The Honor of Our Prophet (SAW) | Mufti Abdul Wahab Waheed | Friday Khutbah

The Honor of Our Prophet ﷺ

الحمد لله الذي لا تراه العيون ولا يصفه الواصفون ولا تخالطه الظنون ولا يخشى الدوائر يعلم عدد قطر الأمطار وعدد ورق الأشجار وعدد ما أظلم عليه الليل وما أشرق عليه النهار ولا تواري منه سماء سماءً ولا أرض أرضًا اللهم أنت حق من عُبد وحق من ذُكر وأنت أرحم من ابتُغي وأعرف من ملك وأجود من أعطى وأوسع من سُئل أنت الفرد لا ند لك وأنت الله لا شريك لك كل شيء هالك إلا وجهه لا تُطاع إلا بإذنك ولا تُعصى إلا بعلمك تُطاع فتشكر وتُعصى فتغفر القلوب لك مُفضية والسر عندك علانية الحلال ما أحللت والحرام ما حرمت والدين ما شرعت والأمر ما قضيت العبد عبدك والخلق خلقك والأمر أمرك فأنت الله الرؤوف الرحيم

أَمَّا بَعْد — Allah says in His noble Book:

The Prophet ﷺ said to Abu Sufyan: "O Abu Sufyan, I have come to you with the honor of this world and the goodness of the hereafter. Accept Islam and be safe." (Musnad Ahmad / Sirah literature)

The Prophet ﷺ said: "People are like mines of gold and silver. The best of them in the days of ignorance are the best of them in Islam, when they gain understanding." (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3493; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2638)

Honor Comes from Allah, Not from People

My dear brothers, sisters, elders and youngsters — normally in this world, when we honor an individual, or when we honor a personality, we understand or recognize their honor through the praise of individuals. When people praise someone, we recognize that person to be honorable, we recognize that person to be a person of reverence, of respect, because people are praising that individual. Humans are praising that individual. So because of that individual's praise that is found within the masses, humans are attracted to that person.

My dear friends, imagine an individual, a personality, a human being, whose praise is not limited through the praise of humans, but rather his honor is elevated through the praise of Allah. His honor is elevated through the praise of his Creator. His honor is elevated through: "That We have elevated your praise."

And this was the honor that was embodied within Muhammad Rasulallah ﷺ. That we don't find him to simply be honorable because we speak of him today. How the poet says — no, we have not honored our Prophet because we speak of him, because we embody his sunnah, because we speak of his praise, or because we praise him. Rather our lives have been honored by his sunnah being present within our lives. Our statements become sweet, our tongues become honorable by saying his name ﷺ.

The honor of this man began through the praise of Allah. In the time of Makkah, after the beginning of wahy took place, for some time wahy stopped — for six months, some scholars of seerah say, others say for two years. There was no revelation. And in this time, the people of Makkah started to abuse the Prophet, to clamp down upon him, started calling him names. And then they said to him:

"That your Lord has forsaken you. Your Lord has left you."

The responsibility of honoring believers lies upon Allah. Our honor is not found within the praise of people. Our honor is found within the praise of Allah. Our honor is not found within people knowing us. Our honor is found within Allah recognizing us — where when we speak of Allah, Allah speaks of us.

Allah Loves His Servant — The Hadith of Jibreel

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3209; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2637)

When Allah loves someone, He calls Jibreel. He says, "O Jibreel, I love so-and-so, so you also love so-and-so." And then Jibreel comes down within the heavens and announces that Allah has declared His love for that individual, and all must love this person — until acceptance comes upon the earth.

That our honor is found within Allah recognizing us. So in this moment, where the entirety of his family, the Meccans around him, have turned against him, Allah intervenes. When there is no one to stand up for us, when there is no one to look towards — that is the moment we realize that the only one that we need is Allah.

We turn towards Allah. So Allah says:

We swear by the morning's light. How some mufassirun say: We swear by the beauty of your face — the world has never seen anything similar to it.

The poet says:

The Beauty of the Prophet ﷺ — Testimonies of His Companions

The Mu'min of Ma'bad, رضي الله عنه, says: "When I saw this man —

"I saw a man of a striking appearance, beautifully created — a specimen of creation."

