On the Necessity of Loving the Prophet

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   Bi ismillahir rahmanir raheem

assalamu alaikum

Ash-Shifa' by Qadi
'Iyad

Chapter Two of Part Two

On the Necessity of Loving the
Prophet

Section 1: Concerning the necessity of loving him

Allah says, "Say: 'If your fathers or your sons or your brothers or your
wives or your tribe, or any wealth you have acquired, or any business you
fear may slump, or any dwelling-places which please you, are dearer to you
than Allah and His Messenger and fighting hard in jihad in His Way, then
wait until Allah brings about His command.'" (9:25) 

This is enough encouragement, advice, proof and indication of the necessity
of loving him and is sufficient to show that this duty is an immensely important
obligation which is the Prophet's due. Allah censures those whose property,
families and children are dearer to them than Allah and His Messenger. He
threatens them by adding, "Wait until Allah brings about His command."
At the end of the verse He considers such people as having done wrong and
informs them they are among those who are astray and not guided by Allah.

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah said, "None of you will believe
until I am more beloved to him than his children, his father and all people."
(al-Bukhari, Muslim & an-Nasa'i) There is something similar from Abu
Hurayra.

Anas reported that the Prophet said, "There are three things which cause
anyone who takes refuge in them to experience the sweetness of belief - that
Allah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than anything else; that
he loves a man only for Allah; and that he dislikes the thought of reverting
to disbelief as much as he would dislike being cast into the Fire." (al-Bukhari
& Muslim)) 

'Umar ibn al-Khattab told the Prophet, "I love you more than anything except
my soul which is between my two sides." The Prophet 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 said, "'Umar, now you have it!"
(al-Bukhari)

Sahl said, "Whoever does not think that the Messenger is his master in all
states or think that he is under the dominion of the Prophet does not taste
the sweetness of his Sunna because the Prophet, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace, said, 'None of you will believe until I am dearer to
him than himself.'"

Section 2: On the reward for loving the Prophet

Anas said that a man came to the Prophet and asked, "When will the Last Hour
come, Messenger of Allah?" , "What have you prepared for it?" he asked? 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 said, "You will be with
the one you love." (al-Bukhari)

Safwan ibn Qudama said, "I emigrated to the Prophet and went to him and said,
'Messenger of Allah, give me your hand.' So he gave me his hand. I said,
'Messenger of Allah, I love you.' He said, 'A man is with the one he loves.'"
(at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i) 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, Abu Musa al-Ash'ari and
Anas related this statement from the Prophet, and Abu Dharr also has something
to the same effect.

'Ali said that the Prophet took Hasan and Husayn by the hand and said, "Whoever
loves me and loves these two and their father and mother will have the same
degree as me on the Day of Rising." (at-Tirmidhi) 

It is related that a man came to the Prophet 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 called the
man and recited the verses to him. (at-Tabarani)

In another hadith we find, "A man was with the Prophet, looking at
him without turning away. The Prophet asked, "What is wrong with you?" He
replied, "My father and mother be your ransom! I enjoy looking at you. On
the Day of Rising, Allah will raise you up because of His high estimation
of you!" Allah then sent down the verse mentioned above.

In the hadith of Anas, the Prophet said, "Whoever loves me will be
with me in the Garden." (al-Isfahani)

Section 3: On what is related from the Salaf and the Imams about
their love for the Prophet and their yearning for him

Abu Hurayra said that the Messenger of Allah said, "Those in my community
with the strongest love for me are the people who will come after me. Some
of them would give their family and wealth to have seen me." (Muslim and
al-Bukhari) There is something similar from Abu Dharr.

The hadith of 'Umar, "I love you more than myself," has already been
cited. There are similar things from other Companions.

'Amr ibn al-'As said, "There is no one I love better than the Messenger of
Allah."

'Abda bint Khalid ibn Ma'dan said, "Khalid 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!'"

It is related that Abu Bakr said to the Prophet, "By the One who sent you
with the truth, I would be happier if Abu Talib [the Prophet's uncle] were
to become Muslim than if Abu Quhayfa [his own father] were to. That is because
the Islam of Abu Talib would delight you more." 'Umar ibn al-Khattab told
al-'Abbas, "Your becoming a Muslim is dearer to me than al-Khattab becoming
a Muslim because it is dearer to the Messenger of Allah."

