Celebrating the Birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAAWS)

Celebrating the Birth of Prophet Muhammad (SAAWS)

Sara and Abdullah have been married for a little more than four years. They have a son, Khaled, who became two last week and they are expecting a girl any day now.

 Abdullah is an engineer. He came with Sara from Syria several years ago. After the death of his father, four years ago, he brought his mother to live with them.

Yesterday, Sara, with the help of grandma, (called TaiTai in Syria), prepared a nice dinner for the family; kubbeh, mutabal, humus, tabuleh, chicken and rice. Of course Sara did not forget the lentil soup. Abdullah used to say, “Kubbeh without lentil soup is like Rome without the Pope.”

Abdullah came home from work; they all sat around the dining table. Khaled sat in his high chair with a bib, embroidered with the phrase, “I love Taitai,”­­ fastened under his chin.

 “Abdullah! I heard on the news this morning that today is the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. Could we spend some time talking about him?” Sara asked. Abdullah reached out and took a round kubbeh, took a bite of it, and said, “Mom, Sara, Jazakumullahu khayran, this is a great kubbeh.”

 Abdullah was very happy to celebrate this occasion by remembering this wonderful man Muhammad, the like of whom never walked on this earth, the like of whom mothers failed to give birth to.

“Oh yeah Sara! I did forget. Today is the 12^th of Rabi al Awal, the birth day of Prophet Muhammad. I will start bringing up some of his special attributes mentioned in the holy Quran.

Almighty Allah called him a ‘Light’ and ‘Lamp Spreading Light,’ to guide people out of darknesses:

‘There has come to you from Allah a New Light’

‘Oh Prophet! Truly We have sent you as a witness, as a Bearer of Glad news, as a warner, as one who invites to Allah’s grace, by His leave, and as a lamp spreading light.’”

Sara looked at Abdullah and said, “I remember one verse, where Allah asks his Messenger, ‘Have We not raised high your fame?’ Every time we say ‘La Ilaha Illallah’, we say ‘Muhammadun Rasulullah.’”  

“Exactly! You see how Muhammad’s name is part of the shahada (declaration of faith),” Abdullah said.

Taitai joined in, “I love what Allah said, addressing his Prophet, ‘Indeed you have the highest morals.’”

“Mom, it’s all about morals. The Prophet said it himself. He was sent but to complete the code of morals,” said Abdullah.

Sara admired how the Prophet treated children and mentioned that once he came to the mosque for the night prayer, carrying his grandson on his shoulders. Then he seated him close by and led the prayer. He spent an unusually long time prostrating during the prayer, which worried some of his followers. Others thought he was receiving a revelation. After the prayer, he explained to them that his grandson mounted on his back and he waited for him to get down. Taitai added, “He also used to carry his granddaughter Umama while praying. When he prostrated he’d put her down and when he stood up he’d carry her.”

Abdullah said, “I find this story fascinating; one time the Prophet was in a big gathering.  To his right was a young boy and to his left were the great Abu Baker and Omar. The Prophet was offered a drink from a pitcher. He drank a little bit and asked the boy ‘Do you permit me to pass the drink to Abu Baker and Omar?’ The boy said ‘No way!’” (Muslims usually pass things to the right. That is why the Prophet wanted the permission of the boy to pass it to the left. The boy refused, he wanted the blessing of drinking right after the Prophet. Maybe he thought, by the time it comes around nothing would be left for him or maybe he wanted to receive a drink directly from the prophet.)

Taitai reminded them of the woman who was cleaning the prophet’s mosque. She was dark skinned and from people who were not considered important in Medina’s traditional clan society. One time he noticed she was not at the mosque. When he inquired about her, he was told that she’d passed away. He asked where she was buried and gathered his companions and offered a funeral prayer for her. How well he respected people, no matter their social status in the general community.

Sara added teasingly, “He was so nice to his wives. He never laid his hand on anyone of them (he never hit anyone of them).”

