then not you (have) conveyed His Message. And Allah will protect you from the people. Indeed, Allah (does) not guide the disbelieving people.
[Al-Quran 5:67]
آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّن رُّسُلِهِ وَقَالُوا سَمِعْنَا وَأَطَعْنَا غُفْرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيْكَ الْمَصِيرُ
Believed the Messenger in what was revealed to him from his Lord and the believers. All believed in Allah, and His Angels, and His Books, and His Messengers. "Not we make distinction between any of His Messengers, And they said, "We heard and we obeyed. (Grant) us Your forgiveness our Lord, and to You (is) the return."
[Al-Quran 2:285; Translation edited]
