The Advent of the Seal of all Prophets, Muhammad (pbuh)
'O our Lord, send among them
a Messenger from among themselves, who will recite to them Your Verses
[revelations], teach them Your Book and Wisdom, and purify them. Indeed, You
are the Exalted in Might, the Wise.'
Hazrat Ibrahim (as) and Hazrat Isma’il (as) made a profound supplication, which Allah has mentioned in the Holy Quran, to endure until the Day of Judgement, and which gives the good news of the advent of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) as an answer to their prayer.
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) came to conclude
Law-bearing prophethood. Just as Hazrat Musa (as) was the last prophet of the
Israelite lineage to bring a law – here we refer only to Hazrat Musa (as) and
the Tawraat – because Hazrat Isa (as) did not bring a new law, but came
to complete the law of Hazrat Musa (as). Therefore, the Injeel (the
words of Hazrat Isa (as) which also contain revelations he received from Allah)
came to consolidate the Mosaic Law, linking it with the Tawraat.
Similarly, just as Hazrat Musa (as) was the last law-bearing prophet from the
Israelite lineage, Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) came centuries later with the final
Code of Law, that is, the Holy Quran. Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) came as the
greatest of all prophets since the creation of mankind and of all prophets.
This is a distinction that Allah has reserved for him, and all those who come
from him reflect his Prophethood.
.jpg)
Here, therefore, we speak of Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh) as a spiritual father who produces prophets, reformer-prophets of Islam
who come to restore the Law of the Quran whenever people deviate from it. Thus,
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) is a light that ignites other lights, and this in no way
diminishes his importance or his status as Khatam-an-Nabiyyin (Seal of
the Prophets). By the grace of Allah, I have spoken at length on this subject
in my previous sermons and especially in my Tafsir’ul Quran – Al-Azim Tafsir’ul
Quran.
Allah has bestowed an immense favour upon
humanity by sending us Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) as a prophet. The greatest
prophet that this universe has ever witnessed was born on a Monday in Arabia.
His coming was foretold in ancient scriptures. His arrival was marked by a sign
representing the Seal of Prophethood on him. There was a small lump of flesh
with hair and moles between his shoulder blades, slightly on the left side.
Jabir bin Samurah (ra) reported: “I saw the Seal on his shoulder, resembling
a pigeon’s egg.” (Muslim, Tirmidhi). And Abdullah bin Sarjis (ra) reported:
“I saw the Seal of Prophethood between his shoulders on the left side of his
shoulder, which had marks like moles.” (Muslim).
We must not confuse the Seal of the Prophets
with the Seal of Prophethood. The Seal of the Prophets is Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh), and the Seal of Prophethood is the mark that was on his back.
Thus, Allah answered the supplication of Hazrat
Ibrahim (as) and Hazrat Isma’il (as) by sending the greatest prophet of this
universe from their common lineage. The advent of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was
not only for the Arabs, his own people, but for all of humanity. The Quran
addresses all of humanity, but those who truly understand it are the true
believers endowed with intelligence [Ulul-al-Baab], those who reflect
and do not deviate from the right path.
As we learn from the Hadiths, Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh) was born on a Monday. It was also on a Monday that the Night of Decree (Laila-tul-Qadr)
occurred, when Allah sent Hazrat Jibreel (as) to him in the Cave of Hira to
deliver the first revelations of the Quran. At that moment, Allah sent His
greatest decree to His greatest prophet. This destiny chosen by Allah made him
even more humble than he was before. He was a gentle, generous, kind, and
respectful person, both to those older and younger than him. Despite being an
orphan, losing his father before his birth and his mother at the age of six,
Allah blessed his advent into this world in an extraordinary way.
We must remember that a mother who believes in
the oneness of Allah, worships Him, and does not associate idols with Him, is
blessed to carry a child who is a Messenger of Allah. Such a mother is blessed
by Allah to witness several signs even before the conception of her child,
during her pregnancy, and after the birth of her son. Allah strengthens such a
mother so that she knows the destiny He has reserved for her child. This mother
is truly blessed. She receives revelation. Amina, the daughter of Wahab and
wife of Abdullah, was such a woman chosen by Allah to carry this exceptional
child and to receive such signs to keep her confident in the great mission
Allah had for her son. Allah also chose Abdullah as the father who contributed
to the birth of this extraordinary child.
