
Why Salah Is Prayed In A Specific Motion? Wisdom of Performing it in Groups?
This Article Has Been Translated
Hindi
From the Realities of Mawlana (Q) as taught by Shaykh Nurjan Mirahmadi
A’uzu Billahi Minash Shaitanir Rajeem
Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem
I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the rejected one
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil ‘aalameen, was salaatu was salaamu ‘alaa Ashrafil Mursaleen, Sayyidina wa Mawlana Muhammadul Mustafa ﷺ. Madad ya Sayyidi ya Rasulul Kareem, Ya Habibul ‘Azeem, unzur halana wa ishfa’lana, ‘abidona bi madadikum wa nazarekum.
“Atiullah atiur Rasul wa Ulil amre minkum.” Always a reminder for myselfana abdukal ‘ajeezu, dayeefu, miskinu, zhalim, wa jahl but for the grace of Allah (AJ) that we’re still in existence.
أَطِيعُواللَّه وَأَطِيعُوٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ… ﴿٥٩﴾
4:59 – “…Atiullaha wa atiur Rasula wa Ulil amre minkum…” (Surat An-Nisa)
“… Obey Allah, Obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you…” (The Women, 4:59)
Real Guidance and Love of Prophet ﷺ is a Gift From Allah (AJ)
Alhamdulillah Allah (AJ) granted for us to follow these ways of ma’rifah (Gnosticism) and this way of Divinely guidance. Whom Allah (AJ) guides is rightly guided and whom Allah (AJ) doesn’t guide is not guided.
وَقَالُوا الْحَمْدُ لِلَّـهِ الَّذِي هَدَانَا لِهَـٰذَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِنَهْتَدِيَ لَوْلَا أَنْ هَدَانَا اللَّـهُ ۖ لَقَدْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالْحَقِّ… ﴿٤٣﴾…
7:43 – “…wa qalo Alhamdulillahi al ladhee hadana lihadha wa ma kunna linahtadiya lawla an hadana Allahu, laqad jaa at Rusulu Rabbina bil Haqqi…” (Surat Al-A’raf)
“… And they will say, Praise be to Allah, who has guided us to this [joy and happiness]; and we would never have been guided if Allah had not guided us. Certainly the messengers of our Lord had come with the truth…” (The Heights, 7:43)
So it’s an immense gift from Allah (AJ). And this love for Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ is the greatest gift that Allah (AJ) grant this ishq (love) and this yearning within the heart to move towards His Divinely realities.
The Dress of 3 Holy Months – Rajab, Sha’ban and Ramadan
The secret of the heart, the secret of the Divinely heart that in this holy month, these are the three holy months that we are drawing near into the Divinely heart.
i) Rajab:
Rajab; Allah (AJ) – a secret wanting to be known and what we call the Divine heart.
قَال رَسُولَ اللَّه ﷺ، قَالْ اللَّه عَزَ وَجَلْ: ” كُنْت كَنْزاً مخفيا فَأَحْبَبْت أَنْ أُعْرَفَ؛ فَخَلَقْت خَلْقاً فَعَرَّفْتهمْ بِي فَعَرَفُونِي.” [حَدِيثْ اَلْقُدْسِي – بِحَارْ اَلْأنْوَارْ، اَلْعَلَامَةْ اَلْمَجْلِسِيْ، جُزْء ٨٤، صَفْحَة ١٩٩]
Qala Rasulallahi ﷺ, Qala Allah (AJ): “Kuntu kanzan makhfiyya, fa ahbabtu an a’rafa, fa khalaqtu khalqan, fa ‘arraftahum bi fa ‘arafonee.” [Hadith al Qudsi – Behar al Anwar, Al ‘Alama al Majlisi, Juz’ 84, Safha 199]
“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said, that Allah (AJ) said: I was a hidden Treasure then I desired to be known, so I created a creation to which I made Myself known; then they knew Me.” [Holy Hadith – Bihar al Anwar, by Al ‘Alama al Majlisi, Volume 84, Page 199]
So there’s the immense secret of Rajab in which Allah (AJ) claims that, ‘This month is My month.’ Every month is Allah’s (AJ) month, but there’s a special gift drawing your attention that – don’t let Rajab pass as if it was just any other time. Allah (AJ) put His name to the month to draw our attention that, ‘I reward you.’ In that month fast, pray, give, do every goodness and increase your ‘ibadah (worship) because there’s an immense reality.
