The Ideal
Character of Prophet Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)
In the name of Allāh, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful;
All the praise and thanks is due to Allāh, the Lord of
al-‘ālamīn. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and
that Muhammad, sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam, is His Messenger
The Greatness
of Prophet’s Persona Overawed All Who Came Into Presence.
The great persona: Muhammad (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), the Prophet of
Islam, is generally believed to have been born in Arabia on 22nd April 571 A.D.
and to have died on 8th June, 632 A.D. His childhood gave indications of the
sublime and vigorous personality that was to emerge and, as he grew up,
handsome and powerfully built, the greatness of his persona overawed all who
came into his presence. But he was so soft-spoken and genial in disposition
that anyone who came into contact with him inevitably loved and respected him.
The title of ‘Al-Amin’: The
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) evinced such traits as tolerance,
forbearance and truthfulness, along with a fine understanding of men and their
affairs. His was a balanced personality and the example he set was one of
noble, human greatness. People never hesitated to entrust their valuables to
him, for his trustworthiness was unimpeachable. In fact it had earned for him
the title of ‘Al-Amin’ (The Trustworthy; Faultless
Custodian; and Unfailing Trustee).
Testimony of Abu Talib: On the
occasion of his marriage at the age of twenty five, his uncle, Abu Tālib bin
Abdul Mutalib, made a speech in the course of which he said, “Compare my nephew Muhammad, son of ‘Abdullah, with anyone
you know: he will outshine him in nobility, gentility, eminence and wisdom. By Allāh,
he has a great future and will reach a very high station”.
Abu Talib
did not attach to these words the sense in which later events proved them to be
true; he meant; of course that anyone possessing such virtues and such a
versatile personality was bound to rise in the world and to acquire a
distinguished position in its affairs. Little did he realize in what an
otherworldly and non-material sense all of this would come true.
The
would-be Prophet possessed great potentialities, which he could have turned to
advantage. His qualities had greatly impressed a rich, forty-year-old widow
called Khadijah (radiyallāhu’anha), who offered herself to him in marriage. She
had been the wife of one of the leading merchants in Makkah and when the
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) married her, he found that a vast field
of business in Arabia and beyond was thrown open to him.
The
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) now had every opportunity to lead a
successful and contented life. But this was not to be. For the Prophet attached
no importance to worldly affluence and deliberately chose a path which ran
counter to it. Before his marriage he had earned his livelihood in a variety of
ways, but now he gave up all these occupations and plunged into the quest for
truth and reality.
Retreating in the solitude of the cave of
Mount Hira’: The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) neglected, too,
to keeping up social relations, made no efforts to gain eminence, and instead,
would wander in the hills and caves, absorbed in the profoundest of thoughts.
He would ponder over the mysteries of creation, of life and death, of good and
evil, and try to find order and light amidst chaos and gloom.
Often Rasūlullāh
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) used to repair to the loneliness of a cave on
Mount Hira, and stay there till his meager supply of food and water was
exhausted. He (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) would go back home only to
replenish his supplies, then would return to the solitude of nature to pray and
meditate, struggling to find answers to the questions which surged through his
consciousness.
His quest
had reached a point where life itself had become an intolerable burden. But at
last Allāh, in His infinite mercy, turned towards him and there open to him the
gates of enlightenment and guidance. "And when
He found thee struggling in mind (to find the right way), did He not show thee
the way?" (Al-Duha 93:7)
The First Revelation: In the fortieth year of his life, one day, while he was
sitting in the solitude of the cave, an angel of Allāh appeared before him in
human shape, and accosted him with the words of Allāh: "Announce
in the name of thy Lord, that He hath created - created man from a clot -
Announce! And the Lord is most generous. Who hath afforded knowledge through
the pen? Afforded man the Knowledge of what he knew not…" (Al-‘Alaq
96:1-5)
The
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) had found the answers to his questions. "Have We not broadened thy heart for thee, and
relieved thee of the burden which had weighed down thy back…"
(Al-Inshirah 94:1-3). His restless soul was now in communion with the Lord of
the Universe. Allāh now chose him as His special envoy and gave him guidance.
The Revelation of Allāh began descending upon him and continued to do so for
twenty three years, at the end of which time, the last Scripture of God, the
Qur’an, reached completion.