The life of Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) was marked
by hardship, as he was deprived of his father before his birth and became
completely orphaned at the age of six when his mother also passed away.
Initially, his grandfather Abdul Muttalib took care of him, but after Abdul
Muttalib’s death, his uncle Abu Talib assumed responsibility for Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh). Although he was not wealthy in worldly terms, Allah enriched
his soul with a deep connection to Him. From a young age, he experienced
spiritual visions, though he did not understand their significance at the time.
By Allah’s infinite grace, he was never abandoned.
There is a Surah in the Quran where Allah
speaks to Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), reassuring His prophet that He will always be
with him. This Surah is Surah Ad-Duha (Chapter 93 of the Holy Quran), where
Allah says:
This chapter summarizes Allah’s favour upon
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) during a particularly difficult period in his life,
affirming that Allah never forsook him. When he came under the care of Abu
Talib, he received the protection of a father figure, as Abu Talib treated him
like his own son, making no distinction between him and his other children.
Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) lived in a home filled
with love and tenderness. As he grew to become the greatest prophet of this
universe, it is unfortunate that his uncle did not accept him as a prophet,
despite protecting him against all opposition. Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) invited
him to embrace Islam, but Abu Talib chose to remain with his ancestral beliefs
and customs. However, Allah bestowed His favour upon Abu Talib’s wife, Fatima
bint Asad (ra), the mother of Ali Ibn Abu Talib (ra), who accepted Islam and died
as a Muslim. Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) personally led her funeral prayer (Salatul
Janaza).
Like Allah mentions in this Surah, He found Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh) in a state of poverty and enriched him. Here, the poverty of Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh) refers to his financial state, as spiritually he was immensely
rich, richer than all humans on the face of this earth. Allah enriched him
through his marriage to Hazrat Khadija, who proposed marriage to Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh). Hazrat Khadija (ra) was very wealthy and had been widowed
twice. She was 40 years old when she married Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh), who was
then 25 years old. It was Khadija who ensured his lineage by giving him several
children, both sons and daughters. Unfortunately, all his sons died at a young
age. Although his other daughters survived to maturity, only Hazrat Fatima
(ra), his youngest daughter, ensured his biological lineage.
We see how Allah fulfilled His promise to His
Messenger, not only by granting him wealth and pious and respectable children
but also by ensuring that through his biological and spiritual lineage, other
reformers of Islam would come, reflecting the spiritual image and prophethood
of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), to restore Islam to its former glory like
at the beginning of Islam.
Allah’s favours rained upon Hazrat Muhammad
(pbuh) like a blessed rain that watered his entire Ummah. Whenever his Ummah
faltered and slipped into wrongdoing, Allah sent the reflection of Hazrat
Muhammad (pbuh) to revive the dead land of Islam, where this Saviour would
water the plant of Islam, making it grow, strengthen its roots, and spread its
branches to the farthest corners of the universe.
I will stop here for today. Insha-Allah,
I will continue on the same subject next week – Insha-Allah.
Allahumma Salli ‘ala
Muhammadin wa ‘ala aali Muhammadin, kama sallayta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala aali
Ibrahima innaka Hamidum-Majeed. Allahumma barik ‘ala Muhammadin wa ‘ala aali
Muhammadin kama barakta ‘ala Ibrahima wa ‘ala aali Ibrahima innaka
Hameedum-Majeed. Rabbana taqabal minna innaka antas-Sami’ul Alim. Rabbana
taqabal minna innaka antas-Sami’ud-Dua.
(O Allah, send blessings upon Muhammad and upon
the family of Muhammad, as You sent blessings upon Ibrahim and upon the family
of Ibrahim. Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, bless Muhammad
and the family of Muhammad, as You blessed Ibrahim and the family of Ibrahim.
Indeed, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. Our Lord, accept (this) from us;
indeed, You are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. Our Lord, accept (this) from
us; indeed, You are the Hearer of supplications.)
----Friday Sermon of 20 September 2024 ~16 Rabi’ul Awwal 1446 AH delivered by Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al Islam International Hazrat Khalifatullah Munir A. Azim (aba) of Mauritius.