Ibn Ishaq said that the father, brother and husband of one of the women of
the Ansar were killed in the Battle of Uhud fighting for the Messenger of
Allah. She asked, "What has happened to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah
bless him and grant him peace?" They said, "He is as well as you would like,
praise be to Allah!" She said, "Show him to me so I can look at him." When
she saw him, she said, "Every affliction is as nothing now that you are safe."

'Ali ibn Abi Talib was asked, "How was your love for the Messenger of Allah?"
He replied, "By Allah, we loved him more than our wealth, our sons, our fathers
and our mothers, and more than cold water in a time of great thirst."

Zayd ibn Aslam said, 'Umar went out at night to observe the people and saw
a lamp in a house where an old woman was teasing some wool, saying:

      "The prayer of the good be upon Muhammad, may the blessed
bless him!

       I was standing in tears before dawn. If only I
knew,when death gives us different forms,

       Whether the Abode will join me to my beloved!"

She meant the Prophet. 'Umar sat down in tears.

It is related that once 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar's foot went numb. He was told,
"Remember the most beloved of people to you and it will go away!" He shouted,
"O Muhammad!" and the feeling returned.

When Bilal was near death, his wife called out, "O sorrow!" Bilal said, "What
joy! I will meet those I love, Muhammad and his party!"

It is related that a woman said to 'A'isha, "Show me the grave of the Messenger
of Allah." She showed it to her and the woman wept until she died.

When the Makkans drove Zayd ibn ad-Dathima out of the Haram to kill him,
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb said to him, "I ask you by Allah, Zayd, don't you wish
that Muhammad were with us now to take your place so that we could cut off
his head, and you were with your family?" Zayd said, "By Allah, I would not
wish Muhammad to be now in a place where even a thorn could hurt him if that
was the condition for my being with my family!" Abu Sufyan remarked, "I have
not seen any people who love anyone the way the Companions of Muhammad love
Muhammad."

Ibn 'Abbas said, "When a woman came to the Prophet (i.e. from Makka to Madina),
he made her take an oath that she had not left because of her husband's wrath
or desire for a new land and that she had only left out of love for Allah
and His Messenger."

Ibn 'Umar stood over Ibn az-Zubayr after he had been killed and asked for
forgiveness for him and said, "By Allah, according to what I know you were
someone who fasted and prayed and loved Allah and His Messenger."

Section 4: The signs of love of the Prophet, may Allah bless him
and grant him peace

Know that someone who loves a person prefers them and prefers what they like.
Otherwise, he is a pretender, insincere in his love. 

Someone who has true love of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him
peace, will manifest the following signs.

  1) The first sign is that he will emulate him, apply his Sunna, follow
  his words and deeds, obey his commands and avoid his prohibitions and take
  on his adab in ease and hardship, joy and despair. Allah testifies to that,
  "Say: if you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you." (3:31)

  2) He will prefer what the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,
  has laid down as law and encouraged, over his own passions and appetites.
  Allah said, "Those who were already settled in the abode, and in belief,
  before they came, love those who have emigrated to them and do not find in
  their breasts any need for what they have been given and prefer them to
  themselves even if they themselves are in want." (59:9)

  3) His anger against people will only be for the sake of the pleasure of
  Allah. Anas ibn Malik said, "The Messenger of Allah said to me, 'My son,
  if you can be without any grudge in your heart against anyone in the morning
  and evening, be like that.' Then he added, 'My son, that is part of my
  Sunna. Whoever gives life to my sunna has loved me and whoever loves
  me is with me in the Garden.'" (at-Tirmidhi)

  Anyone who possesses this particular quality has perfect love for Allah and
  His Messenger. Anyone slightly lacking in it is imperfect in his love, while
  not entirely devoid of it. The proof of this is in what the Prophet said
  about the man who was given the punishment for drinking. A man there cursed
  him and the Prophet said, "Do not curse him. He loves Allah and His Messenger."
  (al-Bayhaqi)

  4) Another of the signs of love for the Prophet is to mention him often.
  Whoever loves something mentions it a lot.

  5) Another is great yearning to meet him. Every lover yearns for their beloved.

