Al-Shamail Al-Muhammadiya | Episode (40) and the last

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

0:07 With pens of longing

0:09 and ink of love,

0:11 we compose words more precious than gold

0:15 in describing the master of creation,

0:17 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:20 The Prophetic Characteristics (Shama'il).

0:30 Conclusion.

0:34 Dear respected brothers,

0:36 we have reached the conclusion of this enjoyable journey

0:39 through the characteristics of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:43 Perhaps a soul has grown eager to attain the sight

0:47 of the possessor of these noble traits,

0:49 yearned for his meeting,

0:51 and stood ready to offer all it possesses

0:54 to gain the privilege of seeing him, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:58 For Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated

1:01 that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

1:04 "Among those of my Ummah who love me most severely

1:07 are people who will come after me;

1:10 one of them would wish to see me even at the cost of his family and wealth."

1:14 There is no doubt that a Muslim ought to harbor this desire in his heart,

1:19 and that this longing to see him, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, should dwell within his soul,

1:24 as well as the aspiration to be reunited with him in the Gardens of Delight.

1:28 One of the Companions said to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:

1:32 "O Messenger of Allah,

1:34 I ask you for your companionship in Paradise."

1:37 He replied: "Then assist me regarding yourself by prostrating abundantly."

1:42 The matter is not one of mere wishful thinking,

1:46 for faith is neither by passive wishing nor by superficial adornment;

1:50 rather, faith is that which settles firmly in the heart

1:53 and is verified by righteous deeds.

1:55 Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

1:58 "Whenever the servant increases his remembrance of the beloved,

2:01 bringing him to mind in his heart

2:03 and recalling his virtues and qualities that evoke love for him,

2:07 his love multiplies, his longing for him increases,

2:11 and it takes total possession of his heart.

2:14 But if he turns away from remembering him and recalling his virtues in his heart,

2:18 his love in his heart diminishes.

2:21 Nothing brings greater delight to the lover's eye than seeing his beloved,

2:26 nor brings greater solace to his heart than remembering him and evoking his virtues.

2:30 Thus, when this grows strong in his heart,

2:33 his tongue naturally flows with his praise, commendation, and mention of his virtues,

2:38 and the increase or decrease of this speech

2:41 corresponds directly to the increase or decrease of love in his heart."

2:45 End of his words.

2:47 Remembering the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

2:50 is accomplished by mentioning his virtues, noble characteristics,

2:54 commendable attributes,

2:56 morals, and manners.

2:59 The servant must adhere to the methodology of the noble Companions, may Allah be pleased with them,

3:05 who were the people of moderation and balance.

3:08 He should accept what has been authentically transmitted from them regarding the description of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

3:13 without exceeding it through excess or abandonment,

3:17 nor through exaggeration or neglect.

3:20 Indeed, many people have stumbled in this domain,

3:23 and their feet have slipped into mistreating and estranging the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

3:28 whether they realized it or not.

3:31 We shall mention here various forms of mistreatment toward the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

3:37 and of neglecting his rightful due.

3:39 Among the manifestations and forms of such mistreatment

3:42 is the weakness of love for him, peace be upon him, in people's hearts,

3:46 and prioritizing the love of a fleeting world,

3:49 passing desires,

3:51 and perishable pleasures over love for him, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

3:56 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

3:59 "By Him in Whose Hand my soul is,

4:01 none of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his parent and his child."

4:07 It is recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari

4:10 on the authority of 'Abdullah ibn Hisham, who said:

4:13 "We were with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

4:16 while he was holding the hand of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab.

4:19 'Umar said to him:

4:21 'O Messenger of Allah,

4:23 you are indeed more beloved to me than everything

4:26 except my own self.'

4:29 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

4:32 'No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is,

4:34 not until I am more beloved to you than your own self.'

4:38 'Umar then said to him:

4:40 'By Allah, right now

4:42 you are more beloved to me than my own self.'

4:45 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

4:48 'Now, O 'Umar.'"

