The Four Obligations We Owe To Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

“Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allah, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins in order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire); for the believers (he صلى الله عليه وسلم is) full of pity, kind, and merciful.” Surah Al Tawbah 9:128

If we have to examine the favours of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم upon us, we will realize that they are so abundant that it is obligatory upon us to express our gratitude to Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم. In fact, such is the status of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم that the entire universe was created because of him. How wonderful indeed is the statement of the poet:

“Salaam be upon you, O leader of the children of Aadam عليه السلام

“Salaam be upon you, O means of the existence of the universe.”

Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم was the means for us receiving the Qur’aan Majeed, the means of us receiving the gift of salaah, fasting, zakaat, and hajj. In fact, he was the means of us receiving the entire Deen of Islam and connecting us to our Creator, Allah Ta’ala. Therefore, he is the means of us receiving every deeni bounty bestowed upon us from Allah in this world and the next. Hence, Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم enjoys more rights over us than any other person

The Rights of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم

The obligations we owe to Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم can be categorized into the following four:

• Love
• Firm belief
• Obedience
• Sending Durood and salaam upon him

If these four obligations are diligently upheld, then Insha Allah, one will be showing loyalty and gratitude to Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم for the favours that one has received from him, and one will be fulfilling the rights that he owes to Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم

The Obligation of Love

The first obligation is that we inculcate true love for Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم. It is reported in the Hadith that one’s Imaan will not be perfect unless one loves Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم more than he loves himself, his parents, children and all the creation.

On one occasion, Hazrat Umar رضي الله عنه addressed Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم saying, “O Rasul of Allah! I love you more than everyone, besides myself!” Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم said, “O Umar! One cannot be a perfect believer until he loves me more than everything, including himself.” Thereafter, Hazrat Umar رضي الله عنه mentioned, “O Rasul of Allah! I now love you more than everything, including myself.”

Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم then said, “Now your Imaan is perfect.”

Without us developing our love for Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم to this level, where one gives preference to him and his commands over everything else, we will not be successful in reaching Allah Ta’ala.

The Obligation of Firm Belief and Confidence

The second obligation is that we have firm belief in Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم and wholeheartedly accept whatever he informs us of. There were many people of the Quraish who truly loved Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم, to the extent that they even suffered the boycott with him for three years, however they did not believe in him and accept his deen. Hence, they failed to attain salvation and passed away on Kufr. Therefore, together with having love for Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم, one should believe in Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم and have complete confidence in everything that he has said and brought to us.

The Ulama explain that the love which one has for Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم should assume the form of ‘aqeedat’. Aqeedat is for one to believe that Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم is his greatest benefactor and that everything which Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم mentioned is the absolute truth and the only path to success. Similarly, he should not equate any person’s command to the command of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم.

The Obligation of Obedience

The third right that Rasullullah enjoys over us is the right of obedience. Together with having the greatest love and aqeedat (believing in Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم and having confidence in everything that he has conveyed to us), one has to inculcate obedience in his life as well. When the highest levels of love and aqeedat are inculcated, automatically the highest levels of obedience and submission will be acquired. One will thereafter live his life in accordance to the Mubaarak Sunnah of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم and make a concerted effort to pass on the Mubaarak Sunnah to the Ummah.

When we examine the lives of the Sahaabah رضي الله عنه, we find that Allah had blessed them with the highest levels of love, aqeedat and obedience to Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم.

The Advice of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم  to Hazrat Faatimah رضي الله عنها

Hazrat Faatimah رضي الله عنها was the most beloved daughter of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم. The level of her love and aqeedat for Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم was to the highest standard and degree.

The proof of her love for Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم can be understood from the Hadith in which Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم mentioned, “Faatimah is part of me. Whoever harms her, harms me.” Similarly, the proof of her aqeedat can be understood from the Hadith wherein Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم said, “Faatimah is the leader of the women in Jannah.”

However, despite the high level of her love and aqeedat for Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم, Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم gave her the following advice, “O Faatimah! Ask me for whatever you wish from my wealth, for I will not be able to avail you in the least before Allah (i.e. if you do not follow my teachings, then I will not be able to benefit you in the Hereafter).”

From this, we conclude that it is necessary to have obedience to Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم together with having love and aqeedat for him.

The Obedience of Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood رضي الله عنه before Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم

On one occasion, Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم ascended the mimbar and instructed the Sahaabah رضي الله عنه to sit down. All the Sahaabah رضي الله عنه present in the masjid immediately sat down. At that moment, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood رضي الله عنه was still outside the masjid. However, on account of the instruction of Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم, he immediately sat where he was, without entering the masjid. In other words, he did not think to himself that this instruction only applied to those in the musjid.21

The Sahaabah رضي الله عنه always kept death before them. Hence, Hazrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood رضي الله عنه thought to himself, “If I die before entering the masjid, then tomorrow, on the Day of Qiyaamah, if Allah has to ask me, ‘When you heard the instruction of My Nabi to sit, then why did you not obey?’ then what reply will I have?” Hence, he immediately sat down.

Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم then saw him seated outside the masjid and said to him, “O Ibnu Mas’ood , come inside.”

This was the level of the Sahaabah’ s رضي الله عنه obedience and submission to Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم, coupled with the highest levels of love and aqeedat.

The Obligation of Sending Durood and Salaam

Just as a believer must fulfil the obligations of love, aqeedat and obedience for Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم, he must similarly fulfil the obligation of sending Durood and salaam upon Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم.

Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم said, “The people who will be the closest to me on the Day of Qiyaamah will be those who would recite the most Durood upon me in the world.”

A believer should try to daily recite Durood upon Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم. However, on the blessed day of Friday, one should recite even more Durood as Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم has exhorted us to increase our Durood on a Friday.

Hazrat Abu Umaamah رضي الله عنه reports that Rasulullah صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَم said, “Recite abundant Durood upon me every Friday, for certainly the Durood of my Ummah are presented before me every Friday. The one who recites the most Durood upon me will be the closest to me (on the Day of Qiyaamah).”