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Revering the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Author : Dr. Safwan Odaybat
Date Added : 01-10-2024

 

 

All perfect praise be to Allah the Lord of the Worlds. May His peace and blessings be upon Prophet Mohammad and upon all his family and companions.

Anyone who contemplates the verses of the Noble Quran, the hadiths of the pure and trustworthy Prophet, and the biography of the righteous predecessors will undoubtedly notice the numerous clear and eloquent verses, explicit prophetic statements, and shining examples of the predecessors that exalt the status of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Indeed, the jurist Qadi Iyad, may Allah have mercy upon him, spoke the truth when he said: "It is not hidden from anyone who has engaged in any form of knowledge or has been granted even the slightest glimpse of understanding that Allah the Almighty has exalted the status of our Prophet, peace be upon him, and has bestowed upon him unique virtues, attributes, and qualities that cannot be fully enumerated. Allah has elevated him to a lofty station that surpasses the capabilities of tongues and pens to describe." (Al-Shifa Bi Ta'rif Huquq al-Mustafa, by Qadi Iyad, pp. 11)

Moreover, what greater exaltation is there than Allah's statement to His Prophet, peace be upon him (What means): "And We have exalted your mention." [Ash-Sharh/4]. Qatadah commented: "Allah has exalted his mention in this world and the Hereafter. There is no preacher, person uttering the Shahadah (Testimony of faith), or person leading a prayer who does not proclaim, 'I bear witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.'" (Tafsir Al-Tabari, Vol. 24/P. 494).

Thus, Allah has linked the mention of His Messenger, peace be upon him, with His own mention in the testimony of faith, the call to prayer, the Iqamah of prayer, the Tashahud during prayer, the Friday sermon, upon entering and leaving the mosque, and in many other places in the Quran. Indeed, Hassan ibn Thabit, may Allah be pleased with him, spoke the truth when he said:

"And Allah joined the name of the Prophet to His own name when the muezzin says in the five prayers, 'I bear witness' and He separated a part of His name to honor him for the Possessor of the Throne is the Praised One, and this is Muhammad."

Among the ways in which Allah has exalted His Prophet, peace be upon him, in the Quran is by linking obedience to Him with obedience to His Prophet and mentioning His name alongside His own name. Allah Says (What means): "Say, 'Obey Allah and the Messenger.' But if they turn away - indeed, Allah does not like the disbelievers." [Al-Imran/32].

In addition, Allah Says (What means): "Obey Allah and the Messenger that you may receive mercy." [Al-Imran/132].

Moreover, Allah Says (What means): "O you who have believed, obey Allah and His Messenger and do not turn away from Him while you hear." [Al-Anfal/20].

Furthermore, Allah Says (What means): "And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute, lest you weaken and your power depart. And be patient, indeed, Allah is with the patient." [Al-Anfal/46].

Among the ways in which Allah has exalted His Prophet, peace be upon him, in the Quran is that He addressed all the prophets by their names, saying: "O Adam," "O Noah," "O Abraham," "O Moses," "O David," "O Jesus," "O Zechariah," "O John." However, He addressed His Prophet, peace be upon him, only by saying: "O Messenger," "O Prophet," "O you who are wrapped in a garment," "O you who are wrapped in a blanket." [Al-Shifa, by Qadi Iyad, pp. 23].

As for the exaltation of the Prophet, peace be upon him, by the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them and this is a vast topic, as it shows the great status of the Messenger and indicates that true knowledge of Allah that can only be attained through the guidance of His Prophet, peace be upon him.

To illustrate this, I will mention a portion of the lengthy hadith about the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which is narrated by Imam Bukhari in his Sahih. When Othman Ibn Affan was sent to negotiate with the Quraysh, he observed the Companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, and said: "By Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not spit except that it fell into the hands of one of them, and he would rub it over his face and skin. If he ordered them, they would rush to fulfill his command. When he performed ablution, they would nearly fight over the water of his ablution. When he spoke, they lowered their voices in his presence, and they would not look him directly in the eye out of reverence for him."

Upon returning to his people, 'Urwah reported: "O my people! By Allah, I have been to the courts of kings, to Caesar, Khosrau, and the Negus, but by Allah, I have never seen a king whose companions honor him as the companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him) honor him."

