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We were discussing the significance of
following the prophet (pbuh) and in that regard we gave the
example of change in direction for prayer to Kaaba.
We can give volumes of such examples; even
then we will not be able to justify the significance of
following the prophet (pbuh). Allah made him (pbuh) as a
perfect example for humanity and Allah himself attested to
that. It is beyond the capacity of humans to completely follow
him (pbuh). A known leader of non-Muslims in India went to see
Hazrat Ahmed Ali Monghairi (RA) thinking that if he could
convince him, then he will support me politically and then other
Muslims will follow him. He started saying that he loved
prophet of Islam Muhammad (pbuh) very much and is his ardent
admirer. He also said that he has read Quran and believes it to
be true. Any way he praised the prophet (pbuh) as much as he
could. Ahmed Ali Monghari patiently heard him and then told
that leader that Muhammad (pbuh) is greater than his praise and
the praise that he has levied on Islam and Quran, they are
greater than that. However he should tell, in spite of all this
what was wrong, that he did not accept Islam. He could not
answer that. Seeing him quiet on this, he told him that Islam
comes from practically following the prophet (pbuh) and not only
from verbally praising the prophet. He told him that first he
should follow the prophet and then lay a claim to loving him,
and that he should go and try to influence the ignorant, and not
the knowledgeable. The prophet (pbuh) said that, the true
submitter prays salah to Allah while the false ones do not. In
the same way with out following the prophet (pbuh) practically,
laying a claim to his love is meaningless. The prophet (pbuh)
says that a true believer is the one who loves Allah and me more
than himself. I will give you an example of true love of the
prophet (pbuh). In the battle of Uhad, one woman (RA) was
running toward the battlefield upon hearing that the prophet (pbuh)
has fallen in the battle, while in reality he was badly wounded
only resting for a while because of weakness. She came across a
person and asked him how the battle was going? as she did not
want to say if the prophet (pbuh) had passed away lest it was
true. He told her that her husband had fallen in the battle.
Upon further enquiry he also told her that her brother had also
died. She asked for more news and he told her that her son has
also died in the battle. Finally she could not hold back her
worry and she asked him directly if the prophet was well. He
told her that the prophet (pbuh) is alive but he is badly
injured. She exclaimed, thank ALLAH, if the prophet (pbuh) is
alive then my whole family is alive, we all are alive. This is
the example of real love for the prophet (pbuh), which shows
that the following of the prophet (pbuh) should be until death.
We may claim to love the prophet (pbuh) but until we follow his
(pbuh) example in practice our claim of the love would be
false. The hypocrite in his life in this regard also paid the
lip service but in the eyes of ALLAH they were the munafiq. In
the month of Rabi ul Awal we should make it a point to solemnly
declare that we will follow the prophet (pbuh) truly and also
spread this word to others. However before we preach to others
we should ourselves become true followers of the prophet (pbuh).
With the virtues of this month we will attain two goals.
Firstly, to be punctual and secondly, to do justice to the last
verse of Surah Al-Asr, with preaching others to do good deeds.
We know that in the first part of the verses of this Surah,
Allah has taken oath of time so that we come to realize the
value of time which we ignore all the time. Due to this wastage
of time we have been left behind in development from many a
nation smaller than us. We in spite of having all the resources
and intelligence were left behind in progress. This world is a
place for actions. The earth gives the reward to the one who
works hard. The one, who tills it, sows the seed in time and
waters it in time, and then only he reaps the crop. A true
believer has an added advantage that the benevolence of Allah is
also with him. However, if someone does not even bother to sow
the seeds and then expects Allah to give him a crop to reap, is
fooling only himself. Allah does not do any thing for those who
do not help themselves, although it is in His power to do it. In
the Quran few time again tells us that humans get what they
have worked for. Again Allah say in Quran that, “the nation
that does not struggle to change its own condition is not helped
by Him”. If we choose to stay ignorant and do not read Quran
due to our laziness then we will not know the reality, which is
that, “we will only reap what we sow”. We may turn into a
nation of beggars by asking for foreign aid, but a beggar’s life
is not a respectable life in view of Islam. Wealth earned by
our own hard work is the only respectable earning and worth to
be proud of. However this honor has been taken by other nations
where dignity of labor has been accepted and irrespective of
their professions all are considered equal. Let us vow to
follow the ways of prophet (pbuh) and revive Islam in our lives.
Let us establish equality of humans as was preached by our
prophet Muhammad (pbuh). May Allah give us this strength. |
