History and Seerah
Blessings Upon Al-Mustapha, Our Beloved Messenger, The Divinely Chosen | Yahya Ibrahim
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From a distance you notice his eyes – piercing, brilliant and engaging. The choicest Praise and Mercy of Allah be upon him. Muhammed, the Praised one is Ahmed, the greatest in Praise of Allah; sublimely appropriate. Al-Mustapha, the Divinely Chosen, is real. He was flesh and blood. Human.
I love him, O Allah, I love him sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
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In a world of distortion, where truth is overcome by fiction, the full moon rises. Although obscured by shadows or an overcast sky, the moon remains. Such is the fame and honour of Muhammed, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
Of average height, he towers above the elite of history. He would stand fully erect without a lazy slump. He was powerful, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam. His chest was broad with a dusting of hair that extended vertically in a thin line down to his flat stomach, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
Any kind of hardships you can envision and pray to never face was shouldered by him, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, simultaneously.
He experienced in his 63 years of blessed life more tribulation than a cohort. He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was an orphan, a widower, battle scarred, and unjustly outcast. He outlived many of his children and buried some of his grandchildren. His uncle, the Mercy of Allah be upon him, was martyred and his body desecrated. He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was defamed, mocked, lied to and lied about. He was poisoned, stoned, and had to witness his companions tortured on account of their faith in his Message, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.,
Sabraan, remain steadfast in patience, O Family of Yasser; your destination is Paradise. His teaching was simple. Allah, the All Mighty, is the only One deserving of worship and devotion. All that we encounter is by His Command. No harm can befall without His Permission.
His hair, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was black and wavy. He liked to keep it longer in length, usually not past his earlobes. It contained a few gray strands, about 23 in number. With dark irises he could, by Divine Permission, view a world that was unseen. He had long, dark eyelashes that from a distance could be mistaken for kohl. He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, would not avert his attention from a petitioner until their voice fell silent. His eyes would sleep but his heart was awake. His eyes never betrayed or invited treachery, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
The weakest, poorest and socially downtrodden would access him, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, as readily as the chieftains. He sheltered the needy, fed the hungry, protected the vulnerable, guarded the secrets and instructed the uninformed. He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was calm when others were agitated, loving when others were filled with hate, and polite when shown contempt. He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, is the highest standard of character and the spring of Divinely ordained etiquette.
His skin, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was soft and naturally fragrant. His blessed hands were softer than silk and gave off the scent of aromatic musk. He was reddish in colour. He was not dark, nor was he pale. His skin was blemished with the seal of prophethood between his shoulder blades. He was proportional in all respects, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
In his prayer, he found comfort and pleasure. His voice quivered in awe of the All Mighty. When leading others, he would, for the most part, recite from al-Qisar (the short chapters). If he heard a child crying, he would cut the recitation short to relieve the parent of any distress. His, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, grandchildren would ride atop his back during his prostration, and he would not move until they felt content. His voice was measured, and he paused at the end of every verse. He would recite the Quran in various accents to accommodate all the dialects of his companions. When alone at night, he would pray. He would remain vigilant for half the night, sometimes more, sometimes less. When he recited a passage addressing Allah’s Divine Mercy, he would stop and ask for it. If one of torment, he would seek protection from it, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
His face, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was manifest beauty. His eyes were well set apart and covered by full brows. They were not sunk into his face or overtly protruding. His mouth smelled sweet, and his teeth were always clean and white. His saliva was a medicine and blessing, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam. By the Grace of Allah, it was a cure to the blind, increase in food to the poor, and an ointment to the disfigured. He had a full, dark beard that obscured his slender long neck from a distance. His smile was radiant, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
He was soft spoken except when he sermonised on Friday. His voice was melodious and captivating. He spoke only when necessary and refrained from idle chit-chat. His, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, tongue was true. He loved to listen and would ask questions of those whom he instructed. He was modest and sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. He smiled and laughed often, seldom loudly.
When he, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was displeased, it could be read from his face. He never raised his hand against another living creature except during Divinely ordained battle. He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was courageous and led from the forefront. He stood in the ranks of his soldiers and faced the hardship they endured. He ate what they ate, slept where they slept and dressed as they dressed. He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was a man unlike the world has ever seen.
