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The Birth of the Prophet: The Birth of the Nation of Goodness and Guidance
Author : His Eminence Noah Ali Salman
Date Added : 16-12-2025

The Birth of the Prophet: The Birth of the Nation of Goodness and Guidance

Praise be to Allah, Who sent forth to the unlettered people a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the Wisdom—although they were before in manifest error. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, He fulfilled His promise, granted victory to His servant, strengthened His soldiers, and defeated the Confederates/Ahzab alone.(Reference here is made to The Battle of the Trench). There is nothing before Him, and nothing after Him. And I bear witness that our Master Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is His Servant and Messenger. He delivered the Message, fulfilled the Trust, advised the Nation, and removed the grief from it. May Allah reward him on our behalf with the best reward given to a Messenger for his Nation, and a Prophet for his people. Peace and blessings be upon him, upon his family, his companions, the followers, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.

I advise you, servants of Allah, to be conscious of Allah (Taqwā), and I urge you to obey Him, for the Almighty says {what means}: " O ye who believe! Fear God as He should be feared, and die not except in a state of Islam." [Āl 'Imrān/102].

We are in a blessed month, whose status Allah has elevated. In it, He manifested to existence His overflowing favor and His vast mercy through the birth of the Master of the Messengers, the Imam of the Pious, and the Leader of the Bright-Foreheaded and White-Limbed ones, our Master Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). It is the month of Rabi' al-Awwal, in which the seas of light overflowed with the birth of the Chosen Beloved. The arrival of this month every year reminds us of the Mercy Granted and the Favor Bestowed; it reminds us of the birth of the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him). So, congratulations to you, O Nation of Islam, on this fragrant commemoration and blessed occasion! Indeed, congratulations to all the worlds on the birth of the one whom Allah sent as a mercy to all creation. The Almighty said {what means}: "We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures.' [Al-Anbiyā'/107].

Our absolute love and sincere affection toward this great Prophet are nothing but a gift from Allah for which we thank Him and are happy with, because "A person will be with those whom he loves," (Agreed upon), and "Whoever loves a people, Allah will gather him with their group," (Reported by At-Ṭabarānī). This is from one perspective. From another, this love is justified and called for, for Allah saved us through him from darkness into light.

He saved us from the darkness of ignorance (Jāhiliyyah), the worship of idols, and the glorification of tyrants that neither harm nor benefit. He honored us with the worship of Allah, the Great, the Majestic, the Forbearing. The worth of the servant is determined by the worth of his Master. And what a difference there is between one who worships a stone, a tree, the sun, or the moon—thereby narrowing his horizon, hardening his emotions, and stiffening his heart—and one who worships Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful, Who calls out to His Messenger saying {what means}: " When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me…." [Al-Baqarah/186]. And He calls out to those despairing of life, saying {what means}: " Nor kill (or destroy) yourselves: for verily God hath been to you Most Merciful!" [An-Nisā'/29]. And He calls out to those fearful of their sins, saying [what means}: " Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of God: for God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. '"[Az-Zumar/53]. And He calls out to all creation, saying {what means}: "Invoke Me; I will respond to you."[Ghāfir/60].

It is the overflowing mercy for whoever seeks it, believes in Allah, affirms the Messengers, and acts according to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, thereby attaining happiness and making those around him happy. It is the Wise Mercy that grants safety to the fearful and repentant, and restrains the rebellious, tyrannical one who turns away from Allah and oppresses the servants. Part of His mercy to His servants is that He takes revenge on their behalf from those who oppress them, because "There is no barrier/screen between the supplication of the oppressed one and Allah." (Reported by Al-Bukhārī).

Through Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), Allah saved us from unjust systems that punish a person for something they did not commit, punishing a brother for the actions of his brother, a relative for the actions of his relative, or an individual for the actions of a member of his tribe. These systems despised a group of people because of their color, the small number of their kin, their poverty, or the difference in their tongues. Islam came to say to all people: "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you." [Al-Ḥujurāt/13].

There is no classism and no enslavement; rather, life opportunities are equal, the worth of every person is what they excel in, and their goodness is measured by the goodness they bring to people. Islam came to say: "And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another." [Al-An'ām/164)]. Thus, a person is not held accountable for what they did not do, and every person is born free of obligation regarding the rights of Allah and the rights of people.

By the grace of the Mercy Granted, the Law of Allah (Sharī'ah) replaced the systems of ignorance (Jāhiliyyah). People attained happiness through it and lived in its shade as loving equals—in the mosque, the court, and the marketplace—while acknowledging the virtue of those who possess it. Just rulers are closer to Allah than others, knowledgeable scholars who act are respected guiding lights, and generous wealthy individuals are a source of economic strength for their Nation. Everyone who exerts their energy for the sake of their religion and their Nation is valued and respected, for "Whoever does not thank people has not thanked Allah, the Mighty and Majestic."

