How to Love the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم - Shaykh Mustafa Abu Rayyan

Khutbah: How to Love the Prophet ﷺ

Alhamdulillah, we praise Him, ask for His help, and ask for His forgiveness. And we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of our souls and from the evil of our deeds. Whom Allah guides, none can misguide him, and whom He misguides, none can guide him.

And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, no partner for Him. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, the purest of His creation and His companion. Allah has sent him to all people as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.

He conveyed the message, fulfilled the trust, and advised the Ummah. And He left us on the white path, its night is like its day. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family and his companions, and whoever follows his guidance and follows his Sunnah and calls to it until the Day of Judgment.

O you who have believed, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims.

O you people, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul, and He created from it a wife, and spread among them many men and women.

O you who have believed, fear Allah, and say the right words. He will correct your deeds and forgive your sins. And whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has won a great victory.

My beloved ones in Allah and in Islam, I advise you and myself to fear Allah and do good. For Allah is with those who fear Him and are doers of good.

The Prophet ﷺ — What He Means to Us

My beloved brothers and sisters, we start by praising the Almighty Allah and sending salawat upon our beloved Messenger Muhammad ﷺ. And speaking of our beloved Prophet ﷺ, I want to use this opportunity in this khutbah today to speak about him — to speak about Rasulullah ﷺ and what he means to us, or what he should mean to us.

لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله is that with which an individual becomes Muslim. The Prophet ﷺ is a core aspect of our faith — believing in him. Without that, you are not a Muslim. Without that, you are not a Muslim.

And without loving him more than anyone else, your iman and your faith is incomplete. And this is something that we have to truly appreciate and understand — that part and parcel of being a Muslim, and part and parcel of being a believer, is that Rasulullah ﷺ is truly, truly more beloved to you than anybody else.

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 15; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 44)

The Prophet ﷺ said: "None of you has truly believed until I am more beloved to him than his parent, his child, and all of mankind."

Meaning your iman is not complete. Until I — the Prophet ﷺ — am more beloved to him or her than their own child. I want you to think about your children right now. No doubt you have great love for them. But your iman will not be complete until you prefer Rasulullah over them. And their parents — no doubt again they are extremely close to you, your mother and father — your iman is not complete until Rasulullah ﷺ is held more dearly to you than your own parents. And all of mankind — no spouse, no friend, no family, no individual in your heart, no human being can be more important to you and more beloved to you than the Messenger. That is, if you want your iman to be complete. If you want your iman to be complete.

Why Should We Love the Prophet ﷺ?

One can ask a very simple question: why? Why should we love the Prophet ﷺ? We should love the Prophet ﷺ because it is a religious obligation. Because Allah says:

That the Prophet ﷺ comes before the believers themselves. Before you, Rasulullah ﷺ comes first. And the reason he is so important is because everything good about you — everything good about this world — was because of Rasulullah ﷺ's message that he brought from Allah. He was a mercy to mankind:

O Muhammad, We have not sent you except as a mercy to mankind.

Everything about us — the way we name ourselves, the way we treat ourselves, the way we worship, the way we behave, and everything that we do — is because Rasulullah ﷺ taught us. Every dhikr that you make, and every prayer that you do, and every good deed you've done, every Umrah you went to, every time you worshipped Allah, every time you made du'a — all of it was because of the striving of the Prophet ﷺ in sharing this message with us.

It was this month — right now, this month that we are in — that the Prophet ﷺ was trekking from Makkah to Madinah in the desert, being chased by his enemies with a bounty of a hundred camels on his head, dead or alive. Rasulullah ﷺ trekking the desert — so that you and I today can bear witness, so that you and I can one day stand in front of Allah and be among those that go to Jannah.

The Prophet ﷺ's main concern was his ummah, his ummah, his ummah. He would stand at night making du'a for you and I:

"Oh Allah, my ummah, my ummah. My people, my people."

