Why should one not place the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) above Jonah (as)?

Because Islam requires regard for the feelings of others. Muslims should not praise their Prophet at the expense of another prophet and so hurt that prophet’s followers.

Muslims believe that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) holds the highest rank among the prophets. Even so, he said that no one should exalt himself above Jonah (as). This is no contradiction. The point is not to deny a truth, but not to display it at the expense of others.

Islam does not demand that others respect our feelings while we are free to hurt theirs. It teaches the opposite. A Muslim should show consideration even when his own feelings are hurt. Not every truth has to be spoken just because it is true.

An everyday example makes this clear. A child tells a man who has only one eye that it has two eyes and he has only one. The child is telling the truth, and yet the parents will correct it. Truth calls for tact. It is different when someone asks a sincere question. Then the truth must not be hidden.

Many people still revere Jonah (as) deeply today. Christians in the Middle East, such as the Assyrians, hold him in high honour and fast in his memory. Had Muslims boasted to them about the rank of their own Prophet, it would have hurt them and pushed them away from Islam instead of drawing them closer.

So this teaching shows a refined culture in dealing with other religions. The way to a person’s heart is through respect, not through superiority.