Understanding the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
The imam began the reminder this week with the 164th ayat of Sura Al-Imran which is translated to say:
Certainly did Allah confer favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error.
Dear brothers and sisters, Muslims and non-Muslims alike have remarked on our teacher and the best of creation. Despite the negative portrayal in the media, those who have studied our beloved Prophet SAWS have commented on how much of a positive impact he had on humanity.
In fact, the famous book and Time Magazine article by Professor Michael Hart has him as the most influential human being that ever lived, such is the reverence given by the non-muslims on our beloved Prophet SAWS.
Our beloved Prophet SAWS is the is the biggest favour that Allah SWT has given us. The favour of what we have been taught by our prophet, how we have been guided and from ignorance to knowledge and wisdom.
He is the practical example of mercy as his life and his prayers were for his people.
Allah SWT speaks of this in the 128th ayat of Sura Tauba in which it 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.
As well as Sura Al-Anbiya, ayat 107 which says:
And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.
It was narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went out to the graveyard and said: “Peace be upon you, abode of believing people. If Allah wills, we shall join you soon. Would that I had seen our brothers.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, are we not your brothers?” He said: “Rather, you are my Companions. My brothers are those who have not come yet. And I will reach the Hawd (the “drinking lake”) before them.”
Dear brothers and sisters, let this be a reminder of the love our Prophet SAWS had for us. We were not merely his Ummah just, but we were referred in such a loving way.
Remember this, our Prophet SAWS prayed for us without ever having met us. He prayed for us more than we pray for ourselves. This is the amount of love the Prophet SAWS had for each and every one of us.
And so, we ought to reciprocate that love back in honouring the rights of our beloved teacher and the best of all creation.
The reminder concludes with practical steps in which we can do this:
- To love him, glorify him, respect him and support him. We must realize that our love for the Prophet SAWS comes only second to our love for Allah SWT. It must overtake the love we have for anything or anyone in this life of ours. This is the role of his Ummah and a responsibility on each and every one of us.
- To follow his lead in words and action. We must remember that the Quran is the word of Allah SWT but the practical application of the Quran is through the life of the Prophet SAWS. And so it becomes a necessity to study his life, his mannerisms and his actions so that we can follow in his footsteps. Only by doing this will we truly do justice to the love that he had for each of us.
- To remember him. We must be mindful at all times as to the true intention of our short life before death. It is to worship Allah SWT, to remember Allah SWT and to follow in the footsteps of the Prophet SAWS. We can only do this last part if the Prophet SAWS is kept in our thoughts. We can practically do this through reminders of the life of our beloved Prophet or through consistent sending of Salaam upon him. Place a daily alarm if you need to get the habit formed, do what it takes to bring yourself closer to the remembrance of him.
Dear brothers and sisters, it is a condition for our actions and good deeds to count that we have love for the Prophet SAWS. However, we shouldn’t think of the reward as a reason for remembering him. By simply studying his life, his mission and recognizing the immense love and mercy he had for us all will automatically make you want to return that love in the way described in today’s reminder.
