Etiquette with the Beloved (Prophet Muhammad)

Among the greatest etiquettes that a Muslim must possess is etiquette with the Prophet (peace be upon him). A Muslim whom Allah Almighty has honored with the sweetness of faith cultivates the culture of etiquette with His Messenger (peace be upon him) in his heart and mind, a culture that the Holy Quran called upon Muslims to embody.

Let us reflect on Surah Al-Hujurat to understand the importance of showing proper etiquette to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Allah Almighty says {what means}: "O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not. Indeed, those who lower their voices before the Messenger of Allah - it is those whose hearts Allah has tested for righteousness. For them is forgiveness and a great reward. Indeed, those who call you from behind the private chambers - most of them do not reason. And if they had been patient until you came out to them, it would have been better for them. And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful." [Al-Hujurat/2-5].

It is authentically narrated from Anas ibn Malik that he said: When this verse was revealed: "O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet..." [Al-Hujurat/2] to the end of the verse, Thabit ibn Qays sat in his house and said: "I am from the people of the Fire." He then refrained from coming to the Prophet (peace be upon him). So the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, saying: "O Abu Amr, what is the matter with Thabit? Is he ill?" Sa'd replied: "He is my neighbor, and I have not known him to be ill." Sa'd then went to him and mentioned to him the saying of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Thabit said: "This verse was revealed, and you all know that I am among those with the loudest voices to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), so I am from the people of the Fire." Sa'd then mentioned this to the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Rather, he is from the people of Paradise" [Sahih Muslim]. In some narrations, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him: "You are not among them; rather, you will live in goodness and die in goodness."

Based on these verses, scholars have deduced the prohibition of raising one's voice near his noble grave (peace be upon him) and when reciting his hadith (peace be upon him), as a sign of etiquette with the Prophet (peace be upon him), because his sanctity after his death is like his sanctity during his lifetime.

There is another etiquette that we need to be reminded of – especially during the occasion of his birthday (peace be upon him) – which I direct to those in the field of Islamic da'wah (preaching), including writers and researchers. It is not befitting for someone writing about the biography of the Beloved (peace be upon him) to offer prayers upon the Prophet in a symbolic form, such as the letter (ص) or (صلعم). The scholarly literature of Islamic scholars, who dedicated themselves to serving the Shari'ah, has warned against writing the salutations upon the Prophet (peace be upon him) in an abbreviated form. Ibn Kathir, in "Al-Ba'ith al-Hathith," quoted Ibn al-Salah as saying: "And let the prayers and salutations be written in full, meaning completely without abbreviation or symbol. He said: And do not suffice with saying: (عليه السلام - 'alaihis salam'), meaning: Rather, let (صلى الله عليه وسلم - salla Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) be written clearly and completely" (Al-Ba'ith al-Hathith, Ibn Kathir/P.165).

This etiquette is something that the Shari'ah has called for and the Chosen One (peace be upon him) has affirmed. It is narrated in a hadith from Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: "I was the scribe of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) on the Day of Hudaybiyyah. He wrote: 'This is what Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, and Suhayl ibn Amr have agreed upon.' Suhayl said: 'If we knew he was the Messenger of Allah, we would not have fought him. Erase it.' I said: 'By Allah, he is the Messenger of Allah, even if your nose is rubbed in dust! No, by Allah, I will not erase it.' The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: 'Show me its place.' So I showed him, and he erased it" (Al-Sunan al-Kubra by Al-Nasa'i). The action of our master Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) was a display of etiquette, as his soul would not allow him to erase the phrase "Messenger of Allah" after he had written it.

Qadi Iyad said in "Al-Shifa": "Know that the sanctity of the Prophet (peace be upon him) after his death, and his veneration and glorification, are as obligatory as they were during his lifetime. This applies when he (peace be upon him) is mentioned, and when his hadith and Sunnah are mentioned, and when his name and biography are heard, and in dealing with his family and descendants, and in glorifying his household and companions. Abu Ibrahim al-Tujibi said: 'It is obligatory upon every believer, whenever he is mentioned or mentioned in his presence, to humble himself, show devotion, reverence, calm his movements, and adopt the awe and veneration for him as he would for himself if he were in his presence, and to observe the etiquette with which Allah has taught us'" (Al-Shifa, Qadi Iyad Vol. 2/P.28).

Qadi Iyad, in "Al-Shifa," also presented wonderful examples from the pious predecessors [Salaf] that demonstrate the existence of these refined sensibilities and noble etiquette in dealing with the legacy of our master Muhammad (peace be upon him). It is narrated that Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) was approached by a man asking him about a hadith while he was reclining. He sat up and narrated it to him. The man said: "I wished you had not troubled yourself" (meaning, by sitting up while he was ill). He replied: "I disliked narrating about the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while reclining." And Malik ibn Anas, whenever he went out to teach the noble hadith, would perform ghusl (ritual bath), apply perfume, and wear new clothes. He would sit with humility, and incense (oud) would continuously be burned – a sweet scent filling his gathering – until he finished narrating the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

O Allah, make us observant of proper etiquette with Your Beloved, who guided us to You (peace be upon him), and inspire us with our rightful guidance, O Almighty, O Wise.