4:52 For a person to recognize this weakness within his own heart,

4:55 he must measure himself against the statement of Allah, Blessed and Exalted:

5:00 “Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (3:31)

5:03 ﴿Say, [O Prophet], "If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you"﴾ [Aal 'Imran: 31].

5:06 Let him examine his standing in following the guidance of the Prophet, peace be upon him, in all his affairs,

5:12 so that he may know the true reality of his love.

5:15 Another manifestation of mistreatment

5:18 is turning away from his radiant Sunnah,

5:21 his clear path,

5:23 and his upright guidance, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

5:27 and diverting oneself by obsessing over false opinions, corrupt desires,

5:33 and similar matters that have turned people away from the Sunnah of the noble Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

5:40 Yet another manifestation of mistreatment

5:43 is the failure to venerate the hadiths of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

5:47 Thus, his sublime hadiths and noble words are cited in certain gatherings,

5:53 yet they command no reverence,

5:55 no head is raised in respect for them,

5:57 and their esteemed status is unrecognized;

5:59 rather, they pass by just like the speech of anyone else,

6:04 and are even objected to!

6:07 Where, then, is the veneration for this noble Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him?

6:12 Where is the recognition of his true worth,

6:14 when his hadith, peace be upon him,

6:17 is treated by people as though it were the speech of ordinary men?

6:21 Allah Almighty has said:

6:24 ﴿Nor does he speak from his own desire﴾ [An-Najm: 3].

6:27 “It is naught save an inspiration that is inspired,” (53:4)

6:30 Another form of mistreatment

6:32 is turning away from reading his blessed biography

6:35 and his noble accounts, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

6:39 For his biography is absolutely the purest of all biographies;

6:43 it is the biography of the master of the children of Adam, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

6:48 Yet you see among people those who turn away from this glorious, fragrant biography,

6:54 preoccupied instead with reading the biographies of trivial individuals

6:57 who possess no value or weight in the honor and advancement of the Ummah.

7:02 Among the hideous manifestations of mistreatment

7:06 is embracing newly invented innovations

7:08 and fabricated desires,

7:10 venerating them, defending them,

7:13 and seeking arguments to justify them,

7:15 while simultaneously turning away from what has been reported from the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

7:20 It is authentically reported from him, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, that he said:

7:25 "Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me."

7:28 And he said: "Whoever performs an action that is not in accordance with our matter, it will be rejected."

7:34 Another form of mistreatment regarding the right of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

7:39 is failing to send blessings and peace upon him,

7:42 especially when he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is mentioned.

7:46 It is authentically reported in a hadith that he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

7:51 "The miser is the one in whose presence I am mentioned and he does not send blessings upon me."

7:55 And Allah, Glorified and Exalted, has said:

7:58 “Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56)

8:04 “Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” (33:56)

8:10 ﴿Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Prophet. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessings upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.﴾ [Al-Ahzab: 56].

8:15 Another form of mistreatment regarding the right of our Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

8:20 is disparaging the status of his noble Companions, those who followed them in goodness,

8:24 and the leaders of truth and guidance among the bearers of the Sunnah.

8:27 For belittling the worth of these individuals

8:31 constitutes mistreatment toward the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

8:36 Likewise, a Muslim must beware of excess,

8:40 taking care not to exaggerate concerning his right, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

8:45 by attributing to him any of the exclusive rights of the Lord,

8:48 His attributes, or His divine rights, Exalted and Majestic is He.

8:53 All of this is something that he, blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, does not approve of.

8:57 Exaggeration and excessive praise are entirely blameworthy,

9:02 forbidden by the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in numerous hadiths.

9:05 He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

9:09 "Do not extol me as the Christians extolled the son of Mary.

9:11 I am merely His servant,

9:15 so say: The servant of Allah and His Messenger."

9:18 And he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

9:21 "Beware of excess in religion,

9:25 for those before you were destroyed only by excess in religion."

9:28 And when he heard a group of people saying:

9:31 "You are our master and the son of our master,"

9:36 he said: "Do not let Satan entice you."

