One of my friends told me that Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is light but I don't believe him since he has different beliefs and he doesn't believe in our four Imams. He said that in the Qur'an, Allah Says this Himself in Surah Al-Ahzaab and he gave me a translation of a verse from Surah Al-Ahzab which is as following: "O Prophet, truly We have sent thee as a Witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a Warner, And as a Summoner unto Allah by His command, and as a radiant Lamp." Then he also said that in Surah Shams Allah describes it well and said: The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings on him) was the Nur (Light) of Allah as Surah Al-Shams describes; in that like the moon draws its light from the sun, the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be on him) drew his light from Allah and transmitted it to the spiritually dark world. Then he said that the people who follow the four Imams especially those who follow Imam Abu Hanifa are wrong. Please clarify.

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

To say that the person of the Prophet is light that is derived from Allah's Light is a blatant fallacy and a contradiction to the information the Holy Quran gives about the Prophet being a human being.

Allaah The Almighty Says (what means):

It is well known that human beings are all the offspring of Aadam (Adam) who was created from clay and then his progeny reproduced by means of water (sperm). Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {(Allaah) Who made everything He has created good, and He began the creation of man from clay. Then He made his offspring from semen of worthless water (male and female sexual discharge).} [Quran 32:7-8].

This allegation is also in clear contradiction to the Sunnah (Prophetic tradition). It is narrated in the Saheehayn (the two most authentic books of Hadeeth of Al-Bukhari and Muslim) that the Prophet once said: "I am no more than a human being like you. It is by nature that I forget in the same way you forget, so whenever I forget, remind me."

Those who advocate this false allegation base their claim on a fabricated Hadeeth which was said to have been narrated from Jaabir that he (allegedly) said, "I said to the Prophet 'O Messenger of Allaah! Tell me about the thing that Allaah created prior to anything else.' The Prophet answered: 'O Jaabir! Verily the first thing Allaah created was your Prophet's light (meaning himself) which He derived from His own Light.'"

 Commenting on this Hadeeth, As-Suyooti said, "It has no dependable basis."

As for the Prophet's description mentioned in the Quran being light, what is meant is the guidance and knowledge (brought with him) with which people are guided to the path of Allaah The Almighty, not that he is light in person. Hence, to take this verse as indicating that the Prophet is light in person is misinterpretation or adulteration that is crystal clear for those who have the least degree of insight.

Regarding this person's insistence on not recognizing the four Imaams of jurisprudence and Sharee'ah (Islamic) knowledge, it is a matter of deviation and arrogance. The four schools of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) founded by these four great Imaams have spread throughout the world and the Muslim Ummah (nation) has unanimously and wholeheartedly accepted them.

Innumerable people have received knowledge from these four Imaams all over the world. Yet, this does not mean that they are infallible; rather they are subject to committing mistakes just like other people. However, as it is the case with all other human beings, they may commit mistakes; their mistakes are to be reduced to nothing in comparison to their right.

Therefore, for instance, the most distinguished Imams such as Ash-Shafi'ee, Ibn al-Mubaarak, Yahya ibn Sa'eed and others have extensively hailed Abu Haneefah's genius and praised his deep understanding of jurisprudence. Hence, to claim that the Hanafi school of Islamic jurisprudence is to be neglected for its many mistakes is a big fallacy.

What is clear for us is that the person in question is ignorant of the schools of those jurists, so much so that he tries to belittle their high rank. It is incumbent on him that he fears Allaah The Almighty and does not say anything without knowledge. He has also to follow the scholars in terms of belief, Fiqh (jurisprudence), and behavior so as to escape such deviance.

We also advise you to deal with him leniently and to urge him to seek the help of those who can better engage in argument with him.

Allaah Knows best.