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.