ii) Sha’ban:
Then comes the holy month of Sha’ban in which the manifestation that Allah (AJ) without wanting to be known, begins to get known through the reality and the opening of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. Where Prophet ﷺ described, ‘I am from Allah (AJ) and creation is from me, from my light. I am from the light of Allah (AJ), and creation is from my light’.
قَالَ رَسُولَ اللَّه ﷺ: ” أَنَا مِنَ اللَّهِ ، وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ مِنِّي ” (حديث مرفوع)
Qala Rasulullahi ﷺ:“Anna minAllahi, wal muminoona minni” [Hadith Marfo’]
“The Messenger of Allah, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: I am from Allah, and the believers are from me.”
It means that Allah (AJ) wanting to be known – that Divinely heart of Rajab. Then Prophet ﷺ draws our attention that, ‘Sha’ban is my month.’ Now pay special attention to Sha’ban because there’s a Muhammadan gift in that holy month coming to souls. And awliyaullah (saints) come to teach through that ma’rifah that Allah (AJ) is a hidden treasure. That La ilaha illAllah are the dresses and secrets of Rajab, but Allah (AJ) wants to be known and Allah (AJ) can only be known through creation. So there is no sharik – there is no partner with Allah (AJ). We’re not located in the same space with Allah (AJ). So Allah (AJ) creates an ocean of creation, a light of creation in which every creation is in that light and that light is called Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ.
Say, ‘Oh but Shaykh I thought that was the form’. No, the word of light comes before the world of form. Right? The world of light is ancient. The world of form is a time. How many hundreds of millions of billions of years! That’s not when Allah (AJ) began creation. It’s just a timed creation. So means pre-eternal is the Divinely reality. Wanting to be known is the world of light – malakut (heavenly realm). And all of it is in one ocean because Allah (AJ) is the power for the entirety of the ocean. That is real tawheed (oneness). Right? Because the kalimah (testimony) is “La ilaha illAllah Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ” (There is no deity but Allah and Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah).
لَا إِلَهَ إلاَّ اللهُ مُحَمَّدٌا رَسُولْ الله
“La ilaha illallahu Muhammadun Rasulallah”
“There is no deity but Allah, Prophet Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.”
La ilaha illAllah – there is no creation there. It specifically explains itself; there is nothing but Allah (AJ). But the kalimah is not complete without Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. Then all creation will manifest from that reality. So Sha’ban, Shab al Bara’ah (Night of Salvation), the Night of Forgiveness, spiritual new year has to do with the light of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ, has an immense reality and immense gift.
iii) Ramadan:
Then Prophet ﷺ draw our attention to the holy month of Ramadan in which is what? The Adamic light!
رَجَبٌ شَهْرُ اللَّهِ، وَشَعْبَانُ شَهْرِي، وَرَمَضَانُ شَهْرُ أُمَّتِي
Rajabu shahr ullahi, wa Sha’banu shahryi, wa ramadanu shahru Ummati
Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha’ban is my month, and Ramadan is the month of my followers.
That, Prophet ﷺ is from the Divinely light and all creation is manifesting from the light of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. From that one ocean Allah (AJ) is bringing all creation and it’s still within that one ocean. It’s not outside of it – all within that ocean. Ramadan is then the Adamic heart where we receive the gifts of our existence. Where Allah (AJ) is a hidden treasure wanting to be known and Isra wal Mi’raj (Night Journey and Ascension) is that Allah (AJ) will be known to the physicality of Prophet ﷺ.
That’s why the Mi’raj (Ascension) is in Rajab. That come to know the reality of La ilaha illAllah and your place and your reality as the reflection of that Divinely Presence known as Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. And what Allah (AJ) wants to give as a gift to the nation is in Ramadan. That, ‘I want you to receive the dress of Rajab, I want you to receive the dress of Sha’ban. From La ilaha ilAllah I want you to receive that dress, the secrets of it. I want you to receive the secrets of Sha’ban and Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ.’