9:40 Thus, extolling him, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and exaggerating in his praise

9:43 is a forbidden matter;

9:46 in fact, the one who indulges in it will have his deeds rejected

9:49 and will bear the sin of disobedience.

9:52 For within the domain of praise and commendation,

9:55 a person might initially offer valid and authentic praises,

9:57 but if he exceeds proper bounds,

10:01 Satan may entice him to utter praises that contain

10:04 exaggeration, undue extolment, and transgression of limits.

10:07 The underlying motive for this might well be

10:10 love and a desire for good,

10:13 yet not everyone who desires good attains it.

10:16 Therefore, alongside the intense love

10:19 that resides in the servant's heart for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

10:22 and the good to which he aspires

10:25 and seeks to achieve,

10:28 he must align his path by adhering strictly to the Sunnah,

10:31 following the guidance of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

10:34 and living in light of his biography.

10:37 For it is reported in the Sahih from the hadith of Abu Hurairah,

10:39 may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

10:42 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said,

10:44 addressing the Companions:

10:47 "By Him in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad,

10:50 a day will surely come upon one of you when he will not see me,

10:53 and then, to see me

10:56 would be more beloved to him than his family and wealth along with them."

11:00 Al-Nawawi said, commenting on this with a beneficial remark:

11:03 "The purpose of the hadith

11:06 is to urge them to constantly remain in his noble gathering

11:09 and observe him whether residing or traveling,

11:12 in order to adopt his manners,

11:15 learn the sacred laws, and memorize them so as to convey them;

11:18 and to inform them that they would regret

11:21 any shortcoming on their part in seeking more

11:24 of observing him and remaining in his company."

11:27 The key point is that this longing to see him,

11:30 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

11:33 ought to be backed by serious effort

11:36 in learning his guidance, manners,

11:39 character, and interpersonal dealings,

11:42 so that one may emulate him, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

11:45 And upon the guidance of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

11:48 and adhering to his etiquette and noble character,

11:51 one becomes the closest of people to him in station.

11:54 For he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

11:57 "Indeed, the most beloved of you to me, and the closest of you

12:00 to me in seat on the Day of Resurrection,

12:03 are those of you with the best character."

12:06 Thus, the more eager a servant is regarding faith,

12:09 adherence to the Sunnah, following guidance, and staying far removed

12:12 from religious innovations and desires,

12:15 the more fitting and worthy he becomes

12:19 to be blessed with his companionship in the Gardens of Delight.

12:22 In conclusion of this work,

12:25 I would like to note that in its preparation I have drawn upon

12:28 the commentaries of several classical and contemporary scholars.

12:31 In particular,

12:34 I benefited greatly from the commentary of his eminence Shaykh

12:37 'Abd al-Razzaq al-Badr

12:40 and his eminence Shaykh Muhammad al-Munajjid,

12:43 may Allah Almighty preserve them.

12:47 With that said,

12:51 we praise Allah, Mighty and Majestic, for His grace, enabling grace, and facilitation.

12:54 To Him belongs praise first and last,

12:57 and to Him belongs thanks inwardly and outwardly.

13:00 We ask Him, Exalted and Glorified be He,

13:03 to benefit us all through what He has taught us,

13:06 to make what we have learned a proof for us and not against us,

13:09 to flourish our hearts with faith,

13:12 to rectify all our affairs,

13:15 to guide us to Him along a straight path,

13:18 to grant us success in following the Sunnah of our noble Prophet,

13:21 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

13:24 to resurrect us alongside him and under his banner,

13:27 to gather us with him in the Gardens of Delight,

13:30 and to forgive us, our parents,

13:33 Imam al-Tirmidhi,

13:36 our teachers, and the scholars of the Ummah, the earlier ones

13:39 among them and the later.

13:42 Indeed, He, Blessed and Exalted, is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful,

13:45 Generous, and Bountiful.

13:48 And our final supplication is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

13:51 And may Allah send blessings, peace, grace, and honor

13:54 upon His servant and Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad,

13:57 and upon all his family and Companions.

Al-Shamail Al-Muhammadiya | Episode (40) and the last | Conclusion

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