Five Rights of Allah’s Messenger

Five Rights of Allah’s Messenger

Muzammil Husayn Attari

(5^th year student of Jamia-tul-Madinah Isha’at-ul-Islam, Multan)

If we take even a brief glance at the life of the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , we find it full of challenges, barriers, and difficulties. When he invited the people of Taif to Islam, they not only rejected his call but pelted him with stones until he bled so much, his sacred blood flowed to his feet. Yet, his resolve was undiminished. It is only natural that Allah’s beloved who faced so much to bring Islam to us will have many rights over us. In his celebrated work, al-Shifā, the Maliki jurist and hadith master, Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ expands on these rights in great detail. We will explore five of them.

1. Believing in him: To be a Muslim, it is essential to believe in the unity of Allah Almighty and the prophethood and truthfulness of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم . Without this, one cannot be a believer, for Allah Almighty has explained this in the Quran: 

وَ مَنۡ لَّمۡ یُؤۡمِنۡۢ  بِاللّٰہِ  وَ رَسُوۡلِہٖ  فَاِنَّاۤ اَعۡتَدۡنَا  لِلۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ سَعِیۡرًا (۱۳) 

“And whoever does not accept faith in Allah and His ˹beloved˺ Messenger, so We have indeed kept prepared a Blazing Fire for the disbelievers.”^[1]

2. Following his way: He has the right that we follow and adhere to his way, his pristine Sunnah. The Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Whosoever revived my Sunnah, loved me, and whosoever loved me, will be with me in Paradise.”^[2]

3. Obeying him: It is incumbent on every follower of the noble Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم to obey his every instruction, for Allah Almighty commands us to obey him:

اَطِیۡعُوا اللّٰہَ وَ اَطِیۡعُوا الرَّسُوۡلَ

“Obey ˹the command of˺ Allah, and obey ˹the command of˺ the Messenger.” ^[3]

4. Invoking blessings on him: It is essential for every believer to invoke blessings and send prayers on the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم : this is the divine command:

اِنَّ اللّٰہَ وَ مَلٰٓئِکَتَہٗ  یُصَلُّوۡنَ عَلَی النَّبِیِّ ؕ       یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا صَلُّوۡا عَلَیۡہِ  وَ سَلِّمُوۡا  تَسۡلِیۡمًا (۵۶)

“Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings upon the Conveyor of the unseen news (Prophet). O believers! ˹You too˺ send blessings and abundant salutations upon him.”^[4]

The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated:

مَنْ صَلّٰى عَلَيَّ وَاحِدَةً صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ عَشْرًا

“Whosoever recited one salat upon me, Allah Almighty sends ten mercies upon him.”^[5]

5. Visiting him: From the blessed time of the noble Companions, the people of faith have flocked to visit the Prophet’s sacred and luminous shrine, believing wholeheartedly that by visiting him, they will gain his blessings and receive his intercession. After all, the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

مَنْ زَارَ قَبْرِي وَجَبَتْ لَهٗ شَفَاعَتِي

“Whosoever visited my grave, my intercession is necessary for him.”^[6]

We implore Allah Almighty to instil sincere love for the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم in our hearts, enable our limbs to follow his teachings, and moisten our tongues with prayers upon him until we unite with him at the Pool and benefit from his intercession on the Day of Reckoning.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صَلَّی اللہ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلہٖ وَسَلَّم