Hassan ibn Thabit, رضي الله عنه, says: When the Prophet of Allah ﷺ entered into al-Madinah al-Munawwarah, the Jews of Madinah came to him. At this time, Hassan was a part of their community. And they said to him: "This man has entered our city and he has taken over. Not only has he taken over the religious authority of our community, he has also taken over the political authority of our community. We want, when this man walks down the hill, for you to say something about him that will blemish his honor, that will tarnish his respect."

So Hassan is standing at the bottom of the hill, waiting for Muhammad ﷺ to walk down. And as he walks down, Hassan looks up and says:

"At the moment I saw the rays of the Prophet's beauty fall upon my eyes, I took my palm and I covered my eyes — not because he was not a beautiful sight to look at. Rather he was the most beautiful sight. But I was afraid that if I were to look at this man for any longer, Allah would snatch my eyesight away."

The great poet Allama Iqbal says: "When we recognize that our honor is contingent within the presence of the Prophet's sunnah being alive in our lives, then truly we have become honorable people. Then the world will work for us; we will not work for the world."

Surah Ad-Duha — Allah's Answer to the Slanderers

"We swear by the night when it covers — the darkness of the night. Your Lord has never left you. Your Lord will never leave you. Rather, your Lord will always be with you."

أَلَا ذُكِرْتُ إِلَّا ذُكِرْتَ مَعِي — "Whenever I am remembered, you will also be remembered."

In Makkah, when people started throwing different abuses towards him and statements of slander, Allah says:

"We know that they have brought tightness into your heart — that you feel tight, you feel like everyone has left you. You don't have to be like Musa, who had to make du'a:"

"No, no — I will honor you:"

The honor of our Prophet did not come from you and I. The honor of our Prophet came from Allah.

"It is through the love and the mercy of Allah that our Prophet was honored."

Surah Al-Kawthar — The Greatest Ummah

In the time of Makkah, when the Prophet lost Qasim رضي الله عنه, Abu Lahab and the people of Makkah and the neighbors started to say: إِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا قَدِ ابْتَرَّ — "Muhammad ﷺ has no lineage, will have no legacy." And they started to taunt him. Once again, Allah intervened and said:

"O Muhammad ﷺ, don't you worry. Have We not given you so much? Have We not given you the greatest nation? Have We not given you the greatest ummah? — that even Prophets would pray that they were a part of this ummah."

Musa عليه السلام supplicates. And when Imam al-Qurtubi, رحمه الله, narrates under the ayah:

— that he sees the virtues of our ummah and says: "O Allah, I see a nation that will come. They will be the last nation to come, but the first to enter Jannah. Make them my ummah." And Allah responds by saying: هُمْ أُمَّةُ أَحْمَدَ — "This is the nation of Muhammad ﷺ."

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6491; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 128)

"O Allah, what a nation! When they intend to do something good — even if they don't do it — they get the reward of it." فَاجْعَلْهُمْ أُمَّتِي — "Make them my ummah." قَالَ: هُمْ أُمَّةُ أَحْمَدَ — "This is the nation of Muhammad ﷺ." Then Musa says: "O Allah, if You will not make me the prophet of this nation, فَاجْعَلْنِي مِنْ أُمَّةِ أَحْمَدَ — make me a part of this ummah."

"Don't put your head down. Don't turn away from what you have to do. Keep moving."

"Keep struggling."

"Those who make an effort. Those who move towards pleasing Allah. They will find that Allah's doors and pathways will always be open for them."

"When they seek Me, they will find Me. When they look for Me, they will find Me."

An Effort-Driven System

Every system in this world, my dear friends, is a result-driven system. That if you work hard, but do not produce results, you will not succeed. It's all about results. If a student going to university says to his professor, "I worked very hard, but I was unable to complete my assignment," the professor will say, "Well, good for you — I worked very hard, but I still have to fail you." When a person goes to work and says, "I was unable to complete my tasks, but I worked very hard" — that doesn't mean anything in this world.

The only system that is not simply result-driven — but rather is effort-driven — is the system of Allah. That even if we are unable, due to the weakness of our abilities, due to the difficulties that surround us and we're engulfed by, even if we are unable to produce similar results — simply because of our effort, فَأُولَٰئِكَ كَانَ سَعْيُهُم مَّشْكُورًا — Allah says their effort will be appreciated. Their effort will be rewarded. Their effort will itself be seen as a form of reward — not just their results, not just what they produced.

