Q 3:102-O ye who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam.
Q 4:1-O mankind! reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, His mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women;- reverence Allah, through whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (That bore you): for Allah ever watches over you.
Q 33:70-1-O ye who believe! Fear Allah, and (always) say a word directed to the Right: That He may make your conduct whole and sound and forgive you your sins: He that obeys Allah and His Messenger, has already attained the highest achievement.
Verily, the best speech is Allah’s speech; the best guidance is Muhammad’s (saw) guidance: and the worst matters (in creed or worship) are those innovated (by the people), for every innovated matter is bid’ah ( prohibited innovation), and every bid’ah is an act of misguidance that(whoever initiated it) will reside in the Fire
TO PROCEED
Muhammadur rasulullah is the second part of Kalimatush-Shahadah which means the statement of testimony or witnessing. It simply means that Prophet Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. We need to ask basic question, Who is Muhammad? Allah told us in Q. 36: 3 that, ‘truly, you are one of the messengers’. In Q 48:29, Allah declares that undoubtedly that Muhammad ((sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) is a Messenger of Allah. Among other information necessary for every Muslim in the doctrine of Islam is that he is a Messenger and the last of the messengers of Allaah and every Muslim must get directives from his ways of life because Allah informs us that he is on the straight Way(Q 36:4). The implication of this to our salvation is that anyone who fails to follow him is on the wrong path and such a person will be a loser on the Day of Judgment.
HE IS A HUMAN BEING LIKE US. The adherents of religions before Islam are condemned in their deification of prophets and other human beings as gods besides Allah, the Creator and Nourisher of the universe. In the case of Islam, Allah sanctifies the creeds of Islam from all forms of deification of messengers of Allah as gods besides Allah and the Muslims are told that Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) was a human being and not God. In Q9: 128-9, Allah says:
Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from among yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He is eager for you; for the believers ?he is? full of pity, kind, and merciful. But if they turn away, say: "Allah is sufficient for me. There is no God but He, in Him I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.''
IMPLICATIONS OF MUHAMMAD RASULLAH
The simple explanation of the two branches of the Kalimatush shahadah is what is explained to a person who wants to become a Muslim. In our earlier write up we have discussed the implication of La ilaha ilah Allah in the creed of Islam while the second part is the focus of this weekly admonition.
Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) is a teacher per excellence for all humankind. Allah says in Q2:151-2 thus:
Similarly (to complete My blessings on you), We have sent among you a Messenger (Muhammad ) of your own, reciting to you Our verses (the Qur'an) and purifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur'an) and the Hikmah (i. e., Sunnah, Islamic laws and Fiqh ? jurisprudence), and teaching you that which you did not know. Therefore remember Me (by praying, glorifying). I will remember you, and be grateful to Me (for My countless favors on you) and never be ungrateful to Me.)
The verses above have shown to us that his Messengership is a blessing to entire humanity irrespective of colour, language and nationality and his teachings are meant to purify us from all impurities of worshipping other gods to the purity of worshipping One True God who is called Allah. The message of Islam was above to purify the Arabs who worshipped many gods to such an extent that a god is worshipped daily to the worship of Allah alone. We can also recall our own lives too may be in some years back before we became conscious of Islam as a divine gift in our life. Islam has taken away divination, libation to rocks or trees, prostration to objects that are unable to benefit or harm us as our gods. This is the hallmark of the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) to all parts of the world.
He (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) is a witness over us and this is explained in Q33: 45-6:
O Prophet! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner,. And as one who invites to Allah by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light
The Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) explains the truth of the pillars of Islam plainly and proclaimed without hesitation to humankind the absolute fear in Allaah, His Unity and attributes in an environment dominated by the worship of many idols. The Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) openly presented the morality and values of Islam as revealed to him and he proclaimed as lawful what Allaah has made lawful and unlawful what Allaah made unlawful. The Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) proclaimed as unlawful Alcohol, adultery/fornication, falsehood in talks, falsehood in business dealings in a society that took joy in all these vices. He commanded the Muslims to ‘pray as you see me praying’, on Hajj again, ‘take the rites of your hajj from me’ and declares marriage as his Sunnah, whoever dislikes it is not part of him.
Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) is a role model. A role model is a celebrity, who has a prominent profile in day-to-day life. S/he commands some degree of public fascination and influence. A role model is usually expected to be wealthy (commonly denoted as a person with fame and fortune) and s/he is a person of great popular appeal, prominence in a particular field, and is easily recognized by the general public. In our contemporary times, some of the role models many youths adore today are those who have made careers in entertainment, sports, music, supermodels, business leaders/ Financial guru or CEO,Religious leaders and political leaders. A Muslim is mandated as a religious principle and article of faith to take Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) as his or her role model as his mission encapsulate all facets of human endeavours. In Q.33:21, Allah says, ‘Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much’.
