The rights of Rasoolullah on his Ummah are 7:
- Adab wa Ihtiraam: An attitude of the utmost respect and honor
- Ita’at: To obey him without question
- Ittiba: To follow and emulate him in every way
- Hubb (Muhabbat): To love him above all things and everyone else
- Ahl-ul-Bayt: To honor and respect his family
- Nusrat: To help him in every way: To help his Deen and Message
- To accept his judgment in all matters without any resistance
Allah called the sending of His Messenger His great favor on the Muslims.
لَقَدْ مَنَّ اللّهُ عَلَى الْمُؤمِنِينَ إِذْ بَعَثَ فِيهِمْ رَسُولاً مِّنْ أَنفُسِهِمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلالٍ مُّبِينٍ
Aal-Imraan 3:164 Indeed Allah conferred a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammadﷺ) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Ayaat (Qur’an), and purifying them (internal & external), and instructing them (in) the Book (Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah [Sunnah], while before that they had been in manifest error
Allah reiterated that before that they had been misguided.
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ
Al-Jumuah 62:2 He (Allah) it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammadﷺ) from among themselves, reciting to them His Ayaat, purifying them (internal & external), and teaching them the Book (Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah (Sunnah). And verily, they had been before in manifest error.
وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ يُطِيعُكُمْ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِّنَ الْأَمْرِ لَعَنِتُّمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ
Al-Hujuraat 49:7 And know that, among you there is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you (follow your opinions and desires) in much of the matter, you would surely be in trouble, but Allah has endeared the Faith to you and has beautified it in your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness, and disobedience (to Allah and His Messenger) hateful to you. These! They are the rightly guided ones
As I mentioned earlier, Allah created an entire generation who loved Rasoolullahﷺ and followed him in excellence and preserved everything he said and did as an example to follow for themselves and those who came after them. It is important to reflect on the fact that both the Qur’an and its explanation (Ahadith) came from Rasoolullahﷺ. Both are narrated by him. Both were heard by the Sahaba in his voice. Both are necessary for us to practice and live by Islam. That is the debt of gratitude we owe to his generation who performed this great service for all time and who are witness before Allah to their own truthfulness and dedication. After them came others who were equally dedicated, loved Allah and Rasoolullahﷺ and were concerned with preserving Islam, in word, meaning and spirit and so dedicated their entire lives to collecting, validating, and codifying the teachings of Rasoolullahﷺ. That is why Rasoolullahﷺ said that his generation is the best and then those that followed them and those that followed them. I ask Allah to reward them in keeping with His Majesty and Grace. Let us ensure that we do our bit by following Rasoolullahﷺ and doing our best to protect, preserve, and propagate Islam. That is the purpose of our creation and our distinction.
I advise you and myself not to waste time in argument but to follow those who loved Allah and His Messengerﷺ and dedicated their lives to preserving his memory and his teachings so that they reached us pure and uncorrupted. Let us continue that tradition and preserve what we received with the same dedication so that one day we can be gathered with them.
Adab wa Ihtiraam: An attitude of the utmost respect and honor
My brothers and sisters, we take our Deen and principles of life from Rasoolullahﷺ and the Sahaba. Not from whatever culture or nationality we belong to.
This is the togetherness and cohesion of the Ummah of Muhammadﷺ and if we stick to this path, then In-sha-Allah we may be gathered with those who Allah called, As-Sabiqoon-al-Awwaloon and promised Jannah to them and to those who follow them in excellence until the last day.
Allah said:
وَالسَّابِقُونَ الأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأَنصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رَّضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
Tawba 9: 100. And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhajirun and the Ansar and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Jannah), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.
It is the Mercy of my Rabb, that He left the door open for whoever wants to join the Sabiqoon al-Awwaloon, the Best of the Best, of the Sahaba of Rasoolullahﷺ. The question we need to ask ourselves is if we want to be among them when we are raised from our graves on the Day of Judgement. That choice needs to be made here, today. On that Day there is no choosing; only payment for the choices we make now. Making the choice means to re-order our priorities in life, to choose to do only what pleases Allah and leave everything that angers Him. No exceptions. Jannah is very valuable.