The Honor of the Prophet ﷺ in the Hereafter

So the honor of the Prophet was given by Allah. Similarly, the honor that we possess belongs in following the sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ and following the commandments of Allah. And this honor was not limited to this world. In the hereafter, when the entirety of creation will be looking for a source of relief:

The poet says, on that day —

— where everyone will be looking for themselves, for their own benefit, protecting themselves on that day — everyone will be looking around asking who will save us. هُنَاكَ يَقُومُ أَحْمَدُ — then and there, in the masses of people, the Prophet ﷺ will stand up and he will be the source of intercession.

As the narration of al-Tabarani goes — and in Muslim and Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal — all of humanity will go to Adam and say: "O Adam, ask Allah to begin the Hisab." And he will say: أَنَا لَسْتُ لَهَا — "This is not my place." Then they will go to Nuh, then Ibrahim, then Musa, then Isa. Finally the entirety of humanity will come to the greatest of creation, Muhammad Rasulallah ﷺ, and they will say: "O Muhammad, ask Allah to begin the Hisab." And he will say:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 194; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 3148)

"This responsibility, this sharaf, was made for me. I am the master of the children of Adam on the Day of Judgment, and I say this without pride." And then he will go to the Arsh of Allah and fall into sajdah. And Allah will say:

"O Muhammad ﷺ, raise your head. The time of prayer was for dunya. The time of sajdah was for dunya. The time of prostration was for the world. Now — سَلْ تُعْطَ — now it's the time for you to make demands. Now it's the time for you to ask. Now it's the time for you to put your request forward."

Similarly for us — our responsibility is to fulfill our commandments to Allah, so that when the time comes and we raise our hands, there is no barrier between us and Allah.

True Happiness — Deen, Not Dunya

"Say to them, O Muhammad ﷺ" — and this is the only time in the Quran where Allah actually tells us to be happy. Because, my dear brothers and sisters, the goal of this life is not to live a happy life. If the goal of this life was to live a happy life, then there would be no person happier than the Prophet ﷺ. If you uncover the veils of his life, we don't see a happy person staring back at us.

How could you be happy if you buried six of your seven children? How could you be happy if you buried your own mother? How could you be happy if you lost your own uncle? How could you be happy if the world was against you? He was a person of contentment — رِضًا بِالْقَضَاءِ — he was content with the decisions of Allah. You don't see a happy person. The goal of this life is not to be happy. If it happens, then we are content — we are happy with whatever happens with us because it is coming from Allah. But the only time where Allah tells us to be happy is فَبِذَٰلِكَ فَلْيَفْرَحُوا — because Allah has given us deen. Allah has given us the life of the Prophet ﷺ to honor.

They live lives of emptiness and absence and void because they're missing the essential ingredient which makes life worth living — and that is the belief in the akhirah. We don't live for dunya. We live despite of dunya. We live for akhirah.

The Prophet ﷺ was walking through the trenches of Khandaq. He looks towards a group of Sahabas — they're lying down out of hunger. He looks towards another group — they're leaning over. He looks towards another group — they have rocks tied to their bellies. And he starts to say:

"O Allah, there is no life except for the life of the hereafter." If this was a life that we had to live and had to enjoy, then why did our Prophet not enjoy the bliss of this world? Though we are allowed to enjoy — but that is not the only goal of this life. That is not the only objective of this life.

The Transformation of the Sahabah

My dear friends, brothers and sisters — the honor of our Prophet was acclaimed and attested to by Allah. Similarly, the Sahabas recognized that their honor came in following his sunnah. Their honor came in honoring his legacy. Their honor came in abiding by his footsteps.

If we think about it — if we were to turn back the clock of life and look throughout the history of time — it would be difficult to find a group of people that lived in such an unjust society, plagued with societal diseases, drowning in injustices. It was the norm of their time to disrespect their elders. It was the norm of their time to take the wealth of orphans.

It was the norm of their time to bury their daughters. It was the norm of their time to get into wars and disputes for years over the most mundane differences. Aws and Khazraj — for 50 years fighting over small differences. Throughout the history of time, it would be difficult to find a community drowning in injustices like the community before the coming of the Prophet ﷺ.

