The Prophet (ﷺ) said: I have been conferred upon five (things) which were not granted to anyone before me (and these are): Every apostle wassent particularly to his own people, whereas I have been sent to all the red and the black the spoils of war have been made lawful for me, and these were never made lawful to anyone before me, and the earth has been made sacred and pure and mosque for me, so whenever the time of prayer comes for any one of you he should pray whenever he is, and I have been supported by awe (by which the enemy is overwhelmed) from the distance (which one takes) one month to cover and I have been granted intercession.
The Book of Mosques and Places of Prayer - Sahih Muslim 521a
This narration from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) enumerates five unique distinctions granted to him by Allah that were not given to any prophet before him. The scholars have extensively commented on each of these special favors.
Universal Mission
"Every apostle was sent particularly to his own people, whereas I have been sent to all the red and the black" - Scholars explain that "the red and the black" refers to all of humanity, Arabs and non-Arabs, of all colors and races. This universality distinguishes the final message of Islam from previous prophetic missions which were limited to specific nations or tribes.
Lawfulness of War Spoils
"The spoils of war have been made lawful for me" - Classical commentators note that for previous nations, war booty was either prohibited or had to be purified by fire from heaven. For this Ummah, it was made permissible as a means of sustenance and strengthening the Muslim community, with specific regulations regarding distribution.
The Earth as Mosque
"The earth has been made sacred and pure and mosque for me" - Scholars elaborate that this means the entire earth has been made a place of worship for Muslims. Unlike previous communities who could only pray in specific consecrated places, Muslims can perform prayer anywhere on earth that is clean. This demonstrates the ease and accessibility of Islamic worship.
Divine Awe
"I have been supported by awe from the distance of one month" - Commentators explain that Allah cast fear into the hearts of the Prophet's enemies from a distance of one month's journey. This divine protection allowed the message to spread and provided security for the early Muslim community without constant military confrontation.
Intercession
"I have been granted intercession" - The scholars distinguish between the general intercession granted to all prophets and the special, greater intercession (al-Shafa'ah al-'Uzma) unique to Prophet Muhammad on the Day of Judgment, when he will plead for the commencement of judgment and for the salvation of believers.