Efficacy means the ability to produce a desired or intended result! The speech of Prophet Muhammad (pbh) as an instructive, all-inclusive teaching tool that contains no weaknesses or errors but covers all possibilities is in itself a DIVINE Miracle!

It is a DIVINE Miracle that we cannot fully appreciate but, count on it, it keeps on giving!!!

First of all, by definition Prophet Muhammad (pbh) is not just a prophet for the Arabs but is a prophet for the whole world! It therefore is his CREATOR LORD’s responsibility to give him the tools to be that representative to the human race as a standard of clear excellence and not only in one small era of time! Failure to do so would be a ‘black mark’ on both the CREATOR and HIS ‘specially’ appointed missionary.

Especially appointed, as these writings show, as to introducing that Standard of Excellence capping off the other standards of excellence given by the various prophets from GOD:

Abu Hurairah stated that ALLAH’s Messenger (pbh) said, “My similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me, is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a corner. The people {the worshipers seeking GOD’s good pleasure} go about it and wonder at its beauty {the beautiful Way of Truth/Religion}, but say: ‘Would that this {missing} brick be put in its place!’ So I am that brick, and I am the last of the Prophets.”  (Bukhari)

The human race also includes the prophets as they were only human (spirit and body) and in this set it also includes the Christ Jesus as he is every bit of human also.

Furthermore, the reports of him (Muhammad) coming from the Dead Sea Scrolls (Spirit of truth), the Old Testament, the New Testament (by modern but incorrect definition), the Quran and hadith materials would put him in the light of being a failure rather than a success when we are talking about the Christ’s mission to establish THAT WAY (ISLAM) in the paradise on Earth which has been proven beyond any doubt in these writings, if he did not have those dynamics of being able to connect the generations throughout the various ages.

We get the knowledge of Muhammad’s (pbh) exalted standard from a hadith in Muslim stating his superiority over the other prophets in six ways. One of these ways is his native ability to use concise speech patterns which are comprehensive:

Abu Hurairah stated that the Messenger of ALLAH said: “I have been given superiority over the other prophets in six respects: I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; I have been helped by terror (in the hearts of enemies): spoils have been made lawful to me: the earth has been made for me clean and a place of worship; I have been sent to all mankind {whereas the other prophets were sent to their individual peoples only} and the line of prophets is closed with me. (Muslim)

We can look at it through this imperfect example. If the Prophet (pbh) was teaching Math, he would be teaching something irrefutably true across time and space that would be consistent under a whole host of variables. But he would not overburden his contact audience with going into useless or practically useless details that they could not beneficially use at their current time/space condition.

So, for example, if the time and place could only benefit from the notion that 2+2=4, his statement, although being universally inclusive, would not be expanded upon beyond the usefulness of that knowledge. Why would he open up the science of Math to include Calculus and advanced Calculus not to mention Algebra when it would be of no practical value for his time!

In fact, it would be a waste of time and would literally destroy the population he was currently influencing (mostly unlearned and unlettered peoples)! As man has shown a proclivity to invent things out of ‘whole cloth’, the unravelling of the secrets of the universe would actually cause massive destruction to mankind.

So, instead of being a ‘mercy to all creatures’, the Prophet (pbh) would have hamstrung mankind into a complicated mess that would not have elevated their souls:

WE sent you {O Muhammad} not, but as a Mercy for all creatures.                              Quran (21:107).

So, in this often complicated world, our CREATOR LORD has established what the pattern should be even up to the doings of the Christ-kingdom on Earth or the paradise on Earth as discussed in various ways in all the Holy Books and hadith materials.

The hadith about who is the most honorable of souls as was asked of him from his audience was answered efficiently and completely. There is no weakness in this hadith and the notion that Yusef (pbh) is the one who got finally clarified as to be ‘that one on that level’ must hold water and stand the test of time!

Abu Huraira narrated that the people asked, “O ALLAH’s Apostle! Who is the most honorable amongst the people (in ALLAH’s Sight)?” He said, “The most righteous amongst them.” They said, “We do not ask you, about this.” He said, “Then Joseph {Yusef}, ALLAH’s Prophet, the son of ALLAH’s Prophet, The son of ALLAH’s Prophet the son of ALLAH’s Khalil (i.e. Abraham).” They said, “We do not want to ask about this,” He said’ “Then you want to ask about the descent of the Arabs. Those who were the best in the pre-Islamic period of ignorance will be the best in Islam provided they comprehend the religious knowledge.”  (Bukhari)

It was not required of the Prophet (pbh) to go into detail of any kind. Rather what he said was the absolute truth about that matter and it was time to move on as the intended audience of that day became satisfied by those expressions.

So we are looking at something what in modern terms would be called ‘no harm, no foul’! And as he is being asked about a person/peoples because of the query ‘who’, then he gave the answer that fit the question concerning human beings from father Adam up to his time.