Such were these people that when the superpowers of the world — the Romans and the Persians — would speak about which land to take over, they would ignore the Hijaz. They would say: "These are people not worth ruling. These are people not worth looking after. They're not worth the headache."

My dear friends — what happened? Over the span of a few years, those same individuals that were seen as not worth ruling became the rulers of the world. What changed? What transformed them?

Was it their excess of wealth? Rather not — though wealth is a factor of honor. Was it the increase in education? Ibn Hajar, رحمه الله, says: at the time of hijrah, there were fewer than 35 Sahabas that knew how to read and write. It wasn't education. It wasn't wealth. What transformed them was the presence of Lā ilāha illallāh, Muḥammadur Rasūlullāh. It changed their outlook on life. It gave them a point of reference — that from today onwards, success is not that which people call success. Success is not what the world sees to be success. Success is what Allah says to be success.

Success in this world — we can argue about it for years. We have people in this world that make billions just defining the meaning of success. Everyone's definition can be different. But the moment we leave this world, no one can argue the definition of success, because the definition of success in the hereafter is Jannah. What transformed the Sahabas to become the leaders of the world was identifying this point of reference — that the point of reference now is Allah, is the legacy of the Prophet ﷺ.

Umar's Entry into Bayt al-Maqdis — The Badge of Islam

When Umar رضي الله عنه entered into Bayt al-Maqdis — when he was invited by Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah رضي الله عنه — they said: "We will give you the keys of Bayt al-Maqdis without a fight, if your leader comes." So Umar enters the camp of the Muslims and prepares to go meet Sophronius and the generals of the Christians. As he's preparing to leave, Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah comes to him and says:

يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، أَيَنَ بَغِي لَكَ أَنْ تُبَدِّلَ ثِيَابَكَ؟ — "Would it be okay for you to just change your clothes? Because you have patches, and they look shabby. It doesn't suit you." — Not in any malicious way, but in an honorable way. "It would look better if you don't dress like this."

How many times have you been told this in America? "It would be better if you don't grow this, and don't wear this. Why don't you just assimilate, so you look like everyone else, and speak like everyone else?" So we respond to them by saying: we are not like everyone else.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 145)

The Prophet of Allah ﷺ informed us that this beautiful religion came into this world as something unique, and it will remain something unique. However, glad tidings to those who are strange — but they are not strange in the eyes of Allah. They may be strange in the eyes of people — that they're performing wudu and praying in the corner of the airport, that they believe in the mi'raj, they believe in the buraq, they believe in the hereafter. "How do you believe in something that you've never seen?" We believe in it because we have been taught to believe in:

— that which there is no doubt — the 'ilm of ghayb that Allah has told us about.

"Your name doesn't suit you. Change your name. You would have better opportunities at work if you change your name. Your lihyah doesn't suit you. Your hijab doesn't suit you." So Umar رضي الله عنه responded to him, and this response was for us — to give us a sense of strength, a strength of confidence:

You know, if you are standing in a room and you have your badge — a badge of where you work, from Amazon, a badge of being an ambassador, a badge of working for a hospital — you wear your badge. And when you stand with your badge on, you feel honorable because people recognize that you work for so-and-so company. My dear friends, the most honorable badge to wear in our life is the badge of being a Muhammadi ﷺ. There is no badge more honorable than people recognizing us as Muslims. There is no badge more honorable than people recognizing us to be in the ummah of the Prophet ﷺ.

So he says: يَا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ، كُنَّا أَذَلَّ النَّاسِ — "O Abu Ubaydah, do you not remember that we were the lowest of people? فَأَعَزَّنَا اللَّهُ بِالْإِسْلَامِ — Allah honored us through Islam. وَلَوِ ابْتَغَيْنَا الْعِزَّةَ فِي غَيْرِ الْإِسْلَامِ لَأَذَلَّنَا اللَّهُ — If we were to search for honor and respect in any other lifestyle outside of that which the Prophet brought, Allah would once again bring disgrace and dishonor to us." Our honor lies in being a part of this ummah.

Rabi' ibn Amir Before Rustam — The Honor of Islam

When Rabi' ibn Amir رضي الله عنه entered the palace of Rustam — the palace of one of the greatest kings — Rustam had beautified his palace with beautiful rugs and cushions. Rabi' ibn Amir was a poor Sahaba. He did not even have a sheath for his sword. So poor, so limited in resources. Yet Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas رضي الله عنه had sent him as the ambassador to speak to one of the greatest kings of the world at that time.

