The birth of the Prophet (pbuh) and his rights upon us

O Muslims!

In Last week’s khutbah we learnt that the commemoration of the Prophet of Allah,
Muhammad (SAW) is deeply rooted within every believing person and cannot be
forgotten nor is it particular to one day or time.

As Allah (SWT) joined his Great Name with the name of the Muhammad (SAW) in the
testimony of faith- La ilaha illallah muhammad rasul Allah (there is no god but Allah and
Muhammad (SAW) is the Messenger of Allah) - through which a person enters into
Islam and is the defining line between belief and disbelief.

Allah (SWT) included his Prophet’s name in the call to prayer- the adhaan- which takes
place five times a day in the house of Allah- announcing that the time for prayer is upon
us, and uniting the Muslims in the Mosques so they can pray and also so they can get to
know one another and help and support one another. Indeed, it is this name;
Muhammad- that Allah (SWT) includes in every Tashahhud (when one is sitting in the
prayer) whether we are praying our obligatory or voluntary prayer.

Allah Almighty has immortalised his name in His Eternal Book- the Qur’an as Allah
mentions his name very clearly in Surah Al-Fath: “Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah” (48:29)
He is also described as the servant of Allah in Surah Al-Isra’: “Glory be to Him who
sent his servant on a night journey from Masjid Al-Haram (in Mecca) to the
furthest Mosque (in Jerusalem)” (17:1)
His great character is mentioned in Surah Al-Qalm: “Indeed, you are of an exalted
character” (68:4)
His mercy to the believers is mentioned in Surah At-Tauba: “...and to the believers
he is kind and compassionate” (9:128)
His mercy to creation as a whole is mentioned in Surah Al-Anbiya: “We have sent,
only you as a mercy to the worlds” (21:107)
He came to purify the hearts and teach the Qur’an and wisdom as Allah (SWT) says
in Surah Jumu’ah: “It is He who has raised among the unlettered people a
messenger of their own, who recites to them His revelations, purifies them, and
teaches them the Book and Wisdom, though prior to this they were in gross
error” (62:2)
He is also described as a Warner and bringer of good news as Allah says in Surah
Al-Fath: “O Prophet! We have sent you as a witness, a giver of good tidings and
a Warner” (48:8)
He is described as a witness over the entire Ummah: “so that the messenger may
be a witness over you”(22:78)
He is the possessor of a praiseworthy station : “very soon your Rabb will exalt you
to 'Maqam-e-Mahmood' (a station of great glory) (Surah Isra 17:79)
Allah (SWT) loves those who follow the Prophet (SAW) as He said in Surah Ale-
Imran: “ Say: If you love Allah then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive
you your sins” (3:31)
Obeying the Prophet is showing obedience to Allah (SWT): “ Whomsoever obeys
the Messenger obeys Allah” (Surah An-Nisa 4:80)
 Showing disobedience to him is showing disobedience to Allah as Allah (SWT) says
in Surah Al-Ahzaab: “ Whomsoever disobeys Allah and the Prophet is clearly in
misguidance” (33:36)

O Muslims!

The commemoration the birthday of the Prophet (SAW) invites us to recall some of
the rights of the Prophet over us- his Ummah:

1)Truly believing in him and sincerely believing in everything that he came with
and submitting to his instructions. Allah (SWT) said:

“Therefore, believe in Allah and his Messenger, and in the Light which We have
revealed. Allah is well aware of all your actions.” (Surah Taghabun 64:8)
“Anyone who obeys the Messenger in fact obeys Allah” (Surah An-Nisa 4:10)

2)Obeying him and refraining from disobeying him

If belief in him and believing in the message he came with is an obligation on us, so too
is obeying him as Allah (SWT) says:

“O believers! Obey Allah and his Rasool and do not turn your back to him, now
that you have heard all.” (Surah Al-Anfaal 8:20)
“Let those who disobey his orders beware, lest some trial befall them or a painful
punishment be inflicted on them.” (Surah An-Nur 24:63)

It is narrated by Abu Huraira, the Messenger of Allah SAW said: “He who obeys me,
obeys Allah, and he who disobeys me, disobeys Allah.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

The Messenger of Allah SAW said: “All my followers will enter Paradise except those who
refuse.” They said: “O Allah’s messenger! Who will refuse?” He said: “Whoever obeys
me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me is the one who refuses (to enter it)”
(Bukhari)

3)Imitating the Prophet of Allah (SAW) as he is a role model and taking his
example and applying it to your own life. It is vital that we follow his
guidance- his Sunnah- and refrain from going against his Sunnah. as he said:
Whomsoever detests my Sunnah- my way- is not from me” (Hadith agreed
upon)