The birth of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was the birth of the Nation of Sound Knowledge and Gnosis, the Believing Nation. Allah, the Exalted, commanded him: "Read!" and he read, though he was unlettered. His Nation read and strived in all fields of knowledge, until the unlettered Nation became the Nation of Knowledge, the teacher of others. It never hesitated in any field of knowledge nor fell short in seeking understanding. It absorbed what others had, distinguished between truth and falsehood in the light of the Book and the Sunnah, resulting in the growth of truth, the demise of falsehood, and the obliteration of superstitions. The correct steps on the path of science and discoveries began, all due to the blessing of this great Prophet, the possessor of noble character.

Allah encompassed us with His care as an honor to him even before he came into existence. In the year the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) was born, enemies invaded the Holy Ka‘bah, and the Quraysh had no power against them. Allah repelled the People of the Elephant with flocks of birds (Aṭ-Ṭayr al-Abābīl) and made them a lesson for anyone who seeks to violate the sanctity of Allah. This was a clear proof of the care and preservation afforded to the Nation in which the best of all creation was to be born, and we pray to Allah that His Nation remains preserved until the Hour is established.

This is but some of the blessings of the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) with which Allah honored him and which overflowed to his Nation in this world. As for the Hereafter, he is the possessor of the Grand Intercession (Ash-Shafā'ah al-'Uẓmā) on the Day when every Prophet will say: "Myself, myself, I ask You for nothing else." But Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) will say: "My Nation, my Nation, O Lord!" He will intercede and continue to intercede until he is pleased, fulfilling the promise of Allah to him in this world: "And soon will thy Guardian-Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased." [Aḍ-Ḍuḥā/5]. We ask Allah, the Exalted, to make us among those included in this Grand Intercession.

After hearing this account of Allah's favor upon us through the blessing of this great Prophet, it is fitting for us to love him with all love. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his child, his father, and all people." (Reported by Al-Bukhārī and Muslim).

He (peace and blessings be upon him) possessed the human perfections that are loved by those of sound intellect and pure nature.

It is incumbent upon us to rejoice in his birth (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah, the Exalted, says {what means}: " Say: "In the bounty of God. And in His Mercy,- in that let them rejoice": that is better than the (wealth) they hoard." [Yūnus/58].

Undoubtedly, the birth of the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him) is among the greatest favors Allah has bestowed upon us and one of the most abundant blessings He has manifested to this Nation. Thus, we have the right to rejoice in his birth (peace and blessings be upon him).

It is also incumbent upon us to follow his Sunnah and act upon what he brought us. Allah, the Exalted, says {what means}: " Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If ye love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." [Āl 'Imrān/31].

Our tongues should always be moist with sending blessings and peace upon him. Allah, the Exalted, says {what means}: "Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Prophet. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation."[Al-Aḥzāb/56].

O Allah, send blessings, peace, and bestow favors upon our Master Muhammad and upon his family and all his companions. And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.

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Summarized Fatawaa

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the ruling on making up the regular pre-Dhuhr *sunnah* (*al-sunnah al-rātibah al-qabliyyah*) for one who missed it in the Dhuhr prayer?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
Every timed supererogatory prayer (nāfilah) is recommended (mandūb) to be made up if its time passes. As for a nāfilah that precedes the obligatory prayer, performing it before the farḍ is a matter of proper etiquette (adab); if it is prayed after the farḍ, it is still considered adāʾ (performed within its time). If the time of the farḍ has ended, it is recommended to make up (qaḍāʾ) the nāfilah for one who did not pray it.
Whoever misses the sunnah before Dhuhr, whether with an excuse or without one, it is recommended for him to pray it after the obligatory Dhuhr prayer, within the time of Dhuhr, even at its end, and it counts as adāʾ, not qaḍāʾ. It is also recommended for one who missed the pre-Dhuhr sunnah to pray it before the post-Dhuhr sunnah, in observance of the proper order. It is stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik wa ʿUddat al-Nāsik (Vol.1/p.60): "What precedes the obligatory prayer has the same time as the obligatory prayer, and performing it before the farḍ is a matter of etiquette; after it, it is adāʾ. What follows the farḍ has its time begin with the performance of the farḍ and end with the end of its time."
If the time of Dhuhr has ended, it is recommended for him to pray both the pre- and post-Dhuhr sunnahs, and they count as qaḍāʾ for both. It is stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (1/61): "Every timed nafl, such as the ʿĪd prayer, Duha, Witr, and the regular rawātib of the obligatory prayers, if it is missed, it is recommended to make it up forever." And Allah Almighty knows best.

