The Islamic prophet Muhammed in the hadith would occasionally claim a certain entity looked just like something earthly, take form of something earthly, or that something earthly was a devil.
Muhammed stated Gabriel sometimes came in form of a man he knew,
As a side note, Muhammed also said Satan also appears as a familiar man to deceive people:
Perhaps, Satan taking form of a man claiming to be Gabriel has a role in the Satanic verses Muhammed received. Ironically, Muhammed said the devil cannot take form of Muhammed.
Muhammed had a male friend named Dihyah. Muhammed said the angel Gabriel (Jibril) would sometimes appear in the form of Dihyah.
Granted, angels can take any form the want, ir is nonetheless very convenient that Gabriel just happens to take the form of a man everyone knows. Telling people that Jibril looks like someone familiar is to help convince people Muhammad is not making things up. By waiting for Dihya to leave then tell his wife that was Jibril not Dihya is to convince people that others have seen Jibril, too, and that Muhammed definitely cannot make it up because now there is a witness, rather than the witness being able to talk to Jibril, he makes her an unknowing witness, preventing any investigation.
Concerning Muhammed saying black dogs are devils:
Muhammed did not just stop at claiming what Gabriel, Jesus, Satan, demons looked like, he also said he knows what the Quran will take form as--an old man:
Muhammed stated Gabriel sometimes came in form of a man he knew,
"Al-Harith bin Hisham asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): 'How does the Revelation come to you?' He said: 'Like the ringing of a bell, and when it departs I remember what he (the Angel) said, and this is the hardest on me. And sometimes he (the Angel) comes to me in the form of a man and gives it to me.'"--Sunan an-Nasa'i 933
As a side note, Muhammed also said Satan also appears as a familiar man to deceive people:
Abū Sa’īd al-Ashajj narrated to me, Wakī’ narrated to us, al-A’mash narrated to us, on authority of al-Musayyab bin Rāfi’, on authority of Āmir bin Abdah, he said, Abd Allah [bin Mas’ūd] said:‘Indeed Satan will appear in the form of a man and he will come to the people, narrating to them false Ḥadīth, and they will then depart. Then a man among them will say: ‘I heard a man whose face I recognize but I do not know his name narrating [such and such]…’--Sahih Muslim Introduction 17
Muhammed had a male friend named Dihyah. Muhammed said the angel Gabriel (Jibril) would sometimes appear in the form of Dihyah.
Narrated Abu Uthman: I got the news that Gabriel came to the Prophet while Um Salama was present. Gabriel started talking (to the Prophet and then left. The Prophet said to Um Salama, "(Do you know) who it was?" (or a similar question). She said, "It was Dihya (a handsome person amongst the companions of the Prophet )." Later on Um Salama said, "By Allah! I thought he was none but Dihya, till I heard the Prophet talking about Gabriel in his sermon." (The Sub-narrator asked Abu 'Uthman, "From where have you heard this narration?" He replied, "From Usama bin Zaid.") --Sahih al-Bukhari 3634
حَدَّثَنِي عَبَّاسُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ النَّرْسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُعْتَمِرٌ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عُثْمَانَ، قَالَ أُنْبِئْتُ أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعِنْدَهُ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ، فَجَعَلَ يُحَدِّثُ ثُمَّ قَامَ، فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لأُمِّ سَلَمَةَ " مَنْ هَذَا ". أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ. قَالَ قَالَتْ هَذَا دِحْيَةُ. قَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ ايْمُ اللَّهِ مَا حَسِبْتُهُ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ خُطْبَةَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُخْبِرُ جِبْرِيلَ أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ. قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لأَبِي عُثْمَانَ مِمَّنْ سَمِعْتَ هَذَا قَالَ مِنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ.again,
It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: There appeared before me the apostles, and Moses was among men as if he was one of the people of Shanu'a, and I saw Jesus son of Mary (peace be upon him) and I saw nearest in resemblance with him was 'Urwa b. Mas'ud, and I saw Ibrahim (blessings of Allah be upon him) and I see your companions much in resemblance with him, i. e. his personality, and I saw Gabriel (peace be upon him) and I saw Dihya nearest in resemblance to him; but in the narration of Ibn Rumh it is Dihya b. Khalifa.--Sahih Muslim 167
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا لَيْثٌ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رُمْحٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " عُرِضَ عَلَىَّ الأَنْبِيَاءُ فَإِذَا مُوسَى ضَرْبٌ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ كَأَنَّهُ مِنْ رِجَالِ شَنُوءَةَ وَرَأَيْتُ عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ - فَإِذَا أَقْرَبُ مَنْ رَأَيْتُ بِهِ شَبَهًا عُرْوَةُ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ وَرَأَيْتُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ صَلَوَاتُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ فَإِذَا أَقْرَبُ مَنْ رَأَيْتُ بِهِ شَبَهًا صَاحِبُكُمْ - يَعْنِي نَفْسَهُ - وَرَأَيْتُ جِبْرِيلَ - عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ - فَإِذَا أَقْرَبُ مَنْ رَأَيْتُ بِهِ شَبَهًا دِحْيَةُ " . وَفِي رِوَايَةِ ابْنِ رُمْحٍ " دِحْيَةُ بْنُ خَلِيفَةَ " .Fascinating that Muhammed even claims to know what Jesus looked like! Continuing on, the account of Gabriel appearing as Diyah appears also in:
Salman reported: In case it lies in your power don't be one to enter the bazar first and the last to get out of that because there is a bustle and the standard of Satan is set there. He said: I was informed that Gabriel (Allah be pleased with him) came to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) and there was with him Umin Salama and he began to talk with him. He then stood up, whereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said to Umm Salama: (Do you know) who was he and what did he say? She said: He was Dihya (Kalbi). He reported Umm Salama having said: By Allah, I did not deem him but only he (Dihya) until I heard the address of Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) informing him about us. He (the narrator) said: I said to Uthman: From whom did you hear it? He said: From Usima b. Zaid.--Sahih Muslim 2451
حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى الْقَيْسِيُّ، كِلاَهُمَا عَنِ الْمُعْتَمِرِ، - قَالَ ابْنُ حَمَّادٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُعْتَمِرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، - قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ سَلْمَانَ، قَالَ لاَ تَكُونَنَّ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ السُّوقَ وَلاَ آخِرَ مَنْ يَخْرُجُ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّهَا مَعْرَكَةُ الشَّيْطَانِ وَبِهَا يَنْصِبُ رَايَتَهُ . قَالَ وَأُنْبِئْتُ أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ أَتَى نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعِنْدَهُ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ - قَالَ - فَجَعَلَ يَتَحَدَّثُ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَقَالَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لأُمِّ سَلَمَةَ " مَنْ هَذَا " . أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ قَالَتْ هَذَا دِحْيَةُ - قَالَ - فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ ايْمُ اللَّهِ مَا حَسِبْتُهُ إِلاَّ إِيَّاهُ حَتَّى سَمِعْتُ خُطْبَةَ نَبِيِّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُخْبِرُ خَبَرَنَا أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لأَبِي عُثْمَانَ مِمَّنْ سَمِعْتَ هَذَا قَالَ مِنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ .As noted above, Muhammed also claimed Jesus looked like 'Urwa b. Mas'ud. Muhammed is likely trolling his followers, trying to see how gullible they are, or perhaps he is trying to claim knowledge only a prophet can possibly know. It was probably nonesense like this that Nabtal repeated to Muhammed's mockers.
Granted, angels can take any form the want, ir is nonetheless very convenient that Gabriel just happens to take the form of a man everyone knows. Telling people that Jibril looks like someone familiar is to help convince people Muhammad is not making things up. By waiting for Dihya to leave then tell his wife that was Jibril not Dihya is to convince people that others have seen Jibril, too, and that Muhammed definitely cannot make it up because now there is a witness, rather than the witness being able to talk to Jibril, he makes her an unknowing witness, preventing any investigation.
Concerning Muhammed saying black dogs are devils:
It was narrated from ‘Abdullah bin Samit from Abu Dharr, that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:“The prayer is severed by a woman, a donkey, and a black dog, if there is not something like the handle of a saddle in front of a man.” I (‘Abdullah) said: “What is wrong with a black dog and not a red one?” He (Abu Dharr) said: ‘I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) the same question, and he said: “The black dog is a Shaitan (satan).”--Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Book 5, Hadith 952
Concerning Muhammed saying a black man looked like Satan himself:Hafs reported that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) as saying, and the other version of this tradition transmitted through a different chain has:Abu Dharr said (and not the Prophet): If there is not anything like the back of a saddle in front of a man who is praying, then a donkey, a black dog, and a woman cut off his prayer. I asked him: Why has the black dog been specified, distinguishing it from a red, a yellow and a white dog? He replied: My nephew, I also asked the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) the same question as you asked me. He said: The black dog is a devil.--Sunan Abi Dawud 702
From B. Dubay'a b. Zayd b. Malik b 'Auf b. 'Amr b. 'Auf: Bijad b. 'Uthman b. 'Amir. From B. Laudhan b. 'Amr b. 'Auf: Nabtal b. al-Harith. "I have heard that it was of him that the apostle said, "Whoever wants to see Satan let him take a look at Nabtal b. al-Harith!" He was a sturdy black man with long flowing hair, inflamed eyes, and dark ruddy cheeks. He used to come and talk to the apostle and listen to him and then carry what he had said to the hypocrites. It was he who said: "Muhammad is all ears: if anyone tells him anything he believes it." God sent down concerning him: "And of them are those who annoy the prophet and say he is all ears, Say: Good ears for you. He believes in God and trusts the believers and is a mercy for those of you who believe; and those who annoy the apostle of God for them there is a painful punishment." (Sura 9:61)--Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ishaq's Sirat Rasul Allah, Translated by A. Guillaume, Oxford University Press, Oxford, England, (Re-issued in Karachi, Pakistan, 1967, 13th impression, 1998) 1955, p. 243. [emphasis mine]
Muhammed did not just stop at claiming what Gabriel, Jesus, Satan, demons looked like, he also said he knows what the Quran will take form as--an old man:
It was narrated from Ibn Buraidah that his father told that the Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said: "The Quran will come on the Day of Resurrection, like a pale man, and will say: 'I am the one that kept you awake at night and made you thirsty during the day."--Sunan Ibn Majah 3781 (rated Hassan)As mentioned before, Muhammed claimed to know elements of God's appearance, for instance Allah has two right hands (which is absurd):
The Prophet [SAW] said: "Those who are just and fair will be with Allah, Most High, on thrones of light, at the right hand of the Most Merciful, those who are just in their rulings and in their dealings with their families and those of whom they are in charge." Muhammad (one of the narrators) said in his Hadith: "And both of His hands are right hands."--Sunan an-Nasa'i 5379, Book 49, Hadith 1
أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، ح وَأَنْبَأَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ آدَمَ بْنِ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عُيَيْنَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ أَوْسٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِنَّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَى مَنَابِرَ مِنْ نُورٍ عَلَى يَمِينِ الرَّحْمَنِ الَّذِينَ يَعْدِلُونَ فِي حُكْمِهِمْ وَأَهْلِيهِمْ وَمَا وَلُوا". قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ فِي حَدِيثِهِ " وَكِلْتَا يَدَيْهِ يَمِينٌ ".
