Achieving Excellence Through Connection to the Quran and Prophet

The Best of This Ummah: Excellence Through Connection to the Quran and the Prophet ﷺ

In the name of Allah, and praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, our Master and Protector, Muhammad ibn Abdillah, and upon his family, his companions, and those who follow him.

When we say that we count ourselves among the ummah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, it is from the sheer mercy of Allah that we were created and brought forth in this ummah.

Anything and everything that is associated to the Messenger of Allah, that thing is the best. Anything and everything that is associated to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is the best. This ummah is the best. Why? Because it is the ummah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

The Prophet is the best. Then the Kitab that Allah sent to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is also the best. The Kitab that is sent to this Prophet is also then the best — the Quran.

It guides towards the most upright. In fact, anyone who associates themselves with the Book of Allah that was revealed to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم becomes the best. As it comes in a hadith of Bukhari, narrated by Uthman رضي الله عنه:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5027)

The best of you are the ones who learn the Quran and teach it. So your association to the Quran makes you the best.

The Rank of the People of the Quran in the Hereafter

In the hereafter, those individuals who memorized the Quran, studied the Quran, who act according to the Quran — Allah will say to them:

(Sunan Abu Dawud, Hadith 1464; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2914)

Recite and elevate, rise in your ranks. Your position will be based on where you recite till. Meaning, for every ayah that you recite, your maqam is getting higher and higher. Your position, your rank will be based on the ayah that you recite. So the best among us are those who associate themselves with the Quran.

Following the Sunnah Brings the Love of Allah

Those who follow the sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, those who try their best to inculcate the life of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم in their own life, they become the beloved of Allah. Allah says in the Quran:

Say, if you love Allah, then follow me. What will be the result of that? Allah will love you. Allah will love you. You simply following the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم brings about the love of Allah.

The Best of All Generations: The Sahaba

Of all the generations in this ummah that have passed, that are here, that are yet to come, the best of this ummah was the Sahaba. As it comes in one narration:

The best of all generations is my generation — the Sahaba رضي الله عنهم أجمعين — then those who come after, then those who come after. Notice that the word khair was used there too. خَيْرُ الْقُرُونِ قَرْنِي. So khairiyya — being the best — was attached to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, to the Quran. The closer the people, the Muslims, lived to the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, to the time of revelation, they became the best. They saw the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, they witnessed the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

So everything and anything that is associated to the Book of Allah, that is associated to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, automatically becomes the best. So as we just saw:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 5027)

Khairiyya is attached to anyone and anything that is attached to the Book of Allah, that is attached to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. The closer a person is to the Book of Allah, the closer a person is to the Messenger of Allah, they become the best.

The Supreme Akhlaq of the Prophet ﷺ

There is no standard in terms of akhlaaq, in terms of ethics and morality, that is better than the standard the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم set forth. Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم himself said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3895; Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3459)

The best of you are those who are the best to their family. And I am the best to my own family. Why? Because of character. The character of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was the most supreme, was the most virtuous. No one can beat the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when talking about character. That became the standard:

It became the standard. The worship of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the akhlaaq of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم — all of these things become the standard for this ummah. And you strive, you try to do your best to become like him. And anyone who does, who strives and tries to become like him, who associates himself to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, he will be the best as well.

So you have the example of the Sahaba رضي الله عنهم, regarding whom Allah says:

Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Allah. What could be a greater achievement than gaining the pleasure of Allah?

What could be a greater achievement than getting the pleasure of Allah? And the pleasure of Allah is achieved by being the greatest worshipper of Allah. Recognizing our own haqiqah, our own reality. Our reality is we are slaves and servants of Allah. So the greatest of you will be the one who demonstrates the greatest ubudiyyah to Allah.

As it comes in the hadith, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself was:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 20; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1110)

He was the most God-fearing of all people. He was the most knowledgeable of all people. He was the most worshipping of all people. As it is narrated by Aisha رضي الله عنها, that Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم at night would stand in prayer so long that his feet would swell, would become swollen, would become bruised. And when asked, "Ya Rasulullah, why do you exert yourself to this degree when Allah has already forgiven you?" — what was the response?

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 4837; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2820)

Shall I not be a grateful servant? And if that is the case — that Allah has given me such a great ni'mah, that all my sins are forgiven — then shall I not show gratitude to Allah? This is my form of showing gratitude to Allah.

