How Can We Strengthen Our Connection with the Prophet?
Answered By Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad
Question
How can we strengthen our connection with the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)?
Answer
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds. Blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, his Family, and his Companions.
There are certain duties that a Muslim must fulfill towards the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) to maintain a connection with him and to emulate him. These duties serve as clear evidence and shining proof of complete love for the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace).
Love requires proof to substantiate it, otherwise, it is merely a claim without any basis in the heart. Whoever wishes to test the sincerity of their love for the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) should measure themselves against these duties. Whoever performs and fulfills them is a true lover and follower, and whoever neglects them, or part of them, has an incomplete love proportional to their neglect of these duties. These duties are:
1. Firm Belief
A firm belief that he is truly the Messenger of Allah, the Seal of the Prophets and Messengers, and that his religion is the most complete and perfect of all religions. He is Allah’s chosen one among His creation, their leader, and their intercessor on the Day of Judgment. Allah (Most High) says:
“So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allah and His revelations. And follow him, so you may be (rightly) guided.” [Quran, 7:158]
He also says:
“So believe in Allah and His Messenger and in the Light We have revealed. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” [Quran, 64:8]
Our belief in the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) stems from our belief in Allah (Most High) because Allah (Most High) commanded us to do so:
“O believers! Have faith in Allah, His Messenger, the Book He has revealed to His Messenger, and the Scriptures He revealed before.” [Quran, 4:136].
This belief must be continuous, strengthened, and increased in certainty.
2. Obedience to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace)
Obedience to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is a means to enter Paradise. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“All of my Umma will enter Paradise except for those who refuse.” They asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who will refuse?” He said, “Whoever obeys me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me has refused.” [Bukhari]
Additionally, obedience to the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) earns Allah’s love for His servant. Allah (Most High) says:
“Say, (O Prophet,) ‘If you (sincerely) love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’” [Quran, 3:31]
Whoever obeys the Prophet of Allah is in bliss in this world and the hereafter.
3. Loving and Yearning to Meet Him
This is one of the greatest proofs of a person’s faith in him and the certainty of his truthfulness. One’s faith is not considered complete unless one loves the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) from their heart, yearns to see him, and prioritizes his love over their own family, children, wealth, and all people. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, none of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children, and all mankind.” [Bukhari]
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“None of you will have faith until I am more beloved to him than his family, wealth, and all people.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
Imam Nawawi, in his commentary on the hadith, explains: “Imam Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi said that the intended meaning is not natural love but the love of choice. This is because a person’s natural love for themselves is instinctive and cannot be controlled. Therefore, the meaning is that you are not sincere in your love for me until you sacrifice yourself in obedience to me and prefer my pleasure over your desires, even if it leads to your demise. This is the explanation of Khattabi.”
Ibn Battal, Qadi Iyad, and others (Allah have mercy on them) said: “Love is of three types: love of reverence and respect, like the love of a parent; love of compassion and mercy, like the love of a child; and love of similarity and admiration, like the love of all other people. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) combined all types of love in his love.” [Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim]
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) also spoke about those sincere believers who love him and long to see him. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said:
“The people most beloved to me from my Umma are those who will come after me, each one of them would wish to see me even if it meant sacrificing his family and wealth.” [Muslim; Ibn Hibban; Ahmad]
The strength of the connection with the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) is proportional to the love in the hearts of the believers. Abdullah Ibn Mas‘ud (Allah be pleased with him) said:
A man came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about a man who loves a people but has not caught up with them (in deeds)?” The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, “A person will be with those whom he loves.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
Anas (Allah be pleased with him) said: “We never rejoiced at anything more than the statement of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace): ‘You will be with those whom you love.’” Anas continued: “I love the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace), Abu Bakr, and ‘Umar, and I hope to be with them because of my love for them, even if I do not perform the same deeds as them.”
One of the factors that engenders love for the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) in the heart is to reflect upon the following:
1. His Benevolence Towards Us
After Allah’s (Most High) benevolence, the greatest kindness to us is that of the Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), who conveyed the message, guided us to goodness, and warned us against all evil. Human nature is inclined to love those who do good to them, and the greatest benefactor to us after Allah (Most High) is His Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace).
