Friday Reminder: The Prophet Muhammad – A Mercy to Mankind
The following article was transcribed by a SeekersGuidance scholarship student, based on a lecture series: “Friday Circle of Remembrance & Reminders.” This is episode 59 of the series, delivered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani, reminding us of the gifts and realities of dua. Shaykh Faraz Rabbani also covers the reasons for one’s existence and Allah’s mercy towards His creation.
Introduction
This session looks at the importance of connecting, sending blessings upon, and remembering our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). In this regard, Shaykh Abdullah Siraj said that among the most beautiful things in praise of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is the Burda of Imam Bushiri.
He connected it to various verses in the Quran and the core realities of religion. And the praise of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is asserted in the greatest proclamations “La ilaha ila Allah” which is almost always followed with “Muhammad Rasul Allah.” What greater praise is there for the Prophet than to be part of the attestation of the reality of God?
The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace): A Mercy to Mankind
Shaykh Abdullah Siraj goes on to describe the Prophet as a mercy to mankind and a facilitator on the Day of Judgment. Indeed, both these perceptions are affirmed in the Quran as well as the Burda. Allah Most High says, “We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds.” [Quran 21:107]
Shaykh Abdullah Siraj connects this to what is mentioned in the Burda, “O best of creation, who is there that I can turn to besides you on the day of the widespread distress.” This day is the day of resurrection.
The Intercessor on the Day of Judgement
On the day of resurrection, all of the creation will go from Prophet to Prophet, and they will find no one to alleviate the distress of that day except the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace), and why? As shaykh re-iterates, Allah Most High says, “We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the creation” [Quran, 21:107], and this will manifest to everyone, believer, and disbeliever, on the day of resurrection.
He will intercede on behalf of the believers on the day when no one will be able to speak in front of Allah Most High.
The Connection Between Our Love for Allah Most High & His Prophet
So, our love for Allah’s Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace) comes with the love of Allah Most High. As the Quran describes the believers, “And those who believe are most intense in their love for Allah.” [Quran, 2:165] Shaykh Siraj connected that to the Burda that the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is the Mustafa—the chosen of Allah Most High. The verses that praise him (Allah bless him and give him peace) are expressions and implications of how Allah Most High has praised him in the Quran.
So, we ask Allah Most High to grant us insight and bless us with the benefit from the scholars of our Ummah and the likes of Shaykh Abdullah Siraj to open ways for us to benefit from their wisdom, company, and prayers.
Shaykh Faraz Rabbani spent ten years studying with some of the leading scholars of recent times, first in Damascus, and then in Amman, Jordan. His teachers include the foremost theologian of recent times in Damascus, the late Shaykh Adib al-Kallas (may Allah have mercy on him), as well as his student Shaykh Hassan al-Hindi, one of the leading Hanafi fuqaha of the present age. He returned to Canada in 2007, where he founded SeekersGuidance in order to meet the urgent need to spread Islamic knowledge–both online and on the ground–in a reliable, relevant, inspiring, and accessible manner. He is the author of Absolute Essentials of Islam: Faith, Prayer, and the Path of Salvation According to the Hanafi School (White Thread Press, 2004.) Since 2011, Shaykh Faraz has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center.
