438 - It was narrated that Jabir ibn ‘Abdillah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been given five things that were not given to any of the prophets before me: I have been supported with fear for a distance of one month; the earth has been made a place of prostration and a means of purification for me, so wherever any man of my ummah is when the time comes to pray, let him pray; war booty has been made permissible for me; each prophet before me was sent exclusively to his own people, whereas I have been sent to all of mankind; and I have been granted intercession..

Commentary : Allah (may He be glorified and exalted) granted certain blessings exclusively to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) which He did not grant exclusively to any of the prophets before him.
In this hadith, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) tells of these characteristics which were never given in combination to any of the prophets except to him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). The first is that he was supported with fear for the distance of a month, so fear would be cast in the hearts of his enemies when there was a distance of a month’s journey between him and them, as Allah (may He be exalted) says: {We will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve for what they have associated with Allah} [Al ‘Imran 3:151]. And Allah said concerning the Battle of Badr: {[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, “I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved”} [al-Anfal 8:12].
The second was that the earth was made a place of prostration and a means of purification for him. This is one of the things that were granted exclusively to this ummah. So wherever a man is when the time for prayer comes, he may pray in the place where he is when the time for prayer comes. If he cannot find water, then he may do tayammum with clean earth, or whatever comes under the same ruling as it, then pray, for prayer is not only to be done in the mosques that are built for that purpose, as was the case with previous nations; rather the Muslims may pray wherever they are on earth when the time for prayer comes. This is not contradicted by the fact that prayer is not allowed in certain places on earth, for reasons specific to those places, such as the prohibition on praying in camel pens, graveyards and bathrooms.
Mentioning that tayammum is one of the unique blessings that were granted to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) gives the impression that purification with water was not something unique to him that was not granted to other prophets. Rather what is unique to him is tayammum, which was granted to him so as to make things easier when water is not available, or when it is not possible to use it.
The third thing is that war booty was made permissible for him; this refers to what the Muslims capture during their wars with the disbelievers, and everything captured by force from the disbelievers. This was not permitted to the prophets who came before him, as it is narrated in al-Sahihayn from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “One of the prophets went on a campaign and collected booty, then a fire came to consume it…”
The fourth thing is that he was sent to all of mankind, for he was the last of the prophets. Hence his message was made universal, to reach all of mankind. The prophets before him were sent exclusively to their own people. Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah in a marfu‘ hadith: “I have been sent to all people; the prophets end with me.”
The fifth thing is that he was granted intercession, so he will intercede for the people on the Day of Resurrection at the beginning of the reckoning, which will be the general intercession or the greater intercession, and there are other things that will be exclusive to him on the Day of Resurrection.
The intercession that is unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) among the other prophets is not the intercession to bring forth the sinners from the Fire, for other prophets and the believers will also have a share of that intercession, as is mentioned in mutawatir texts. Rather the intercession that is unique to him, to the exclusion of the other prophets, is of four types: (i) he will intercede for all people, asking for judgement to be passed among them; (ii) he will intercede for the people of Paradise to be admitted to Paradise; (iii) he will intercede for those who committed major sins among the people of Hell, and it was said that this is something that is granted uniquely to him; (iv) he will intercede for large numbers of his ummah, for he has saved and stored up his intercession for the Day of Resurrection. There are sahih reports which clearly state that this intercession is what is referred to in this hadith, such as the hadith which was narrated by Ahmad from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, from his grandfather ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Tonight I was granted five things that were not granted to anyone before me… The fifth of which is that it was said to me: Ask, for every prophet [before you] asked. But I have delayed my asking until the Day of Resurrection, and it will be for you and for everyone who testifies that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah.”
Some of the scholars mentioned a fifth type of intercession that is unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), which is his intercession for the punishment to be reduced for some of the polytheists, such as his intercession for his uncle Abu Talib. This was granted exclusively to our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). And some scholars include a sixth kind of intercession that is unique to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), namely his intercession for seventy thousand to enter Paradise without being brought to account.
The one who reflects upon the texts and reports will realize that the characteristics that were granted exclusively to him, to the exclusion of other prophets, are not limited to five. On some occasions he mentioned six, or five, or four, or three, according to what needed to be mentioned.
This hadith highlights the status of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) before Allah (may He be glorified and exalted.
It also highlights the fact that some of the prophets are superior to others, by the blessing of Allah (may He be exalted)..