The Revered and Renowned Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:
لَا یُؤْمِنُ اَحَدُکُمْ حَتّٰی اَکُوْنَ اَحَبَّ اِلَیْەٖ مِن وَالِدِہٖ وَ وَلَدِہٖ وَالنَّاسِ اَجْمَعِیْن
i.e. None of you can become a Mumin unless he holds me dearer to his mother, his father, children and all people. (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 1, pp. 17, Hadees 15)
Commenting on the above blessed Hadees, ‘Allamah Shamsuddin Safeeri Shaafi’i رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه (whose year of demise was 956 AH) stated in the commentary of Bukhari: This implies that no one’s faith is perfect unless he holds the Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم dearer than his offspring and parents. Therefore, if a person does not hold the Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustafa صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم dearer than his offspring and parents, he has defect in his faith. (Sharh Bukhari lis-Safeeri, vol. 1, pp. 405)
‘Allamah Ibn Battaal رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه stated: The right of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم over his Ummati is greater than that of offspring, parents and all other people because it is the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم who has saved us from Hell and has blessed us with true guidance, protecting from misguidance. (Sharh Bukhari lis-Safeeri, vol. 1, pp. 405)
How greatly devotion to the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has been emphasized by the Holy Quran can be realized by reading the following verse:
قُلْ اِنْ كَانَ اٰبَآؤُكُمْ وَ اَبْنَآؤُكُمْ وَ اِخْوَانُكُمْ وَ اَزْوَاجُكُمْ 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 you (O Beloved), ‘If, your fathers, and your sons, and your brothers, and your wives, and your family, and your acquired wealth, and the trade in which you fear a loss, and the houses of your liking; (all) these things are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and fighting in His Path, then wait until Allah sends His command (punishment); and Allah does not guide the transgressors.’
[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 10, Surah At-Taubah, Ayah 24)
Different levels of devotion
1 Imam Shahabuddin Ahmad Bin Muhammad Qastalani رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه stated: The culmination of devotion is that one prefers the wish of his beloved to his own wish. (Irshad-us-Saari, vol. 1, pp. 164, Taht-al-Hadees: 14)
2 Sayyiduna Abu ‘Abdullah Qurashi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه stated: Real devotion means that the devotee presents his everything to his beloved and does not keep anything with him. (Risalah Qushayriyah, pp. 351)
3 Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Shibli رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه stated: Devotion is called devotion for the reason that it wipes out everything from the heart except for the beloved. (Risalah Qushayriyah, pp. 351)
The above blessed Hadees included in Bukhari mentions one’s father, offspring and all people. In fact, one’s own being is also included in it. Therefore, this Hadees does not mean that one should only have devotion to the Holy Nabi صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم more than his father and offspring but should hold himself dearer than the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. If so happens, he will not have perfection in his faith. It is stated in a blessed Hadees that Sayyiduna ‘Umar رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ عَنْهُ humbly said to the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, ‘Except for my life, I hold you dearer than anything else.’ The Greatest and Noblest Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘(Faith will not be perfect) unless I become the dearest to you.’ Sayyiduna ‘Umar رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ عَنْهُ respectfully said, ‘Your Eminence! You have become dearer to me than even my life.’ He صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘O ‘Umar! Now (your faith has become perfect).’ (Sahih Bukhari, vol. 4, pp. 283, Hadees 6632; ‘Umda-tul-Qari, vol. 15, pp. 687, Taht-al-Hadees: 6632)
What does devotion require us to do?
Devotion to the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم requires that his Sunnah be acted upon, his religion be helped and his blessed sayings and actions be followed. Whatever he صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has commanded, should be enthusiastically carried out and whatever he صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم has forbidden, should be avoided.
Mention of devotees
1 One day, Sayyiduna Sawban رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ عَنْهُ came to the blessed court of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم with a different complexion. On his face was a look of grief and gloom. The Greatest and Noblest Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked him the reason of anxiety, so he humbly said, ‘O Rasool of Allah! I have neither any pain nor any disease but I get anxious when I do not see you. On the Day of Judgement, even if I enter Paradise, I will get a place and a status, according to my deeds, whereas your status will be highest of all. Your Majesty! How will I be able to get to there? If I do not behold you, what pleasure will I derive from Paradise?’ Comforting him, the following verse of the Holy Quran was revealed:
وَ مَنْ یُّطِعِ اللّٰهَ وَ الرَّسُوْلَ فَاُولٰٓىٕكَ مَعَ الَّذِیْنَ اَنْعَمَ اللّٰهُ عَلَیْهِمْ مِّنَ النَّبِیّٖنَ وَ الصِّدِّیْقِیْنَ وَ الشُّهَدَآءِ وَ الصّٰلِحِیْنَۚ-وَ حَسُنَ اُولٰٓىٕكَ رَفِیْقًاؕ(۶۹)
And he who obeys Allah and His Messenger, will be with those upon whom Allah has bestowed favour, i.e. the Prophets, and the (exceptionally) truthful ones, and the martyrs and the virtuous; and what excellent companions they are.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Tafseer-e-Baghwi, part 5, An-Nisa, Taht-al-Ayah: 69, vol. 1, pp. 358, summarised)
2 Imam Safeeri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه stated: A woman respectfully said to Sayyidatuna ‘Aishah رَضِىَ اللّٰەُ عَنْهَا, ‘Make me behold the blessed grave of the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.’ She was shown the blessed grave; she got into such an overwhelming condition that she continued to cry until she passed away. (Sharh Bukhari lis-Safeeri, vol. 1, pp. 408)
3 Imam Maalik رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه was asked about Sayyiduna Ayyub Sakhtiyani رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه, so he replied: When he [i.e. Sayyiduna Ayyub Sakhtiyani] heard anything about the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, he would weep so much that I felt pity on him. (Ash-Shifa bi-Ta’reef Huqooq-il-Mustafa, vol. 2, pp. 41, summarised)
4 When the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was mentioned in front of Imam Ibn Shahab Zuhri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه, he felt such an overwhelming condition that it looked as if neither we knew him nor did he know us. (Ibid, pp. 42, summarised)
5 When the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was mentioned in the presence of Sayyiduna ‘Amir Bin ‘Abdullah Bin Zubair رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه, he would weep so much that no tear remained in his eyes. (Ibid)
6 When the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was mentioned in the presence of Sayyiduna Safwan Bin Sulaym رَحْمَةُ اللّٰەِ عَلَيْه, he would weep for so long that people left him behind. (Ibid, pp. 43, summarised)
An excellent way of having affection for the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is to join the Madani environment of Dawat-e-Islami. Affiliated with it, millions of people have developed deep affection and devotion to the Revered and Renowned Rasool صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.
Sarshaar mujhay ker day aik jaam-e-labalab say
Ta Hashr rahay saaqi aabad yeh may-khanah
May Almighty Allah bless us with living a life full of affection for His Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللّٰەُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم!
صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن
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