By S. Aisha B. Hamid
Lo! Allah and His angels shower blessings on the Holy Last Messenger. O ye who believe! Ask blessings on him and salute him with a worthy salutation.” – (Surah Ahzab: Line 56)
Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him) said, “None of you will believe until I am more beloved to him than his children, his father, and all people.” (Bukhari, Muslim, An-Nasa’i)
Love and devotion
Muslims around the world celebrated the auspicious birth of the Holy Last Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in late September which coincides with the 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal of the Islamic Hijri calendar in many parts of North America. Every year Muslims celebrate the immense blessing that descended on the world on this date through parades, festivals, community feasts, games, and hours of singing praises of the Holy Last Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him).
A perfect example
“Say, (Oh Messenger) “If you (sincerely) love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surah Ale Imran: 3:31)
To even observe the most basic practices or tenets of Al-Islam, one must know and implement the example of The Holy Last Messenger (peace be upon him), as such explicit instructions are not given in the Holy Quran. The life of the Holy Last Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) remains the pristine blueprint for how to live in peace and harmony. Therefore, devout Muslims spend their lives learning the Sunnah (practices of the Holy Last Messenger (peace and blessings upon him)) and hadith (sayings of our Holy Last Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)), along with the sciences of Holy Quran, in order to perfect their practice of Al-Islam.
It was the Holy Last Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) who established the first human rights charter when he gave his famous ‘Last Sermon,’ wherein he declared that all mankind are equal and no man was better than another because of his race, color, or ethnicity. Such statements of equality of man were embedded into the character of those who listened because they were not empty words. The Holy Last Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) lived his life exemplifying these edicts, his close companions included both those from rich and powerful tribes and former slaves. All sat in equality in his presence, the only distinction being those who were leaders in Taqwa (God-consciousness). His fair and just manner and sincere love and concern for humanity are part of what led his Companions to fall in love with him, and to this day people who have never seen The Holy Last Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) continue to fall in love with him.
The Praised One
Although Eid Milaad un Nabi (peace and blessings be upon him) or the Festival of the Birthday of the Messenger, is celebrated on the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal, in actuality the Holy Last Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is praised constantly. His name rings out every minute of every hour, as Muslims around the world recite the Adhaan, (call to prayer) and special prayers asking blessings of The Almighty upon him are recited during the salaat (ritual prayer) of every Muslim.
The Holy Last Messenger (peace be upon him) is constantly praised by The Almighty in the Quran Kareem and countless lines of praise have been written and continue to be written by his lovers and admirers. Muslims travel from state to state, country to country in order to join loved ones in continuing the praise on this auspicious occasion.
The Holy Last Messenger’s (peace and blessings be upon him) very name comes from the Arabic root word “Hamd” which means praise. He is praised and he constantly praises The Almighty. It is upon us, the Ummah or community of the Holy Last Messenger (peace be upon him), to follow the commandment of The Almighty and His example – by continuing to praise The Best of All Creation and Beloved to the Creator! May The Almighty continue to praise our Beloved Master, Muhammad, and his Noble Ahli-Bait and Noble Companions. Ameen!
IP Correspondent