So Allah (AJ) granted for us Ramadan, in which the only way to achieve those realities was siyam (fasting). Because we have no fast, we have no ‘ibadah that we can do, no prayers that we can do, no donation that we can give, no Hajj (pilgrimage) that we can go to that would give us this reward. Allah (AJ) then gave an immense blessing that, ‘Fast Ramadan and the gift comes directly from My Divinely Presence again with no intercessor, that you’re fasting for Me’. And awliyaullah come to explain from the heart of Prophet ﷺ – we’re fasting to receive those gifts what came in Rajab. And the lights and the Divinely favors that Allah (AJ) is dressing every Ramadan is a dress that we’re receiving from Rajab.
Every Rajab Allah (AJ) expanding the oceans of reality upon the reality of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. That’s why they describe it’s like a seed being planted.
Sha’ban comes – it’s the watering and now the seed beginning to be known. Because Allah (AJ) plants the desire in Rajab, ‘I want to be known, I’m a hidden treasure’. Sha’ban is now the seedling is showing itself. All creation will be known by that reality. It will begin to manifest.
And Ramadan is the gift for creation, that you will come to know your reality, the gifts and the dress upon your soul. And the only way that you can achieve it is by fasting. This is the immense gift of Ramadan that as soon as we enter into siyam, Allah (AJ) is dressing. Dressing all the blessings, all the immense lights, all the immense realities.
The Gift of Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power) is to Be Dressed by Prophet’s ﷺ Mi’raj
And even gave such a gift that, ‘What I gave to Prophet ﷺ on the Mi’raj of Rajab, I’m going to dress his nation from that secret on the Laylatul Qadr of Ramadan.’ Why Laylatul Qadr has so much power? Because it’s the gift of the Mi’raj in which whatever Prophet ﷺ receives from Allah (AJ) he wants for his nation. That was always the character, ‘Ummati (my nation), ummati.’ So he’s asking Allah (AJ) ‘Ya Rabbi what you’re granting me that I’m always in an eternal Mi’raj into Your Divinely Presence.’ And Allah (AJ) is eternally expanding that reality, creation is eternally expanding and Prophet ﷺ is eternally moving into that reality.
So there’s a Mi’raj at every second and microsecond. As this entire created universe expands, the reality of Prophet ﷺ is moving to understand it and enter into it. And every Laylatul Qadr is the dress from that ocean. That, ‘Your nation that you want them to be dressed by these realities of “Qaaba qawsayni aw adna” but they’re not capable of through their worshipness to achieve these. They don’t worship like that. I grant for your nation Ramadan. That they enter into 30 days of fasting’.
فَكَانَ قَابَ قَوْسَيْنِ أَوْ أَدْنَىٰ ﴿٩﴾
53:9 – “Fakana qaaba qawsayni aw adna.” (Surat An-Najm)
“And was at a distance of two bow lengths or nearer [to the Divine Presence].” (The Star, 53:9)
And as soon as they begin to fast, the gift is coming from Allah’s (AJ) Divinely Presence. Again, no intercessor, no angel, no one knows what Allah (AJ) is bestowing.
Mi’raj of the Believers is into Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ
Whom Allah (AJ) guides to these haqqaiqs and these realities as soon as they know, their soul is asking, ‘Ya Rabbi whatever You’re going to grant for Ramadan alhamdulillah but Ya Rabbi grant us from these realities of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ, grant us from what You’re granting on Isra wal Mi’raj. That as Prophet ﷺ is going to be again being dressed on this 27th of Isra wal Mi’raj that grant for us a continuous Mi’raj.’
Because as Prophet ﷺ is entering in to the realities, approaching La ilaha illAllah then his nation with ishq and muhabbat (love) their Mi’raj is into Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. If they don’t keep teaching the adab (manners) and you think that you’re going into La ilaha illAllah and moving towards Allah (AJ), what happened? Your mind and your ego thinks, ‘No more of Prophet ﷺ! I am now like that, I’m going.’ So they have to keep teaching the adab that know your place and stand at it. Your place is not there!
