Grateful to the Messenger of Allah

 

Although more than a thousand years have passed over the birth of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH), we still love him, feel that we are living his era, and celebrate his birth anniversary, which revives the meanings of his love in our hearts. Dwelling upon his great blessings conferred upon us indicates that he is the most entitled to be thanked and our situation with him resembles that of his companions (PBUT). Mu'awiyah, (may Allah be pleased with him,) said: "The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) went out to a circle - meaning, of his Companions - and said: 'What are you doing?' They said: 'We have come together to pray to Allah and praise Him for guiding us to His religion, and blessing us with you.' He said: 'I ask you, by Allah, is that the only reason?' They said: 'By Allah, we have not come together for any other reason.' He said: 'I am not asking you to swear to an oath because of any suspicion; rather Jibril (PBUH) came to me and told me that Allah, The Mighty and Sublime, is boasting of you to the angels.' [Transmitted by Nas`ei].

It is our duty to constantly show gratefulness to Allah The Almighty for having sent the Messenger (PBUH) and that he came to guide us to the way of Allah and the straight path. The evidence on this is that Allah Says (What means): "O Prophet! Truly We have sent thee as a Witness, a Bearer of Glad Tidings, and Warner,- And as one who invites to God’s (grace) by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light." [Al-Ahzab/45-46]. He was sent to deliver us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of faith.

Had it not been for the Messenger of Allah, we wouldn`t have known Allah. This was the reason for safety in this world and the next life, and this applies to those who believed in him and those who didn`t. Sa`eid Bin Jubair reported from Ibn Abbas who said that the verse: "We haven`t sent thee o Mohammed save as mercy to all creatures," indicates the person who believed in Allah and the Messenger attains mercy in this world and the next life and the person who didn`t believe in them is relieved from the punishment that used to befall earlier nations in this world ." [Transmitted in Al-Sharee`ah by Al-Ajiri].

We are also grateful to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) for having brought good morals after the good was mixed with the bad and some encroached upon the other. He (PBUH) came to distinguish the good from the bad and sift these morals between strictness and negligence. He (PBUH) said: "I was sent to perfect good character." [Mowatta` Malik]. With silence in the court, Jafar Bin Abu Talib stood up and addressed the king Abyssinia in the following words:

“O King! we were plunged in the depth of ignorance and barbarism; we adored idols,

we lived in unchastity,,we ate the dead bodies, and we spoke abominations, we disregarded every feeling of humanity, and the duties of hospitality and neighborhood were neglected; we knew no law but that of the strong, when Allah raised among us a man, of whose birth, truthfulness, honesty, and purity we were aware; and he called to the Oneness of Allah ,

and taught us not to associate anything with Him.

 

However, this wasn`t as easy as it may seem since calling to Allah was a tall order; not merely delivering speeches. Rather, many relentless efforts were exerted and sacrifices offered. It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said: "The Messenger of Allah said: 'I have been tortured for the sake of Allah as no one else has, and I have suffered fear for the sake of Allah as no one else has. I have spent three days when Bilal and I had no food that any living being could eat but that which could be concealed in the armpit of Bilal." [Mosanaf Ibn Abi Shaibah].

He (PBUH) was patient and endured harm, siege, hunger, thirst, was accused of madness, false allegations were made against his wife Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) and was forced out of the land that he loved most. It has been narrated on the authority of `A'isha, the wife of the Prophet (PBUH), who said to the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him): Messenger of Allah, has there come upon you a day more terrible than the day of Uhud. He said: I have experienced from thy people and the hardest treatment I met from them was what I received from them on the day of `Aqaba. I betook myself to Ibn `Abd Yalil b. `Abd Kulal with the purpose of inviting him to Islam, but he did not respond to me as I desired. So I departed with signs of (deep) distress on my face. I did not recover until I reached Qarn al-Tha`alib. Where I raised my head, lo! near me was a cloud which had cast its shadow on me. I looked and lo! there was in it the angel Jibril who called out to me and said: God, the Honoured and Glorious, has heard what thy people have said to thee, and how they have reacted to thy call. And He has sent to thee the angel in charge of the mountains so that thou mayest order him what thou wishest (him to do) with regard to them. The angel in charge of the mountains (then) called out to me, greeted me and said: Muhammad, God has listened to what thy people have said to thee. I am the angel in charge of the mountains, and thy Lord has sent me to thee so that thou mayest order me what thou wishest. If thou wishest that I should bring together the two mountains that stand opposite to each other at the extremities of Mecca to crush them in between, (I would do that). But the Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) said to him: I rather hope that God will produce from their descendants such persons as will worship Allah, the One, and will not ascribe partners to Him." [Moslim].

 

We are also grateful to the Prophet for having made us brothers and united our hearts after we were on each other's throats.

 

Allah The Almighty Says (What means): "for ye were enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace, ye became brethren…" [Al-Imran/103]. He also Says (What means): "O my Lord! they have indeed led astray many among mankind; He then who follows my (ways) is of me, and he that disobeys me,- but Thou art indeed Oft- forgiving, Most Merciful." [Ibrahim/ 36]. 'Isa (Jesus) (PBUH) said (What means): "If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant: If Thou dost forgive them, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise." [Al-Ma`idah/118]. 'Abdullah bin 'Amr bin Al-'as (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:

The Prophet (PBUH) recited the Words of Allah, The Exalted, and the Glorious, about Ibrahim (PBUH) who said: "O my Rubb! They have led astray many among mankind. But whosoever follows me, he verily, is of me". (14:36) and those of 'Isa (Jesus) (PBUH) who said: "If You punish them, they are Your slaves, and if You forgive them, verily, You, only You, are the All-Mighty, the All-Wise". (5:118). Then he (PBUH) raised up his hands and said, "O Allah! My Ummah, my Ummah," and wept; Allah, The Exalted, said (What means): "O Jibril (Gabriel)! Go to Muhammad (PBUH) and ask him: 'What makes you weep?" So Jibril came to him and asked him (the reason of his weeping) and the Messenger of Allah informed him what he had said (though Allah knew it well). Upon this Allah said: "Jibril, go to Muhammad (PBUH) and say: 'Verily, We will please you with regard to your Ummah and will never displease you". [Moslim].

 

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying:

"The similitude of mine and that of my Umma is that of a person who lit fire and there began to fall into it insects and moths. And I am there to hold you back, but you plunge into it."

 

How could we be ungrateful to the Messenger (PBUH) while he keeps asking Allah to forgive us even after he departed this world? He (PBUH) said: "Both my life and death are good for you. Even after my death, your deeds are shown to me. If they are good, I thanked Allah. If they are bad, I asked Him to forgive you." [Musnad Al-Bazzar].

 

How could we be ungrateful to the Messenger (PBUH) while on the Day of Resurrection, everyone tries to save himself or herself but he says: "O Allah! My Ummah, my Ummah."

 

We are grateful for his being the Messenger of Allah and for the fact that Allah has honored us to be from his Ummah that lives in accordance with his righteous methodology.

 

Every blessing Allah bestowed upon us is because of the Messenger (PBUH). In this regard, Al-Shafi`I says ?(What means): "Every blessing, revealed or concealed, is because of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH)."

 

Thank you Messenger of Allah.