  When the Ash'arite clan came to Madina, they chanted, "Tomorrow we will meet
  those we love, Muhammad and his Companions!"

  6) One of its signs is that as well as mentioning him often, someone who
  loves him will exalt and respect him when he mentions him and display humility
  and abasement when he hears his name. Ishaq at-Tujibi said, "Whenever the
  Companions of the Prophet heard his name after he died, they were humble,
  their skins trembled and they wept. It was the same with many of the Followers.
  Some of them act like that out of love and yearning for him, others out of
  respect and esteem."

  7) Another sign is love for those who love the Prophet and the people of
  his house and his Companions, both of the Muhajirun and Ansar, for his sake.
  Such a person will also be hostile to those who hate them and curse them.
  Whoever loves anyone, loves those he loves.

  The Prophet said about al-Hasan and al-Husayn, "O Allah, I love them, so
  love them." In al-Hasan's variant, "O Allah, I love him, so love the one
  who loves him." He also said, "Whoever loves them loves me. Whoever loves
  me loves Allah. Whoever hates them hates me. Whoever hates me hates Allah."
  (al-Bukhari)

  He said, "Allah! Allah! My Companions! Do not make them targets after me!
  Whoever loves them loves them by loving me. Whoever hates them hates them
  by hating me. Whoever does something hurtful to them does something hurtful
  to me. Whoever does something hurtful to me does something hurtful to Allah.
  Whoever does something hurtful to Allah is about to be seized." (at-Tirmidhi)

  He said about Fatima, "She is a part of me. Whoever hates her hates me."
  (al-Bukhari)

  He said to 'A'isha about Usama ibn Zayd, "Love him for I love him." (at-Tirmidhi)

  He said, "The sign of true faith is love for the Ansar and the sign of hypocrisy
  is hatred for them." (al-Bukhari and Muslim)

  In a hadith related by Ibn 'Umar we find, "Whoever loves the Arabs, loves
  them because he loves me. Whoever hates them hates them because he hates
  me." In reality, whoever loves someone loves everything he loves. This was
  certainly the case with the Salaf, even regarding permitted things and the
  appetites of the self.

  Anas once saw the Prophet reaching for the pumpkin in the plate. He said,
  "I have loved pumpkin from that day."

  Al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas and Ibn Ja'far came to Salma [a servant
  of the Prophet] and asked her to prepare some food for them which the Messenger
  of Allah liked. Ibn 'Umar began to wear tanned sandals dyed yellow when he
  saw the Prophet wearing ones like that.

  8) Another sign is hatred for anyone who hates Allah and His Messenger, having
  enmity towards all who have enmity towards him, avoidance of all those who
  oppose his Sunna and introduce innovations into his Deen, and finding
  every matter contrary to his Shari'a burdensome. Allah says, "You will
  not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day who having love
  for anyone who opposes Allah and His Messenger." (58:22)

  His Companions killed their loved ones and fought their fathers and sons
  to gain the pleasure of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
  'Abdullah ibn 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy said to him, "If you had wanted, I would
  have brought you his head (his father's)."

  9) Another sign of it is love for the Qur'an which the Prophet brought, by
  which he guided and was guided, and whose character he took on so that 'A'isha
  said, "His character was the Qur'an." Part of love for the Qur'an is its
  recitation and acting by it and understanding it, and loving his sunna and
  keeping within its limits.

  Sahl ibn 'Abdullah said, "The sign of the love of Allah is love of the Qur'an.
  The sign of love of the Qur'an is love of the Prophet. The sign of love of
  the Prophet is love of the Sunna. The sign of love of the Sunna is love of
  the Next World. The sign of love of the Next World is hatred for this world.
  The sign of hatred for this world is that you do not store up any of it except
  for provision and what you need to arrive safely in the Next World."

  Ibn Mas'ud said, "No one needs to ask himself about anything except the Qur'an.
  If he loves the Qur'an, he loves Allah and His Messenger."

  10) One of the signs of love for the Prophet is having compassion for his
  community, giving them good counsel, striving for their best interests and
  removing what is harmful from them just as the Prophet was "compassionate,
  merciful to the believers." (9:128)

  11) One of the signs of perfect love is that the one who aspires to it does
  without in this world and prefers poverty.