The discovery of the Truth: To Fear Allāh: The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) had discovered
the Truth, but not before the fortieth year of his difficult life, and it was
an attainment which brought with it no ease or comfort. The truth that he had
discovered was that man was in the power of Allāh Almighty. It was essentially
a discovery of how humble and powerless he himself was before Allāh’s superb
omnipotence, if his own nothingness before the supernal magnitude of God. It
was a discovery of the fact, hitherto little understood, that for a believer
there is nothing in this world but responsibility. As for rights, he has none.
The meaning and purpose of life for the Prophet (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) after he had made this discovery are clearly set forth in his
sayings:
To fear Allāh
openly and secretly in every state,
To follow
justice whether calm or angry,
To
reunite my sundered friendships,
To give
to him who takes away,
To gladly
pardon my oppressors,
And seek
the silent ways of meditation,
To utter
words in remembrance of Allāh.
And look
around me knowledge to acquire.
These
sublime thoughts and poignant utterances could not be those of an empty man.
They externalize his inner being and are a clear indication of his moral
stature. In these words his whole life is reflected. Even before the dawn of Prophethood,
the Prophet's life had followed such a pattern, but it had been instinctive and
without deliberation.
Now the
discovery of truth lent discernment to his attitudes and behaviour, and what
had formerly been inherent in him now became a well-conceived part and product
of profound thinking. There was now an intensified awareness in all his
thoughts and actions. The exigencies of worldly life having been reduced to the
barest minimum, his living assumed an entirely different pattern from that of his
fellow men.
An
important statement which the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) made at
this time concerned the special moments that there should be in the lives of
the prudent.
There
should be:
Moments
when one should commune with Allāh.
Moments
when one should be one’s own assessor,
Moments
when one should be reflecting upon the mysteries of creation,
And also
moments for the acquisition of the necessities of life.
In other
words, the faithful servant of Allāh is so given over to piety that he finds
himself close to Allāh, in divine communion with him, he so fears the Day of
Judgment that his time is spent in constant self-appraisal, he ponders over the
marvelous creation of Allāh.
These are
the utterances of a perfect soul who wishes in his goodness to guide others to
this same state of perfection.
Setting
the new Meaning and Purpose of this Life and in the Hereafter.
The real abode of man is The Hereafter: Before Allāh’s revelations began to be made to the Prophet
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), the world with all its shortcomings, faults and
limitations appeared meaningless to him. But when Allāh revealed to him that
there is a world other than the present one, a world which is perfect and
eternal - the real abode of man - he found new meaning and purpose both in this
life and in the universe.
Rasūlullāh
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) found the world not just a place where he could
subsist, but a place of wonder and fascination. It was a world now on which he
could pin his hopes and for which he could make plans for the future, even
taking into account its ephemerality.
For him
now, the world was a place which had to be tilled so that men might reap their
rewards in the hereafter, and all his actions were oriented towards this end.
He attached real value to the life beyond the grave, for he had become keenly
aware of the fact that this world is not our final destination, but only the
starting point and path leading to the future life. Everything we did here in
this world was only by way of preparation.
In all
matters his attitude was determined by the thought of how it would affect the
quality of his existence in the hereafter. Whether the occasion for him was one
of happiness or sorrow, success or failure, domination or oppression, praise or
disgrace, love or hatred, the guiding thought was always that of the hereafter.
He was in no way lacking in human qualities, but his mind attached value only
to things which were in some manner connected with the Hereafter, and when any
such connection was absent, he found it difficult to take an interest in the
purely mundane.
Rasūlullāh
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) would often say to those who found him
indifferent to the affairs of this world, “You know your worldly matters better
than I do myself'.” This conviction of the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi
wasallam) is no mere intellectual assumption. When it takes root, a man's whole
course of life and plan of living are altered by it; it turns a man into a
being of an entirely different order. The lesson of the Prophet's life is that
unless the plan of living is radically changed, there can be no improvement in
the quality of one's actions.
Fear of Allah and Retribution on the Day of
Judgment: When the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) arrived at
this truth; its propagation became his greatest concern. Paradise, tidings of
which he brought to his fellowmen, became his prime objective, and his fear of
hell, of which likewise he gave warning to others, knew no bounds. His inner
agitation would repeatedly manifest itself in his invocations and sincere
repentance. How his way of life differed
from that of his contemporaries can be inferred from certain incidents, which
we narrate below.