Knowledges of Realities Have a Power upon the Soul
That’s why they say, ‘Oh why you teach these high level haqqaiqs (realities)?’. Because knowledge has power and the knowledge sets you free. It’s not an empty knowledge. How many times you want to teach wudu (ablution)? But these knowledges of haqqaiq they have a power upon the soul. They show the immensity that you are never going to be near La ilaha illAllah, you are in the ocean of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ.
Wisdom of Praying in Congregation and Why our Prayer has An Imam (Religious Leader)
That’s why Allah (AJ) made our salah (daily prayer) with an imam. He could have made us a nation with no imam that prayer time come everybody make your own lines and pray. Why imama, imamiyah? Why? Because it’s a reminder of our ultimate imam is Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ. And when you’re in the jama’ah (congregation), because it’s wajib (mandatory) to seek out a jama’ah to pray your prayers in congregation. Why? Everything is a learning, it’s not just it’s there. So when we ask people, ‘Why is jama’ah? Why you have to pray in jama’ah?’ There was a hikmah (wisdom)! Why is the reward multiplied in jama’ah? Because Allah (AJ) wants you to seek the hikmah.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: “صَلَاةُ الْجَمَاعَةِ تَفْضُلُ صَلَاةَ الْفَذِّ بِسَبْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ دَرَجَةً” صَحِيحُ الْبُخَارِيِّ ٦٤٥
‘An ‘Abdillahi ibni ‘Umar, anna Rasulallahi ﷺ qala: “Salatu al-jama’ati tafdulu salata al-faddi bisab’ain wa ‘ishrin darajatan.”
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said, “The prayer in congregation is twenty-seven times superior to the prayer offered by person alone.” [Sahih al Bukhari 645]
Elect a Good Imam!
The hikmah of jama’ah is that when you’re in jama’ah what you do it doesn’t even matter. For those who like shari’ah (Divine Law), let’s talk about shari’ah. The haqqaiq of the shari’ah is that it’s the imam’s prayer that counts. Nobody goes with the speaker to say, ‘What exactly did you recite?’ You’re supposed to recite silently as he’s reciting to yourself; khafi. But Allah (AJ) is not looking to the congregation. The law of the congregation, it rests upon the imam and that’s why Prophet ﷺ described, ‘Elect a good imam because he’s going to be representing you in that salah.’ If you elect a corrupted one to pray, he takes the whole jama’ah into that corruption. So it was stressing the importance – it’s not about you. Don’t put any importance on yourself, it’s about the prayer of that imam. And then elect the best one, cleanest one, the one whom has khushiya (softness of heart) and sincerity because he’s about to represent you in Allah’s (AJ) Presence. So that to show us we’re in the ocean of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. That’s in salah, all our religion is based on salah.
Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ is Our Ultimate Imam
Once you understood the salah, then you understand you’re in an ocean like a congregation. And who Allah (AJ) is looking to in that ocean is the ultimate imam, the khalifa (representative). Allah (AJ) is looking to Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ and he’s ﷺ the one that’s praying to Allah (AJ) and all creation exists within that reality. Just like in this room, Allah (AJ) is not going to each person, ‘What you said? Your recitation was not correct.’ Otherwise, they would have made referees in Islam. They would come up and down the aisles say, ‘Oh akhi (my brother) what you’re saying?’ They try to do it before the prayer begins, ‘Move your foot here, move your foot there’. No! You’re taught that recite and different mazhab (school of Islamic law) after they recite Fatiha, Imam Shafi (Q) said that he should wait and then the jama’ah should recite Fatiha [Surat Fatiha] silently to themselves. Hanafi doesn’t have that.
But the congregation is showing and the usool (principle) of the congregation has an immense haqqaiq. So that you understand in the ultimate congregation, in the presence of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ, you’re nobody to be looked at. Allah’s (AJ) looking to Prophet ﷺ. So means awliya (saints) come in our lives and say, ‘Know who you are. Know your limit and stand by it!’ Don’t let shaitan (satan) come to you think you’re something special. And that you and Allah (AJ), you’ve got some sort of a deal going and its La ilaha illAllah and you. But to know your place by its haqqaiq and its reality. That it’s La ilaha illAllah and Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ.