  The Prophet said to Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, "Poverty for those among you who
  love me comes quicker than a flood from the top of the mountain to the bottom."
  (at-Tirmidhi)

  In a hadith from 'Abdullah b. Mughaffal, a man said to the Prophet,
  "O Messenger of Allah, I love you." He said, "Take care what you say!" He
  said, "By Allah, I love you" three times. He said, "If you love me, then
  prepare for poverty quickly." There is a similar hadith from Abu Sa'id
  al-Khudri.

Section 5: On the meaning and reality of love for the
Prophet

People disagree about what constitutes love of Allah and the Prophet. They
have many things to say about it, but in reality, they are referring to different
states.

Sufyan said, "Love consists of following the Messenger of Allah." It was
as if he were thinking of the words of Allah, "Say: if you love Allah,
then follow me." (3:31)

One of the scholars said, "Love of the Messenger is to believe in his victory,
protect his Sunna, obey it and to fear being in opposition to him."

One of the scholars said, "Love is constant remembrance of the beloved."

Another said, "It is preferring the beloved."

Another said, "Love is yearning for the beloved."

One of the scholars said, "Love is the heart following the will of its master,
loving what he loves and hating what he hates."

Another said, "Love is the heart's inclination to be in harmony with the
beloved."

Most of these statements indicate the fruits of love rather than its reality.
The reality of love is to incline to what one finds agreeable and harmonious,
either: 

  (1) by the pleasure in its perfection � like love of beautiful forms,
  melodious sounds, delicious foods and drink to which one naturally inclines
  because they are agreeable;

  (2) or by pleasure in the perfection of its noble inner qualities which is
  sensed by the intellect and heart�- like love for the righteous, scholars
  and people of correct behaviour whose marvellous lives and good actions have
  been related. Man's nature inclines to intense love for these sorts of things
  to the point of fanaticism. Such partisanship of one group against another
  and sectarianism within a nation can result in homelands being abandoned,
  inviolable things being dishonoured, and lives lost;

  (3) or someone can love something because he finds it agreeable by reason
  of gaining benefit and blessing from it. The self is naturally disposed to
  love that which is good to it.

When you have understood this well, then examine these three causes of love
in respect of the Prophet and you will find that all three things which inspire
love apply to him.

The beauty of his form and outward appearance and the perfection of his character
have already been mentioned, so there is no need to say any more about them.

As regards the benefit and blessing his community gain from him, we have
already mentioned the qualities of Allah he possessed � his compassion
for them, his mercy for them, his guiding them, his tenderness for them and
his striving to save them from the Fire. He is, "merciful, compassionate
to the believers," (9:128) and "a mercy to the worlds," (21:107)
and, "a bringer of good news, a warner and a caller to Allah by His
permission." (33:45-46) "He recites its signs to them and purifies
them and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom," (62:2) and "guides
them to a straight path." (5:16)

What goodness could be worthier or of greater importance than his goodness
to all the believers! What favour could be more universally beneficial and
of greater use than his blessing to all the Muslims since he is their means
to guidance, the one who rescues them from blind error, and the one who summons
them to success and honour? He is their means to their Lord and their
intercessor. He speaks up on their behalf and bears witness for them and
brings them to eternal life and everlasting bliss.

So it should be clear to you that love of the Prophet must be an obligation
in the Shari'a because of the sound traditions we have related and the nature
of his overflowing goodness and universal beauty we have just mentioned.

If a man can love someone who is generous to him just once or twice in this
world, as is well known to be the case, or someone who saves him from destruction
or harm even once, when that damage and harm are only of a temporary nature,
then the one who gives him undying bliss and protects him from the eternal
punishment of Hellfire should be loved more. A king is loved when his behaviour
is good and a ruler is loved for his upright conduct. Someone who lives far
away is loved for their knowledge or noble character. Whoever possesses all
these qualities in total perfection is more entitled to be loved and more
deserving of attachment.

'Ali, describing the Prophet, said, "Whoever saw him suddenly was in awe
of him. Whoever mixed with him loved him." We mentioned that one of the
Companions could not turn his eyes away because of his love for him.