However, in analyzing his saying we note that there is a time element and a group of sons of Adam element in the story that must be completely true!

So, among all the peoples sent to Earth and their positions, the prophets fit the bill. However, the specific prophet that is mentioned as champion of nobility becomes Yusef (pbh). And since the audience did not mean any of these things but only Arab people in general, the Prophet (pbh) gave them a general answer but still packed with a lot of power!

The answer must include Arabs and because the Arab nationality really becomes into play just after the time of Noah (pbh), the Prophet’s answer, if it is totally correct in general, must go back to those beginnings. If it did not, then the Prophet (pbh) would basically be incorrect.

It is true that we don’t have an exact starting date for this event but the so-called Arab race that diverged from the ‘straight path’ after Noah (pbh) would go back literally thousands and thousands and thousands of years.

Putting limits on the Prophet’s speech that he did not put limits on by himself may make some people feel more comfortable but it doesn’t really fit the bill! That is a good reason to say; “ALLAH ALONE KNOWS BEST” in order to avoid sticky situations that go beyond the drama of basic beliefs.

Everything, beyond someone saying that it is raining outside, should be presented with evidence, which would be equivalent to having witnesses. And, even if something is nearly provable as being true, one must ask how beneficial is this so-called fact and under what circumstances is it beneficial for the human race?

Opening things up may solve problems and they may cause problems also. So, where do we stand with this thought in relationship to the DIVINE? Basically, with the matter at hand or in the current vernacular develop what is useful for the upliftment of the human spirit.

Poor, starving peoples need food for the flesh before they get food for the soul. So, taking care of the ‘matter at hand’ is more productive than chasing theories which may or may not be true. Besides, truth is not on the same level for everyone just like understanding is not the same for everyone.

If, on the other hand, it brings a clarity of purpose, for example, exposing falsehoods and disarming misconceptions while shooting down fabricated fallacies that feed corruption, there can be some benefit in clarifying certain issues in this ‘time frame’ we are facing now.

“By their fruits you will recognize them. Are grapes {logically} gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?”  Matthew (7:16)

So, when one gets a run-around by someone whose logic seems to be continually deformed or demented, it is time to move out of that space and let the small-minded people alone to live in their delusional and artificial self-created world, which will eventually fold to their eventual horror anyway.

However, this activity does not mean that falsehoods should not be confronted or shown up to be a sham! It means that one should not ‘force’ others to confront their ‘demons’ if they steadfastly refuse to be ‘normal’. Normalcy is referred to here as a logical progression of ideas based on represented facts not on wishful or fanciful thinking geared to upholding perverse ideologies.

Anas narrated that the Prophet said, “ALLAH will say to that person of the (Hell) Fire who will receive the least punishment, ‘If you had everything on the earth, would you give it as a ransom to free yourself (i.e. save yourself from this Fire)?’ He will say, ‘Yes.’ Then ALLAH will say, ‘While you were in the backbone of Adam, I asked you much less than this, i.e. not to worship others besides ME, but you insisted {persisted to the point of ignoring the Straight Way} on worshipping {following as gospel} others besides ME.’ ”   (Bukhari)

And this sentiment about taking care of one’s religion as to its veracity is referenced in the Quran (9:31) and related hadith material that features the discussion between Muhammad (pbh) and `Adi bin Hatim in expanding on the knowledge of Quran (9:31) as well as well as Quran (2:62) and Matthew (15:9) showing that ‘others’ besides the ONE GOD are falsely trusted above Divine Writ!

So one can say that a knowledgeable worshiper is a lot more valuable than an ignorant one:

Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas reported that the Messenger of ALLAH (pbh) said, “The virtue of knowledge is more beloved to me than the virtue of worship, and the best of your religion is cautious piety.” (al-Ādāb lil-Bayhaqī 818)

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of ALLAH (pbh) said, “He who calls others to follow the Right Guidance will have a reward equal to the reward of those who follow him, without their reward being diminished in any respect on that account.”  (Muslim)

Abu Umama reported that the Messenger of ALLAH (pbh) said, “The superiority of the learned over the devout worshipper is like my superiority over the most inferior amongst you (in good deeds).” He went on to say, “ALLAH, HIS angels, the dwellers of the heaven and the earth, and even the ant in its hole and the fish (in water) supplicate in favor of those who teach people knowledge.”
(At-Tirmidhi).

Mu’awiyah reported that the Messenger of ALLAH said, “When ALLAH wishes good for someone, HE bestows upon him the understanding of Deen.”
(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

A knowledgeable worshiper can be compared to a miner who searches for gold. If you have the whereabouts to look and the knowledge of rock formations, then finding your ore deposit will be more profitable timewise and productive-wise than one who just goes out, casting his fate to the winds and starts digging anywhere he so feels like it!

To each his own!