Prophet Muhammad must be obeyed by all Muslims. In Islam, no one deserves to be worshipped except Allah and what we are expected to give to the Messengers of Allah is obedience. In this vein, Allah says in Q 4:80, ‘ He who obeys the Messenger, has indeed obeyed Allah, but he who turns away, then We have not sent you as a watcher over them’. In a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam), he says, ‘Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, will acquire guidance; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, will only harm himself’. In another Hadith reported by Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) was reported that, ‘Whoever obeys me, obeys Allah; and whoever disobeys me, disobeys Allah. Whoever obeys the Amir (leader, ruler), obeys me; and whoever disobeys the Amir, disobeys me’.[Bukhari &Muslim]. A Muslim is expected to adhere to the directives of Allah and His Messenger. In Q 33.36, Allah says:
It is not fitting for a Believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His Messenger to have any option about their decision: if any one disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he is indeed on a clearly wrong Path.
It is unfortunate to note today that those who obey Allah and His messenger in marital life, dressing like adorning the hijab by females, keeping of beard by males and other established traditions of Islam are derided and scorned by some Muslims and non-Muslims. Our advice to the Muslims is to be strong and maintain their steadfastness. Obedience to Allah and His messenger does not go in vain as Allah says in Q.33:71 that, ‘And whosoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed achieved a great victory’. The person will be saved from the fire of Hell and will enjoy everlasting delights (in Paradise). This is the promise of Allah for the righteous. The Prophet must be followed in the laws he prescribes as mentioned in Q59:7, ‘So take what the Messenger assigns to you, and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you’. The Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) must be allowed to play the role of a judge in our lives as mentioned in Q 4:65 thus:
But no, by your Lord, they can have no faith, until they make you judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission.)
HONOUR IN MENTIONING HIS NAME
The manner of addressing the Prophet(sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) or the manner of mentioning his name must be with honoured and it must be in the manner of those who have no knowledge or who are uncultured. In Q 24:63, Allah says:
Make not the calling of the Messenger among you as your calling one of another. Allah knows those of you who slip away under shelter. And let those beware who oppose the Messenger's commandment, lest some Fitnah should befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them
Allah commanded that His Prophet should be treated with respect and honor and When you address him, do not say, `O Muhammad,' or `O son of `Abdullah'; rather honor him and say, `O Prophet of Allah,' or, `O Messenger of Allah.' In the same respect, never joke with his mission, personality or statements. Don’t ridicule his sunnah and don’t deride those who uphold his sunnah in their lives.
He is the last of all messengers. The office of Prophethood or messengership in Islam is a divine favour of Allah on His chosen creatures. One cannot appoint oneself as a prophet or messenger in Islam. The prophetic institution began with our father Adam (alayhi salaam) and ended with the noblest of Adam’s children, Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam). In Q.33:40, Allah says, ‘ But he is the Messenger of Allah and the last of the Prophets’. Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) also explained the finality of prophethood with himself in a tradition:
My parable among the Prophets is that of a man who built a house and did a good and complete job, apart from the space of one brick which he did not put in its place. The people started to walk around the building, admiring it and saying, "If only that brick were put in its place. '' Among the Prophets, I am like that brick.) It was also recorded by At-Tirmidhi,
There is no one who believes that a person was raised by Allah to humankind in the capacity of a prophet without the person taking himself away from Islam. The tawhid of following the prophet is among the bedrock upon which the creed of Islam is based. Any teaching that runs contrary to the finality of his messengership is regarded as heretical and outside the fold of Islam.
Send Salah to him whenever his name is mentioned. Allah has chosen Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) as the last of His messengers and Allah has commanded believers to send prayers unto him always as mentioned in Q.33.56, ‘Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send your blessings on him, and salute him with all respect’. By Allah's Salah it means mercy and Salah from the angels means their supplication and seeking forgiveness for him. This is a great favour from Allah to our beloved Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) taught his companions to send prayer to him as follows:
"O Allah, send Your Salah upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your Salah upon the family of Ibrahim, verily You are the Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious. O Allah, send Your blessings upon Muhammad and upon the family of Muhammad, as You sent Your blessings upon the family of Ibrahim, verily You are Most Praiseworthy, Most Glorious.''
In celebrating the Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam) , we must follow the Sunnah of the Prophet (sallah Allahu alayhi wasallam) and shun bid’ah(heretical innovations). We must obey his teachings and never to mock or jest his teachings. We must love him more than ourselves and our parents. This is the index of faith. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon the soul of our noble Prophet Muhammad (sallah Allahu alayhi wasalaam).
Prof. Abdulrazaq KIlani (FCAI)
University of Port Harcourt
Email: abdulrazaqkilani@yahoo.com
