How to Attain Love for the Messenger sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam
By
The Muhaddith, Shaykh, Allamaa’
Muhammad Nasiruddeen alAlbaani
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
The following is a summary of what the Shaykh al-Albaani (d.
1420 A.H.) said in the introduction to a book entitled ‘Bidaytus –
Sooli Fee Tafdeel Rasool -salAllaahu ‘alaihi wassalam as-Sharraffa wa
Karrama’:
‘Indeed I firmly believe that it is upon every Muslim who is
sincere in his Islaam, to familiarize himself abundantly with a good
amount of manners, which Allaah has honoured His Prophet with,
in addition to the virtues that Allaah placed upon the Prophet in
order for him to excel above all the worlds, from the Jinn and all of
1mankind altogether, rather even above those Angels who are close
to Allaah Ta’ala.
This familiarization can be attained through the established
evidences from the Book and the Sunnah, researching them and
having the correct understanding of them, because indeed that is
what will, – without any doubt – increase the Muslim in Eemaan,
and sincere love for the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam.
This Love for the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam which is a primary
principle that becomes firm in the heart of the believer is also
connected to the love of Allaah Ta’ala, Who out of His Excellence
sent us His Messenger, and blessed us – and Allaah Posses all
blessings – with the Messenger.
Allaah Tabarak wa Ta’ala said:
<< He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a
Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His
Verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and AlHikmah (As-Sunnah). And verily, they had been before in
2manifest error >>
And this is why the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘There are three characteristics, whoever has them finds
the sweetness of Eemaan: that Allaah and His Messenger
are more beloved to him than other than them; that when he
loves a person he loves him only for Allaah’s sake and that
he hates to return to disbelief after Allaah has saved him
from it just as he hates to be thrown into the Hell-Fire.’
And this love continues to rise in his heart until the Prophet -sallAllaahu
alayhi wa sallam, becomes more beloved to him, more beloved than
every respected person he knows.
As the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him
than his son, his father and all mankind.’
3Know O brother Muslim, that it is not possible for anyone to rise
to this level of love for Allaah and His Messenger except with the
Tawheed of Allaah Ta’ala in His worship Alone [rather than to any
other than Him]. And singling out the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam,
by following him from amongst Allaah’s slaves, due to the saying
of Allaah Ta’ala:
<< He who obeys the Messenger, has indeed obeyed Allaah
>>
and His saying:
<< Say: ‘If you (really) love Allaah then follow me, Allaah will
love you>>
The Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, said:
‘No, by Him in Whose Hand is my soul, even if Moosa was
alive today he would have no recourse except to follow me.’
4I (Albaani) say: so if it is not granted even for the likes of Moosa
whom Allaah spoke to, to follow other than the Prophet -sallAllaahu
alayhi wa sallam, then would it be granted for anyone other than Moosa?
This is from the unequivocal/absolute proofs of the obligation of
singularly following the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam. It is from the
necessities of the testimony of ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allaah.’ And this is why Allaah Tabarak wa Ta’ala stated it in the
preceding Ayah, that following the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-
alone is a proof of Allaah loving a person. And there is no doubt
that whoever is loved by Allaah, then Allaah will be with him in all
that he does, as is mentioned in the authentic hadeeth al-Qudsi:
‘And My slave does not come closer to Me except with
that which is more beloved to Me than what I have made
obligatory upon him, My slave continues to come closer to
Me with the optional deeds until I love him, if I love him I
will be his hearing with which he hears, and the sight with
which he sees, and his hand with which he grips and the
leg with which he walks, and if he asks Me I will definitely
5give it, and if he seeks refuge then I will definitely give him
sanctuary . . .. ’
If this is the divine concern that Allaah has for his beloved slave,
then it is obligatory upon every Muslim to take those means which
make him more beloved to Allaah. And this is done by no other
way than singularly following the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu
alayhi wa sallam- as opposed to anyone else. Only by doing this alone
will one be granted the special concern from ones Master [Allaah]
– Tabaarak wa Ta’ala – do you not see that there is no path to
knowing that which is obligatory and distinguishing that from
optional worship except by following the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa
sallam- alone?
There is no doubt, that when a Muslim becomes more
knowledgeable about the biography of the Messenger of Allaah –
sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, and knows more of his beautiful qualities and
his excellence, then his love for the Messenger -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-
6would be more, and thus his following of him -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-
would be more extensive and more comprehensive.
What drove me to research and distribute this blessed booklet was
for me to help my Muslim brothers.
In reality my only goal in this life, after fulfilling the obligatory rights
that Allaah has upon me, is to familiarize the Muslims through
educating, lecturing and writing about the authentic Seerah of the
Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam, from all its different angles according
to my capability. And to encourage them to take the Messenger
-sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- as the only example to be followed, just as
Allaah Ta’ala encouraged them in doing so, in His saying:
<< Indeed in the Messenger of Allaah you have a good
example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with)
Allaah and the Last Day and remembers Allaah much. >>
and therein lies their happiness in the Dunyaa and the Hereafter.
7The last piece of work that I worked on was about a year
ago (1401 A.H.) when I summarized the book ‘Shammail alMuhammadeeyah’ by Imam Tirmidhi. I distinguished between the
hadeeth being Saheeh and Da’eef by commenting upon them,
this was while I was staying in my new place of migration ‘Amman’
[capital of Jordan], during a time of afflictions that interrupted me,
simultaneously I was preoccupied with buying land and building
my home. After staying there for a few months, an event caused
disruption resulting in my leaving my home and my family and
travelling to the first place I migrated to: ‘Damascus’ where I went
back and stayed for two days, and then from there to Lebanon
in spite of a lot of turmoil and chaos making it a difficult place to
reach.’
