The virtue of loving the Prophet
Question
What is the virtue of loving the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)? I always find myself longing to hear his name and to praise him, out of love and deep attachment to him. Are these feelings compatible with Islamic law? Kindly clarify.
Answer
The Ummah’s praise of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his household), their longing for him, and their deep attachment to him are expressions of their love for him. This love is considered one of the foundations of faith. Allah Almighty says, “Say, If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your kindred, the wealth you have acquired, the commerce you fear may decline, and the dwellings you delight in are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His command; and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people” (Quran, 9:24). Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “By Him in Whose hand is my soul, none of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his father and his child”
(recorded by Bukhari). Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that he also said, “None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his child, his father, and all people”
(recorded by Bukhari and Muslim).
The hadith scholar Ibn Rajab noted in Fath Al-Bari (1:48), “Loving the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his household) is one of the principles of faith, and it goes hand in hand with loving Allah Almighty Who decreed that love for His Messenger is intrinsically connected to love for Himself. Allah Almighty warns against giving precedence to love for anything naturally beloved, such as relatives, wealth, or homeland, over love for Him and His Messenger. Allah Almighty says, ‘Say, If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your spouses, your kindred, the wealth you have acquired, the commerce you fear may decline, and the dwellings you delight in are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His command; and Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people’ (Quran, 9:24). When ʿUmar told the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah, you are dearer to me than everything except myself,” the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied, “No, by Him in Whose Hand is my soul, not until I am dearer to you than yourself.” ʿUmar then said, “Now, by Allah, you are indeed dearer to me than myself.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, “Now, O ʿUmar [you truly love me].”
Loving the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) is therefore a manifestation of love for Allah Almighty. Whoever loves a king will also love his messenger, to Allah belongs the highest example. The Messenger of Allah is the beloved of the Lord of the worlds. It is he who brought to us all that is good and endured hardships for the sake of our Islam and our admission into paradise. Allah Almighty says, “There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves; grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful” (Quran, 9:128). Our Lord, the Almighty, describes His beloved Prophet in many verses of the Quran with qualities that indicate his excellence, including, “And indeed, you are of a great moral character” (Quran, 68:4).
And Allah the Almighty knows best.