He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, dressed similar to his compatriots. He never owned a throne or regal markings to distinguish himself, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, from others. He would walk without an escort and disliked sentries being placed to guard him. He preferred neutral shades of white, green and black to clothe himself with. When he ate, it was never to his fill, and he always ate while sharing his food with others. He loved milk, dates and honey. His favourite dish was tharrid – roasted mutton on buttered bread and broth.
He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, cared for the earth and despised wastefulness and corruption. He was a tree hugger LITERALLY. He loved animals and instructed his companions to show kindness to them. When a camel wept, he would stroke it and speak to it in hushed tones. When the tree whimpered, he paused his sermon and embraced its trunk, whispering to it soothing words of comfort. Animals took comfort in him, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
Today, his modality of life and tradition remain intact, preserved not only in print, but in conscious spirit.
He loved us so much, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam. He would think of those who would believe in him many generations after his generation and weep in longing and hope. He loved us more than some care to consider. Every Messenger of God was allowed a request that would be answered by Allah. All the Messengers utilised their invocation in the worldly life except for Muhammed, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam. He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, preserved his invocation to be intercession on the Day of Judgement for those who accept his message!
None can truly claim faith until Muhammed, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam is more beloved to them than their parents, spouse and children. To know him is to love him. To love him is to obey him. If he, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was to walk into your life now, what would he think?
O you who believe, send your greetings to Muhammed, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
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Aishah
August 23, 2010 at 9:20 AM
Subhanallah.beautiful
Nurina
September 16, 2012 at 1:37 AM
I’m sorry if I have to disagree with all of you. Instead of lifting my heart it did the contrary. It makes me feel uncomfortable because I see the same adoration and worship for Prophet Mohammad as the Christians have for Prophet Isa. While it is short of appointing God-like status to him, it is not far away from it either. The whole story doesn’t even mention worshiping only Allah, and yet wasn’t that his biggest message?
Youssef Khaled
September 16, 2012 at 9:46 AM
Well if Allah Ta3ala orders that we love him who exactly are we to argue? And loving him means getting closer to The Almighty. He’s the reason we’re all created so its probably handy if you were to learn a bit more about him.
Youssef Khaled
September 16, 2012 at 9:55 AM
Also this article is dedicated to remind us how great this man is, I’m sure you understand that all Muslims already know that Allah Ta3ala alone is God. No Muslim is capable of making the mistake of worshipping the beloved Prophet, peace be upon him, with Allah. Its like ABC 123, so my advice is go see your local scholar and enlighten yourself in this matter.
Gibran
September 16, 2012 at 7:44 PM
Assalamualaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh
As a matter of fact, we will follow the ways of those who came before us step by step, Shirk didn’t start amongst the people of Nuh alayhisalam at once. It was a step by step process. We should say what we want about the Prophet salallahualayhiwaslam that is acceptable but also keep mentioning that he is the slave and messenger of Allah.
If you say “Muslims already know” then what is the point of say “Allahu al’am”-Muslims already know Allah knows more. Whats the point of constantly mentioning la illaha illallah-we already know Allah is the only illah.
This reminders need to constantly be used.
Sultan
January 13, 2015 at 3:12 AM
Dear Sister Nourina, us Salamu aleikum wa Rahmatullahi ta’ala wa Barakatuhu:
Although I understand what you are saying, but I have to respectfully point out the fact that the way you are saying is wrong. No where in the article did the Ustad promote worshipping our Beloved Rasul-Allah (Sal-Allahu aleihi wa Salam).
He has basically described the Seera of Rasul-Allah (Sal-Allahu aleihi wa Salam) in a nutshell. Would you kindly enlighten me as to how would you describe Rasul-Allah (Sal-Allahu aleihi wa Salam)?
Thank you.
Rehan
December 24, 2015 at 3:13 AM
Sister Nurina, with respect your comments are incredibly naive and ill informed. Just out of interest, what are your views on the verses of the Qur’an where Allah SWT himself praises the beloved Prophet SAW?
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Hannah
August 23, 2010 at 10:14 AM
reading this was systematically therapeutic.
Fatima
September 1, 2010 at 1:00 AM
You took the words out of my mouth, I agree completely!
Felicity
August 23, 2010 at 10:24 AM
Thank you brother Yahya, JazaakAllahu khayran =)
Mansoor Ansari
August 23, 2010 at 12:27 PM
Masha’Allah
waterloo-ian
August 23, 2010 at 1:21 PM
ma sha allah, excellent article. Looking forward to meeting you in Waterloo, Canada in October!
Ify Okoye
August 23, 2010 at 1:34 PM
This is such an amazing post, masha’Allah tabarakAllah. It fits right in with our next AlMaghrib class in the DC area, The Prophet’s Smile, which delves into the characteristics and manners of the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
After converting, I found it challenging to find good concise or comprehensive online resources in the English language about the Prophet sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, which would allow me to get to know him better and begin to love him.
muslim
August 23, 2010 at 2:37 PM
sorry for going off topic but i wasn’t sure how to contact MM for suggestions—
there’s a really nice story on CNN’s main page about muslim women who cover, you guys should feature it on here and thank CNN:
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/08/23/muslim-women-who-wear-the-hijab-and-niqab-explain-their-choice/?hpt=C2
muslim
August 23, 2010 at 2:43 PM
and by the way, absolutely beautiful and mezmerizing post of our beloved Rasullallah (saw). Alhumdulilah that I read this article today.
Sultan
January 13, 2015 at 3:06 AM
Us Salamu aleikum wa Rahmatullahi ta’ala wa Barakatuhu:
Dear Sister, I would like to congratulate you for accepting Islam as your faith. However, I would like to respectfully remind both myself and you that one does not “convert” to Islam because all of us were born in the state of submission and then were raised by our parents.
Alhamdulillah, you have “reverted” back to your origin and may Allah (Azza wa J’al) Protect, Guide and Keep all of us on the Straight Path. Ameen thuma ameen.
Amad
August 23, 2010 at 1:34 PM
jazakallahkhair shaykhana!
Sagal
August 23, 2010 at 4:32 PM
Salaam Aleykum
Truly touching piece. Jazaakallahu kheyr for the remainder. It truly hurts when some non-muslims insult our beloved prophet sallalahu aleyhi wasallam.
Usma
August 23, 2010 at 5:33 PM
SubhanAllah, Beautiful. It made me cry
Mariam E.
August 23, 2010 at 5:48 PM
Asalamu Alikum warahmatu Allah,
Simply beautiful, jazakum Allah khayr Shaykh.
May Allah make His Prophet more beloved to us than ourselves.
Farhan
August 23, 2010 at 6:54 PM
اللهما صلى على سيدنا Ùˆ مولانا Ù…Øمد Ùˆ على آله Ùˆ سلم تسليما
Sultan
January 13, 2015 at 3:08 AM
English please! Thank you.
AnonyMouse
August 23, 2010 at 7:25 PM
Straight up amazing. Masha’Allah!
ummmanar
August 23, 2010 at 9:02 PM
subhanallah very beautiful article,I am crying while reading.jazakallah khiran
Ukht
August 24, 2010 at 1:53 AM
Beautiful masha’Allah. Barak Allahu feek Shaykhana. Reading this makes the longing to meet him so much more and the longing to drink from his blessed hands from the pond of al-Kawthar could never be stronger. May Allah swt guide us all upon his Sunnah and make us his neighbors in Jannat al-Firdous, ameen.
Cub
August 24, 2010 at 4:24 AM
Beautiful, SubhanAllah!
salma
August 24, 2010 at 5:42 AM
Masha’Allah!! bought a tear to my eyes
shiney
August 24, 2010 at 6:03 AM
masha’allah! this is truly the most beautiful piece i have ever read concerning the Prophet Muhammad (SAW). It really brought tears to my eyes, subhanallah! May Allah (SWT) bless you for writing this and may you continue to write wonderful pieces such as this and May Allah (SWT) establish the love of His Messenger in our hearts (SAW) and make our character like his character. Ameen.
Amarah
August 24, 2010 at 7:39 AM
LUVED IT mannn i wanna meet him (sallahu Alayhi wa sallam) May Allah swt make us of those that will drink from his hands on the day of judgement and allow him (sallahu Alayhi wa sallam) to speak for us. Amin
MaryamJamal
August 24, 2010 at 1:17 PM
Assalam alaikum,
Simply beautiful,Masha Allah,Subhan Allah.
He, Sal allahu allaihi wassalam a perfect example for entire humanity.
ahmad
August 24, 2010 at 3:41 PM
mashaAllah, this was an incredible read. it made me very emotional and inspired.
jazakAllah khair sheikh Yahya
Yasir Qadhi
August 24, 2010 at 6:26 PM
Salaam Alaikum
Ma sha Allah great article and beautiful prose!
We expect nothing less ya Fadeelat al-Shaykh!
Yasir
Meena
August 24, 2010 at 7:53 PM
That was absolutely breathtaking. Jzk!
Abu Eesa Niamatullah
August 24, 2010 at 8:49 PM
Assalamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah
Hala’ Ya Shaykh Yahya – saddiq, you brought the mubarak rain with this wonderful wonderful piece that softened our hearts in remembrance of al-Habib’l-Mustapha, sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
I’ve put this piece up everywhere I can think of because every Muslim and non-Muslim needs to know how we see and recognise Khayr’l-Khalqillah to truly be.
You don’t just have a gift in your speech, you have a gift in your fingers too, masha’Allah tabarakallah, wa hafidhakallah wa ra’aak.
Salams to the kids and everyone on the other side of the world!
AE
Abdus Sabur
August 25, 2010 at 3:03 AM
Subhanallah, beautiful piece….wonderful description of the best of Allah’s creation, salallahu alaihi wa salam.
Jazakallahu khair for the inspiration and reminder!
We are all so fortunate and blessed with the opportunity to follow Rasulullah’s, salallahu alaihi wa salam, sunnah.
Rafa
August 25, 2010 at 6:17 AM
SubhanAllah, such an amazing piece. I’m speechless. It reminded me of a particular ayah from the Quran that I read a few days ago:
“Your real friends are (no less than) Allah, His Messengers, and the Believers, those who establish regular prayers and pay Zakat and they bow down humbly in worship.” [Quran 5:55]
Truly he is the best friend we could ever ask for, Sal Allahu Alayhi wa Sallam.
May Allah shower you with mercy and blessings, Ya Shaykh. This made me think of your lecture at Journey of Faith back in July. Masha Allah, truly amazing.
Sajid
August 26, 2010 at 12:28 PM
tharrid – roasted mutton on buttered bread and broth…. anyone know the recipe for this?
Idil
November 8, 2013 at 3:39 AM
Try searching it up on google. I wasn’t sure what tharid was either. Basically, it’s slightly kinda like soup (in a very small quantity) only you eat it instead of drinking. It’s bread layered with sheep meat and vegetables and/or beans. Google images helps. :)
Habib
August 27, 2010 at 8:58 PM
Salamu Alaykum
Great Article indeed as it acts as a reminder to send more salams to our beloved prophet and messenger.
Please recite this second part of the tashahhud ten times.
Allahumma salli ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala aali Muhammadin
kama sallaita ‘ala Ibrahima innaka Hamid um Majid.
Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala aali Muhammadin
kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala aali Ibrahima innaka Hamidum Majid.
O Allah! Have mercy on Muhammad and those related to Muhammad
just as Thou hadst mercy on Abraham and on those related to Abraham. Surely, Thou art Praise worthy, the Great!
O Allah! Send blessings on Muhammad and on those related to Muhammad,
just as Thou sent blessings on Abraham and on those related to Abraham. Surely, Thou art Praiseworthy, the Great!
yahya
August 30, 2010 at 6:55 AM
subhanallah
Um Mouhamed
August 31, 2010 at 5:32 AM
Jazakum Allah khair, ya Sheikh.
Olivia
September 7, 2010 at 10:24 PM
Very moving and nicely written.
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Kiwi
October 30, 2010 at 8:39 AM
Hey I’m not really sure but the translation that you gave of the durood shareef is it correct
O Allah! Have mercy on Muhammad and those related to Muhammad
just as Thou hadst mercy on Abraham and on those related to Abraham. Surely, Thou art Praise worthy, the Great!
O Allah! Send blessings on Muhammad and on those related to Muhammad,
just as Thou sent blessings on Abraham and on those related to Abraham. Surely, Thou art Praiseworthy, the Great!
Isn’t it instead of related to the Prophet pbuh followers of the Prophet pbuh
I just wanted to get it clarified
oh and beautiful article
Ansar Riaz
November 4, 2010 at 4:35 PM
Jaza kallah khair Sheikh for this beautiful reminder about our beloved prophet Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam.
May Allah SWT reward you for your efforts to pass His sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam’s message to muslims around the world.
Inshallh see you in London next month for “World on the Unseen” the belief in last day course hosted by http://www.alkauthar.org
Fazilah
February 14, 2011 at 8:36 AM
Masha’allah, its just so lovely. Not only was He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, a tree hugger,He, sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam, was also the original animal whisperer. Alhamdullillah, Thank you Sheikh for such a beautiful and touching piece. Such a right time to read this as tomorrow, here in Malaysia, we’ll be celebration Maulidur Rasul.
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Mohamed Riyas A. M.
February 24, 2011 at 4:55 AM
I could not complete reading this article without wetting my eyes, which makes me feel like I have at least a few drops of Eeman with me. Jazzak ALLAH Khairan Brother for posting such a beautiful description of our dearest Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
I posted the same in my website as well (www.mriyas.com | http://www.darulilm.tk) which can be accessed at http://www.goo.gl/4Dayz.
Hena Zuberi
June 7, 2011 at 1:25 PM
As Allah is my witness-I love him
kamran
November 9, 2013 at 10:17 AM
Alhamdulillah wal salaatu wal salaamu ‘alaa,rasulillah
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nafeesa
September 16, 2012 at 12:11 AM
Ya salaaaaam, allahuma sali wa salam 3ala nabiyana muhammmad. I pray that I can sit a finger length away from him in jannah, being able to drink from his hands and inshaAllah in this dunya to see him in my dreams.
anna
September 16, 2012 at 4:28 AM
MashAllah this is great article written by u.. May ALLAH bless us all
Sarah
September 17, 2012 at 12:20 PM
That is actually a beautiul description mashAllah. Muhammed sallalahu alayhi wa salam was and is an inspiration to everyone may Allah guide those who think differently
hiraad
September 19, 2012 at 12:02 AM
Subhana’Allah, Wa Alhamdulilaah, Wa laa ilaaha ilAllah, Wa Allahu Akbar, Wa laa hawla walaa quwatta illa billahil aliyul adheem…jazaakumullahu khairan sheikh for sharing such a beautiful, amazing and an inspirational article about our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Sallalaahu alayhi wa sallam)
may Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aala) reward and bless you immensely for such a beautiful reminder (brings memories of the seerah of the prophet sallalaahu alayhi wa salam)
R...
September 19, 2012 at 10:35 AM
Ma sha Allah. What a great article. So glad I came across it, alhamdulillah. Peace be upon Prophet Muhammad (SAW) ^_^ #aPerfectRoleModelForAll
Nurina
October 1, 2012 at 9:51 AM
“And when Allah alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter are filled with aversion; and when others are mentioned beside Him, they rejoice!” (Qur’an 39:45)
kamran
November 9, 2013 at 10:27 AM
Certainly you have in the Messenger of Allah an excellent exemplar for him who hopes in Allah and the latter day and remembers Allah much. 33:21
It is related in the Sahihain of al-Bukhari and Muslim, rahimahumallaah, from Anas, radhiallahu `anhu, that the Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said: “None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his father, his child and all of mankind.”
We ask Allah to give us the love of who He loves most!
shahi
May 13, 2013 at 3:40 PM
Why is it that I can’t read the article now??
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