Viewed through the lens of practical human reason, it is necessary that prophets be human. Why?

Because a prophet must serve as a model—someone people can follow in real-life situations. That’s only possible if the prophet lives a human life: facing struggles, bearing pain, making choices, raising families, working for sustenance.

Birds cannot take cows as role models. Lions cannot emulate fish. Just so, a supernatural being who doesn’t eat, sleep, or feel cannot guide humanity in a relatable way.

Even in the case of angels, if they were sent in human form, it would raise doubts: “Is this a human or an angel?” And if they remained in their invisible state—as angels usually are—how could people interact with them, follow their example, or imitate their path?

Even the greatest of all messengers, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, saw the angel Jibrīl in his original form only twice. One time he saw him filling the entire horizon, with six hundred wings. Despite the extreme cold, the Prophet’s forehead would pour sweat whenever revelation descended.

On one occasion, the Prophet ﷺ was riding behind one of his companions when he received revelation. At that moment, his leg was resting on his companion’s leg. The pressure was so intense that the man later recalled: “I feared my leg would break from the weight of that moment.”

This is the invisible burden of divine communication (waḥy), which no ordinary person can perceive with their senses. How then could the general public ever interact with an angel, much less follow one?

Hence, it is essential that prophets be human. They must embody divine revelation in a way that can be lived, practiced, and imitated.

To believe that prophets are divine, or even semi-divine, is to contradict both reason and revelation. In fact, to insist that a prophet must be more than human is a misjudgment as serious as believing them to be God Himself.

The Qur’an makes it clear: the model for humanity must be one of their own.

To quote a renowned Arabic poet on the uniqueness of the Prophet ﷺ:

He is a human being, yes—but not like other human beings!

A ruby is a stone, yes—but not like other stones!

Were There Female Prophets?

The Qur’an explicitly states while addressing the Prophet ﷺ: And We did not send before you any but men, to whom We revealed. (Surah al-Anbiyāʾ 21:7)

From this verse, it is clear that only men were appointed as messengers. However, this does not mean that women were entirely excluded from receiving divine inspiration.

The Qur’an itself mentions that certain women were the recipients of divine communication. The mothers of the prophets Mūsā and ʿĪsā (peace be upon them) are cases in point. They were guided and instructed through divine messages. These communications, however, are technically classified not as nubuwwah (prophethood) but as ilhām—a kind of spiritual inspiration.

Famous Qur’anic commentators like Imam Ibn al-Jawzī, Imam al-Suyūṭī, Muqātil ibn Sulaymān, and al-Ṭāhir ibn ʿĀshūr all report that Ibn ʿAbbās, a companion and cousin of the Prophet ﷺ, referred to this kind of inspiration as ilhām.

So, even if a woman receives ilhām, it does not confer upon her the status of prophethood. This distinction is crucial.

But why were women not chosen as prophets?

While we cannot decisively state the divine wisdom behind God’s choices, some rational observations can be made:

1. Prophethood is an Extremely Burdensome Responsibility

Being a prophet involves bearing a heavy message, confronting resistance, enduring hardship, and delivering divine truth to people who may ridicule or harm you. Women, by their nature and social roles, are generally not suited to this level of confrontation and public burden. Exempting women from this burden is in itself an expression of divine mercy.

2. The Human Body and Gender Dynamics

A woman’s physical form naturally arouses more attraction in men. If a female prophet were tasked with preaching to large groups of men, it could create social complications, distractions, or temptations on both sides. In order to avoid such a fitnah (trial), Allah did not assign women to this highly public-facing role.

3. Gendered Psychological Dispositions

Men and women are created with different psychological orientations. A man is, in general, more equipped to endure the emotional challenges, battlefield responsibilities, and direct confrontations often required of a prophet. While some women may be exceptions, the general emotional intensity and vulnerability associated with femininity could render the prophetic burden more difficult for women to bear.

Even in modern times, we observe how many women in leadership positions—no matter how capable—often face moments of emotional overwhelm. It’s not a sign of weakness but a natural disposition. To assign them prophetic burdens would be to go against that very nature.

4. Physiological Realities

Women’s bodies are designed to go through menstruation, pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery—all of which can physically and emotionally limit one’s availability for leadership or constant public duties. A prophet, by contrast, must be constantly accessible to the public and available for guidance, war, diplomacy, and social reform. The rhythms of female physiology would make such continuous availability difficult.

5. The Priority of Motherhood

Women are blessed with the noble responsibility of motherhood—a role that demands full emotional, physical, and spiritual attention. They are the first caregivers, nurturers, and moral educators of humanity. Prophethood, with all its public demands, would potentially conflict with this God-given responsibility. To free them from the burden of prophethood is to honour and protect the sacred role of motherhood.

It must be emphasized: this is not a matter of spiritual inferiority. In terms of access to divine closeness, moral elevation, and knowledge, women are on par with men.

 In fact, the Qur’an presents two women—Āsiyah, the wife of Pharaoh, and Maryam, the mother of ʿĪsā (peace be upon him)—as examples for all believers, male and female: And God sets forth an example for the believers: the wife of Pharaoh … and Mary, daughter of ʿImrān. (Surah al-Taḥrīm 66:11–12)

Thus, not choosing women as prophets was not an act of exclusion or devaluation, but rather, a reflection of divine mercy and wisdom, considering both the demands of prophethood and the natural constitution of women.