Adab is the first step in knowledge as well as in reaching Allah. As we say in Urdu: Ba Adab ba naseeb, bey Adab bey naseeb (He who has Adab is blessed and he who doesn’t have Adab is accursed). Allah started with the very basics and told us how to address Rasoolullahﷺ and how to behave with him and what would happen if we didn’t. Please note that this is not advice or recommendation. This is the Law with teeth that bite very hard.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تُقَدِّمُوا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَرْفَعُوا أَصْوَاتَكُمْ فَوْقَ صَوْتِ النَّبِيِّ وَلَا تَجْهَرُوا لَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ كَجَهْرِ بَعْضِكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ أَن تَحْبَطَ أَعْمَالُكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَشْعُرُونَ
Al-Hujuraat 49:1 O you who believe! Do not put (yourselves) forward before Allah and His Messengerﷺ and fear Allah. Verily! Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. 49:2 O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds may be rendered fruitless while you perceive not.
Our belief in Rasoolullahﷺ as the last and final messenger of Allah means that we believe that he received Wahi (Divine Revelation). Respecting his speech is to respect the speech of Allah. Not raising our voice means not only not to raise the voice in physical terms – which applied to the Sahaba – but in our times it refers to disputing and disagreeing with what Rasoolullahﷺ ruled. To criticize his Sunnah, to consider it unimportant or unnecessary and all such attitudes amount to ‘raising our voice’, over the blessed voice of Rasoolullahﷺ which Allah promised to punish.
Imam Ahmad (RA) relates on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (R) that when this Ayah was revealed, Thabit ibn Qays (R), a man with a high-pitched voice thought, “I was the one who raised his voice in the presence of Rasoolullahﷺ; I am destined to Jahannam because my deeds have gone to waste. He stayed at home depressed. Rasoolullahﷺ noticed his absence and asked about him. Some people went to him and told him that Rasoolullahﷺ had asked about him. He said to them, “I am the one who raised his voice above the voice of Rasoolullahﷺ and spoke loudly to him. All my deeds are wasted. I am destined for Jahannam.” They went to Rasoolullahﷺ and informed him about what Thabit ibn Qays (R) had said. Rasoolullahﷺ said, “No, tell him that he certainly belongs to Jannah.” Anas (R) said, “We subsequently saw him walking among us, knowing that he was certain to go to Jannah.”
This was the Adab of the Sahaba – they considered every Ayah to be speaking to them directly and acted according to it. This is what distinguished them over all others who followed them. This is what we need to emulate. Consider the Qur’an as Allah speaking to us and obey Him.
Abu Huraira (R) reported that Rasoolullahﷺ said, “A man utters a word pleasing to Allah without considering it to be of any significance for which Allah exalts his ranks (in Jannah); another one speaks a word displeasing to Allah without considering it to be of any importance, and for this reason he will sink down into Jahannam.” [Al-Bukhari].
Allah directs people to lower their voices while they are in Rasoolullahﷺ’s presence and encourages them to do that saying:
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يَغُضُّونَ أَصْوَٰتَهُمْ عِندَ رَسُولِ ٱللَّهِ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱمْتَحَنَ ٱللَّهُ قُلُوبَهُمْ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَأَجْرٌ عَظِيمٌ
Hujuraat 49: 3 Verily! Those who lower their voices in the presence of Allah’s Messengerﷺ, they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for piety. For them is forgiveness and a great reward.
Imam Ahmed (RA) said in Kitab al-Zuhd “The Book of Abstinence”: Sufian narrated from Mansour from Mujahid that he said “Someone wrote to Sayyidina Omar ibn Al-Khattab (R) and asked, “Ya Ameer ul Mu’mineen, who is better? A man who does not desire to sin and he does not do it is better or a man who desires to sin and he does not do it?” Sayyidina Omar ibn Al-Khattab (R) replied that those who desire sin but do not do it are better.” Because “…they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for righteousness.” May Allah keep us safe from all sins and disobedience.
About the Adab of Rasoolullahﷺ’s family and home, Allah ordered:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَدْخُلُوا بُيُوتَ النَّبِيِّ إِلَّا أَن يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ إِلَى طَعَامٍ غَيْرَ نَاظِرِينَ إِنَاهُ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا دُعِيتُمْ فَادْخُلُوا فَإِذَا طَعِمْتُمْ فَانتَشِرُوا وَلَا مُسْتَأْنِسِينَ لِحَدِيثٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ يُؤْذِي النَّبِيَّ فَيَسْتَحْيِي مِنكُمْ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ وَإِذَا سَأَلْتُمُوهُنَّ مَتَاعًا فَاسْأَلُوهُنَّ مِن وَرَاء حِجَابٍ ذَلِكُمْ أَطْهَرُ لِقُلُوبِكُمْ وَقُلُوبِهِنَّ وَمَا كَانَ لَكُمْ أَن تُؤْذُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَن تَنكِحُوا أَزْوَاجَهُ مِن بَعْدِهِ أَبَدًا إِنَّ ذَلِكُمْ كَانَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمًا
Al-Ahzaab 33:53 O you who believe! Enter not the Prophet’s houses, except when leave is given to you for a meal, (and then) not (so early as) to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter, and when you have taken your meal, disperse, without sitting for a talk. Verily, such (behavior) annoys the Prophet, but he is shy of (asking) you (to go), but Allah is not shy of (telling you) the truth. And when you ask (his wives) for anything you want, ask them from behind a screen, that is purer for your hearts and for their hearts. And it is not (right) for you that you should annoy Allah’s Messenger, nor that you should ever marry his wives after him (his death). Verily! With Allah that shall be an enormity.