So you pick your imam according to the sunnah (traditions of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) because he is the Muhammadan representative. Right? So he has to be the one with the longest beard, the most in sunnah because he’s a Muhammadiyoon, traditionally he’s representing Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ, the mimbar (pulpit) of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.
So means all of the usool is teaching us a much greater reality. That, in Divinely Presence if Allah (AJ) has us praying like this on dunya (material world), what do you think the prayer in heavens is like? Is Allah (AJ) coming and saying, ‘What are you say reciting exactly? How is your qira’at (recitation)? What you’re doing?’ It’s enough that you’re standing and moving behind Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and carrying entire universes in that salah.
Why Allah (AJ) Made the Prayer to Be in Huroof (Arabic Letters) of Nabi Ahmad ﷺ [احمد]?
And as a result of that Allah (AJ) made the salah, for somebody who would have a doubt and maybe didn’t understand the usool, He made it in the huroof of Nabi Ahmad [احمد] ﷺ. Your salah;
-
- Standing is a alif.
- Soon as you go into ruku’ (bowing), it’s ha.
- As soon as you go into sujood (prostration), it’s meem.
- Attahiyat (sitting on knees during prayer) is daal.
You pray in the huroof of ‘Ahmad [احمد] ﷺ’ to remind the nation because Arabs know their huroof. Why Allah (AJ) has us making these shapes of the huroof? To remind that, ‘Oh, from the nation of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ that you are. Your imam is Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ, you are within the ocean of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ’. As a result of that immensity, they begin to understand that, ‘Ya Rabbi that we are from the ocean of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ.’
Surrender Your Bad Character to Be a Muhammadiyoon
If we do it right and we have a ishq and we have a love and you surrender yourself, surrender your character, surrender the wildness in which He gave your Adamic reality – “La ilaha illa anta Subhanaka, innee kuntu minazh zhalimeen,” what happens if you surrender yourself? You become Muhammadiyoon.
لَّا إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا أَنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنتُ مِنَ الظَّالِمِينَ ﴿٨٧﴾…
21:87 – “… La ilaha illa anta Subhanaka, innee kuntu minazh zhalimeen.” (Surat Al-Anbiya)
“…There is no god/diety except You; Glory to you: Indeed I have been of the wrongdoers/Oppressor to Myself!” (The Prophets, 21:87)
Because the character of Prophet ﷺ to dress you, the ishq and the love that ‘You’ll be with whom you love,’ his ﷺ love dresses you, grants you from his ﷺ character. So much so that you become Muhammadiyoon in which Allah (AJ) is pleased to look at you now.
“عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: … فَقَالَ (رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ): ” أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ.
[اَلْمَصْدَرْ: مُسْلِمْ:٧٥٢٠]
“‘An Anasin (ra): … Faqala (Rasulullahi) ﷺ: Anta ma’a man ahbabta.”
“Narrated Anas ibn Malik (ra) that …the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: You will be with whom you love.” [Source: Muslim 7520]
The Belief of Satan Which Got Him Out of Heavens
When they understood the haqqaiq then they don’t ever keep thinking that they’re right in the presence of La ilaha illAllah because it’s tark al adab (leaving manners) which those other people want. Because when they visit Madina they keep telling you, ‘Turn your back’. Yeah, ‘How I turn my [back] what are you talking about? Allah’s (AJ) going to smack make both of us.’ There’s never that reality. Allah (AJ), La ilaha illAlllah it’s Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ and we’re all behind. When they understood it, is burned into the heart. It’s their adab. Without the haqqaiq people don’t know the adab and then their brain keeps tricking them, ‘It’s you and Allah (AJ), you and Allah (AJ),’ because this is shaitan’s aqidah (belief). Right? Shaitan didn’t want any anything from Adam (as) and the descendants of Adam (as). He said, ‘Between me and Allah (AJ) nothing!’ Well, you see where that got him. Got him thrown out.
