The Prophet’s Sublimity

Our Prophet: The Most Sublime, The Most Great

The Prophet’s Sublimity

Abu Noor Rashid ‘Ali Attari Madani

Allah Almighty has granted His belovedصَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم an elevated rank, one which He has not granted to any other. He conferred upon him the verse ‘وَ رَفَعْنَا لَكَ ذِكْرَكَ’^[1] and elevated his rank.  Anyone who has obtained the rank of acceptance in the court of Allah Almighty came to know of His love for His Prophet through the verse ‘وَ لَسَوْفَ یُعْطِیْكَ رَبُّكَ فَتَرْضٰى.’^[2] Praise of the noble Messenger صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is mentioned throughout the Glorious Quran. In actual fact, the reality is that its each and every verse speaks his praise. Similarly, the Ahadees also contain mention of the Prophet’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم elevated status. Many of the fascinating statements that engendered his love to reignite in the hearts of his followers are actually those which he uttered himself. Some of these are presented here with their explanation.

The Beloved of Allah

أَنَا حَبِيبُ اللهِ، وَلَا فَخْرَ

‘I am the beloved of Allah, and I say this without pride.’ (Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 354, Hadees 3636)

Undoubtedly, Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is the most beloved Prophet to Allah Almighty. Speaking of this, the great philosopher and devotee of the Prophet, Mufti Naqi Ali Khan رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه mentioned: ‘[Of the Prophet’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم attributes is that he is] The absolute beloved. In every era, he has remained the beloved of all of creation and the Creator in all aspects. For example, a scholar is loved for his knowledge, a pious person is loved for his piety, a beautiful person is loved for his beauty, a just person is loved for his justice, and all of the Prophet’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم inner and outer attributes and his voluntarily-pursued and involuntary-pursued dispositions are perfect.

Beauty is loved for as long as it remains. When beauty disappears, so does the love for it. Every attribute of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is free from ceasing (they will remain until Judgement Day—rather they will enhance even further in the plains of resurrection and in Paradise). In actual fact, these attributes are augmented each day.

وَ لَلْاٰخِرَةُ خَیْرٌ لَّكَ مِنَ الْاُوْلٰىؕ(۴)

And indeed the latter is better for you than the former.

[Kanz-ul-Iman (translation of Quran)] (Part 30, Surah Al-Duha, Verse 4)

(Suroor-ul-Quloob fi Zikr-il-Mahboob, p. 232)

The Greatness of the Name Muhammad

أَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ، وَأَنَا أَحْمَدُ

 ‘I am Muhammad, and I am Ahmad [صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم].’ (Bukhari, vol. 2, p. 484, Hadees 3532)

The Prophet’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم name Muhammad is very blessed. Virtues of his blessed name have been narrated in numerous Ahadees. One Hadees states: ‘Whoever names his son Muhammad or Ahmad out of love for me, Allah will forgive both, the father and the son.’ (Kanz-ul-‘Ummal, vol. 8, p. 175, Hadees 45215)

Another narration mentions that two people will stand in the court of Allah Almighty on Judgement Day to whom He will say, ‘Enter Paradise.’ They will say: ‘O our Lord! We have not performed any action that will admit us to Paradise.’ Allah Almighty will say: ‘I have taken an oath that anyone whose name is Muhammad or Ahmad will not enter Hell.’ (Firdaus-ul-Akhbar, vol. 2, p. 503, Hadees 8515, Selective)

The affairs of the Prophet’s followers are unique. Sheikh Abdul Qaadir bin Muhammad bin Nasr Hanafi (775 AH) writes: ‘In an area in Samarqand, there is a graveyard called ‘تُرْبَۃُ الْمُحَمَّدِیْنَ.’ A unique feature of this graveyard is that every individual buried there is named Muhammad. There are over 400 people buried there whose name is Muhammad, all of whom were authors, muftis and teachers—many people benefitted from them. (Al-Jawahir-ul-Madiyyah fi Tabqat-il-Hanafiyyah, part. 1, p. 4)

The Greatness of Prophethood

اَنَا النَّبِيُّ لَا كَذِبْ اَنَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبْ

‘I am a Prophet; there is no lie in this. I am the son of Abdul Muttalib.’ (Bukhari, vol. 2, p. 272, Hadees 2864)

The word Prophet contains many secrets and significant meanings. Its linguistic meaning is ‘the one who informs of the unseen.’ During the battle of Hunayn, the enemies carried out a vicious attack, but the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم exhibited sublime courage and bravery. At the time, he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was riding on a white mule right before the enemy and was uttering, ‘اَنَا النَّبِيُّ لَا كَذِبْ أَنَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبْ.’ (Bukhari, vol. 2, p. 272, Hadees 2864)

Abdullah was the name of the Prophet’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم noble father. However, in the above narration, he has referred to himself as the son of his honourable grandfather: Abdul Muttalib. As the Prophet’s صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم noble father passed away before his birth, and most of the Arabs knew of the Prophet in terms of his link to his grandfather, this is why he صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘اَنَا ابْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبْ.’

The Prophet’s Lineage

انا اشرَفُ الناسِ حَسَباً ولَا فَخْرَ، وأكْرمُ الناسِ قدْراً ولا فخرَ

‘I am the most respectable of people in terms of lineage, and I say this without pride. I am the most honourable of people, and I say this without pride.’ (Firdaus-ul-Akhbar, vol. 1, p. 45, Hadees 111)

اَنَا خَيْرُهُمْ نَفْسًا، وَخَيْرُهُمْ بَيْتًا

‘I am the best of them in person and the best of them in terms of household.’ (Tirmidhi, vol. 5, p. 350, Hadees 3627)

These two statements speak of belonging to an esteemed and honourable family. This very attribute is mentioned in more detail in another narration:

اِنَّ اللهَ خَلَقَ خَلْقَهُ فَجَعَلَهُمْ فِرْقَتَيْنِ، فَجَعَلَنِي فِي خَيْرِ الْفِرْقَتَيْنِ، ثُمَّ جَعَلَهُمْ قَبَائِلَ، فَجَعَلَنِي فِي خَيْرِهِمْ قَبِيلًا، ثُمَّ جَعَلَهُمْ بُيُوتًا، فَجَعَلَنِي فِي خَيْرِهِمْ  بَيْتًا۔ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: ’أَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ قَبِيلًا وَخَيْرُكُمْ بَيْتًا‘

‘Allah created creation and made them into two groups; He kept me in the better group. He then made them into different tribes; He kept me in the best of tribes. He then made them into households; He kept me in the best of households.’ The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم then said: ‘I am the best of you in terms of tribes, and I am the best of you in terms of households.’ (Mustadrak, vol. 4, p. 272, Hadees 5126)

(The remaining part of the article will appear in next month’s issue اِنْ شَــآءَالـلّٰـه.)