Do you Really Love the Messenger of Allah ﷺ? - Ustaadh Mustafa George

All praise is due to Allah. We praise Him and we ask His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil of our souls and from the bad of our deeds. Whoever guides him, none will be misguided. And whosoever realizes the evil of his own, I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and that He has no partner. I bear witness that Muhammad, his servant and messenger, is the Messenger of Allah upon him, and upon his family, his companions, and has received many. An important topic that we need to be reminded of. A topic which is from the fundamental branches of our faith. A topic that keeps an individual in the fold of Islam. And without this, the individual would not be in the fold of Islam. A topic which is neglected by many Muslims. Or it is treated extreme to the extent that some in fact leave the fold of Islam. The topic that we're referring to is love of the Messenger of Allah, S.A.W. We should understand that love of the Prophet S.A.W is from the foundations of the religion. It's from the core beliefs of the Muslim. It is from the fundamentals of Islam. Allah S.A.W said in Surat Al-Ahzab, after A'udh-e-Billahim and Shaytan al-Rajim, Allah S.A.W says, An Nabiyu awla bil-muminina min anfusihim. Allah S.A.W says, reminding the believers, and informing the believers, the Prophet Muhammad, S.A.W, is more precious to the believers than themselves. The Prophet Muhammad, S.A.W, is more precious to the believers than themselves. Sheikh Abdur-Rahman al-Sa'adi, R.A. mentioned about this verse, that Allah Azza wa Jalla is informing of the status of the Prophet. That Allah Azza wa Jalla is informing of the position of the Prophet Muhammad, S.A.W, so that they can give him his right. Then the Sheikh Rahim Allah Ta'ala mentioned that the closest thing to an individual is himself. The most precious thing to an individual is himself. The most beloved thing to an individual is himself. So the Prophet, S.A.W, should be more precious. So the Prophet, S.A.W, should be more beloved to the believers. Then from that which the Sheikh mentioned, that the Prophet, S.A.W, taught you, that the Prophet, S.A.W, advised you, that the Prophet, S.A.W, was more merciful to you than yourself, and he was more merciful to you than anyone from the creation. Than anyone from the creation. Then the Sheikh said, Rahim Allah Ta'ala. So the believers, they should be willing to sacrifice their lives, their wealth and their children for the Prophet Muhammad, S.A.W. And they should give precedence to his love over the love of all of creation. Over the love of all creation. My beloved brothers and sisters in Islam, likewise Allah Azza wa Jalla says in Surah Tottoba, in the 24th verse, In Surah Tottoba, the 24th verse, Allah Azza wa Jalla said, Say, if your fathers, your children, your brothers, your wives, your tribe and your family, your wealth, your businesses, your homes are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger, and fighting in the way and striving in the way of Islam, Fatarabbasu hatayati Allahu bi amrihi, wait until the order of Allah comes. If your fathers, your brothers, your wives, your families, your wealth, your businesses, your homes are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger, and fighting for this religion, then just wait until the order of Allah comes. Then Allah closes the verse by saying, Indeed Allah does not guide the sinners. Indeed Allah will not guide the sinners. Imam Qadi Iyad mentioned that this is a sufficient warning and reminder from Allah. This is a sufficient proof from Allah that you must obey the Messenger, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. And it is also a reminder and a warning for those who do not love the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. Indeed Allah mentioned your wealth, your family, your children, and then Allah compared it to the love of Allah, the love of His Messenger, then Allah warned you. Then Allah warned you by saying, So wait for the order of Allah to come. If you love that more, family, wealth, property, cars, if you love that more, then wait for the orders of Allah to come. Then Allah Azawajal, Imam Qadi Iyad said, then Allah called you a Thasik. Allah Azawajal said, you are a sinner. Allah Azawajal, my beloved brothers, does not say loving those things is haram. Allah Azawajal said, if you love those things more then you love Allah and His Messenger. If you give precedence to those things more then you give precedence to Allah and His Messenger, just wait to see what Allah does to you. Insahl-e-Bukhari, Insahl-e-Muslim. On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, radi allahu tul anhu, the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, no one will find the sweetness of faith. No one will find the sweetness of faith until he loves his brother and he only loves him for Allah until he hates to go back to disbelief just as he hates to be thrown into the hellfire. And until he loves Allah and His Messenger, and until he loves Allah and His Messenger, more than he loves anyone. More than he loves anyone. Shaykh-ul-Islam ibn-ut-ta'imi'ah, Rahim-Allah-u-Tahla said, an individual will not find the sweetness of faith until he establishes these three components of love. And the first of those components is that Allah and His Messenger is more beloved to him than everything. That Allah, as we're telling His Messenger, is more beloved to him than