Rustam says to him: "What do you want from us?" And he responds: "We don't want anything from you. You need something from us." They had a hamiyyah, an honor, because of the honor of Islam. He says:

(Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Ibn Kathir; Futuh al-Buldan, al-Baladhuri)

"Allah has sent us to tell you to leave the worship of people and enter into the servitude of Allah. To stop thinking about and stressing about the life of this world and start thinking about the everlasting life of the hereafter. And stop drowning yourself in the different lifestyles that bring injustice, and turn towards the lifestyle of Islam which brings nothing but justice."

This was our honor. And when the Sahabas recognized this, they were ready to give up everything for our deen.

Abu Bakr and the Hijrah — "Can I Be With You?"

Difficult decisions became very easy. When the Prophet ﷺ was preparing for hijrah — and we'll end with this — he came to the house of Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and knocked on the door. Aisha رضي الله عنها opened the door and he asked for the father. They go to the room where the father is sitting. And the Prophet ﷺ says to him: "O Abu Bakr, إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ أَذِنَ لِي فِي الْهِجْرَةِ — Allah has granted me permission to perform hijrah." Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه, the moment he hears this, looks up at the Prophet and says:

"Can I be with you? Can I please be with you?" — Because for them, a moment away from the Prophet was a moment of great trial, a moment of difficulty.

al-Mar'u Ma'a Man Ahabba — You Will Be With Those You Love

One day the Prophet ﷺ was sitting in front of his companions, speaking to them about the gardens of Jannah and the bounties of Jannah. One young Sahaba started to cry. And the Prophet ﷺ looks at him and says: مَا يُبْكِيكَ؟ — "What is making you cry? I am speaking about Jannah, not about Jahannam or qadr. I'm speaking about Jannah. You shouldn't be crying." And the young Sahaba responds: "O Rasulallah, when you speak about Jannah, you speak about different levels. There are levels to Jannah. And I recognize that you will be at the highest level. And I won't be where you are, O Prophet of Allah. What is Jannah without your presence and companionship? And that makes me sad — that I won't be around you in Jannah." And the Prophet ﷺ looks down, then looks back up, and says to him:

"A person will be with those whom they love." Whoever we love in this world is who we will be raised with on the Day of Judgment.

On that day, we will be raised with those whom we love.

Second Khutbah

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي لَا يُرْجَى لِكَشْفِ الشَّدَائِدِ إِلَّا هُوَ، وَلَا يُدْعَى لِرَفْعِ الْمَكَائِدِ إِلَّا هُوَ. لَا وَاجِدَ وَلَا مَاجِدَ إِلَّا هُوَ، لَا حَافِظَ وَلَا نَاصِرَ إِلَّا هُوَ. يُونُسُ فِي بَطْنِ الْحُوتِ حِينَ نَادَاهُ قَالَ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ. يُوسُفُ فِي قَعْرِ الْبِئْرِ حِينَ نَادَاهُ قَالَ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ. إِبْرَاهِيمُ فِي نَارِ الْحَرِيقِ حِينَ نَادَاهُ قَالَ: لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ. وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ.

أَمَّا بَعْد — Allah says in His noble Book:

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Know that this world is a present commodity — both the righteous and the wicked eat from it. And know that the hereafter is a true and certain appointment, judged by a just King." (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4105)

أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ كُلِّ ذَنْبٍ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ.

Closing Du'a

The Prophet ﷺ said: أَرْحَمُ أُمَّتِي بِأُمَّتِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ، وَأَشَدُّهُمْ فِي أَمْرِ اللَّهِ عُمَرُ، وَأَصْدَقُهُمْ حَيَاءً عُثْمَانُ، وَأَقْضَاهُمْ عَلِيٌّ — "The most merciful of my ummah towards my ummah is Abu Bakr. The most firm in the command of Allah is Umar. The most truthful in modesty is Uthman. And the most judicious among them is Ali." And Fatimah رضي الله عنها is the leader of the women of the people of Jannah. And Hasan and Husayn رضي الله عنهما are the masters of the youth of the people of Jannah. رِضْوَانُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ.

أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