What Are the Rights of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ?

The Rights of the Beloved Prophet ﷺ upon his Nation

Allah Almighty states:

اِنَّاۤ اَرْسَلْنٰكَ شَاهِدًا وَّ مُبَشِّرًا وَّ نَذِیْرًاۙ(۸) لِّتُؤْمِنُوْا بِاللّٰهِ وَ رَسُوْلِهٖ وَ تُعَزِّرُوْهُ وَ تُوَقِّرُوْهُؕ-وَ تُسَبِّحُوْهُ بُكْرَةً وَّ اَصِیْلًا(۹)

We sent you as a witness and a bearer of glad tidings and a warner. So˺ that you ˹people˺ may believe in Allah and His Messenger, support him (the Messenger), revere him, and glorify Him (Allah) morning and evening.[1]

(Click here for further explanation of this verse)

This blessed verse comprises an explanation of the greatness and glory, the rank and station of the Noble Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, the rights binding upon the Ummah, and the glorification and worship of Allah Almighty. Its summary is: O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness over the deeds of the Ummah, as a bearer of glad tidings to the people of faith and obedience, and as a warner who alerts the disbelievers and the disobedient of the seizure and punishment of Allah Almighty, so that — O people! — you may believe in Allah Almighty and His Messenger, help and support the Messenger, honour and revere him, and glorify Allah Almighty morning and evening.^{^[2]}

If this noble verse is examined from the perspective of the rights of the Noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم upon the Ummah, then Allah Almighty has mentioned therein three rights of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم : faith, help and support, and honour and reverence. We shall explain these three rights in some detail and then mention a few additional rights, so that knowledge may increase and the ability to act upon them be granted.

(1) Faith: It is obligatory to believe in the Prophethood and Messenger-ship of Muhammad al-Muṣṭafā صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and likewise it is necessary to accept everything that he brought from Allah Almighty. This right is not upon the Muslims alone, but upon all of mankind, because he is the Messenger for all human beings, his mercy is for all the worlds, and his favours extend to all people — indeed, to all creation. Whoever does not possess this faith is not a Muslim, even though he may believe in all the other Prophets عَلَیْہِمُ السَّلَام.

(2) Helping and supporting the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم: On the Day of the Covenant, Allah Almighty took a pledge from all the Prophets and Messengers عَلَیْہِمُ السَّلَام to help and support His Beloved صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and now He has also commanded us to help and support the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم . The Noble Companions رَضِیَ اللہُ عَنْہُم sacrificed everything — their lives, wealth, homeland and relatives — in supporting and helping him صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم . During battle, they became shields and, like moths around a flame, sacrificed themselves for him صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم . In our own age too, upholding his honour and dignity, and striving for the preservation and propagation of his teachings and religion, are all included in this very help and support. These duties are binding upon Muslims.

(3) Honouring and revering the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم: Another extremely important right is that the Noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم be honoured and revered to the highest degree with heart and soul, spirit and body, outwardly and inwardly. Indeed, everything connected and related to him must be respected and revered — such as his blessed garments and sandals, Madinah, Masjid al-Nabawi, the Green Dome, the Ahl al-Bayt, the Noble Companions, and every place where our Beloved Master صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم set foot. All of these are to be honoured.

It is also part of respect and reverence that one observes the requirements of veneration in one’s speech and conduct. When his blessed name is mentioned, one should recite ṣalāt upon him; when one stands before the golden lattices, the gaze should be lowered and the heart free from all distracting thoughts; and when one’s gaze falls upon the Green Dome, the hands should be folded immediately while sending ṣalāt upon him.

Among the most important requirements of this respect is to regard those who insult or disrespect the Noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم with greater aversion than one’s mortal enemy, avoid their company, refrain from touching their books, and neither listen to their speeches nor their discourses. Rather, flee even from their shadow; and if anyone commits even the slightest act of disrespect in the court of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, whether he be your father, teacher, spiritual guide, scholar, or a person of worldly standing, cast him out of your heart and mind just as a hair is removed from butter and a fly from milk.

In addition to the above-mentioned rights, scholars and Hadith masters have discussed the other “Rights of Mustafa” in great detail in their works. Here, in brief, are four further rights:

(1) Following the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم : Following the blessed Sīrah (Prophetic lifestyle) and the Sunnah of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is a requirement of every Muslim’s religion and faith, and a command of Allah Almighty. The shining stars in the sky of guidance — that is, the Noble Companions رَضِیَ اللہُ عَنْہُم and the righteous predecessors — gave precedence to treading the path of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم at every step of their lives and never deviated from following him. This following includes both obligatory and necessary matters as well as emphasised and recommended acts. The pious elders adhered to both completely. For this reason, the books of Hadith and Sīrah not only contain accounts of the obligatory and necessary acts, but also provide detailed accounts of the Sunnah, recommended acts, etiquettes, dealings and social conduct.

(2) Obeying the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم : It is also a right of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم that every one of his commands be accepted and acted upon. Whatever he commands must be carried out, whatever he decides must be accepted, and whatever he forbids must be refrained from.

(3) True love for the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم : It is a duty upon the believer to love his master and patron, the chief of the Messengers, the mercy for all the worlds صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , with a true love surpassing his love for everything in the world — for loving him is the spirit, life and the very essence of faith.

(4) Remembrance and praise (Naat) of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم : It is also a right upon us that we wholeheartedly love the praise, odes and panegyrics, the spreading of his virtues and perfections, mentioning the Sīrah, Sunnahs, states, qualities and noble traits of the leader of all existence, the cause of the creation of the universe, Sayyidunā Muhammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , and the description of his beauty and splendour — and that, adorning our gatherings with these blessed remembrances, we make it a routine of our lives.

The Holy Quran is replete with the virtues, excellences, glory and rank of the Noble Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. All the Prophets and Messengers عَلَیْہِمُ السَّلَام proclaimed the greatness and excellence of the leader of the Messengers صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. For the Noble Companions رَضِیَ اللہُ عَنْہُم, the remembrance and praise of the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was the occupation of their lives and their dearest treasure. From the era of the Companions until today, this chain continues unbroken, and those who praise the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم have composed so many works of Prophetic praise, in verse and prose, that if they were gathered together in a book, then — without exaggeration — it would comprise thousands of volumes and be the most voluminous book in the world.