The Shaykh continues:
‘Indeed I then preceded to complete this book [‘Bidaytus – Sooli
Fee Tafdeel Rasool -salAllaahu ‘alaihi wassalam as-Sharraffa wa Karrama’]
8despite great problems during this work, and with very upsetting
news which caused me much pain, namely the death of my elder
brother Muhammad Naajee Abu Ahmad during the season of
Hajj, I continued completing this book whilst seeking mercy for
my brother, being patient upon this affliction, due to his death. He
was the best of my brothers and was the most sincere towards
me, and the strongest from amongst them in response to my
Dawa’ and he held a great concern for it. He was enthusiastic in
calling to the Dawa’ may Allaah Ta’ala bestow his abundant mercy
upon him. We were patient, my brothers and his children and his
grandchildren and his in-laws with this affliction. May Allaah grant
them someone good as he was a good predecessor for them, may
Allaah gather us all with him under the banner of the master/leader
of the son of Adam, Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- <<The Day
when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children But only one
who comes to Allah with a sound heart.>> [26:88-89] and indeed we
belong to Allaah and indeed to him is our return. O Allaah reward
me for my affliction and compensate it for me with better than that.
9O Allaah forgive Abu Ahmad and raise his rank amongst those
who were guided to Islaam to the best of creation (the Prophet),
and place someone to look after those still alive after him, and
forgive us and him O Lord of all the worlds, and make his grave
spacious for him, and make light in there for him.
Indeed I have digressed a lot from what we were dealing with.
Everything that happens to humans is protection under the Will
of Allaah and His Compassion, so we return to what we were
discussing, so I say:
If you can comprehend that which has preceded in that Allaah’s
Love cannot be attained except by following His Prophet, you
should therefore be concerned with following his Sunnah, and
one should spend in that cause, strive with oneself completely.
He should not be deceived by that which some of the deceived,
misguided people are upon, from amongst the Soofeeyah and
frivolous people, those who have taken their religion to be play
10and amusement, with an-Nasheed (songs) and tunes. By which
they claim that they please Muhammad -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam with
that which they call ‘religious an-Nasheed’ and they play them
constantly for their Dhikr (meetings for remembrance of Allaah)
and in their gatherings, which they organize on innovated Eids like
the Eid of Mawlid (celebrating the Prophet’s birth) etc.
Indeed they are –and I swear by Allaah– clearly misguided,
and are deviated from the truth. How can they not be in clear
misguidance since they have mixed up the Deen with false
amusements, and they have blindly copied shameless singers,
with their rhythmical musical tunes, and they adhere to this in
their Soofi paths which kill the hearts, and divert them from the
remembrance of Allaah and the recitation of the Qur’aan. The
Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- said:
‘He is not from us who does not recite the Qur’aan in a beautiful
way.’
11And this is especially because they add singing to musical
instruments and clapping thus completing the resemblance
between the two different groups. That is then broadcasted by
some foreign radio stations, not only the Arab radio stations.
Trying to please the people in the name of Dhikr (remembrance
of Allaah) or religious an-Nasheed! And regretfully some of the
religious radio stations have began to follow their footsteps for
which Allaah’s aid is sought.
It has even reached me that some of the visual broadcasters
(Television) have presented some of these Dhikr (remembrances
of Allaah) or religious an-Nasheed, as if it is from Islaam, and that
it is from the characteristics of sincerity in which Muslims call to.
I will never forget, once a long time ago I visited a centre from
some of the Islaamic organizations, and I was shocked to hear
the sound of the Adhaan chanted with musical instruments! So
I questioned them regarding it? It was said: ‘It is some Muslim
youth from some Arab countries who have come as guests to this
organization, and one of them lets them hear the Adhaan with a
12musical chant,’ and now this is what we hear from many of the
Islaamic radio stations.
It was finally brought to the attention of some Muslim youth,
concerning that which those an-Nasheed contain of evil and
deviancy opposing the Islaamic Sharia’, so they modified it to
a different type of an-Nasheed which talked about enthusiasm,
strength and reminders of Islaamic heroism, and they would also
adhere to some musical chanting and some of them have even
added some musical instruments like the Duff (Arabic drum) etc. to
it.
Indeed, I heard it, with my own ears in some music stores,
something of the like, so I spoke with them, due to that which is
obligatory in the Deen by way of advising them and reminding
them that it is not allowed, especially since many of them have
begun listening to an-Nasheed as a habit, and it has busied them
from reciting Qur’aan or listening to it.
13All of this is from the evil of the deviancy of keeping away from
the Salaf, indeed I am certain that this was not from their practice,
even though they used to sometimes recite poetry in wars and
battles. This practice is one thing and taking that and applying to it
a musical chant and making it a habit and resembling the practice
of the people of evil and mere amusements, then that is something
else, and it is not hidden from the people of knowledge and insight.
May Allaah have mercy upon the one who said:
Every good is in the following of the Salaf * and every evil is
in the innovations of the Khalaf
In summary: Indeed I advise everyone who reads this book,
that they do not suffice with the knowledge in it but follow that
up with hopeful consequences which is to sincerely follow this
great Messenger, which necessitates the love of Allaah, and His
Forgiveness for ones sin, <<and this is the great success>>
‘We ask Allaah Ta’ala that He makes us from them.’
[Taken from: A summary from the introduction to ‘Bidaytus – Sooli Fee Tafdeel Rasool –
salAllaahu ‘alaihi wassalam as-Sharraffa wa Karrama’ p.4 -12]
anoorasboor 