The Prophet ﷺ would not only make du'a for you when he was alive. On the Day of Judgment, he will stand in front of Allah on your behalf — saying to Allah: "Ya Allah, anyone from my ummah — regardless of how sinful they were, regardless of how much worship they neglected, regardless of how much haram they committed, regardless of how much haram they consumed, regardless of how much they disobeyed — Ya Allah, anyone in my ummah that said لا إله إلا الله, get them out of the fire."

He will be standing in front of Allah — the day that Allah has never been as angry as He will be on that day — standing in front of Allah so that you and me can go to Jannah. He bled for us. He was hurt for us. He was poisoned for us. He was bullied for us. He saw his family and friends die for us. So that you and me today can say لا إله إلا الله محمد رسول الله.

Rasulullah ﷺ deserves our respect, our honor. He deserves our love. And through his love, we gain the love of Allah. Through his love, we gain salvation.

Knowing Him in Order to Love Him

How can we love him if we do not really know him? Which is why I am calling all of you here today — ensure that you, your family, and your children are learning, reading, watching, or listening about the Prophet ﷺ's life and times. It is life changing. It will solidify your iman. It will get you closer to Allah. You will get a good understanding of the faith and what is required.

Allah is telling us that Rasulullah ﷺ is meant to be an example for us:

Indeed, within the Messenger of Allah lies for you a great example. How are we meant to take him as an example and follow his footsteps if we are not regularly exposed to his actions and his statements? How are we meant to be learning from him if we are not learning from his statements?

We have not been blessed with seeing him. We have not been given the opportunity yet — may Allah allow us to be among those who see him on the Day of Judgment, Ameen. But his statements are available. His Sunnah is available. His way is available. Follow his footsteps.

And if you obey him, you will be guided. All of goodness can be found in loving and obeying the Prophet ﷺ.

The Hadith of the Bedouin: الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ

A Bedouin man came to the Prophet ﷺ one day and said:

"O Messenger of Allah, when is the Hour?" The Prophet ﷺ replied:

"What have you prepared for it?" Forget the time — what have you prepared for Yawm al-Qiyamah? And he said: "I have not prepared many prayers. I have not prepared much charity. I have not prepared much worship. But —"

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3688; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2639)

"But I love Allah and I love Allah's Messenger." The Prophet ﷺ said to him:

"An individual on the Day of Judgment will be with the one he loves." The one he loves. So do a double take on who you love. In your heart, who are you attached to? Because that is who you will be with on Yawm al-Qiyamah.

One of the companions present when he heard this hadith was the great companion Anas ibn Malik رضي الله تعالى عنه. Anas ibn Malik said that day was one of the best days of his life. Because, wallahi, he said: "I love Allah. I love His Messenger. I love Abu Bakr. And I love Umar." What was he hoping? That insha'Allah on Yawm al-Qiyamah he will be resurrected with them and be with them. So if there was ever a reason for us to love them — الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ.

Love Must Be Shown Through Actions

Now, loving — often, people that love each other — what do they say? You can't just say it. You have to show it. I'm sure those of you that are married have heard this before. Talk is cheap. Everyone can say "I love you." But what have you done to show it?

What have we done to showcase our love for the Prophet ﷺ? How eager are we to follow his Sunnah? To fast as he fasted. To pray as he prayed. To worship as he worshipped. To behave as he behaved. How eager are we? And when you hear — often from this minbar — different speakers teaching you a Sunnah: "The Prophet used to do this, the Prophet used to do that, the Prophet used to do the udhiyah on Yawm al-Eid" — how eager are you? "I want to follow the Prophet ﷺ and do as he did, and pray as he prayed, and eat as he ate."

A simple example: each one of us today made Jumu'ah. For Jumu'ah we showered. The Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ was that when he is showering, he would start with the right side. That was his Sunnah. He said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 168; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 268)

"I love to start good things from my right." When he put his shoes on, he would put the right on first. These ahadith were narrated to us from his beloved companions — just for us to know and to act upon. How many of us do that? Something as simple as when we are showering — وَتَبْدَأُ بِشِقِّكَ الْأَيْمَنِ — to start from the right side.