This shows the great respect that the Companions had for the Prophet, peace be upon him, and their deep understanding of his noble status and lofty position.

As for the love and respect that the Tabi'un (the generation after the Companions) had for the Prophet, peace be upon him, I will suffice with what Qadi Iyad narrated from Mus'ab Ibn 'Abdullah: "Whenever Malik ibn Anas mentioned the Prophet, peace be upon him, his color would change and he would bow down so much that those sitting with him would find it difficult. When he was asked about this one day, he said: 'If you had seen what I saw, you would not have questioned me about what you see. I used to see Muhammad Ibn Al-Munkidir, who was the leader of the readers, and whenever someone would ask him a hadith, he would weep until we felt sorry for him. I used to see Ja'far Ibn Muhammad Al-Sadiq, who was known for his humor and smiling, but whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, was mentioned, his face would turn pale, and I never saw him narrate a hadith about the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, except in a state of purity. I used to visit him for a long time, and I never saw him except in three states: either praying, or silent, or reciting the Quran, and he would not speak about anything irrelevant. He was one of the scholars and worshippers who feared Allah The Almighty. 'Abd Al-Rahman Ibn Al-Qasim would mention the Prophet, peace be upon him, and his color would change as if blood had been drawn from him. His tongue would dry up in his mouth out of respect for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him. I used to visit 'Amr Ibn 'Abd Allah Ibn Al-Zubair, and whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, was mentioned, he would weep until there were no tears left in his eyes. I used to see Al-Zuhri, who was one of the most cheerful and approachable people, but whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, was mentioned, it was as if he did not know you or you did not know him. I used to visit Safwan Ibn Sulaym, who was one of the devout and diligent worshippers, and whenever the Prophet, peace be upon him, was mentioned, he would weep until people would leave him.' [Al-Shifa, by Qadi Iyad, pp. 265-266].

These are vivid examples from the lives of the Salaf (Early generations of Muslims) that show us the perfect manners they had towards our Prophet, peace be upon him. This isn`t strange, for they knew him, loved him, and therefore exalted him. The words written in this article are but a drop in the ocean compared to the vastness of the Prophet's status, which cannot be fully comprehended by human minds. How can a weak creature fully comprehend the one whom Allah, The Exalted described as having (What means): "an excellent character"? [Al-Qalam/4].

May Allah have mercy on whoever said:

"If you wish to know the status of Muhammad, Then refer to what Allah has said about him. Creation is unable to fully appreciate his worth And to utter words that do him justice. For Allah has honored him and raised his status There is nothing above the status of Muhammad except Allah."

It is incumbent upon us to love the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and our love for him should be expressed in our manners towards him in his biography, when mentioning him, when reading his Sunnah, and when visiting his noble shrine, peace be upon him. We should teach our children and call upon people to love and respect him as the Salaf did.

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and companions.

 