2. His Deep Concern for Us and Our Salvation
Allah (Most High) describes His Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), saying:
“There certainly has come to you a messenger from among yourselves. He is concerned by your suffering, anxious for your well-being, and gracious and merciful to the believers.” [Quran, 9:128]
Allah (Most High) also says:
“Now, perhaps you (O Prophet) will grieve yourself to death over their denial, if they (continue to) disbelieve in this message.” [Quran, 18:6]
And:
“So do not grieve yourself to death over them (O Prophet).” [Quran, 35:8]
Reflect on the situation of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) on the Day when children will turn gray-haired, pregnant women will drop their loads, and the sun will be brought close to the heads by a distance of a mile. On that day, the great messengers will each say: “Myself, myself,” but Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace) will say: “My community, my community.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
3. Knowing His Life and Reading His Biography and Traits
This helps in loving him and strengthening the connection with him. His life contains innumerable great incidents, such as his patience, courage in truth, firm faith in Allah, generosity, altruism, forbearance, and perseverance.
4. Frequently Sending Prayers and Peace upon Him
Whoever loves something frequently mentions it, keeps it in their heart and mind, and lives with it even from afar. True lovers constantly send prayers and peace upon him (Allah bless him and give him peace) in all their circumstances and gatherings. It is authentically reported that frequent prayers and peace upon him alleviate concerns and sins. Ubayy Ibn Ka‘b (Allah be pleased with him) reported:
A man said, “O Messenger of Allah, what if I dedicate all my prayers to you?” The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “Then Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, will suffice you in your worldly concerns and your Hereafter.” [Ahmad; Ibn Abi Shayba]
5. Companionship with His Lovers and Followers
It was said by a lover:
تَقَرَّبْ لأقْوامٍ يَدينـــــــونَ وُدَّهُ
وباعــــدْ أُناساً قـد تَخَبَّــطَهُــمْ مَسُّ
Draw close to people who follow his love
And avoid those whom an evil touch has confused
فإنَّ مُحِبَّ الحَقِّ يأوي لأهلِهِ
بلا رَيبةٍ والجِنْسُ يَعرفُــهُ الجِنْسُ
For the true lover seeks the company of their beloved
Without a doubt, every kind is attracted to its kind
Whoever sits with the sorrowful becomes sorrowful, and whoever sits with the happy becomes happy. Similarly, the company of any group influences a person. How, then, is it with those who keep the company of the Prophet’s lovers (Allah bless him and give him peace)? No doubt, they will be imbued with their love, and their hearts will be stirred and ignited with love because their talk and speech will be about their Beloved (Allah bless him and give him peace). Loving his noble Family, his esteemed Companions, and the Righteous who are connected to him (Allah bless him and give him peace) is also encouraged.
May Allah make us among his followers and lovers so that we may attain his love and intercession. Indeed, He is Generous and Noble.
[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad
Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Fayez Awad, born in Damascus, Syria, in 1965, pursued his Islamic studies in the mosques and institutes of Damascus. A graduate of the Islamic University of Medina in 1985, he holds a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from Bahauddin Zakariya University in Pakistan.
He has extensive experience developing curricula and enhancing the teaching of various academic courses, including conducting intensive courses. Shaykh Awad has taught Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Quranic sciences, the history of legislation, inheritance laws, and more at several institutes and universities such as Al-Furqan Institute for Islamic Sciences and Majma‘ al-Fath al-Islami in Damascus.
He is a lecturer at the Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih Waqf University in Istanbul, teaching various Arabic and Islamic subjects, and teaches at numerous Islamic institutes in Istanbul. Shaykh Awad is a member of the Association of Syrian Scholars, a founding member of the Zayd bin Thabit Foundation, a member of the Syrian Scholars Association, and a member of the Academic Council at the Iman Center for Teaching the Sunna and Quran.
Among his teachers from whom he received Ijazat are his father, Shaykh Muhammad Muhiyiddin Awad, Shaykh Muhiyiddin al-Kurdi, Shaykh Muhammad Karim Rajih, Shaykh Usama al-Rifai, Shaykh Ayman Suwaid, Shaykh Ahmad al-Qalash, Shaykh Muhammad Awwama, and Shaykh Mamduh Junayd.
