The Prophet of Mercy Website

Among the essentials of faith is love for the leader of humanity, Muhammad (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him). How can a Muslim not love his Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him), when he is the means of his guidance to the path of enlightenment and belief and his salvation from disbelief and hellfire.

The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said,
"None of you [truly] believes until I am more beloved to him than his child, his parent and all people." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
In fact, one's love for the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) should be greater than his love for himself. `Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with them) had said to him, "O Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him), you are more beloved to me than everything except myself." The Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) replied,
"No, by the one in whose hand is my soul – not until I am more beloved to you than yourself."

Then `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) said, "Now, by Allah, you are more beloved to me than myself." So the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said, "Now, O `Umar." (Al-Bukhari) He meant: Now you know and have spoken as you should.
Many disobedient Muslims claim to love the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him). However, the issue is not one of professed love, but of actual love. For among the requirements of love for the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) is obedience to his orders, avoidance of what he prohibited and to worship Allah (Almighty) only as he prescribed and not according to innovations and whims. That is why the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said, "All of my Ummah will enter Paradise except those who refuse."

His companions asked, "And who would refuse, O Messenger of Allah (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him)?" He (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said, "Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys me has refused." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Love for the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) is not expressed by holding celebrations, ceremonies or chanting poetry containing unlawful exaggeration. Rather, it is by acting according to his Sunnah, observing his legislation and advocating his guidance. It also includes the defence of his Sunnah, belief in what he (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said, reverence for him, invoking blessings upon him when he is mentioned and avoiding innovations in his religion. And it includes love for his companions, defence of them, acknowledgement of their virtues, hatred of those who oppose his Sunnah or legislation and of those who belittle its scholars and narrators. Anyone who acts contrary to this is as distant from love of the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) as the degree he is from his teachings.

For example, the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) has said, "He who innovates something in this matter of ours that is not a part of it - it will be rejected." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
And he (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) said, "Beware of newly devised matters, for every newly devised thing is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance." (Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi)
In spite of these warnings against innovation, some people add things to the religion of Allah(Almighty) which are not a part of it, thinking they are doing something good or even claiming that these things are expressions of love for the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him). They might attribute falsehood to him by forging a hadith and will say that it is not against him but in his favour. This is one of the worst kinds of falsehood and misguidance because the religion of Allah (Almighty) is complete and is not in need of their false embellishments.

Another example of this is that the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) prohibited insulting his companions and said,
"Do not revile my companions, for if one of you should spend [in charity] as much as Mount Uhud in gold it would not equal one measure [of 2/3 kg.] from one of them, or even half a measure." (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
And in spite of this, some people disparage the companions of Allah's Messenger, curse Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) and `Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) and accuse `A'ishah, Mother of the Believers, of what Allah (Almighty) has declared her innocent of in His Book. And they claim it is out of love for the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) and in defence of his household.

And yet another is that the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) prohibited exaggerated praise of him, saying,
"Do not praise me exceedingly as the Christians praised the son of Mary. I am only His servant, so say, 'the Servant of Allah and His Messenger.'" (al-Bukhari) But in spite of this, some people follow the manner of the Christians by describing the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him) in ways that are only befitting to Allah(Almighty), and supplicate to him for provision, for cure from illness, for relief from afflictions and so on, and these are things that may only be sought from Allah(Almighty). Then they claim it is out of love for the Prophet (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him), while in reality it is a sign of ignorance, a form of polytheism and is in contradiction of Allah(Almighty)and His Messenger (Peace and blessings of Allah upon him).

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