The Closest to the Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Judgment

The more a person associates himself with the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the closer they will be to him in the hereafter as well. In a hadith narrated by Ibn Mas'ud رضي الله عنه:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 484)

The closest person to me on the Day of Judgment will be the one who recites the most salawat on me. Just by reciting the most salawat, he becomes the closest to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

For the Sahaba, that was all they wanted. As it comes in other narrations, one Sahabi came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and asked:

"Ya Rasulullah, when will the final hour come?" Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم did not tell him when it would be. This is in the knowledge of Allah.

The knowledge of the Hour is known only to Allah. These are from the keys of the unseen — مَفَاتِيحُ الْغَيْبِ. No one knows, only Allah knows precisely when that final hour comes. But know that it has its own أَجَلٌ مُسَمًّى — its own precise appointed time.

We may not know. That is not the issue. What is more important? What did you prepare for it? So Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم asked the Sahabi: what did you prepare? That is more important.

He said, "Ya Rasulullah, I did not prepare very much Salat, very much Zakat. I did not prepare very much for it. But I know one thing — I love Allah and His Rasul."

So Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم then remarked:

The person will be with whom he loves on the Day of Judgment. Anas رضي الله عنه says that there was no day that was more joyous, more of an occasion of happiness, after the migration of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to Madinah Munawwarah, than this day. Because one thing was for sure — the Sahabi loved Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم.

The Hadith Are Proof of the Sahaba's Love

I often say that the evidence and proof of that — because it is easy to make a claim, it is very easy, especially nowadays, to say anything — but you need proof to back it up. How easy is it to say, "I love Allah and His Rasul"? So easy to say. But what is the proof, the evidence, that the Sahabi truly loved the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم?

You want to see the proof of that? You look at the hadith. The hadith themselves are the proof that the Sahabi loved the Messenger of Allah. There is no man in human history whose actions and statements have been recorded to the degree that this ummah recorded the actions and statements of Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم. No human being.

His actions, his statements, his features. There is a book that is commonly studied in our madaris — Al-Shama'il Al-Muhammadiyyah of Imam al-Tirmidhi رحمه الله, where he brings approximately 400–500 ahadith that pertain to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. He has his own compilation of the sunan that is separate, but then another separate compilation of those ahadith that are specifically focused on the characteristics and attributes of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

And when you go through those ahadith — the hadith of Ali رضي الله عنه, the hadith of Hind ibn Abi Halah رضي الله عنه — that describe the physical features of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the precision with which they describe the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم is amazing.

The Physical Description of the Prophet ﷺ

I do not think there is anybody in our human history who has had people recording every single thing about them. To such an extent — how was the height of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم?

(Al-Shama'il Al-Muhammadiyyah of Imam al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 1)

He was not somebody who was extremely tall, nor was he somebody who was short. He was not somebody who had extremely pale white skin, nor of a darker tone. He did not have extremely curly hair, nor did he have completely straight hair. His hair was somewhere in between — it was wavy.

(Al-Shama'il Al-Muhammadiyyah of Imam al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 7)

أَقْنَى الْعِرْنِينِ — the way his nose was, amazing. His face shone. His face illuminated. It glittered like the moon glitters — the moon shines and illuminates on the 14th night, on a full moon. That is how his face was.

Between his eyebrows there was a vein — لَهُ عِرْقٌ يُدِرُّهُ الْغَضَبُ — that when he would become upset, when he would be angry, you could see it bulge, you could see it come up.

How were his feet? How were his hands? Anas رضي الله عنه says:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3561; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2330)

I have never touched hands softer than the hands of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.

All the hadith — the ibadah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the sabr of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, the way Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم lived — all of it is the evidence that the Sahaba had so much love for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. So much love.

The Du'as of the Prophet ﷺ for Every Occasion

The du'as, the du'as that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم read. When he woke up, Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وسلم taught us this du'a. When he went to sleep, this is the du'a that he taught us. When he ate, this is the du'a that he mentioned. When he finished eating, this is the du'a he mentioned. When he would use the bathroom, this is the du'a he would read. He taught us how to use the bathroom. When he would enter the bathroom, he would enter with his left foot. When he left, he left with his right foot. When he entered the masjid, he would enter with his right foot. When he left the masjid, he would leave with the left foot. When he entered the masjid, he would read this du'a. When he left the masjid, he would read this du'a. Allahu Akbar!

