Loving the Prophet Muhammed ﷺ

Loving Muhammad ﷺ is not fanaticism but rather a duty upon the believers. We cannot love Allah ﷻ without loving what was the most beloved to Him.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“‏ لاَ يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ ‏“

“None of you will attain true faith until you love me more than your parents, your children, and the entire world.” [Al-Bukhari]

Hadhrat Umar ibn Al-Khattab RA known for his honesty and straight forwardness, once said to the Prophet ﷺ, “O Rasoolullah! I love you more than anything except myself.” The Prophet ﷺ commented that his emaan [faith] was incomplete. He had to love the Prophet even more than his own self. ‘Umar RA came back and said, “O Rasoolullah! Now I love you more than myself.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Al aan (meaning now you have attained the complete faith).”

The Ummah, today, claims to love the Messenger ﷺ. But the truth is that you cannot love someone without knowing them. Love without any information about the person is shallow. You have to immerse yourself in the life of the beloved to truly love them. You have to learn what they like, what they despise, how they deal with other people, how they deal with their own family, etc. So our claims about our love for Muhammad ﷺ are largely untrue.

The Companions RA truly loved him. They would not leave his side for as long as he lived. They loved sitting in his gatherings, being with him, asking him questions, abiding by his instructions and so on. They learned a lot about him just by being with him; their love for him was not a verbal declaration but real love.  The Companions RA would not let the ablution water of the Prophet ﷺ to fall on the ground. They would rush to catch the droplets and rub it on their bodies.

Sohail ibn Amr, the negotiator of the Treaty of Hudaybiyah said: I have visited the Roman emperor. I have visited the Persian emperor, I have visited Negus – the king of Abyssinia, but I have never in my life seen a leader that is so loved and respected by his followers like Muhammad ﷺ. I have seen nothing like that in the world. He said about the Companions RA that they were the people who never gave up their leader. They would sacrifice their comfort and lives for him. True love demands sacrifice and inconveniences and the Companions proved that.

Following the Best Example 

We have already read the ayah where the Quraan declares that in the life of Muhammad ﷺ is an excellent example: “There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent example for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often,”  [Al-Ahzab 33: 21]. He is a role model for us and the best example.

Ibn Hajar R said: Whoever seeks the pre-eminence of the Hereafter, the wisdom of this life, just purpose, and the embodiment of morality and character, let him follow Muhammad ﷺ, the Prophet of Allah.

Muhammad ﷺ is the embodiment of perfect khuluq [character]. By studying his Seerah, we too can beautify our character, in sha Allah.