In Islam, Allah is the only one worthy of worship — and Muslims are extremely clear about this. No Muslim worships Muhammad (peace be upon him). In fact, associating partners with God (called shirk) is considered the greatest sin in Islam. So, the love and defense shown for the Prophet isn’t worship — it’s reverence and deep respect, because of his role as the final messenger of God, the one who conveyed the Qur’an, and lived out the message in practice. Why is there such a strong reaction when he’s criticized? For Muslims, insulting the Prophet is not just an attack on a historical figure — it feels personal, because he’s seen as the best human example of living a God-centered life. Just like how someone might fiercely defend a beloved parent, teacher, or saint, Muslims feel protective of him — but again, this doesn’t mean they put him above Allah. In fact, the Prophet himself constantly emphasized that he was just a servant of Allah. The Qur’an says, "Say: I am only a man like you, to whom has been revealed that your God is one God..." (18:110). The emotional attachment to the Prophet is a reflection of love and gratitude — but worship belongs to Allah alone.