Umm
Salamah (radiyallāhu’anha), a wife of the Prophet, tells of how, when the
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was visiting her house, he once called
the maidservant. The girl did not make her appearance, so Umm Salamah pulled
back the curtain to reveal the maidservant idling away her time outside. The
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was annoyed. Showing the maidservant the
little switch he held in his hand, Rasulullah (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) told her that had it not been that he
feared divine retribution on the Day of Judgment, he would have struck her with
it. Even the
mildest of punishment was to be eschewed for fear of Allāh.
The
prisoners of war taken captive at the battle of Badr (Ramadhān, 2 A.H.) were
amongst his bitterest enemies. Nevertheless, he made sure that they were given
the best of treatment. Among them was Suhail ibn Amr who was a fiery speaker
and in the habit of virulently denouncing the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi
wasallam). Umar Faruq, one of his close companions, suggested that two of his
lower teeth be pulled out, so that he might not be so vile in his speeches. The
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) replied, "Were I to do this, Allāh would disfigure
me on the Day of Judgment, notwithstanding the fact that I am His
messenger."
The
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was a man like other men. Joyous things would please him, while tragic things would
sadden him; but his humanity would not go beyond the limits set by Allāh.
Towards
the end of his life a handsome, healthy son was born to him, whom he named
Ibrahim after his most illustrious ancestor. The news of the birth was conveyed
to him by Abu Rafi, and the Prophet (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) was so overjoyed that he immediately presented him with a
slave.
Like any
other father, he used to take the child in his lap and fondle him. By Arab
custom he was handed over to a wet nurse to be brought up. This woman's name
was Umm Bardah, the daughter of Mundhir, and she was the wife of a blacksmith. Quite often her small house would be filled with smoke,
but this did not deter the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) from paying
frequent visits to his son.
Tragically,
this child did not survive. He died at the age of one and a half in the tenth
year after the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) had emigrated to Madinah.
Just like any other ordinary man, the Prophet wept at his son's death. He had
the same feelings and aspirations as any father might have, but this in no way
diminished his trust in Allāh. He held fast to it and in his sorrow exclaimed, "By Allāh!
Oh Ibrahim, I am sad at your death. Tears are falling from my eyes and there is
anguish in my heart, but I will say nothing that may displease my Lord."
On one of
his journeys, the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) asked his followers to
roast a goat. One said that he would slaughter the animal; another said that he
would skin it, while a third said that he would cook it. The Prophet
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) then said that he would collect wood for fuel.
Their response was, “Oh, Messenger of Allāh! We will do everything.” The
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) then said, “I have no doubt that you will. But I do
not like distinctions to be made, nor does Allāh like any one of His servants
to assert his superiority over his companions.”
His
self-deprecation was such that he once said, "By Allāh, I do not know, even
although I am Allāh's messenger, what my fate in the next world will be, nor do
I know what yours will be."
Abu Dharr
Ghifari (radiyallāhu`anhu) narrates that one day he was sitting with another
companion of black complexion whom he addressed as, "O black man."
When the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)heard of this, he was greatly
displeased and cautioned Abu Dharr never to make disparaging remarks to anyone,
whoever he might be, and to mete out equal treatment to all, adding, "No
white man has any superiority over a black man.
The
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) once saw a wealthy Muslim gathering up
his loose garments so that a certain distance would be kept between himself and
a poor Muslim sitting close by. He remarked, "Do you fear; Do you fear that his
poverty will cling to you?"
Although,
in the later years of his life, a proper Muslim state had been set up at Madinah
with the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) at its head, he lived like any
ordinary person, and did not assume any superior rights. He once had to borrow
some money from a Jew called Zaid ibn Sana'a. The Jew came to demand the
immediate return of the loan a few days before the expiry of the stipulated
period.
Tugging
at the mantle around the Prophet's shoulders he jibed that the progeny of Abd
al Muttalib were always defaulters. Umar Faruq, not being able to tolerate this
misbehavior on the part of the Jew, started berating him, and was on the point
of beating him when the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi
wasallam) said to the Jew, smiling, "There are still three days to go
before the promise has to be fulfilled."
To Umar
Faruq, Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “"We
might have had better treatment from you. You could have advised me to be more
punctilious about the return of loans and you could have advised the Jew to be
more courteous in demanding repayment.” Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi
wasallam) then requested ‘Umar to procure some dates so that the loan could be
repaid, and to give the Jew an extra forty kilograms for the rebuke he had been
given.