Section 6: The obligation of faithfulness to the Prophet

Allah says, "Nothing is held against the weak and sick nor against those
who find nothing to spend, provided they are true to Allah and His Messenger
� there is no way open against the good-doers. Allah is Ever-Forgiving,
Most Merciful." (9:92) The commentators say, "If they are true in sincere
conduct towards Allah and His Messengers, they are sincere Muslims secretly
and openly."

Tamim ad-Dari said that the Messenger of Allah said, "The deen is nasiha
(good counsel/faithfulness). The deen is nasiha. The deen is nasiha." They
asked, "To whom, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "To Allah and His Book and
His Messenger and the Imams of the Muslims and the common people."

Our Imams said, "Nasiha for Allah and the Imams of the muslims and their
common folk is an obligation."

Imam Abu Sulayman al-Busti said, "Nasiha is a word used to designate the
desire for what is good for the one who is its object, and it is not possible
to explain it with a single word which will contain it all. Linguistically,
it means sincerity (ikhlas) from the statement, 'I made the honey
pure (nasahtu),' when it is clear of wax."

Abu Bakr ibn Abi Ishaq al-Khaffaf said, "Nasiha is doing something which
contains rightness and harmony. It comes from nisah which is the thread with
which a garment is sewn."

Nasiha to Allah consists of having sound belief in His Oneness, describing
Him in the way that He deserves to be described and disconnecting Him from
what cannot be attributed to Him. It is desire for what He loves and distance
from what He hates and sincerity in worshipping Him.

Nasiha to His Book is belief in it, acting according to it, reciting it well,
humility with it, esteem for it, understanding it and seeking fiqh in it
and protecting it from the interpretation of the extremists and the attack
of heretics.

Nasiha to the Messenger is confirming his prophethood and obeying him in
what he commands and forbids.

Abu Sulayman and Abu Bakr said, "It is to support, help and protect him,
both in life and death, and to bring his Sunna to life by seeking, protecting
and spreading it and taking on his noble character and behaviour."

Abu Ibrahim Ishaq at-Tujibi said, "Nasiha to the Messenger of Allah is to
confirm what he brought and to cling to his Sunna, spread it and urge people
to it and to call to Allah, His Book and His Messenger and to the Sunna,
and acting by it."

Ahmad ibn Muhammad said, "One of the obligations of the heart is to believe
in nasiha for the sake of the Messenger of Allah."

Abu Bakr al-Ajurri and others said, "Nasiha for his sake includes two types
of sincere conduct. One is nasiha during his lifetime and the other is nasiha
after his death."

In his lifetime, the nasiha of his Companions was by helping him, protecting
him, opposing his opponents, obeying him and expending their lives and property
in his service as in Allah's words, "Men who were true to their contract
with Allah." (33:23) "They help Allah and His Messenger." (59:8)

The nasiha of the Muslims for his sake after his death is by maintaining
esteem, respect and great love for him, persevering in learning his Sunna,
understanding his Shari'a, love for the People of his House and his Companions,
avoiding things disliked in his Sunna and what deviates from it, hating doing
that and being on guard against it, compassion for his community, seeking
to learn about his character, his life and behaviour and steadfastness in
acting according to it.

So from what has been said it can be seen that nasiha is one of the fruits
of love as well as one of its signs.

Imam Abu'l-Qasim al-Qushayri related that 'Amr ibn al-Layth, one of the Kings
of Khurasan and a famous hero who was known as as-Saffar, was seen in a dream
and was asked, "What did Allah do with you?" He replied, "He forgave me."
He was asked, "Why?" He said, "One day I climbed to the peak of a mountain
and looked down at my armies and their vast number pleased me. Then I wished
that I could have been present with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless
him and grant him peace, to aid and help him. Allah thanked me and forgave
me because of that."

Nasiha to the Imams of the Muslims is to obey them when they command to the
truth, help them, command them to the truth, remind them of it in the best
way, inform them about what they have overlooked and what they do not see
of the Muslims' affairs, and not to attack them nor cause trouble and dissension
for them with people and alienate them from people.

Nasiha for the sake of the common Muslims is to guide them to their best
interests, help them in the business of their deen and this world by word
and action, warning those of them who are heedless, enlightening the ignorant,
giving to those in need, veiling their faults, and repelling what will harm
them and bringing what will benefit them.