Allah made it a condition of Imaan that one should not make fun of Rasoolullahﷺ or of his Sunnah. Joking is not only not appropriate in the case of Allah and His Messengerﷺ but it is highly dangerous, as it can render us out of Islam.
وَإِذَا رَأَوْكَ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلَّا هُزُوًا أَهَذَا الَّذِي بَعَثَ اللَّهُ رَسُولًا
Al-Furqaan 25:41 And when they see you (O Muhammadﷺ), they treat you only as a mockery (saying), “Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a Messenger?”
وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَخُوضُ وَنَلْعَبُ قُلْ أَبِاللّهِ وَآيَاتِهِ وَرَسُولِهِ كُنتُمْ تَسْتَهْزِؤُونَ
At-Taubah 9:65 If you ask them (about this), they declare, “We were only talking idly and joking.” Say: “Was it Allah, and His Ayaat (revelations) and His Messenger that you were mocking?”
لاَ تَعْتَذِرُواْ قَدْ كَفَرْتُم بَعْدَ إِيمَانِكُمْ إِن نَّعْفُ عَن طَآئِفَةٍ مِّنكُمْ نُعَذِّبْ طَآئِفَةً بِأَنَّهُمْ كَانُواْ مُجْرِمِينَ
At-Taubah 9:66 Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had believed. If We pardon some of you, We will punish others amongst you because they were Mujrimûn (criminals).
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُؤْذُونَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ لَعَنَهُمُ اللَّهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا
Al-Ahzaab 33:57 Verily, those who annoy Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world, and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating torment.
Allah told us to leave the company of those who do such things:
وَقَدْ نَزَّلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ أَنْ إِذَا سَمِعْتُمْ آيَاتِ اللّهِ يُكَفَرُ بِهَا وَيُسْتَهْزَأُ بِهَا فَلاَ تَقْعُدُواْ مَعَهُمْ حَتَّى يَخُوضُواْ فِي حَدِيثٍ غَيْرِهِ إِنَّكُمْ إِذًا مِّثْلُهُمْ إِنَّ اللّهَ جَامِعُ الْمُنَافِقِينَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ فِي جَهَنَّمَ جَمِيعًا
An-Nisa 4:140 And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Qur’an) that when you hear the Ayahs of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely, Allah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Jahannam
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَتَّخِذُواْ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُواْ دِينَكُمْ هُزُوًا وَلَعِبًا مِّنَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ الْكِتَابَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَالْكُفَّارَ أَوْلِيَاء وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
Al-Maaidah 5:57 O you who believe! Take not for Awlia (protectors and helpers) those who take your religion for a mockery and fun from among those who received the Scripture (Jews and Christians) before you, nor from among the disbelievers; and fear Allah if you indeed are true believers.
The way to develop Adab for Rasoolullahﷺ is to study his Seerah and practice the lessons we learn from his blessed life in ours. The more we learn about Rasoolullahﷺ the more we will come to love him and honor and revere him. That is what will inculcate the desire to be like him which results in the love of Allah. There are many books on his Seerah that are easily available. Ar-Raheekul Makhtoum (Mubarakpuri), Seeratun Nabi (Shibli Nomani, Allama Sayyid Suleman Nadwi), Life of Muhammadﷺ from the earliest sources (Martin Lings), Leadership Lessons from the Life of Rasoolullahﷺ and Seerah is the Answer (Mirza Yawar Baig) and many others. Please read them, study them, teach them in your schools and Madaris and try our best to emulate the lessons in our lives.
Allah sent his Rasool as the final evidence of His guidance. The one who follows Rasoolullahﷺ will be successful. The one who refuses, has failed.
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