Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem,
Speaking about the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam strengthens our imaan. He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was the noblest of mankind. In a Hadeeth the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
I am the best descendent of Adam (alayhis salam).
Since he is the most beloved of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and he is a mercy to all of mankind, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had all the best qualities. The ‘Ulama (scholars) have written and summarised all his qualities in three categories:
1 - Jamal (beauty)
2 - Kamal (excellence)
3 - Nawal (generosity)
Jamal
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah radhiyallahu anhu said: I have not seen anything as beautiful as Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. It was as if the sun was shining on his face. When he laughed, it reflected upon the wall.
Sayyiduna Ali radhiyallahu anhu said: Anyone who saw him suddenly was filled with awe of him. Those who kept his company loved him.
Kamal
Sayyidah Asma' bint Abi Bakr radhiyallahu anha said: I bought out a black shirt that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to wear. We used to wash it so that people who were sick they could gain cure from that water.
Our first duty to him is that we should believe in him. Since we believe in him and have faith in him, we should love him as well. In a Hadith it is said:
None of you is a complete believer until I am more beloved to him than his father, than his children and the whole of mankind.
May Allah Ta’ala give us the love of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam so much so that we implement his sunnah and his shari’ah in our lives.
Our first duty is to believe in him. The second duty is to love him. If we don’t love him, then there will be a punishment. But there will also be a reward for the one who loves. What is it? Sayyiduna Anas radhiyallahu anhu said that a man came to the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and said: “Ya Rasulallah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam! When will the last hour come?” Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not say, that qiyamah will be on this day or that day, but He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “What have you prepared for it?” He said: “Ya Rasulallah. I have not prepared alot of prayer, fasting or charity for it, but I love Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.” Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: “You will be with the one who you love.”
Some people say that if we just love that will be enough. But this is not correct. This Sahabi is saying that I did all of my faraidh and I stay away from all major sins, and with that I love Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This is the meaning of the love of Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
Because of that love, we are here now. We are talking about him. We are listening about him and because of that, on the day of judgement, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala will resurrect us with him insha’Allah, that’s why we have to love him so much.
The third duty is to obey him. Allah Almighty says: “O Nabi! Tell these believers: Obey Allah and His Rasul and if you obey him you will be guided.”
Subhanallah. You should obey him, follow his sunnah. A poet said:
If your love had been true, then you would have obeyed him
The lover obeys the one who he loves
Therefore, we have to think in our lives, how much do we obey Nabi sallalahu ‘alayhi wa sallam? We have to try and implement his sharee’ah in our lives, we have to try and implement his sunnah, we should try and read his shama’il. The shama’il is one part of his seerah, which tells us how he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam talked, how he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam walked, how he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was eating.
Shaykh Zakariyyah may Allah have mercy on him said: One should try to find Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s every single sunnah and then try to implement them in his life one by one.
The fourth duty is to honour him and respect him.
The Sahabah radhiyallahu anhum ajma’een respected him. It is necessary to have esteem and respect for Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi w sallam after his demise as well, as it was in his life. That is to show reverence to Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s every single thing - his (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam’s) Hadith, his Sunnah, his name. When his life is mentioned, we respect, we listen carefully and on our lips should be salat upon Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
Our pious predecessors used to respect him so much. Shaykh Islamul Haq rahmatullahi ‘alayh, who I read Sahih al-Bukhari by, passed away in Madinah Munawwarah. It is amazing how Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala gave him death in Madinah. In Ramadhan, the last ten days, at night, the 27th or 25th night at tahajjud time. Some say he was in tahajjud. When I read Sahih al-Bukhari by him, I saw him with my own eyes, he used to teach with respect whilst he was giving dars.
The Messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in a Hadith: I met Jibril (alayhis salam) who said: I give you the good news that Allah Almighty has said that whoever has asked for peace for you it is as if he has asked for peace for his own self. Whoever asks for blessings for you, it is as if he has asked for blessings for his own self.
One Shaykh said: If a person grabs hold of two things in his life, Allah Ta’ala will fulfill all his needs of this dunya and aakhirah. Today we go to a Shaykh to fulfill our needs, then another, then another, or turn to Allah in du’a al-Hamdulillah, but this Shaykh says, throughout Ahadeeth and Qur’an, I have come to know that if a person grabs hold of two things, insha’Allah Allah will fulfill all his needs:
1 - Recitation of the Qur’an daily, whether 5 ayahs or 10. And we should make a habit of reading salat on Nabi sallallahu layahi wa sallam. The Shaykh says that in the Ahadeeth I have come to know that it has been mentioned that a person who does not have time reading other things or does not have time making other nawafil and only reciting Qur’an, in return, he does not even have time to do du’a as well, Allah Ta’ala will fulfill all his needs of the dunya and aakhirah.
Sayyiduna Ubay ibn Ka’b radhiyallahu anhu narrates: Once Hadhrat Ka’b ibn Ujrah radhiyallahu anhu said: I asked Nabi sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam: Shall I approach my time doing salat on you? Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: Yes. The Sahabi asked: How should I do it? For a quarter of my time? Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: Yes but if you have time more. Sayyiduna Ka’b radhiyallahu anhu asked: Should I devote half of my time for it? Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: If you do that much that will be better for you but more will be better. At the end he said: I will dedicate my whole time in salat upon you. Nabi sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said: Then yor needs will be fulfilled by Allah.
The Shaykh carried on to say: We can deduce that if a person holds onto these two things, insha’Allah Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala will fulfill all of his needs of this dunya and aakhairah.
Shaykh Imran ibn Adam ended with advice: Start with 25 salat upon the Prophet, increase it monthly, read 5 Ayahs every day. While you do deeni work, all other things, but don’t forget yourselves.
May Allah Ta’ala give us the tawfeeq to act upon what was said - Ameen.
