بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam missed us a lot. Do you miss him a little?
During his return from the visit, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam cried. The companions said, “What makes you cry, Oh Messenger of Allah?” He said, “I miss my brothers.” They said : “Are we not your brothers, Oh Messenger of Allah?” He said, “No, you are my Companions. My brothers are those who will come after me and they believe in me without seeing me.” (Ad-Darami, At-Tabaraani, Al-Hakim)
He sallallahu alayhi wassallam also said, “Those in my community with the strongest love for me are from the people who will come after me. Some of them would have given their family and wealth to have seen me.” (Bukhari & Muslim)
Anas related the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “Whoever loves me will be with me in the Garden.” (al-Isfahani)
Anas said that a man came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam and asked, “When will the Last Hour come, Messenger of Allah?” He responded, “What have you prepared for it?” He replied, “I have not prepared a lot of prayer or fasting or charity for it, but I love Allah and His Messenger.” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “You will be with the one you love.” (Bukhari)
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “Whoever possesses the following three qualities has tasted the sweetness of faith: the one for whom Allah and His Messenger are dearer than anything else, [one] who loves a person and he loves him solely for Allah’s sake, and [one] who hates to revert to a state of disbelief as he hates to be thrown into the fire.” (Bukhari and Muslim)
One of the easiest ways for us to enjoy the sweetness of iman in this life and be the company of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam in the next world is to increase our love of him sallallahu alayhi wassallam. Here are three of the ways. The first two are rather easy, and the third is really the true test of our love and our faith.
1. Get to know the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam by studying the Seerah, until you miss him the way that he missed you! He sallallahu alayhi wassallam) cried when he thought about us. Something amazing about reading the seerah, is that it does bring you to tears. His life and the lives of the generation he inspired are nothing short of incredible.
‘Abda bint Khalid ibn Ma’dan said, “Khalid (one of the salaf) never went to bed without remembering how he yearned for the Messenger of Allah and his Companions among the Muhajirun and Ansar, and he would name them. He said, ‘They are my root and branch, and my heart longs for them. I have yearned for them a long time. My Lord, hasten my being taken to You!’” (al-Shifa)
Ali bin Hussain bin Ali bin Abi Talib, the grandson of Ali bin Abi Talib, would say, “We were taught the seerah like we were taught Quran.”
Pick a Seerah book from now and divide the pages into days; start now and plan to finish a seerah book. There are entire books available online, but I recommend buying an actual book and choose one you haven’t read before, so you can take notes in it, write reflections, and have it physically with you. Think about the small deed done consistently. A 300 page book can be completed within a month if you read only 10 pages a day. Put away your novels.
2. Spend 5 minutes after reading the Seerah to send blessings and prayers on the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam. If you’ve ever done this while experiencing worry or anxiety about something, it cools your heart so quickly. Imagine how it feels after you’ve just read about the Prophet’s sallallahu alayhi wassallam life. It is such a forgotten act of ‘ibadah— and yet it amazingly suffices you any prayer you wish to make! If Allah and angels send blessings on the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, what about us?
“Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O you that believe! Send your blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.” (33:56)
ʿUrwa b. Masʿūd al-Thaqafī (and in a different narration Suhail ibn ‘Amr) said to the Quraish, “O people, by Allah I have served as a representative to kings. I have been a representative to the Caesar, Kisra, and Najāshī. By Allah, I have absolutely never seen a king whose people venerate him the way the Companions of Muḥammad venerate Muḥammad.”
Ubayy bin Ka`b relates: I said, “O Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wassallam, I send much blessings on you. What proportion of my prayer should I devote to (sending blessings on) you?” He said, “As much as you like.” I said, “A quarter?” He said, “As much as you like, and if you increased it would only be better for you.” I said, “Then a half?” He said, “As much as you like and if you increased then it would only be better for you.” I said, “Then two thirds?” He said, “As much as you like and if you increased it would only be better for you.” I said, “I’ll devote all of my prayers to sending blessings on you.” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “In that case it will suffice you from your worries and your sins will be forgiven.”(Tirmidhi).
So close your eyes, think of the fact that you’ve been blessed to be part of his ummah (that Prophet Musa couldn't be one despite his request to Allah to be part of the ummah of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wassallam), think about the person you just read about, imagine him sallallahu alayhi wassallam. Send salawat and salaam and know inside that he sallallahu alayhi wassallam receives them in his grave, he returns your salaam, as does Jibreel alyhissalaam quench your thirst in missing him sallallahu alayhi wassallam at least to some extent by connecting with him in this way.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “Allah has angels who go around on earth, conveying to me the salam of my ummah.” (Nasaa’i)
He also said, “There is not one of you who sends his greetings upon me except that Allah returns the soul to my body (in the grave) and I return his greeting.” (Abu Dawud)
Abdul Rahman ibn ‘Awf mentioned that he came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam who rose from an elongated prostration and told him, “Jibreel came to me and he said, ‘whoever sends blessings (salawat) upon you, I will send blessings on him, and whoever sends greetings (salaam) upon you, I will send greetings upon him,’ so I prostrated out of thankfulness to Allah.’” (Hakim)
3. Obey the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam by choosing what Allah loves over everything else. This is a hard one because it’s not a single act, but rather a process that constantly needs to be renewed, and will be tested repeatedly in different ways. It’s the goal— to love Allah and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam more than our love of anything or anyone else including ourselves. Whenever we have difficulty in this, that is to express our love through obedience, let us feel that Allah is watching us, and let us imagine that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam is standing next to us. Sometimes it’s a choice between two allowed things, but which is more pleasing to Allah and closer to the spirit of the seerah? In those moments, the strength of our love is tested.
A man came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam and said, “Messenger of Allah, I love you more than my family and my possessions. I remember you and I cannot wait until I can come and look at you. I remember that I will die and you will die and I know that when you enter the Garden, you will be raised up with the Prophets. When I enter it, I will not see you.” Allah then revealed, “Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, will be with those whom Allah has blessed: the Prophets, the men of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And such people are the best of company!” (4:68) The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam called the man and recited the verses to him. (at-Tabarani)
Ḥasan al-Baṣrī relates that a group of individuals claimed to love Allah and so Allah tested their love by revealing the verses: “Say (to them Oh Muhammad) if you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive your sins.” (al-ʿImrān: 31)
Allah says, “Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision. And Allah guides not the rebellious”. (Al-Taubah: 24)
‘Umar ibn al-Khattab told the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, “I love you more than anything except my soul which is between my two sides.” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam replied, “None of you will believe until I am dearer to him than his own soul.” ‘Umar said, “By the One who sent down the Book on you, I love you more than my soul which is between my two sides.” The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam said, “‘Umar, now you have it!” (Bukhari)
May Allah fasten His love, and the love of His beloved Messenger sallallahu alayhi wassallam in our hearts above all else.
And Allah knows best and He alone grant success.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wassallam.
Wassalaam
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