Is there a solution to put an end to thinking of worries during prayer?

Firstly, make ablution after the time for prayer begins and busy yourself with remembering Allah, The Exalted, before the iqaamah (start of prayer).In order to become humbly submissive during prayer, you must perform prayer in congregation. After the prayer ends, stay in your place and read the post-prayer remembrances (Adhkaar) and make supplication to Allah, The Exalted.

What is the ruling on performing the night prayer (*qiyām al-layl*) between the first and second adhān of Fajr? And which is better: delaying the prayer until shortly before the Fajr adhān, or performing it earlier than that?

 

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah.
The time for night prayer (qiyām al-layl) begins after the Maghrib prayer and lasts until the second adhān of Fajr. The best time for it is the last third of the night, and best of all are the fourth and fifth sixths of the night. If the night is divided into two halves, the latter half is better.
Whoever intends to pray at night is encouraged to delay the Witr until he has prayed the night prayer. If he knows that he will not wake up, it is better for him to pray and perform Witr before sleeping, so that he does not miss both the night prayer and the Witr.
It is stated in Mughnī al-Muḥtāj (Vpl.1/p.462): “I say: The voluntary prayer of the night, that is, the absolute voluntary prayer (al-nafl al-muṭlaq), is better than the absolute voluntary prayer of the day, because of the report in Muslim: ‘The best prayer after the obligatory prayer is the night prayer.’ In another narration of his: ‘In the night there is an hour that no Muslim man meets while asking Allah for any good of this world and the next except that He gives it to him, and that is every night.’ It is also because the night is a time of heedlessness. I restricted the voluntary prayer to the absolute kind following the commentator, although what the ḥadīth and the underlying meaning require is that the night rawātib be preferred over the day rawātib, since the jurists preferred the two rakʿahs of Fajr over everything except Witr. The middle of the night is better than its two ends if it is divided into thirds, because heedlessness is greatest then and worship is hardest. If he wishes to pray during some third, the best is the fourth and fifth sixths, based on the ḥadīth in the two Ṣaḥīḥs: ‘The most beloved prayer to Allah the Exalted is the prayer of Dāwūd: he would sleep half the night, stand for a third of it, and sleep for a sixth.’ Then the latter part is better than the first if he divides it into two halves, because of the saying of Allah the Exalted: ‘And in the hours before dawn they would ask forgiveness’ [al-Dhāriyāt: 18], and the report of the two Shaykhs: ‘Our Lord, Blessed and Exalted, descends,’ meaning His command descends, ‘to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains, and says: Who calls upon Me, that I may answer him? Who asks of Me, that I may give him? Who seeks My forgiveness, that I may forgive him?’”
It is also stated in ʿUmdat al-Sālik (p. 60): “It is better to perform it [the Witr] immediately after the sunnah of ʿIshāʾ, unless he has tahajjud, in which case it is better to delay it so that he performs Witr after it. If he performs Witr and then wishes to pray tahajjud, he prays two rakʿahs at a time and does not repeat the Witr, nor does he need to cancel it with a single rakʿah before the tahajjud. It is recommended that he not deliberately pray after it.”
Qiyām al-layl is a term applied to any prayer performed at night. Tahajjud, on the other hand, refers to the night prayer that follows sleep, whether it is prayed after Maghrib or after ʿIshāʾ, or the prayer performed after ʿIshāʾ without sleep. On this basis, the Witr is also called tahajjud, since it is only prayed after ʿIshāʾ.
It is stated in al-Majmūʿ (Vol.4/p.84): “The sound position, as stated in al-Umm and al-Mukhtaṣar, is that the Witr is called tahajjud.”
It is stated in Nihāyat al-Zayn (Vol.1/p.114): “Among the absolute voluntary prayers is qiyām al-layl. If it is performed after sleep, even during the time of Maghrib and after having prayed ʿIshāʾ early (taqdīman), it is called tahajjud.”
And it is stated in Ḥāshiyat al-Bujayrimī ʿalā al-Khaṭīb (Vol.1/p.418): “His statement: ‘(the night prayer)’: the genitive construction (iḍāfah) carries the sense of fī, meaning a prayer in the night. His statement: ‘(it would be more fitting)’: the reason it is more fitting is that the night prayer includes both tahajjud and other prayers.” And Allah Almighty knows best.

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