Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) is the last prophet sent by Allah for entire mankind. This right is the most important among the rights of creatures, and no one among the creatures has a greater right than that of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
Quran about Prophet’s (ﷺ) Rights
Allah says in Holy Quran:
Translation: Lo! We have sent you (O Muhammad) as a witness and a bearer of good tidings and a warner, that you (mankind) may believe in Allah and His Messenger, and may honor Him, and may revere Him, and may glorify Him at early dawn and at the close of day. – (Soorah al-Fath, 48:8-9)
That is why one must love the Prophet (ﷺ) more than anyone else, more than oneself, one’s own child and one’s father. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, ‘None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his own child and the whole mankind.’ (Al-Bukhari, Book of faith).
Among the rights of the Prophet (ﷺ), we must honor, respect and love him in a way that belongs to him, without any exaggeration nor neglect. Honoring him during his lifetime is to honour his Sunnah and his noble person, and after his death, to honor his Sunnah and his right legislation. The one who observes the way in which the Companions (R.A) respected the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) will know how these noble beings have performed their duty towards the Messenger of Allah.
Respect of Muhammad ﷺ by His Companions
Urwah bin Masud said to the people of Quraysh when they sent him to the Prophet (ﷺ) to negotiate the Pact of Al-Hudaybiyyah: ‘I have met kings such as Caesar, Chosroes and the Negus, but I did not see a king who is respected by his Companions as the Companions of Muhammad respect him (ﷺ). By Allah, if he never spat phlegm but one of his Companions would take it by hand and rubs his face and skin with it. When he commands them, they
quickly respond to his command. When he performs ablution, they are about to kill one another to use the water of his ablution. When they speak before him, they lower their voices and never stare at him out of reverence.’
This is how they loved him, and Allah created him with good behavior, a smooth and easy character, and if he had been rude with a hard heart, they would have run away from him. Among the rights of the Prophet (ﷺ) is to believe in what he told us about the past and the future, obey his orders, move away from what he forbade and blamed, believe that his guidance and legislation are the most perfect, and that no law or system, wherever it comes from, should be preferred to it.
Translation: But nay, by your lord, they will not believe (in truth) until they make you judge of what is in dispute between them and find within themselves no dislike of that which you decide, and submit with full submission. – (Soorah An-Nisa, 4:65)
Allah will Love those Who Respect Muhammad ﷺ
In the Holy Quran, Allah says:
Translation: Say, (O Muhammad, to mankind): If you love Allah, follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. – (Surah Al-Imran, 3:31)
Among the rights of the Prophet (ﷺ), there is defending his Legislation and his guidance according to one’s capabilities and with adequate weapons.
If the enemy attacks him with (false) evidence with ambiguities, one must defend him with science, refuting these (false) evidence and ambiguities and showing their falsehood. And if he attacks him with weapons, he responds in the same way.
No believer can remain silent while hearing someone against the Law of the Prophet (ﷺ) or his
noble person, while he has the means to defend them.
Learn about complete biography of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in this course.
