Fellow Muslims,
Today we discuss a great matter, loving the last messenger Muhammad, the best messenger Muhammad, the best creation Muhammad, صلى الله عليه وسلم may Allah raise his honorable rank and increase his status and protect his nation from what he feared for them.
Dear brothers, know that we love and honor the Prophet as we are ordered in the Qur’an, we do so without going to the unacceptable extreme in that, rather we love him as ordered by Allah. Loving the messenger is an obligation upon every accountable person.
In a hadith narrated by al-Bukhariyy, the Prophet said what means that one’s iman would not be complete until the person loved the Prophet more than his own children, parents, and all people.
Dear Muslims, how can we not love Muhammad and he is the one sent as a mercy to mankind, and he is the one sent to guide people from darkness into light, how would we not love our guide to the straight path, how would we not love the one with great manners and the highest status.
He is the most praised among Arabs and non-Arabs, he is the best one who walked on earth. He was generous and treated others with goodness.
He is the best one from the tribe of Mudar, and he is the best messenger.
How could we not love Muhammad when it is mentioned in al-Qur’an that if someone committed a sin he may go to visit the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and ask Allah to forgive him and ask the Prophet to make istighfar for him, that is ask the Prophet to ask Allah to forgive him.
How would we not love him when he is the one that said that his intercession is for the enormous sinners from his nation. On the day of judgement he will be the one who will intercede the great intercession for the muslims from different nations. People would call each other to go to their forefather, Prophet Adam, so that he can intercede for them. When they go to him, he replies that he is not the one to make this intercession and guides them to Prophet Nuh, who instructs them to ask Prophet Ibrahim, and he answers that he is not the one who performs this intercession, and guides them to Prophet Musa who says that this intercession is not to be performed by him and guides them to ^Isa. ^Isa says he is not the one who performs this intersession and guides them to Muhammad who makes sujud and is told to lift his head and that his supplication will be answered and his intercession will be accepted.
Dearly beloved, how would we not love Muhammad and he is the one accepted by Allah. Al-Hakim narrated in his book of hadith al-Mustadrak that when Adam disobeyed his lord, a sin that was small and non-demeaning, it took place before Muhammad was created. Adam asked Allah to forgive him by Prophet Muhammad. Allah revealed to Adam how did you know about Muhammad and he has not yet been created?, of course the answer was known to Allah. Adam answered that when I was created, I lifted my head and saw la ilaha illa Allah, Muhammad rasulullah written on al-^arsh’s foundations, and I knew that you would only add to Your name the one whom you have given the highest status.
How would I not love someone whom everything about him is great.
Dearly beloved, Allah bestowed upon the Prophet’s companions the great honor of being with him, seeing him, hearing his advices, and observing his actions and situations till he became more beloved to them than their fathers, sons, and even selves.
On the day of ‘Uhud, one of the woman among the natives of al-Madinah heard that the Prophet, peace upon him, had been killed. So she set forth from al-Madinah to welcome the incoming Muslim army. She was told that her father, son, husband, and brother had all been killed, but she asked about the Prophet of Allah and was told that he is back and in the front. When she reached him, she took a side of his garment and said that she did not care about other hardships as long as he was safe. The companion, Abu Talhah, used to fight alongside the Prophet, he was throwing arrows at the enemy, so the Prophet would extend himself to see where his arrow fell. Abu Talhah’s chest would protect the Prophet and would address the Prophet saying, “do not extend yourself and make it easier for the enemy’s arrow to hit you. I rather protect you and be hit instead of you” Another exemplification of great love is Zayd ibn Dithnah, may Allah raise his rank. Some of Quraysh’s blasphemers got hold of him and wanted to kill him to avenge their deads from the Battle of Badr. Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb said to him, “I ask you by Allah, would you like that Muhammad is here in place of you and we are about to kill him instead of you, while you are with your family.” Zayd, may Allah raise his rank, said, “I would not want a thorn to harm the Prophet at the place he is in while I am with my family.” Abu Sufyan said, “By Allah I have not seen anyone who loves someone else as the companions of Muhammad love him”. Once the companion ^Abdullah ibn ^Umar’s foot went numb and when he was told to mention the most beloved person to him, he immediately said “O Muhammad” and he stood up cured by the blessing and secrets of his love to the Prophet, may peace be upon him.
O Allah, we ask you and direct ourselves to You by the high status of Your Prophet, the Prophet of mercy. O Muhammad we ask Allah by you to grant us what is good from our needs, make our matters easy, and relieve our hardships.