If you can't be bothered to do something as small as that, then don't you dare say "I love the Prophet ﷺ." I'm not saying that you don't — of course you do, we all do — but let's add to that actions. When the Prophet ﷺ would drink, how would he drink? When he would eat, how would he eat? How would he give salam? What was the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ when he enters his home — when he opens the door and enters his home, what did he used to do first? Enter with his right foot, start with the siwak, greet his family with As-salamu alaykum, and read the du'a:

How many of us are so eager to follow his Sunnah? What would he do as he would go on his ride? For our equivalent, it is the car. The Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ is not something you just claim by saying it — "I love the Sunnah, I do the Sunnah." It is something you live by.

And for those of you who think the Sunnah is just acts that are rituals — his Sunnah is also his character. It is Sunnah to smile, not to frown. It is Sunnah to forgive, not to hold grudges. It is Sunnah to have the best character. That is who the Prophet ﷺ was. So if we are going to say we love him, let us not just make that a statement. Let us live by that. Let us try and pray as much as he prayed, and as often as he prayed, and at the quality of his prayer. Rasulullah ﷺ would pray the night prayer — are we praying the night prayer?

I can go all day with examples. الْمَرْءُ مَعَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ — an individual will be with whom he loves. Love is not just something that you claim. It is something that you do. So follow his Sunnah ﷺ. Express your love through your actions.

أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب، فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرحيم.

Second Khutbah: Three Points on Expressing Love for the Prophet ﷺ

الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله. I want to conclude with three points — another way of showing and expressing our faith and our love for the Prophet ﷺ.

First: Worship Only as He Legislated

It is to not worship Allah except in how he legislated. That you do not add anything to this deen, and that you do not invent your own way of worship. Among his right upon us is that we only worship Allah the way he taught us. And there is a qa'idah, a very important principle:

الأصل في العبادة التوقف — the default with worship is that you do not do it. It might sound counterintuitive at first. What do you mean, "don't do it"? The default of worship is: don't — unless you find the Prophet ﷺ telling you to do something and showing you how. That prevents us from doing things our own way and ensures that we are following his way ﷺ — his way that leads to salvation.

If you obey him, you will be guided — you will go to Jannah. The Prophet ﷺ said:

"All of them will go to Jannah except those who refuse." Who will refuse? "Whoever obeys me will enter Jannah, and whoever disobeys has refused to go to Jannah." So obedience is extremely important — obedience to the Prophet ﷺ, following his way, and not introducing newly invented matters.

Second: Sending Salawat Upon the Prophet ﷺ

صلى الله عليه وعلى أهله وصحبه وسلم. Sending salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ seems to be a practice that is dying down. People don't do it enough. Sending salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ is among the most encouraged acts of worship. You should be sending hundreds and hundreds of salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ — if not more. Especially on Friday. But throughout your life, throughout your day, you should be sending salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ. It becomes wajib when he is mentioned ﷺ, but outside of that it is highly recommended.

And what do we get out of sending salawat upon him ﷺ? The Prophet ﷺ said:

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith 408)

"Whoever sends salawat upon me, Allah will send salawat upon him ten times." Now what does that mean — for Allah to send salawat upon you? The word salah, when it comes from Allah, means mercy — الصَّلَاةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ رَحْمَةٌ. That means Allah will show you mercy. And we are desperate for Allah's mercy. So increase your salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ.

In another narration he said:

(Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 484)

"Those who are the most deserving of my intercession are those who often send salawat upon me." So I need all of us — this is a practical thing you can do right now, today after Jumu'ah — I need all of us here to increase the salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ.

Third: On the Mawlid

Finally, it is very much clear to most of you that it is now Rabi' al-Awwal — the time of the Mawlid — and many people are celebrating the birth of the Prophet ﷺ. This is something that many of you have already heard about, so I don't need to spend much time on it. I just want to highlight a few things.