“Abdullah! Did you hear that?” Taitai asked.

“Mom! I would never ever hurt Sara!” replied Abdullah.

Taitai and Sara laughed. They remembered how Abdullah had stood up to his best friend and scolded him when he shoved his wife in front of them.

Taitai then said, “I remember a hadith (narration), I’d like to share with you. When rasulullah (The Messenger of Allah) read what Abraham supplicated, ‘He who follows me is one of me and he who disobeys me (is going astray) - But You are indeed oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful’. And what Jesus prayed, ‘If you punish them, they are your servants, and if you forgive them, verily You, only You are the All-Mighty, the All-wise’

He, Muhammad, understood that the two great messengers, Abraham and Jesus, were asking forgiveness even for those who chose not to follow them. He then raised his hands, cried and pleaded, ‘My nation, My nation’. Then Allah sent Angel Gabriel to comfort him and assure him that Allah would be pleased with him and with his nation.”

Abdullah said “Mom! That shows how much he loves us, how much he loves his ummah (nation).” Then he added “Don’t forget that every prophet was given a special wish and every prophet used his wish except Muhammad. He saved his wish as a shafa’a  (intercession) for his ummah on the Day of Judgment. It will be honored for everyone who dies without associating anything with Allah.”

 “Abdullah! Remind us of shafa’a,” Sara demanded.

Abdullah explained, “On the Day of Resurrection, all mankind will be brought in one gigantic plain area. The sun will get very close to them. They will be sweating, scared and waiting for the grand trial. They wish to know their fate and get it done with it. We don’t know how long they will stay like that in a state of uncertainty. They will form a delegation. This delegation goes to Adam, then Noah, then Abraham, then Moses, then Jesus. They will plead for their intercession. Each one will say, ‘Myself, myself, I’m worried about myself’, and will refer them to the others. Then finally they go to see Muhammad. He will respond ‘I’m for it, I’m for it.’

Muhammad goes under the throne, prostrates, praises Allah and waits. Then he will be ordered, ‘Oh Muhammad!  Raise up your head. Ask! You will be given. And intercede! Your intercession will be accepted.’    

His intercession will help those whose good deeds are equal to their bad deeds to enter Paradise. People ordered to go to the Hell will be pardoned, by his intercession, before even entering Hell. Those who end up in Hell will be released to go to Paradise, as a result of his continued intercession.”

Sara then asked, “With all of what the Prophet did for us, and is willing to do for us in the Day of Judgment, how can we thank him?”

Abdullah thought about it for a few seconds and before he answered, Taitai started, “In fact he asked us to do only one thing for him; he said, when you hear the athan (Muslim call for prayer) repeat after him then at the end of the athan, he told us to pray for him. For every blessing we ask Allah for him, we get, in return, ten blessings from Allah. What a bargain! Then he asked us to ask Allah to grant him ‘AlWaseela’, a place in Paradise reserved for one person and he wishes it to be for him. He promised that he who asks for ‘Alwaseela’ for him will earn his intercession.”

As they were finishing dinner the call for magrib prayer came from the computer and they all in unison repeated after him. After it, they invoked blessing upon Muhammad. Then supplicated, "Allahumma Rabba hathihid-Daawatit tammah, wassalatil Qa imah ati Muhammadan al waseelata wal fadeelah, wa ib'ath-hu maqaman mahmoodan allathee wa'ad-tah, innaka laa tukhliful-me'aad."

 (This translates to"Oh Allah, Owner of this perfect call and Owner of this prayer to be performed, grant Muhammad al waseelah (a place in Paradise) and al fadeelah (a rank above the rest of creation) and send him upon a raised platform which you have promised him. Verily, You never fail in Your promise.")

Taitai, Sara and Abdullah agreed that there was so much more to say about the Prophet. This was a wonderful way to celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad.

(Peace and Blessing of Allah upon prophets Muhammad, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and all other prophets.)