It is evident from numerous Ahadith that the first thing that Allah Ta’ala created was the Noor-e-Muhammadi or the Light of Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). Rasoolullah (Sallallahu AlaihiWasallam) has stated in the Hadith, “Awwalu ma Khalaq Allahu Noori,” i.e. the first thing Allahcreated was my Noor. [Madarijun Nubuwat, vol 2, pg 6]
It is stated in the Holy Qur’an, “No one is associated to Him, so I have been commanded and I am the first Muslim.” (6:163) The Sahabah asked Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) to explain the phrase “I am the first Muslim” in this verse, as Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam) and the other Prophets up to Hazrat Esa (Alaihis Salaam) were born on earth before him, and all these Prophets were Muslims i.e. they surrendered to the will of Allah, so how could Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) be the first Muslim? It was then that Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) explained that Allah Ta’ala had created him as Noor-e-Muhammadi out of Himself many thousands of astronomical years before Allah Ta’ala decided to create the universe. Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) has also stated, “I am the first Prophet to be created and the last one to be sent.”
The creation of Noor-e-Muhammadi was just as if you take up a bucket of water from the vast oceans, and find no difference whatsoever in the quantity of water in the oceans, or with one candle you light another and the former does not lose any of its light, whilst the next candle is kindled. Similarly, the creation of Noor-e-Muhammadi by Allah Ta’ala made not the least difference or shortage in any way in Allah, Who continued to remain His Infinite Self. It is ever so easy for Allah Ta’ala to create whatsoever He wishes.
Now let us consider what would happen if one were to pour the water lifted in the bucket from the vast ocean onto the seashore? One would surely see that the water from the bucket will try to flow back into the ocean mass from which it has been separated. Thus also was the case with Noor-e- Muhammadi. It prostrated itself before its Creator in an effort to reach Him from Whom it emanated. This was the first prostration before Allah Ta’ala and it pleased the Lord so much that it is said He enjoyed this adoration for 3,202,009,900,000 years. After this long period He was satisfied with this and He thought of developing a creation out of the Noor-e-Muhammadi. [Tafrihul Askia Fil Ahwalul Ambia, vol 1, pg 46]
Hazrat Abu Hurairah (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) has narrated: “The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu AlaihiWasallam) once asked Hazrat Jibraeel (Alaihis Salaam): “How old are you?” Hazrat Jibraeel (AlaihisSalaam) replied, “I don’t have much recollection about the exact age. However, I do remember seeing a star in the fourth Hijab (veil) of Honour. That star would appear once every seventy thousand years, and I have seen the star seventy two thousand times.” Upon hearing this, the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied: “I swear by the Honour of my Allah Jalla Jalaaluhu that star wasme.” [Tarikh-ul-Kabir by Imam Bukhari; Tafseer Roohul Bayan]
Allah Ta’ala could very well have created the universe by ordering “Be!” [Holy Qur’an, 3:59], but to honour His beloved Noor-e-Muhammadi, He decided to create the entire universe through this medium and bless everything thus created for the sake of His beloved. In a Hadith-e-Qudsi Allah Ta’ala has stated, “If I had not created you (O Muhammad), I would not have created anything.”
Accordingly, Allah Ta’ala started devising out of Noor-e-Muhammadi each and every one of the angels, the countless galaxies throughout the universe and all that is therein. Thus He honoured His beloved. Nothing that was created by Allah Ta’ala was out of anything else.
Because every creation was devised out of the Noor-e-Muhammadi, it is this Noor-e-Muhammadi that is the life of every creation, without which life will cease to exist. It is for this reason that the whole of creation ceased functioning and time came to a standstill on the night that Nabi-e-Kareem (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) went for Me’raj to meet his Creator, because he is the life of creation itself and everything in it.
It is for this reason that A’la Hazrat Imam Ahle Sunnat Imam Ahmad Raza Khan (Radiallahu Ta’alaAnh) writes:

Wo Jo Na The Tho Kuch Na Tha
Wo Jo Na Ho Tho Kuch Na Ho
Jaan He Wo Jahan Ki
Jaan He Tho Jahan He
When he (Rasoolullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) did not exist then nothing existed
If he was not created then nothing would have been created
He is the life of the world
He is alive therefore the world exists

Hazrat Jabir bin Abdullah Ansari (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) reports: I asked, “Ya Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) may my father and mother be sacrificed upon thee! Tell me, what was that which the Almighty Allah created before anything else?” The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) replied:
“O Jabir, verily Allah first created my Noor (Light) from His Noor before He created anything else. This Noor stayed in obedience according to the Will of Allah. At that time, there was neither the Lawh (Divine Tablet) nor the Qalam (Pen), neither heaven nor hell, and neither any angel, earth, skies, sun, moon, jinn or human beings. When Allah wished to create something, He divided that Noor into four parts. From one part He created the Qalam (Pen), from the second, the Lawh (Divine Tablet) and from the third, He made the Arsh (Throne).
He divided the fourth part into a further four parts. From the first He created those Angels who carry the Arsh, from the second the Kursi (Divine Chair), and from the third, He created the rest of the Angels.
He again divided the remaining parts into a further four parts. From the first He created the skies, from the second He created the planets and from the third He created heaven and hell.
Once again, He divided the fourth part into a further four parts. From the first part He created the Noor with which the believer (Mu’min) sees. From the second, He created in the hearts of the Believers the Noor of Marifat (spiritual realisation). From the third, He created a Noor in the tongues of the Believers to recite the Kalima-e-Shahadat, La Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasoolullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. (And from the fourth part everything else was created).”[Dalaail-un-Nubuwwat by Imam Baihaqi; Muwahib-e-Laduniyya by Imam Qastalaani; Ibne Majah]
Since all created beings and objects have come out of the same single source, it is but natural that all creation can reach their goal only through this source i.e. Noor-e-Muhammadi. Therefore Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), who is the most sublime and exalted of all that has been created, is the medium through which every person would reach his Creator. Imam Fakhruddin Raazi (Radiallahu Ta’ala Anh) writes in Tafseer-e-Kabeer that when Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam) was created, the angels were ordered to prostrate to him for the reason that the Noor-e-Muhammadi was in Hazrat Adam’s (Alaihis Salaam) forehead. Iblees could not see the light and boasted why he should prostrate to a human. As a result of this he became shaytaan, the accursed. The angels saw the light and they all prostrated.
From this incident there is a great lesson to be learnt, especially in this day and age. In the same way that Iblees refused to respect Hazrat Adam (Alaihis Salaam) by saying he was ‘just a human’ because he could not see the Noor-e-Muhammadi, there are corrupt sects like the wahabis who say that our beloved Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is ‘just a human’ and he is not Noor. From this we can obviously see whose followers they are, and we must stay as far away as possible from these corrupt people who are out to snatch our Imaan away from us.
Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is supreme with regard to dignity and rank amongst all creation. He is the Noor which guides the entire creation to Almighty Allah. It is clearly evident how unique the position of our Beloved Aaqa Muhammad Mustafa (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), the Mahboob of the Almighty Creator is, in whose honour the entire universe has been created. His reality is thus known only to his Creator, Almighty Allah.
All Praise be to Allah that through His creation of Noor-e-Muhammadi not only we human beings, but all other creation came into existence and that through His Infinite Mercy He made us the Ummatis of His Mahboob, the light of existence, Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). May we die as the slaves of  Rasoolullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and may we rise on the day of Qiyaamah amongst the Aashiqe Rasool (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), Ameen.