Dear Islamic brothers, after accepting Islam, showing respect to the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is an act of utmost importance for every Muslim. Remember, showing respect means that a person, by his words or actions, glorifies the nobility and dignity of another.

Anyone who finds someone respectable in a position above him   employs such words or actions before his superior which illustrate his superior’s high rank and eminence. He strives to show them honour and their due respect. For example, the murid before his murshid, an employee before his employer, students before their teachers, followers in salah before their imam, and even a younger brother before his elder.

Why should this not be the case, when the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم himself has ordered us to have mercy on the young and respect elders in a beautiful hadith: لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْ صَغِيرَنَا وَيُوَقّـِرْ كَبِيْرَنَا   - “He who does respect elders nor have mercy on the young is not from us.”^[1]

Therefore, we should have mercy on the young, and show great reverence towards our parents, elder siblings, pious people, and Sunni scholars with correct beliefs. In particular, we should not be negligent or fall short in showing utmost, heartfelt respect to the Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم . Sometimes, however, Satan tries to trick people into not respecting the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم by making them think this is kufr and shirk. These are just Satanic whispers, and we should not pay any attention to them.

Remember, Satan the accursed refused to prostrate before Sayyiduna Ādam عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام. By doing so, he became disobedient to Allah and objected to the respect of a Prophet. He was expelled from the heavens as a result. This very same Satan will never want us to show respect to