Necessity of Loving the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ
January 26,2018 - Published 6 years ago
Almighty Allah states in the Holy Quran:
اِنَّاۤ اَرْسَلْنٰكَ شَاهِدًا وَّ مُبَشِّرًا وَّ نَذِیْرًاۙ(۸)لِّتُؤْمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ وَ تُعَزِّرُوْهُ وَ تُوَقِّرُوْهُؕ-وَ تُسَبِّحُوْهُ بُكْرَةً وَّ اَصِیْلًا(۹)
“We have indeed sent you O Prophet as a witness and a Herald of glad tidings and warnings, in order that you, O people, may accept faith in Allah and His Noble Messenger, and honor and revere the Noble Messenger; and may say the Purity of Allah, morning and evening.”
(Fath 48: 8, 9)
In the foregoing 2 verses, Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ states the purpose of introducing the religion of Islam and revealing the Holy Quran as 3 things:
1) In order that people embrace faith in Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ and His Prophet.
2) That they honor the Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ.
3) And so that they remain busy in worshipping Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.
If we look at the beautiful sequence in which these 3 things are described, accepting faith comes first and foremost and worship comes at the end while in the middle lies respecting the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ because without having faith, there is no meaning of respecting the Holy Prophet. There are many non-Muslims who hold the Holy Prophet in high regard and refute the allegations of those disbelievers who dare to raise objections against the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ, but without embracing faith, it is of no use to them because if they truly respected him, they would have accepted faith in what he has brought. Until one truly respects and reveres the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ, it does not matter if he spends his whole life in worship, it will all be rejected, refused and meaningless. The aforementioned verses clearly prove that faith, salvation and acceptance of deeds all rely on respecting and revering the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ. Almighty Allah states in another place in the Holy Quran:
قُلْ اِنْ كَانَ اٰبَآؤُكُمْ وَ اَبْنَآؤُكُمْ وَ اِخْوَانُكُمْ وَ اَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَ عَشِیْرَتُكُمْ وَ عَشِیْرَتُكُمْ وَ اَمْوَالُ اﰳقْتَرَفْتُمُوْهَا وَ تِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَ مَسٰكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَاۤ اَحَبَّ اِلَیْكُمْ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ وَ جِهَادٍ فِیْ سَبِیْلِهٖ فَتَرَبَّصُوْا حَتّٰى یَاْتِیَ اللّٰهُ بِاَمْرِهٖؕ-وَ اللّٰهُ لَا یَهْدِی الْقَوْمَ الْفٰسِقِیْنَ۠(۲۴)
Say, "If your fathers, and your sons, and your brothers, and your wives, and your tribe, and your acquired wealth, and the trade in which you fear a loss, and the houses of your liking - if all these are dearer to you than Allah and His Noble Messenger and fighting in His way, then wait until Allah brings about His command; and Allah does not guide the sinful."
(Taubah 9:24)
The aforementioned verse teaches us that any respectable personality in the world, or a relative or wealth or anything in the world, if we hold it dearer than Allah and His Prophet, then it is rejected and discarded in the court of Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ. Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ will not guide such a person to the right path and he should await the wrath of Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ.
The Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ said:
لاَ يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَلَدِهِ وَوَالِدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ
“None of you is a believer till I am dearer to him than his child, his father and the whole of mankind.”
(Muslim)
This blessed Hadith has been reported in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Anas Bin Malik Ansari رَضِیَ اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَنْہ. It proves that the right of the Holy Prophet is greater and more prominent than the rights of children, parents, wealth and everything else because the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ is the reason for our salvation from hell and our guidance after ignorance. It should be remembered that loving the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ includes promoting his Sunnah, protecting the honor of his Shariah and refuting the claims made against him by the misguided deviants. The signs of love for the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ are praising him, loving his sacred family and companions, acting upon his Sunnah, enjoining and promoting it and following into his footsteps.
The blessed companions of the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ have set a perfect example for us in a practical manner on how to love and respect the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ. They sacrificed their lives, wealth and children for him no matter what the circumstances were. Their selfless acts of love and devotion have been well documented in history and are worthy of being written in gold.
May Almighty Allah عَزَّ وَجَلَّ enable us to unconditionally and unwaveringly love the Holy Prophet صَلَّی اللہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ and resurrect us amongst his devotees on the Day of Judgment!