THE RIGHTS OF THE PROPHET
(SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam)

Sister Umm Abdur-Rahman

(Part-II)

TO RESPECT HIM
Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) says:
“O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good news and a warner, so believe in Allah and His Messenger and help him and respect him.” (48:7-8)

Respect for the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) includes honoring him, exalting him, calling him with the noblest title such as Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam). It includes putting his opinion over our own and defending him if he is verbally abused.

Malik said that when he was asked about Ayyub as-Sakhtiyani he said, “I have not reported from anyone without Ayyub being better than him.” He went on, “I went on hajj twice and watched him. Whenever the Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) was mentioned, he wept until his eyes were red. When I saw him do that and the respect he had for the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam), I wrote down things from him.”

Respect for the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) also includes respecting his family. The Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) said, “Recognition of the family of Muhammad is freedom from the fire. Love for the family of Muhammad is crossing over Siraat. Friendship for the family of Muhammad is safety from the fire.” He also said about Hadhrat Hasan and Hadhrat Husain, his grandsons, “Whoever loves these two and their father and mother will be with me on the day of rising.” Hadhrat Abu Bakr said, “Respect Muhammad by respecting the people of his house.”

It also includes respecting his companions. Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) says about those who pledged allegiance to the Prophet at al-hudaybiyah:

“Allah was pleased with the believers when they gave allegiance to you under the tree.” (48:18)

The Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) said:
“Do not curse my Sahaabah (companions). If any of you were to spend the weight of Uhud in gold, it still would not reach the measure of one of them or even one-half of it.”

Likewise it is forbidden to curse the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam). Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) said:

“Those who abuse Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world and the next world. He has prepared a humiliating punishment for them.” (33:57)

The Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) said:
“Whoever curses a prophet, kill him. Whoever curses my Sahaabah, beat him.”

It is also not allowed to even joke about the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) or the religion of Islam. Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) said:

“If you ask them, they declare, ‘We were only talking idly and joking.’ Say, ‘Was it Allah and His Aayah and His Messenger that you were mocking?” (9:65)

It is reported that in the course of the campaign of Tabuk, a man came up one day and declared, “We have seen no people with greater appetite, more lying, or more cowardly in battle than Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) and his reciting Sahaabah.” Awf ibn Malik rose and said, “It is rather you that are a liar. You are a hypocrite, pretending to be a Muslim. I shall tell Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) about you.” Awf then went to the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) to inform him but found that revelation had already preceded him. (When the news reached) the man, he mounted on his camel, sought Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) and said, “But we were only joking, trying to pass time while travelling.” Ibn Umar said, “He was clinging to the saddle belt of the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam)’s camel as it ran, his feet and legs being battered by the rough ground and repeating, “But we were only joking.” And the Prophet insisting without turning his face to him, “Joking? Joking with Allah, with His revelation? With His Prophet?”

TO JUDGE ACCORDING TO HIS SHARIAH
The sixth right of the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) is to judge by him and be pleased with his judgment. Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) said:

“If you quarrel over anything, then refer it back to Allah and the Messenger.” (4:58)

Therefore, it is incumbent upon us to look in the Quraan and the Hadeeth of the Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) when we have a question about something. We must follow the laws that the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) brought and judge by them, and rule according to them.

At the time of the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) when he was once reciting:
“They took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah, and the Messiah, son of Maryam, while they were commanded to worship none but One deity, none has the right to be worshiped but He. Praise and glory be to Him, far above is He from having the partners they associate” (9:31)

A former Christian, Adi ibn Hatim, said, “O Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam)! They do not worship them.” Allah’s Messenger said, “They certainly do. They (i.e. rabbis and monks) made lawful things as unlawful and unlawful things as lawful, and they (i.e. Jews and Christians) followed them, and by doing so, they really worshiped them.”

We cannot put our own desires above the laws of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) and that which the Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) brought. To do so essentially, is to believe that we know better than Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa). Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) is our Creator and He know us better than we know our ownselves.

“Verily, He is the All-Knower of what is in the chests.” (67:13)

He knows what is best for us and He has perfect wisdom and He is Just in all that He decrees. Ruling by other than what Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) revealed is therefore tantamount to disbelief.

TO SEND PRAYERS AND SALAAM UPON HIM
The seventh right that is due to the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam), is saying the “Salaat-was-Salaam” upon him. Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) says:

“Allah sends His Salaah (blessings, mercy) on the Prophet and His angels too (ask Allah to bless and forgive him). O you who believe, send your Salaah on him and (you should) greet him with the Islamic way of greeting (i.e. as-salamu alaikum).” (33:56)

Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) said:
“Whoever blesses me once, Allah blesses him with ten salaahs and ten wrong actions fall away from him and he is raised by ten degrees.”

And he said:
“The nearest people to me on the Day of Rising will be those who have said the most Salaahs on me.”

The Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) taught one way in which to say the Salaah on him.

Abu Humayd as-Saidi said that they said: “Messenger of Allah, how should we send Salaah on you?” He replied, “Say, O Allah! Bless Muhammad and his wives and his descendants as You blessed the family of Ibrahim and grant blessing to Muhammad and his wives and his descendants as You granted blessing to the family of Ibrahim. You are the Praiseworthy, Glorious.”

This is the Tashahhud, which is said in the sitting of the Salaah. Another way is to say, “SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam” (peace and blessings be upon him) when the name of Prophet Mohammad (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) is mentioned.

The meaning of sending salaam upon the Prophet (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) is requesting Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) to preserve him from any harm coming to him and it is also a greeting to the Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam). Hadhrat Abu Hurairah said that Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) said:

“When anyone greets me with peace, Allah will return my soul to me so that I can return the greeting.”

The Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) also said:
“I will hear whoever blesses me at my grave. If someone is far away and blesses me, that is also conveyed to me.”

Since Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aalaa) has commanded that we send Salaah and Salaams upon the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam), then it is a general obligation and not restricted to a specific time. The obligation is that we must do it as least once. However, saying it more than once is highly recommended and is the Sunnah.

Other times include when one is supplicating to Allah for something. Hadhrat Ibne Mas’ood said:
“When one of you wants to ask Allah for something, he should begin by praising and extolling Him as He deserves, and then by blessing the Prophet. Then his supplication is more likely to be accepted.”

Likewise, at the Azaan, on Friday, when entering the Masjid and when leaving the Masjid, at Salaatul Janaazah (Funeral Prayers), and when writing letters, are other highly recommended times. The Prophet (SallAllaho alaihe wa sallam) said: “Whoever blesses me in a book or a letter, the angels continue to ask forgiveness for him as long as my name is on it.”

(Continued)