Practical Examples of the Respect shown to the Prophet (peace be upon him)
Dear brothers and sisters, we talked about the rights of the Prophet SAWS on us in the previous week’s reminder, this week is then a follow up of that reminder with examples so that we realise how he was in the hearts of the believers, and how they sacrificed themselves and family for the Prophet SAWS.
In Sura Al-Tauba, ayat 128, Allah SWT says:
There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.
Dear brothers and sisters, if we analyse, we can see feel the love that he SAWS had for us all.
As a result, certain actions he would refrain from or not do in front of his companions so that they did not copy him and therefore make it difficult for his ummah. An example of this is the Prophet SAWS performing one hajj so that we all don’t feel the pressure to do more than once.
There is a reminder in a documented account of Umar (RA) in which he said:
Thereafter, no one was dearer to me than Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and none was more respectable than him in my eyes. So bright was his splendour that I could not gather enough courage to look at his face for any length of time. If I were asked to describe his feature, I would not be able to do so because I have never caught a full glimpse of his face. Had I died in that state I could have hoped to be one of the dwellers of Jannah
Dear brothers and sisters, as a result we need to be mindful of the level of respect and reverence we show our beloved Prophet and Messenger SAWS. We conclude with 3 short tips to help us in this.
- Any mention of the Prophet SAWS, either in name, first, second or third form should be followed by SAWS or Peace be upon Him. This is the level we, as Muslims, must aim to reach in our respect for Him SAWS.
- When speaking of any Hadith, we must do so with respect. First of all, none of us are in a position to debate Hadith and so that’s the minimum. But on top of that we ought to remind it with the correct manners. For example with focus, concentration and seriousness that it merits.
- And finally, we ought to try and say the Prophet and not the Messenger where possible SAWS, as the former is a greater mark of respect.
Dear brothers and sisters, our Prophet SAWS is more than a teacher, more than the most beloved to us all. He is a living, practical example of the direct connection with Allah SWT and so if we are to be true servants of Allah SWT, there is no limit to the reverence and respect we should show his final messenger, Prophet Muhammed, SAWS.