And then, after him, the generations of the Muslims that came — the muhaddithun, the fuqaha — every single thing about the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم they studied. Whether it is Bukhari, whether it is Muslim, whether it is Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Darami — whichever book you want to look at, all of it is an effort to preserve the life of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. And every generation of the Muslims that came, who loved the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم — how do we know they loved him? They did their best to follow him.

The Example of Imam Abu Dawud

It comes about Imam Abu Dawud, whose Sunan is very well-known and mashhoor — that one time he was on a ship. He boarded a ship, but as the ship was leaving, he heard someone sneeze and say, الحمد لله. In the hadith it comes:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 1240; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2162)

That one Muslim has six rights over another Muslim. And among them is تَشْمِيتُ الْعَاطِسِ — that when a person sneezes and says الحمد لله, then you respond by saying يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ.

It was not necessary for Imam Abu Dawud to leave the ship. But what did he do? He left the ship. He boarded a smaller boat — you have larger boats, and then you have smaller boats like row boats that are with the big ship if ever need be — went back on land, said يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ, and then returned.

Why would a person do that? Because they believe — they truly believe — every statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and they hold on to it. Because they know that their salvation — the only way they are going to survive in the hereafter, through all the difficulties and calamities that Allah talks about:

All of these — they know that our salvation through all of that difficulty that will come will only be if we stick to the Quran and we stick to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم.

Closing Du'a

May Allah grant us the tawfiq. May Allah allow us to understand this, and when we love the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, truly demonstrate with our actions and our statements the life of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. For indeed he is:

A mercy to all the worlds. And anyone who follows him, who becomes like him, also then becomes a source of mercy. And our final call is all praise be to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.

Second Khutbah

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him, ask His help, ask His forgiveness, believe in Him and trust in Him. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whom Allah guides, none can misguide, and whom He misguides, none can guide. We bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. And we bear witness that our Master and Protector is Muhammad, His servant and Messenger.

Allah said in His Book — after seeking refuge with Allah from the accursed Shaytan:

O Allah, give strength to Islam and Muslims. O Allah, give strength to those who support the religion of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and make us of them. And leave those who oppose the religion of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, and do not make us of them.

O servants of Allah, may Allah have mercy on you. Allah commands justice, goodness, and giving to relatives, and forbids immorality, evil, and transgression. He warns you that you may remember. Remember Allah, the Most High, the Most Great — He remembers you. Call upon Him, and He will answer you. And the remembrance of Allah is the greatest. And Allah knows what you do.

Announcements

Please pass the donation box from left to right and donate generously. As it is reported by the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, sadaqa wards off calamity.

Due to daylight savings time, from next week onwards, Jumu'ah timings will be as follows: the first Jumu'ah khutbah and salah will be at 12:25 p.m. The second Jumu'ah will be at 1:30 p.m.

Join us on November 6th, this Sunday, for a seminar with Shaykh Hasib Noor titled Islam in the World: Colonialism, Muslim Decline and Revival. That will take place here from 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Registration for our annual Sirah Conference is now open. It will take place November 11th and 12th. You can RSVP at masjidds.org/sirahconference. There are cards available outside as well to fill in. Help us reach our goal of 25 million salawat. As the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 484)

This is a really good opportunity for us to increase in our salawat on the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. You can also register your kids for the Sirah Competition, which will be on November 12th. Prizes will be given for 1st through 3rd place.

Registration for our Winter Intensive is now open. Tickets are available at a reduced price for a limited time. Register yourself and your family at masjidds.org/winter.

Our weekly programs that are continuing: we have Saturday Team Fajr tomorrow — Iqama is at 6:15. We have a Bukhari Dars on Mondays after Isha prayer. We have Tuesday Tafsir with Mufti Azimuddin — we are currently going through Surah al-Anbiya. And a weekly salawat gathering on Thursdays after Isha.

We have representatives from Masjid and Madrassa Jamia Darus Sunnah from Brooklyn, New York visiting us. They purchased a four-story building to meet their growing needs and were obliged to take a qard hasanah of $450,000 to close on the building. They have an urgent need to repay $150,000 of that loan. Please see them on your way out in the courtyard and help however much you can. May Allah make it easier for them.