Had We appointed him an angel

And had We appointed him an angel, We indeed would have made him a man, and We would have certainly caused them confusion in a matter which they have already covered with confusion

ولو جعلناه ملكا لجعلناه رجلا وللبسنا عليهم ما يلبسون

[Qur'aan 6:9]

قال أبو جعفر: يقول تعالى ذكره: ولو جعلنا رسولنا إلى هؤلاء العادلِين بي, القائلين: لولا أنـزل على محمّدٍ ملك بتصديقه- ملكًا ينـزل عليهم من السماء, يشهد بتصديق محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم، ويأمرهم باتباعه =" لجعلناه رجلا " ، يقول: لجعلناه في صورة رجل من البشر, لأنهم لا يقدرون أن يروا الملك في صورته . يقول: وإذا كان ذلك كذلك, فسواء أنـزلت عليهم بذلك ملكًا أو بشرًا, إذ كنت إذا أنـزلت عليهم ملكًا إنما أنـزله بصورة إنسيّ, وحججي في كلتا الحالتين عليهم ثابتة: بأنك صادق، وأنّ ما جئتهم به حق

Those who set up rivals with Allaah and denied His evidences wanted that an angel be sent down who would attest to the Prophethood of Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) and order them to follow him (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam). Allah has informed in this Verse that had an Angel been sent down he would have been sent in the form of a human. This is because humans do not possess the capability to see an Angel in his original form. And when the matter is such [i.e. that even the Angel would be sent down in the form of a human] then it does not matter whether an Angel was sent down or a human the matter would remain confused for these disbelievers because they would still not believe that the Angel [sent down in human form] was an Angel.