Allah (AJ) is Closer to Us Than Our Jugular Vein
So it means the aqidah for us, the true belief is La ilaha illAllah Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. When you know that, you stand by it and in everything we do, has its reality. And Allah (AJ) describe, ‘I’m closer to you than your jugular vein.’ We described that Hadith too and that Qur’anic ayah (verse) that Allah (AJ) is giving that as a ayatul Qur’an is for a danger for them. ‘I’m closer to you than your jugular vein. I’m going to hold you to account of that ayatul kareem (the generous verse of Holy Qur’an) that why you don’t know Me? I’m so close to you.’
وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ ﴿١٦﴾ …
50:16 – “…wa Nahnu aqrabu ilaihi min hablil wareed.” (Surat Qaf)
“…and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein.” (The Letter Qaf, 50:16)
And they will never know Allah (AJ) until what? Until they understand they are behind Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ and they come with good adab, good manners, good love. Then Prophet ﷺ gave them, ‘You’ll be with whom you love’.
عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ: … فَقَالَ (رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ): أَنْتَ مَعَ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَ.” [اَلْمَصْدَرْ: مُسْلِمْ:. ٧٥٢٠ ]”
“‘An Anasin (ra): … Faqala (Rasulullahi) ﷺ: Anta ma’a man ahbabta.”
“Narrated Anas ibn Malik (ra) that …the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said: You will be with whom you love.” [Source: Muslim 7520]
Muhammadun Dress Brings You Closer to the Reality of ‘La ilaha illallah’
Who’s the best love? Prophet ﷺ! If he’s with you, dressing you, blessing you now you’re close to La ilaha illAllah because you’re in the dress of Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. At that time Allah’s (AJ), ‘You now understand how close you are to Me.’ Otherwise, that’s a rope for someone’s neck. For everything they did wrong, and they keep quoting that ayatul kareem [Qur’an, 50:16], ‘You don’t need a guide, you don’t need this, Allah’s (AJ) closer to you.’ Allah (AJ) says, ‘It’s going to be a rope for you.’ Because Allah’s (AJ) going to ask that servant, ‘How you do all these things and you were telling people I’m closer to you than your jugular vein?’ Awliya come and say, ‘Ya Rabbi we are ignorant people. We’re just struggling to clean ourselves. But if You admit us into this ishq and this love and Prophet ﷺ dresses us, blesses us, cleans us, gives us the khulq and the character that pleasing to Allah (AJ),’ then with this Muhammadun dress you are now closest to the reality of La ilaha illAllah and that becomes the great gift and the great bounty.
The Love of Prophet ﷺ Perfects Our Inside and Brings Good Character
This ishq and this muhabbat is immense and the good character comes from the love and the ishq of Prophet ﷺ. And it’s not something we can accomplish. It’s not through charity, it’s not through Hajj, make 20 Hajj. It’s not through all of the actions we do through our physicality. But this one vehicle in which Allah (AJ) gave to us, says, ‘Clean it, purify it, make it My house and who loved My house the most? Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ.’ So means it’s going to be filled with the ishq and the love of Sayyidina Muhammad ﷺ and then his light is ‘hudan’ – comes as a guidance. His light comes as a warning. His ﷺ light comes to perfect the character inside then out. Not outside; outside perfected character are dangerous people. They look good, evil inside. Right? But this way is based on inside-out.
Inside has to have an immense ishq, immense love. As a result of that love, the inside is filled with Muhammadun Rasulallah ﷺ. Where in hadith is this? This is in the hadith when Prophet ﷺ was describing to Sayyidina Umar al Farooq (as), ‘Ya Umar, you have to love me more than you love yourself, your father and your brother.’ This is called iman (faith). ‘Iman.’