This is not how we show our love to the Prophet ﷺ. The way we show our love to the Prophet ﷺ is what I was speaking about in the majority of the khutbah — that is how we show our love. The Prophet ﷺ has not legislated for the day he was born to be celebrated. He has not legislated that. You cannot find it in one hadith. You cannot find it in one ayah. You cannot find a clear instruction from him to do so. Not only that, none of his companions, nor those who followed them, nor those who came after them did that. It was introduced far later.

And I have no doubt that the intention of many who do so is sincere. But sincere intentions are not enough. Sincere intentions are not enough. You can have all the sincerity in the world, but if you pray facing the wrong direction, Allah will not accept your salah. Why? Because you have to face the qiblah. Similarly, we cannot make our own acts of worship up.

So I would say: that is not how we show the love of the Prophet ﷺ. And the Prophet's advice that he would give every Friday was:

(Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith 4607; Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 2676)

"For those of you that live after me, you will see a lot of dispute, a lot of disagreement." What is a more contentious issue than the Mawlid? You have this mosque saying, let's do it; another mosque saying, let's not. This shaykh saying it's recommended, another saying it's obligatory, another saying it's haram, another saying it's bid'ah.

The Prophet ﷺ said: if you live long, you will see much disagreement. So what is the advice? "Upon you is my Sunnah and the Sunnah of my rightly guided khalifs — Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali — bite onto it with your molars." Meaning: do not let go. When is it most important that you do not move from the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ? When you see a lot of disagreement. Remember the advice: فَسَيَرَى اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِهِ.

Finally, my dear brothers and sisters, just because some people fail in upholding the Sunnah or fall into this bid'ah does not exclude them from being our brothers and sisters in Islam, nor does it exclude us from showing them rahmah, mercy, and kindness. I advise all of you — those that have family or friends, or perhaps yourselves — do not celebrate the Mawlid. This is not how you show love to the Prophet ﷺ. As for those that do, appreciate their intention and their sincerity, and advise them in the best way possible. Explain to them what I have explained, and perhaps they will heed and listen. And if they don't, you try again. They are your brothers and sisters, your neighbors and family — do it with a smile and with kindness.

Even if they bring you food — often we are asked: what do we do with the food? Is it haram or halal? Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه was once presented with sweets, food, and fruits by fire worshippers on the occasion of their holiday called Nawruz. He ate from it — to teach us that the food itself is not haram. He said: avoid the meats, but in the end of the day it is just a gift.

However, there are a few caveats. This shows permissibility — the food is not haram. A chocolate bar will not be haram just because of that occasion, unless it is stolen of course. But it will not be haram simply because of that occasion. However, if you feel that rejecting it would actually send a strong message that will perhaps make them rethink their position, then it is better for you to reject it — maybe you can make that a da'wah point. On the other hand, if you think that accepting it opens a door for you to have a conversation about why you don't celebrate the Mawlid and to advise them, then perhaps it is better to accept it. What will it be based on? The maslaha and the mafsada — what is beneficial and what is harmful in that situation. Look at that situation. The ideal is to not join any gathering where something impermissible is happening. And yes, creating a third celebration alongside the two Eids, imitating the pattern of other celebrations, and creating a bid'ah is impermissible in Islam — no doubt about that. However, when it comes to this particular issue of someone bringing you food, look at that situation. If you find that rejecting it sends a stronger message, do that. And if you find the other way serves better, then do that as well — and there is no harm.

O Allah, O Turner of Hearts, keep our hearts firm upon Your obedience. O Allah, grant our souls their taqwa and purify them — You are the best of those who purify, You are their Guardian and Master. O Allah, grant victory to Islam and the Muslims and the oppressed in every place, O Lord of the Worlds. O Allah, show us the truth as truth and grant us the ability to follow it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us the ability to avoid it.

وَآخِرُ دَعْوَانَا أَنِ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ.