The Status of the Prophet

01/04/2010| IslamWeb

There is abundant proof showing the status of the Prophet, , and how he was chosen by Allah The Almighty who granted him special traits and characteristics as well as a noble rank. In this article, we will discuss one of the most elevated ranks that he was granted, which was the enslavement of the Prophet, , to Allah The Almighty.

The greatness of this rank is portrayed by the fact that Allah The Exalted described him as such in the context of challenging the disbelievers. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a chapter the like thereof.}[Quran 2:23]

 

Moreover,Allah The Almighty honored him by the Al-Israa’ Journey. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Exalted is He who took His Servant by night from al-Masjid al-Haram to al-Masjid al-Aqsa, whose surroundings We have blessed.}[Quran 17:1]

 

Additionally, in the context of revelation, Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {It is He who sends down upon His Servant [Muhammad] verses of clear evidence that He may bring you out from darknesses into the light.}[Quran 57: 9] Again, in the context of Da‘wah (propogation), Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {And that when the Servant of Allah stood up supplicating Him, they almost became about him a compacted mass.}[Quran 72:19]

 

The enslavement of the Prophet, , was more perfect than that of the previous prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, as he, , worshipped Allah The Exalted in the best way. The biography of the Prophet, , is more of a conclusive proof clarifying this point. That is why the Prophet, , was the only one granted the honor of intercession on the Day of Judgment as well as being distinguished with Al-Waseelah - the highest degree in Paradise.

 

The enslavement process of the Prophet, , began early, when he would go to the cave of Hiraa’ to devote himself to worshipping Allah The Almighty. He was answering the needs of his instinct in glorifying the Creator, The Exalted. There exist poetic verses stating that the Prophet, , devoted himself to worshipping Allah The Almighty even before he was ordered to do so, and that he was praying to Allah The Almighty asking for people’s guidance. Then, Allah The Almighty answered his call and sent him revelation with Jibreel (Gabriel), may Allah exalt his mention.

 

After establishing his prophethood, his enslavement became broader and more comprehensive. It was not just restricted to the known religious rituals, but it included everything that pleases and satisfies Allah The Almighty, whether word or deed, and whether overt or covert.

 

The prayer of the Prophet, , was truly astounding as it was full of tranquility and peace. In his prayer the Prophet, , would supplicate to Allah The Almighty with submission in an unprecedented manner to the extent that prayer became the joy of his heart and the treatment for his ailments and sorrows. The Prophet, , said that prayer was made the joy of his heart. He would  hasten to prayer whenever he was afflicted with anything.

 

The best person to describe the prayer of the Prophet, , was ‘Awf ibn Maalik, may Allah be pleased with him. He said, “I stood up to prepare for prayer along with the Prophet and first he used Siwaak and performed ablution. After that he got up and started praying. He recited Soorat Al-Baqarah. Whenever he came across a verse that asks for mercy, he would stop and ask for mercy. Also, whenever he came across a verse that deals with punishment he would stop and seek refuge with Allah The Almighty. Then, he performed Rukoo‘ (bowing), and paused as long as he had stood. In his Rukoo‘, he would say: ‘Glory be to the Possessor of greatness, of the universe, of grandeur and of majesty.’ Then he prostrated and paused as long as he performed Rukoo‘, reiterating the same words. After that, he recited Soorat Aal-‘Imraan followed by another Soorah, and so on.”

 

Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah, may Allah be pleased with him, would describe the diligence of the Prophet, , in worship and the effort he would exert in this regard. He said, “The Prophet used to pray at night until his feet would swell.” It was reported that sometimes the Prophet, , would pray all night by repeating just one verse of the holy Quran, while at other times, he would read for a long period of time. When he was asked about that, he said: “Should I not be a grateful slave?”

 

Regarding his fasting, his wife, the Mother of Believers, ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “The Prophet would fast many days - to the extent that we would say he did not break his fast. Then, he would break his fast to the extent that we would say he did not fast.” She also said, “The Prophet never fasted a whole month apart from Ramadan, and he would fast in Sha‘baan a lot.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]- The wording is that of Al-Bukhari . Other narrations stated that the Prophet, , would fast Mondays and Thursdays as well as the first three days of every Hijri month.

 

Among the acts of worship that the Prophet, , would perform regularly, was performing I‘tikaaf (seclusion in the mosque for the purpose of worship). The Prophet, , would stay in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan so as to devote himself to reciting Quran, praying and strengthening his relationship with Allah The Almighty. ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “The Prophet would stay in seclusion in the mosque during the last ten days of Ramadan until he died. After his death, his wives would seclude themselves in the mosque.”[Al-Bukhari and Muslim] - The wording is that of Al-Bukhari . 

 

The Prophet, , would give in charity and hasten to do that in a way which showed that he never feared poverty. This is proved by what was narrated by ‘Uqbah ibn Al-Haarith, may Allah be pleased with him. He said, “Once I prayed the ‘Asr prayer with the Prophet . After finishing the prayer, he hastened to some of his wives. When he left, he found that people were amazed. So, he told them:‘While praying, I remembered that we have some gold. I did not want it to be kept overnight and therefore I ordered it to be distributed [charitably].”[Al-Bukhari]

 

The Prophet, , was constantly remembering Allah The Almighty in all circumstances, meaning, while he was standing or sitting, happy or sad, while eating or drinking, in the morning or in the evening. The scholars have been concerned with collecting all the supplications and invocations that were said by the Prophet, .

 

Regarding the Prophet, , worshipping Allah The Almighty in his heart, meaning acts of worship that are directly related to Allah The Almighty such as love for Him, relying on Him, fearing Him, being satisfied with one's destiny and so forth, he reached the highest rank in this just as the previous prophets, may Allah exalt their mention, did. His reliance on Allah The Almighty was clear in the Hijrah (emigration), when he said to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him: “What do you think of two men,  Allah is the Third with them?”

 

Also, an example that showed the love of the Prophet, , for his Lord was when he said about rain: “It was simply created and formed by Allah The Almighty.”

 

The Prophet, , would fear Allah The Almighty and would shed tears and submit humbly when remembering Him. Abu Mutarrif, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “Once I came to the Prophet while he was praying, and I heard a sound similar to the wheezing of a boiler as he was shedding tears.” The Prophet, , was indeed a perfect example to be followed by the righteous.

 

The Prophet, , spent his whole life worshipping Allah The Almighty - even when he was dying. He was the best to fulfill the verse in which Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.}[Quran 6:162]Blessed be the one who worships Allah The Almighty according to the example of the Prophet, .