وَعَنْ عُمَرَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ قَالَ: فَوَجَدْتُ نَفْسِي أَقُولُ: وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنِّي أُحِبُّكَ! فَقَالَ لَهُ اَلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ: ” أَكْثَرَ مِنْ أَهْلِكَ يَا عُمَرُ؟” قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ ﷺ: ” أَكْثَرَ مِنْ مَالِكَ يَا عُمَرُ؟” قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ ﷺ: ” أَكْثَرَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ يَا عُمَرُ؟” قَالَ: لَا
“فَقَالَ اَلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ: “لَا يَا عُمَرُ، لَا يَكْمُلُ إِيمَانُكَ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ
“يَقُولُ عُمْرٌعَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ: فَخَرَجْتُ فَفَكَّرْتُ. ثُمَّ عُدْتُ أَهْتَفُ بِهَا: وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَأَنْتَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ نَفْسِي. فَقَالَ اَلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ: ” اَلْآنُ يَا عُمَرُ اَلْآنَ
صَحِيحُ الْبُخَارِيِّ، الْمَجْلَدُ الرَّابِعُ، رَقْمُ الْحَدِيثِ ٥٩٤
Wa ‘an ‘Umar (as) qala: “Fawajadtu nafsi aqoolo: Wallahi ya Rasulullahi, inni uhibbuka!
Faqala lahu anNabiyu ﷺ: “Akthara min ahlika ya ‘Umar?” Qultu: Na’am. Qala ﷺ: “Akthara min malika ya ‘Umar?”, Qultu: Na’am. Qala ﷺ: “Akthara min nafsika ya ‘Umar?”, Qala: La.
Faqala anNabiyu ﷺ: “La ya ‘Umar, la yakmulu imanoka hatta akuna ahabba ilayka min nafsika.”
Yaqoolo ‘Umar (as): Fakhrajtu fafakkartu. Thumma ‘udtu ahtafu biha: Wallahi ya Rasulullahi la anta ahabbu ilayya min nafsi. Faqala anNabiyu ﷺ: “Alan ya ‘Umar, alan.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Majladu al-Rabi’o, Raqm al-hadith 594]
Narrated by Sayyidina ‘Umar (as) that he said: “I found myself saying, ‘By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, I love you!’ The Prophet (pbuh) said to him, ‘Is it more than your love for your family, O ‘Umar?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He (pbuh) said, ‘Is it more than your love for your wealth, O ‘Umar?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Is it more than your love for yourself, O ‘Umar?’ He said, ‘No.’
The Prophet (pbuh), said, ‘No, O ‘Umar, your faith will not be complete until I become more beloved to you than your own self.’ Sayyidina ‘Umar (as) said: So I went out and thought. Then I returned and shouted, ‘By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, you are more beloved to me than myself.’ The Prophet (pbuh) said, ‘Now, O ‘Umar, now [you got it].’ [Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 4, Hadith #594]
So how can anyone have iman when they don’t love Prophet ﷺ more than they love themselves? That’s the reality – is that love has to be within us. That’s what grants us faith as a result, good character.
Prophet’s ﷺ Holy Nazar (Gaze) Brings Us Closer to Divinely Presence
If Prophet ﷺ is with you, “Shahidan, Mubashshiran wa Nazeeran.”
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرًا وَنَذِيرًا ﴿٤٥﴾۔
33:45 – “Ya ayyuhan Nabiyu inna arsalnaka Shahidan wa Mubashshiran wa Nazeera.” (Surat Al-Ahzab)
“O Prophet, indeed We have sent you as a Witness and a Bearer of Glad Tidings and a Warner.” (The Combined Forces, 33:45)
Allah (AJ) describes in Holy Qur’an that Prophet’s ﷺ characteristics is that,
-
- Shahidan – He’s witnessing you;
- Mubashshiran – filling you with blessings and lights and emanation;
- Nazeeran – guiding you and inspiring you from what you’re doing wrong to do what is good.
The immensity of that reality so that we draw near to Allah (AJ). We pray that Allah (AJ) dress us from these blessings, grant us from these lights. They enter within our heart. That, Prophet’s ﷺ nazar be upon us and that correct our wrongs, perfect our lights and present us to Allah’s (AJ) Divinely Presence.
Subhana rabbika rabbal ‘izzati ‘amma yasifoon, wa salaamun ‘alal mursaleen, walhamdulillahi rabbil ‘aalameen. Bi hurmati Muhammad al-Mustafa wa bi siri Surat al-Fatiha.
Special thanks to our transcribers for their help with transcribing this suhbah.
Original Date of Suhbah: January 26, 2023
Article Updated: January 8, 2025
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