Devotion
and Adoration of Prophet’s Ideal Character
When the
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) had become the ruler of Arabia, whatever
he said, as the Messenger of Allāh, was the law. He was venerated by his people
as no man had ever been venerated. Urwah ibn Mas’ud,
the envoy of the Quraysh at the time of the Hudaibiyyah settlement, was amazed
to see that the water used by the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) in
performing his ablutions was never allowed to fall on the ground. People would
catch it as it fell, and would rub it on their faces.
His close
companion, Anas bin Mālik (radiyallāhu’anhu), says that in spite of the great
love they had for the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam), they could not
look him full in the face. They could not look him straight in the eye. Mughira
(radiyallāhu`anhu) says that if any companion had to knock at his door, he did
so softly with his fingertips. At the battle of Hunain, when the Muslims were
suffering an initial setback, the enemy forces deluged the Prophet (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) with arrows, but his devoted followers made a ring around him
and took the brunt of the arrows on their own bodies.
Such
devotion and veneration would make any man vain. They would engender a feeling
of distinct superiority. But in the case of the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi
wasallam), they did not have the slightest effect. His conduct was as
unassuming as ever. Nor could biting criticism or provocation make him lose his
balance.
Anas bin
Mālik (radiyallāhu’anhu) tells of how a rustic approached the Prophet
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) and pulled his mantle so hard that it left its
mark on his neck. He asked the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)to give him
two camel loads of merchandise, jibing that the goods belonged neither to him
nor to his father. The Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) replied that the rightful
owner was Allāh, and that he - the Prophet - was only His servant. He asked the
rustic if he felt no fear at having behaved with such temerity. The rustic said
he did not, knowing full well that the Prophet
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) never returned evil for evil. At this the
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) smiled and had one of his camels loaded
with barley and another with dates, and then gave them both to the rustic.
The fear of Allāh never left the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)
and he was always a picture of humility and meekness: Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi
wasallam) spoke little and had adopted a
stooping gait, always calling himself a servant of Allāh; he dressed and ate
just like any other human being. One of his companions once completed an
assertion with the condition, "If it be the will of Allāh and the will of
the Prophet." At this he became so angry that his face changed colour, and
he (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)sternly rebuked the man saying, "You are
trying to equate me with Allāh. You should limit yourself to saying 'If Allāh
so wills.'"
The
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) had four daughters, the youngest and most
adored of whom was Fātimah (radiyallāhu`anha). She was married to ‘Ali bin Abi
Talib (radiyallāhu’anhu), and had to do all the work of the household herself.
She had to grid the corn, carry the water bag; sweep the floor, etc.
‘Ali
therefore advised her to approach her father for a servant. She went to her
father's house for this very purpose, but could not find an opportunity to
speak to him because of the throngs of people assembled there.
The next
day the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) came to their house, and asked
why it was that Ali had sent Fatimah to him, when he heard the reason, he said "O Fatimah! Fear
Allāh, fulfill your obligations and do the work of the household. When you
are going to sleep, recite 'Glory to Allāh' 33 times. 'Praise to Allāh' 33
times and 'Allāh is Great' 34 times. That would be much better than having a
servant." Fātimah replied that what was
pleasing to Allāh and the Prophet was likewise pleasing to her.
The truth
which was revealed to the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) was that the
universe did not spring up by itself without a Creator, that Almighty Allāh is
the Master of all things, that all men are His creatures and servants and as
such are responsible to Him and, most important of all, that death does not
mean annihilation: on the contrary it is the gateway to a permanent life in
another world which is replete with every bliss.
The Truth Widely Proclaimed For The Guidance
Of Mankind: For the good, there is the blessing of
paradise and for the evil-doers; there is the agony of hell. Allāh having
ordained that this truth should be widely proclaimed for the guidance of
mankind, the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) scaled the heights of the
rock of Safa and addressed the throngs assembled there:
"By Allāh, you have to die as you sleep, and rise again
after death as you wake up. Accordingly, you will have to render an account of
your deeds. Good deeds will be amply rewarded and evil deeds will be sternly
punished. You will live thereafter either in the Garden of Bliss or in the Fire
of Hell."
