IlmFeed
As Muslims, we are commanded to love the Messenger (salAllaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) and to follow in his path without religious deviations or innovations, in order to worship Allah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) in the way that He commanded. Sometimes, unfortunately, our claims of love fall short, and thus there are signs that we can reflect on in order to analyze how much love we truly have for the greatest human being to walk this earth, peace and blessings be upon him.
Following are at least six signs that you love Prophet Muhammad (salAllaahu ‘alayhi wasallam):
1. You follow the message that he conveyed (the Qur’an)
This entails reciting, studying, and implementing the rulings of the Creator that were revealed through His Messenger. Belief in the divine scripture is just one part of faith; implementing its rulings in your life is another.
*Action item: study the Qur’an on a daily basis. Recite, understand, implement, and memorize what you can.
2. You love to follow the Sunnah
Image credit: Lion of Allah
Every individual will vary in their love of the Sunnah and thus their love of the Messenger (salAllaahu ‘alayhi wasallam). The more you love the Sunnah, the more you’ll try to implement it in your life. You’ll never hear the words “It’s just a sunnah” coming out of your mouth, primarily because you’ll do anything to follow his path. Instead, every time you learn about a sunnah, you’ll be eager to implement it in your life. When you learn that something contradicts the Sunnah, you tend to stay away from it lest you fall into religious innovation. You also ensure that what you’re doing on a daily basis is legitimate and has some basis in the Qur’an or Sunnah.
*Action item: study the Sunnah from an authentic source and implement it into your life.
3. You study his Seerah and encourage others to do so
Every Muslim should study the biography of the Prophet (salAllaahu ‘alayhi wasallam); his compassion, his love, his dedication, his sincerity, his beauty, his exalted character, his concern for his ummah, and what he went through to convey this message to the rest of the world. The companions used to teach their children the Seerah from a young age. This is one of the greatest signs you love the Messenger (salAllaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) because you want to know more about him and his life, and oftentimes you’ll see those who love him study the seerah multiple times.
*Action Item: Study the Seerah from a reputable, authentic source. You have so many resources in this day and age that there’s no excuse for not reading a summarized version of the Seerah or listening to a video series. Furthermore, encourage your family and friends to also study the seerah and share gems from your studies in order to encourage others.
4. You ask Allah to send prayers upon him often
Saying “Allahumma sallee ‘ala Muhammad” in any of its appropriate variations is asking Allah to send peace and blessings and mercy upon the beloved Messenger, and every time you do it, Allah (swt) will send upon you 10 times the blessings and mercy in your life. Furthermore, every time you send salutations upon him, an angel appointed next to the Messenger (salAllaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) conveys your prayers to him. Finally, the more you send prayers upon him, the closer you’ll be to him on the Day of Resurrection and the more of his intercession you’ll have on that severe day.
Action Item: Try to at least begin the basic habit of sending 10 prayers upon him in the morning and 10 in the evening and work your way up from there throughout the day and night, especially every time you remember him or when his name is mentioned, salAllahu ‘alayhi wasallam.
5. You love the things he loved and the people he loved
This includes acts of worship (fasting Mondays and Thursdays or praying at night) and countless sunnan (such as using the siwak) as well as the people he loved and those who loved him, such as Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, his entire family, and the companions in general. This is a litmus test for many who claim to love the Messenger but believe in fabrications against his noble companions.
6. You frequently remember his life and wish to be with him
When you love someone, you find yourself thinking about them often. The more you love the Messenger of Allah (salAllaahu ‘alayhi wasallam), the more you’ll refer back to his life and the more you’ll pray that Allah grants you reunion with him in the Hereafter, in the highest levels of Paradise.
O Allah, grant us true and complete love for your Messenger and his Sunnah and allow us to be upon his path in this life and to rejoice with him in the next life.
