Four pre-eminent positions of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم
1. Largest Ummah
The number of the followers [Ummatees] of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is more than the followers of all the blessed Prophets عَـلَـيْهِمُ السَّلَام. (Anmauzaj-ul-Labeeb, pp. 50)
Dear Islamic brothers! Read three blessed sayings regarding this significant distinction of the Holy Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم:
1 ‘اَنَا اَكْثَرُ الْاَنْبِيَاءِ تَبَعًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ, On the Day of Judgement, my Ummah will be greater [in numbers] than (the Ummahs) of all the blessed Prophets [عَـلَـيْهِمُ السَّلَام]. (Muslim, pp. 107, Hadees 484)
It is learnt that having greater number of followers is a sound reason of being the most Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم of great eminence (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 8, pp. 5)
The ‘Day of Judgement’ has been mentioned because there will be a clear manifestation of the Ummah of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم which will be in great abundance on that day. (Fayz-ul-Qadeer, vol. 3, pp. 52)
2 There will be 120 rows of the dwellers of Paradise, out of which 80 rows will be from this Ummah whereas 40 rows will be from all the other Ummahs.’ (Tirmizi, vol. 4, pp. 245, Hadees 2555)
We cannot imagine that what will be length of these blessed rows. These 120 blessed rows will encompass all the Mu’mins [believers] from Sayyiduna Adam (عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام) to [the Mu’mins coming till] the Day of Judgement. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 7, pp. 502)
3 No Prophet amongst the Prophets has been testified (by such a large number of people) as I have been testified. And verily there were Prophet amongst the Prophets who were testified by only one man from their people. (Muslim, pp. 107, Hadees 485)
That means the Ummah of the Prophet is greater [in number] than other Ummahs. Sayyiduna Nuh (عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام) preached for 950 years but only 80 people testified him; eight were his family members and 72 were other individuals. Whereas the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم preached for 23 years, and now observe the result till date. (Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 8, pp. 7)
Tu woh piyara Khuda ka hay kay piyaray tayray sadqay mayn
Huwa sab ummaton say fazl barh kar tayri ummat ka
(Qabalah-e-Bakhshish, pp. 24)
2. An aspiration of Sayyiduna Ibrahim عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام to become a follower
12 blessed Prophets عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام including Sayyiduna Ibrahim عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام, Sayyiduna Ilyas عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام and Sayyiduna Musa عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام had desired to become the follower of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. (Matali’-ul-Musaraat, pp. 133, Jawahir-ul-Bahar, vol. 1, pp. 131, Saba’ Sanabil, pp. 18)
Khud ummati bannay ki Malik say tamana ki
Musa nay suna jis dam rutbah tayri ummat ka
(Qabalah-e-Bakhshish, pp. 42)
O devotees of Rasool! How fortunate we are that Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ has created us in the Ummah of His Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. As a thanksgiving note, we should spend our life doing virtuous deeds keeping ourselves away from sins and calling other Muslims to righteousness.
Apnay Mahboob ki Allah nay ummat mayn kiya
Sunniyon mil kay karo Shukr-e-Khuda aaj ki raat
(Qabalah-e-Bakhshish, pp. 24)
3. A lazy animal would become a speedy one
Whatever animal the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would ride it would become speedy and walk ahead of all despite the fact that it would be lazy before the riding. (Suroor-ul-Quloob, pp. 296)
Parable
Sayyiduna Anas رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ narrated, once, the people of Madinah became frightened to have heard the news of the arrival of invaders. The Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم rode a slow and balky horse owned by Sayyiduna Abu Talhah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ and went alone. Upon his return, the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘We have found your horse fast like river. After that the horse could not be surpassed (in running) [by any other horse].’ (Bukhari, vol. 2, pp. 272, Hadees 2867; Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 8, pp. 213)
4. The order of giving Sadaqah before making a request secretly
One of the distinctions of our beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is that Allah the Almighty has commanded the one to give Sadaqah before requesting Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. Nothing has been reported like this regarding any other amongst the blessed Prophets عَـلَـيْهِمُ السَّلَام. (Khasais-e-Kubra, vol. 2, pp. 341)
When the rich started to prolong their requests in the court of the Beloved Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, the poor would hardly get time to make their requests in the blessed court of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم; so the rich were commanded to give Sadaqah before making any requests. (Tafseer Khaza`in-ul-Irfan, part 28, Surah Al-Mujadalah, Taht-al-Ayah, 12)
It is stated in the glorious Quran:
یٰۤاَیُّهَا الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْۤا اِذَا نَاجَیْتُمُ الرَّسُوْلَ فَقَدِّمُوْا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْوٰىكُمْ
صَدَقَةًؕ-ذٰلِكَ خَیْرٌ لَّكُمْ وَ اَطْهَرُؕ-فَاِنْ لَّمْ تَجِدُوْا فَاِنَّ اللّٰهَ غَفُوْرٌ رَّحِیْمٌ(۱۲)
O believers! When you wish to consult secretly with the Messenger, so before you request, give some charity. This is better and much purer for you, then if you do not have the means (to give charity), so Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 28, Surah Al-Mujadalah, Ayah 12)
Remember! This restriction was imposed only on having a secret talk and making requests in the court of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. There was no restriction on attending the blessed assembly, listening to the blessed sermon of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم or making request publicly in the blessed gathering of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. (Tafseer Noor-ul-Irfan, part 28, Surah Al-Mujadalah, Taht-al-Ayah 12)
Wisdom behind the commandment
A wisdom behind this commandment was to manifest the greatness of this privilege (of talking secretly with) eminence and glory of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in the heart of the one having a private talk with the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم because when something is obtained by someone after a great deal of efforts, the achievement is highly regarded. Whereas things easily obtained are simply regarded as ordinary. (Tafseer Khaazin, vol. 4, pp. 259)
The commandment was abrogated
When it became difficult for the Muslims to act upon this commandment, the commandment was abrogated and it is stated in the glorious Quran:
ءَاَشْفَقْتُمْ اَنْ تُقَدِّمُوْا بَیْنَ یَدَیْ نَجْوٰىكُمْ صَدَقٰتٍؕ-فَاِذْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوْا وَ تَابَ اللّٰهُ
عَلَیْكُمْ فَاَقِیْمُوا الصَّلٰوةَ وَ اٰتُوا الزَّكٰوةَ وَ اَطِیْعُوا اللّٰهَ وَ رَسُوْلَهٗؕ-وَ اللّٰهُ خَبِیْرٌۢ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ۠(۱۳)
Were you afraid of this that you give some charity before your request (to the Messenger)? Then when you did not do this (act of giving charity), and Allah directed His Mercy towards you, so keep Salah established and give Zakat and remain obedient to Allah and His Messenger, and Allah is Aware of your deeds.
(Tafseer Khaazin, vol. 4, pp. 259, part 28, Surah Al-Mujadalah, Taht-ul-Ayah 13)
Before abrogation of this commandment, Sayyiduna Ali رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ had given 10 dirhams in charity acting upon the blessed verse and humbly asked the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم 10 questions. He رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ would say: There is such a blessed verse in the glorious Quran, neither did anybody act upon it before I did, nor will anybody do so, after me. That is the very Ayat-e-Munajaat. (Tafseer-e-Saawi, vol. 6, pp. 2125)
Aysa a’zaz kis ko Khuda nay diya
Jaysa bala tayra martabah ho gaya
(Qabalah-e-Bakhshish, pp. 38)
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