If a man
runs counter to the trends of the times, his every step is best with
difficulties. This is particularly true when he launches himself on a religious
mission against the ingrained habits of irreligion. People who become set in
their ways, are seldom willing to listen to the voice of change.
The
Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) in his role of believer and missionary,
therefore, found himself at loggerheads with his own countrymen. Bent, as he
was, on preaching the word of Allāh, he ran headlong into clashes with his own
people. His trials and tribulations were legion, hunger and privation being
regular features of his early missionary days.
Rasūlullāh
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) even had to suffer assaults on his person, and
there were pitched battles between his converts and the infidels. In the third
year after his emigration, his opponents mounted an assault on Madinah and the
battle of Uhud took place. At the outset, the Muslims had the upper hand, but,
because of some misguided strategy on the part of some of his followers, the
enemy forces attacked from the rear, and managed to turn the tables.
It was a
desperate situation. Many of his followers started to flee from the field and
he found himself surrounded by the enemy's ranks. Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wasallam) called upon his followers to rally around him to show their
mettle and to fight for the glories of Paradise. Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi
wasallam) called upon them to remain his companions in the Afterlife. Some of
his Muslim soldiers did then turn back to protect him, but, try as they might
they could not make an impenetrable ring around him with the result that he was
badly wounded.
Utba ibn
Abi Waqqas (radiyallāhu`anhu) hurled a stone at his face, knocking out some of
his lower teeth and Abdullah ibn Qumayya, a famous Qurayshi wrestler, struck
him so savagely with his battle axe that two links of his helmet pierced his
face. Another of the enemy soldiers, Abdullah ibn Shahab Zuhri struck his
forehead with a stone and the Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) fell
into a pit, bleeding profusely.
The enemy
raised a triumphant cry that the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) had been
killed, and this extinguished whatever little morale was left in the Muslim
forces. A companion however, came upon Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam)
lying in the pit, and shouted that he was alive. The situation was horrifying
that he wondered aloud how people who injured their Prophet were ever to find
salvation.
This
observation was displeasing to Allāh and Gabriel was sent with the revelation: "You have no authority over matters. It is for Allāh
to guide them to repentance for their conduct and to punish them as
oppressors." This admonition was enough to make the Prophet's anger
subside. Wiping away the blood which was gushing from his wounds, Rasūlullāh
(Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) prayed for the people: "O
Allāh! Forgive my people for they know not what they do!"
Many
things happened to the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) which on the one
hand, could have turned his head - like excessive adulation, and his final
success in, converting large numbers to Islām - or, on the other hand, could
have left him a hopeless and embittered man - like the dishonorable treatment
meted out to him at Taif and the initial rejection of his teachings by so many
of his people.
But Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) never allowed his success to make him conceited, nor did he ever allow adversity to plunge him in despair, for Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) life was completely governed by piety and the fear of Allāh, and right to the end of his life - for twenty three years - Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) remained the steadfast champion of justice and moral rectitude. This is the ideal human character which the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) displayed throughout his entire life.
But Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) never allowed his success to make him conceited, nor did he ever allow adversity to plunge him in despair, for Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) life was completely governed by piety and the fear of Allāh, and right to the end of his life - for twenty three years - Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) remained the steadfast champion of justice and moral rectitude. This is the ideal human character which the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) displayed throughout his entire life.
The Salawāt upon The Prophet (sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
It was related that Abdullāh
bin Zaid (radiyallāhu’anhu), one who was shown the adzān
(the call for Solāt) in a dream, narrated it on the authority
of Abu Mas’ud Al-Ansari (radiyallāhu’anhu)
said:
“We approach Rasūlullāh
(sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam) at a gathering at Sa’ad bin ‘Ubadah. Bashir bin Sa’ad said
to Rasūlullāh
(sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam), “Allāh has commanded us to send Salāh
upon you, O Rasūlullāh. How can we send Salāh
(salawāt)
upon you?” Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam) remained quiet for so long that we wished that he had not
asked him, then Rasūlullāh (sallallāhu
‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “[For Salāh on me]
‘Say: Allāhumma salli ‘ala Muhammadiñ Wa ‘ala āli Muhammad kamā
sallaita ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm; Wa bārik ‘ala
Muhammadiñ wa ‘ala āli Muhammad kama bārakta ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm, fil-‘ālameen; Innaka Hamīdun Majīd.