everything. Then Shaykh-ul-Islam ibn-ut-ta'imi'ah said, wahadah min usul-u-l-iman al-mafroodah, this is from the obligatory foundations of faith. And an individual cannot be a believer without it. And an individual cannot be a believer without it. It's reported in Sayyid-e-Bukhari and the authority of Abu Huraira that the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, said, wal-lady nafsi biyadi, la yu'minu ahatukum, hatta akuna ahabba ilayhi min walidihi, wa walidihi wa nasi ajmain. The Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, swore by Allah. Our beloved Messenger, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, swore by Allah. He said, I swear by the one who my soul is in his hands. None of you truly believe until I am more beloved to him than his father, his son, and all of mankind. His father, his son, and all of mankind, my beloved brothers and sisters. It's also reported in Sayyid-e-Bukhari and authority of Abdullah ibn-i-Hisham that they were sitting, the Sahaba radiya-l-abtalan, whom we're sitting with the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. And the Prophet, Aleyhi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, grabbed the hand of Umar ibn-Khattab. And Umar ibn-Khattab said, yara, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, O Messenger of Allah, la antz, la antz, ahabbu ilayhi min kulli shay'il la min nafsi. Umar ibn-Khattab was having an emotional moment while holding the hand of the Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. And he said to the Prophet, Aleyhi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, yara, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, you are more beloved to me than everyone. Yara, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, you are more beloved to me than everyone, except myself. Except myself. The Prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, said, I swear by the one who my soul is in his hand. I swear by the one who my soul is in his hand. I swear by Allah. I have to be more beloved to you than even yourself. Umar ibn-Khattab said, al-an wallahi, al-an wallahi, la'ant ahabbu ilayhi min nafsi. Umar ibn-Khattab said, I swear to Allah. Now, right this very moment, you are more beloved to me than even myself. My beloved brothers and sisters, let's take a moment to reflect. My beloved brothers and sisters, let's take a moment to analyze. When knowledge came to Umar ibn-Khattab, when the understanding came to Umar ibn-Khattab, he said, if that's the case, now this very moment, full stop, you are more beloved to me than even myself. Now let us ask ourselves. Do we love the Messenger, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, more than we love ourselves? Do we love the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, more than we love our families? Do we love the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, more than we love anyone upon the face of the earth? Or are we like the hypocrites that Allah, as it would gel, said in Surah Al-Imran, Yaquluna bi afwahihim, ma laisa fi qulubihim, they say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Allah, as it gel, described the hypocrites like that. They say it on their tongues. They say it on their tongues, but it is not present in their hearts. Is it present in our hearts? I'm not asking if we're saying it on our tongues. I'm asking is it present in our hearts? Allah, as it gel, said in Surah Al-Baqarah, wa alamu annan Allah ya'lamu ma fi anfusikum, fa'hdaru. Allah, as it gel, said in Surah Al-Baqarah, no, Allah knows what's in your heart. So be cautious. So the question that we ask ourselves, what is the proof that we love the Messenger, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam? The question that we ask, the Muslim adults, the Muslim youth, what is the proof that we love the Messenger, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam? If you were to ask Muslims about his life, if you were to ask Muslims about his call, if you were to ask Muslims about his clothing, his dress, his appearance, if you were to ask Muslim about his statements, crickets, you don't hear much if you hear anything. My beloved brothers and sisters, so what is the proof that you love the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam? Now compare it to this. If you were to ask Muslims about Patrick Mahome, Lamar Jackson, LeBron James, Stephen or Stephen Curry, Jason Tutum, Ronaldo, Christiana Ronaldo, messy, their eyes glow. If you were to ask Muslims, if you wanna meet LeBron, if you wanna meet Lamar, if you wanna meet Patrick, if you wanna meet Christiana Ronaldo, messy, their eyes glow. What? Let alone other individuals, actors and singers and rappers and pop smoke and little baby and all of these individuals. Would you like to meet someone? Wallahi, many of the Muslims, if they saw them at Newark Airport, they would run up to them. Could I get a selfie with you? Could I get a selfie so that you can post it on social media? So what is the proof that you love the Messenger of Allah, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam? Compare it to the Sahaba. It's reported in Sahih Muslim, on the authority of Abu Huraira, radi allahu ta'alaanhu, that the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, min ashaddi ummatili hubban. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, from my followers are individuals that love me or they're from the individuals that love me the most. Min ashaddi ummatili hubban. Nason yakoununa baidi. Ya waddu ahaduhum lawra'ani bi ahlihi wa malihi. From individuals of my ummah. Are people that love me from those individuals the most. They are people that come after me, after my death. They are people that come after me. They would sacrifice, they would be willing to sacrifice their family and their wealth just to see me. They would be willing to sacrifice their family and their wealth just to see me. Now compare that to the brothers and sisters that wish to see actors and athletes and singers. I'll say this. Wa astaghfirul ala li walakum fistaqfiruhu wa tubi ilayh Inna Hu Hu Wa l-Ghafurul Rahim. Bismillah wa Alhamdulillah. Wa Salatu wa Salamu Ala Rasulillah. Nabiina Muhammad wa Min At-Taba Al-Huda. So that's a reality check my brothers and sisters, for all of us. Fadakir fa inna dhikratan fa al-mu'mineen. Give the reminder. The reminder benefits the believer. The individuals that say we love the messenger Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Wake up the brother that's sleeping please. The individuals that say we love the messenger Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. We love the messenger. We believe in the messenger alayhi salatu wa sallam. But we say that with our tongues, is it truly present in our hearts? The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned in that hadith in Sahih Muslim, from the people of my followers who love me the most, are people that come after me. They would give all of their wealth to see me. They would give all of their wealth to see me. Not individuals on social media, following these actors, following these athletes, following these influencers. How could you truly love the messenger, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? You know your example? That example is like the husband who married a woman who was previously married. And she says she loves him once a day, but for 12 hours during the day, she's looking through her ex-husband's social media posts. 12 hours a day, you're looking through your ex-husband's social media posts and you send me one message a day, I love you sweetheart. You clearly love somebody else. You clearly love somebody else. It's reported in the Mu'ajama al-Ausat by Imam Tawbarani. And declared authentic by Sheik Al-Alban Ibrahim Allah Ta'ala in his silh silh as-Sahi'ah. Look at the Sahaba. Look at the companions of the messenger, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. On the authority of Aisha, I read you later on her. A man came to the Prophet, Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and said, Ya Rasulullah, Enna ka laa habbu ilayy min nafsih. A man came and will translate it directly because of time. A man came and said, Ya Rasulullah, a companion. Ya Rasulullah, you are more beloved to me than even myself. Ya Rasulullah, you are more beloved to me than my family. You are more beloved to me than my children. Ya Rasulullah, when I am at home, away from you, I cannot be patient until I see you. I cannot be patient until I see you. Then this man said, Ya Rasulullah, when I think about my death and I think about your death, I know when you enter paradise, you will be raised with the prophets and the messengers. And when I enter into paradise, I fear that I will no longer get to see you. When I enter paradise, I fear that I will no longer get to see you. The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not respond. And then the angel Jibril descended with revelation where Allah Az-Rajal says, Notice the man said, Ya Rasulullah, I love you more than myself. More than my wealth, more than my children. And when I am at home, I am not patient. I got to see you. And then I think about you dying and entering into paradise and being raised with the prophets and messengers. And me dying and I fear when I enter paradise, if I enter paradise, I won't see you anymore. Jibril descended with the verse, whoever obeys Allah's messenger, they will be with the prophets and the truthful and the martyrs and the righteous. And indeed they are the best companions. That man was extremely happy. That man was extremely happy because that was confirmation. The person will be with those who he loves on the day of judgment. My beloved brothers and sisters, ask yourself, who do you love? Ask yourself, who do you love? Do you love the messenger Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? Anas ibn Malik radiya allahu tulaanhu In the narration he said, Anas ibn Malik radiya allahu tulaanhu said, Wallahi I love Allah. And I love the messenger. And I love Abu Bakr. And I love Omar. And I hope to be with them even if I do not reach their level of deeds. I hope to be with them. My beloved brothers and sisters, it is upon us to analyze ourselves. Who do we want to be with them to hear after? Do you want to be with those actors and those singers? Do you want to be with those athletes? Or do you want to be with the prophets and the messengers? May Allah make us those who are truthful in our statements. May Allah make us from those who are truthful in our love of the messenger Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Our love of the Sahaba. Our love of the righteous. May Allah rectify our affairs and forgive us for our shortcomings. May Allah rectify our affairs and forgive us for our shortcomings. Allah knows best. Wa sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Wa barakah ala nabiyinul Muhammad. Wa ala alihi wa sahbihi wa sallam. Tasneemin kathira.