4)Loving the Prophet. This love is greater than what was has for his spouse,
children or people generally as Allah the Exalted says:

“Say: ‘If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your relatives, the wordly
goods which you have acquired, and the business in which you fear a loss, and the
homes in which you take pleasure – [if all of these] are dearer to you than Allah and His
messenger and the struggle in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His decision.
Allah does not guide the transgressors’” (Surah At-Tauba: 24)

The Prophet (SAW) said:

“None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his parents, his children
or anyone else” (Hadith is agreed upon)

It has been confirmed that the reward for loving him truly is to be with him in Paradise-
the abode of joy- where you will be in his company and the other Prophets, those who
are truthful (Siddiqeen), the Testifiers to the Truth (Shuhada) and those who are
righteous (Saaliheen).

On one occasion, a man asked the Prophet (SAW):

“When is the hour? He (SAW) replied ‘What have you prepared for it?’ The man said,
‘Nothing, except that I love Allah and his messenger.’ The Prophet (SAW) said, ‘You will
be with those whom you love’” (Bukhari and Muslim)

5)Respecting, honouring and supporting the Prophet(SAW) (and his message)

So that you, O people may believe in Allah and His Messenger, and that you may help
him and honour him and glorify Allah morning and evening (Fath 48:9)

O believers! Do not put yourselves ahead of Allah and His Messenger. Fear Allah;
surely Allah hears all and knows all. (Hujurat 49:1)

Do not consider the calling of the Messenger in the same manner, as you consider the
calling of one another among yourselves (Surah An-Nur 24:63)

Sanctifying and honouring the Prophet after his death is just as important as it was
when he was alive. And so too is mentioning his traditions (the Hadith) and following his
example, studying his life, listening to his instructions and keeping away from that which
he prohibited.

6)Sending blessings and peace upon him (SAW)

Allah (SWT) says:

“Indeed Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet. O believers, call for Allah's
blessings on him and salute him with all respect.” (Ahzab 33:56)

It is narrated in a Hadith mentioned in Sahih Muslim that the Messenger of Allah (SAW)
said: “A man who says may Allah’s prayers and blessings be upon me once, Allah sends
ten times as many prayers and blessings upon that man”

It is mentioned in a Hadith that the Prophet (SAW) said:

“Narrated AbuHurayrah - The Prophet (SAW) said: Do not make your houses graves,
and do not make my grave a place of festivity. But invoke blessings on me, for your
blessings reach me wherever you may be.” (Related in Abu Dawud and Ahmad)

And in another Hadith he SAW said:

“The miser is he who when I am mentioned before him, does not send blessings upon
me” (Related in Tirmidhi and Ahmad)

He (SAW) said:

“Whenever a group of people sit in a gathering and they fail to remember Allah and
send prayers upon me, they incur a loss upon themselves and if Allah willed, He would
punish them, and if He willed He would forgive them” (Related in Tirmidhi and Ahmad)

7)One of the rights of the Prophet upon us is that we do not belittle his status
nor go the other way and exceed the bounds. He (SAW) is a servant of Allah
and His Messenger; he is the beloved of Allah and His chosen one. He is the
most favoured of Prophets and Messengers. He is the chief of people who
went before and those who have come after him. He is the possessor of a
praiseworthy station, and the Hawd- the basin- from which the believers will
drink. Yet, despite all this, he was human, he did not have control over harm
and benefit as this is only by the Will of Allah (SWT) as Allah says:

“Say: "I do not claim that I possess the treasures of Allah, or that I know the
unseen nor do I claim that I am an angel. What I say is, that I follow only that
which is revealed to me."” (Surah Al-an’aam 6:50)

“Further tell them: "I have no power to acquire benefit or avert any harm from myself,
only that happens which Allah wants. Had I possessed the knowledge of the unseen I
would have acquired many benefits to myself; and no harm would have touched me. I
am no more than a Warner and bearer of good news for the true believers."” (Surah Al-
A’araaf 7:188)

The Prophet (SAW) was born just as any other human being; he had a mother and a
father; Abdullah Bin Abdul- Muttalib and Aaminah Bint Wahb.
He was given prophethood just as others were before him. He was not created by light
as some people say, nor was he the first of Allah’s creation as is sometimes said - as the
evidences and the intellectual basis for this are not sound.

The Prophet (SAW) lived, then Allah (SWT) caused him to pass away as Allah says:

“O Prophet, you shall die and they too shall die.” (Surah Az-Zumar: 30)

Some people claim that he still lives and visits them and they see him and he sees them;
this is not true.
The Imam ends with a line of poetry [from the Burdah- the Poem of the Scarf]:

The most furthest of speech that one can utter in his regards is that he was human, yet
he was the best of all creation