(O Allāh!
Send Prayers upon Muhammad and the members of his household as You Sent Prayers
upon the members of Ibrahim's household; And Send Blessings to Muhammad and the
members of his household as You granted Blessings upon the members of the
household of Ibrāhīm, among all the nations’ Verily You are
Most Praiseworthy, Full of Glory)’;
‘And the Salutation [i.e ‘As-salāmu ‘alaika ayyuhan-Nabiyyu wa rahmatullāhi wa barakātuh’] as you
about knows it’.”
[Recorded by Muslim (803): Book on
Blessings on the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wasallam) after Tashahhud;
this narration uses the phrase: ‘ala āli Ibrāhīm,
fil-‘ālameen;
Innaka Hamīdun Majīd”];
this narration is Linguistically sound; more comprehensive] This was also
recorded by Abu Dawud (976 and 980): sahih, An-Nasa’ie, At-Tirmidzi and Ibn
Jarir. At-Tirmidzi said, "It is Hasan Sahih.''
The Virtues of Salawāt
The Salawāt reflects the honour, love, faith,
attachment to our Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) which signifies to be the deep
faith in Allāh.
None is considered a true believer until one loves him more than one parents
and all others. The Salawāt
indicates the honour, love, belief, attachment to him as our Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) which signifies to
be the deep faith in Allāh.
Allāh tells the mankind the purpose of sending
Prophet Muhammad (Sallāhu ‘alayhi wassalam) as He Says in the
Qur’an: “And We have not sent you, [O Muhammad],
except as a mercy to the worlds.” [Al-Anbiya’
21: 107]
Anas Ibn Mālik (radiyallāhu'anhu) narrated the Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said: “No one of you truly believes until I am
dearer to him than his father, his son, his own self and all the people.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri, 15; Muslim, 44].
The Prophet (Sallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) also said: “Whenever someone seeks Allāh’s
blessings for me, Allāh returns the soul to my body until I reply to his
salutation." [Reported by Abu Dawud]
Imām Ahmad related that Abu Talhah
Al-Ansārī (radiyallāhu’anhu) said: The Messenger
of Allāh
(Sallallāhu’alayhi
wasallam) arose one morning in a very pleasant mood with signs of good tidings
apparent on his face. They said, “O
Messenger of Allāh,
we see that you look happy.” Rasūlullāh (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “The angel came to me and
told me, ‘O Muhammad, would it not please you if your Lord, may He be
glorified, said: ‘No member of your Ummah sends Solāh
(Salawāt)
upon you but I send Solāh upon him tenfold, and no member of your Ummah sends
greetings of Salām
upon you but I send greetings of Salām upon him tenfold’.’” I said, “Of course.’” [This was also recorded by An-Nasā'ie Ibn Abi Shaybah, ‘Abd bin Hamīd and At-Tirmidzi; Cited with slightly
different wording in Imām
Abu Sulayman al-Jazuli's Dala'il Al-Khayrat (The Index of Good Things)]
‘Abdullāh bin Mas’ud (radiyallāhu’anhu) narrated that the Messenger of
Allāh
(Sallallāhu’alayhi
wasallam) said: "Those who are most deserving of my intercession
on the Day of Judgment are those who used to increasingly seek Allāh’s Blessing (salawāt) for me.” [This is recorded by
Ahmad, Al-Bukhari, At-Tirmidzi and Ibn Hibbān said hasan]
Anas Ibn Mālik (radiyallāhu’anhu) reported that the Messenger of
Allāh
(Sallallāhu’alayhi
wasallam) said: “There are three under the shade of Allāh
on a day when there is no shade except His; the one who relieved a distress
from someone from my nation; the one who invigorate my Sunnah and the one who
invoked blessings on me (Salawāt) the most”. [This
is recorded in the Mustadrak and the Musnad of al-Firdaus; Al-Hāfiz As-Suyūtī also
recorded it in his Burūj
Al-Hilāl.]
And the Prophet (Sallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) likened those who do not salawāt upon him when his name is mentioned as a miser: "The miser (wretched; niggardly, mistaken) is the
one who hears my name mentioned and does not seek blessings for me.” [Reported by At-Tirmidzi]
And Allāh Almighty Knows
best.
[Excerpted from
“Muhammad: The Ideal Character” Via Islam Web March, 2nd. 2003]
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