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

A man led the people in prayer as imam, and at the end of the prayer he performed a prostration of forgetfulness (*sujūd al-sahw*) because he had omitted a short *sūrah* after al-Fātiḥah. What is the ruling on his prayer and that of those praying behind him?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
According to the Shāfiʿī school, it is sunnah to recite a sūrah after al-Fātiḥah in the prayer. One who omits it has a valid prayer, and no prostration of forgetfulness (sujūd al-sahw) is prescribed for omitting it. If someone performs sujūd al-sahw for its omission while knowing the ruling and remembering it, his prayer is invalidated. But one who is ignorant of the ruling, or who did so out of forgetfulness, his prayer is not invalidated, because this is among the matters that are obscure to people, and ignorance of it is not restricted to those who recently entered Islam.
Shaykh al-Islām al-Shams al-Ramlī said in Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj ilā Sharḥ al-Minhāj (Vol.2/p.70): “The remaining sunnahs are not compensated for by prostration, such as the remembrances (adhkār) of bowing and prostration, that is, the opening supplication (duʿāʾ al-iftitāḥ) and the sūrah, in accordance with the base rule, because they are not of the same nature as what has been reported [as compensable]. If one prostrates for any of them deliberately, his prayer is invalidated, unless he is excused due to ignorance. As for the objection raised that the ignorant person does not know that sujūd al-sahw is prescribed, and whoever knows it knows its place, this is refuted by denying such a necessary connection, for the ignorant person may hear only that sujūd al-sahw is prescribed before the salām, and so assume that it applies to every sunnah and is not restricted to its prescribed place.”
This is among the matters that are obscure, in which the mukallaf is excused for ignorance, as stated by al-Shabrāmallisī in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā Nihāyat al-Muḥtāj (Vol.2/p.70).
However, if the imam prostrates, and the follower (maʾmūm) presumes that his imam’s prostration is for a reason for which one does not prostrate, it is not permissible to follow him in it, so long as the follower knows the ruling.
Accordingly, the prayer of one who did not recite a sūrah after al-Fātiḥah is valid, and sujūd al-sahw is not prescribed for it. Whoever prostrates out of ignorance or forgetfulness, his prayer is valid, because this is among the issues hidden from the general public. But whoever prostrates while knowing the ruling and remembering it, his prayer is invalidated. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling of Islamic Law on a father shaking hands with his son’s wife after she has been divorced three times?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The wife of one’s son is among the women permanently prohibited to the husband’s father as soon as the marriage contract  is concluded, based on the saying of Allah the Exalted: “Prohibited to you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, your brother’s daughters, your sister’s daughters, your foster mothers, your foster sisters, your wives’ mothers, and your stepdaughters under your guardianship [born] of your wives with whom you have consummated marriage. But if you have not consummated marriage with them, there is no sin upon you. [Also prohibited are] the wives of your sons who are from your loins, and that you take [in marriage] two sisters simultaneously, except for what has already occurred. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.” [al-Nisāʾ/23]
This prohibition begins once the son’s marriage contract with his wife is complete, and it remains in force even if the son separates from her before consummation or before any seclusion (khalwah) with her. It is therefore permissible for the father to shake her hand and to be alone with her, provided there is no fitnah (temptation) and no suspicion.
It is stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 204): “It is forbidden to marry… the wives of one’s fathers and of one’s sons. All of these women become prohibited by the mere contract, … all of that being a permanent prohibition.” End quote, with slight adaptation. And Allah Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on omitting the prostration of recitation?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The prostration of recitation (Sajdat al-Tilawah) is a Sunnah for both the reader and the listener. There is no sin in omitting it, though doing so results in missing a great reward. Muslim narrated from Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet ﷺ said: 'When the son of Adam recites a verse of prostration and prostrates, Shaytan withdraws weeping, saying: "Woe to him! (and in the narration of Abu Kuraib: "Woe to me!") The son of Adam was commanded to prostrate and he prostrated, so Paradise is his; and I was commanded to prostrate and I refused, so the Fire is mine."'
 
Sheikh al-Islam Imam al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated: 'It is recommended to prostrate immediately after reciting or hearing a verse of prostration. If one delays it but the interval is short, he may still prostrate. However, if the interval is long, the opportunity is missed.' [Rawdat al-Talibin Vol.1/P.323].
 
Furthermore, the prostration of recitation becomes obligatory (Wajib) in congregational prayer if the Imam prostrates, out of the necessity of following him. And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on forgiving a tenant next month's rent, with the intention of counting it toward zakāh al-māl?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It does not fulfill the obligation to count the rent owed on a house, or a portion of it, in lieu of zakāh. Rather, it is necessary to first transfer ownership of the zakāh amount to the poor person directly; only afterward may he be asked to pay the rent [from that money].
It is stated in ‘Umdat as-Sālik (p. 112): "If someone gives [money] to a poor person, stipulating that the recipient return it to him in payment of a debt owed to him, or says, 'I am making what you owe me into zakāh, so take it [as such]' — this is not valid. But if he gives it to him with the [unstated] intention that the recipient will use it to repay him, or says, 'Repay what you owe me, so that I may [then separately] give it to you as zakāh,' or the debtor himself says, 'Give it to me, so that I may [then] repay you with it' — this is valid, and there is no binding obligation for the recipient to actually fulfill this [informal understanding]."
We would also remind [the reader] of the ḥadīth of the Prophet ﷺ: "The Muslim is the brother of the Muslim: he does not wrong him, nor does he abandon him [to harm]. Whoever attends to the needs of his brother, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will attend to his needs. Whoever relieves a Muslim of a hardship, Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, will relieve him of one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection. And whoever conceals [the faults of] a Muslim, Allah will conceal him on the Day of Resurrection." (Agreed upon). And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

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