Jesus is better than Muhammad (pbut) because he and his mother (Mary) were never touched by Satan

 

 

Some people point to the hadith that states that every newborn is touched by Satan except Jesus (Isa) and his mother, Mary (Maryam), and argue that this demonstrates Jesus' superiority over Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. However, from an Islamic perspective, this conclusion does not necessarily follow.

 

Islamic tradition also records several extraordinary events that highlight God's special care and protection for Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Among the most well-known is the incident known as the splitting of the chest (Shaqq al-Sadr). According to authentic hadith, the Angel Jibril (Gabriel) came to Prophet Muhammad while he was still a young boy. The angel opened his chest, removed his heart, and purified it by washing it in a vessel of faith and wisdom. During this process, a portion described in the narrations as the "share of Satan" was removed from his heart before it was returned to its place.

 

According to the traditional Islamic narrations, this purification occurred on more than one occasion. The first took place during his childhood, preparing him from an early age. Another occurred before the beginning of his prophetic mission, as he was being prepared to receive divine revelation. A third took place before the miraculous Night Journey and Ascension (Al-Isra' wal-Mi'raj), when he ascended through the heavens and met the previous prophets before reaching the highest heavens.

 

Muslim scholars understand these events as signs of God's special care for His final Messenger. They demonstrate that Allah purified, protected, and prepared Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for the immense responsibility of conveying the final revelation to humanity. Rather than indicating any deficiency, these miraculous events are viewed as manifestations of divine honor and preparation.

 

For this reason, many Muslims argue that the hadith concerning Jesus and his mother does not establish that Jesus is superior to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Instead, they point out that each prophet was granted unique miracles and special distinctions by God. Jesus was honored in certain ways, while Muhammad ﷺ was honored in others, including the repeated purification of his heart, the reception of the final revelation, and the miraculous Night Journey and Ascension.

 

Accordingly, from the mainstream Islamic perspective, the hadith about Jesus being protected from Satan's touch at birth should not be understood as evidence that he is greater than Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Rather, it reflects one of the unique blessings granted to Jesus, just as the repeated purification of Muhammad's heart and the many other miracles bestowed upon him reflect God's special favor and care for His final Messenger.