Prophet Muhammad‘s followers owe him two things: obedience and love.

Prophet Muhammad‘s followers owe him two things: obedience and love.

Obedience to the Prophet

Obedience to the Prophet is mentioned in thirty different verses in the Qur‘an. It implies following his commands and avoiding what he prohibited. Obedience to the Prophet indicates the true fulfilment of the second part of the declaration that brings a person into Islam, ―I bear witness that Muhammad is Allah‘s Messenger.‖

When we examine anything the Prophet encouraged, urged or ordered, we find that all is from Allah, and that all lead to something good, for us personally, to others who are close to us in our families, to our wider community, to the Muslim community in general, or to humanity at large. He only prohibited what is harmful or of no benefit, like adultery, gambling, alcohol, lying,

disrespect to parents and so on. The Prophet (peace be upon him) prohibited satanic ways in many statements, because these tend to pull a person away from the right path.

A good believer reaches a state of mind when his desires and pleasures in this life are in line with what Allah wants from him. Every individual should be obedient to Allah and His Prophet, and observe strictly the instructions from Allah. Following Islamic teachings

develops the spirit, but abandoning it leads to a state of decay and spiritual loss.31

Loving the Prophet

Islam teaches that loving the Prophet is part of the Islamic faith. The Prophet is quoted as saying: <<None of you is a true believer unless I am dearer to him than his parents, his children, and all other people.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: <<There are three qualities which are certain to give anyone the sweetness of faith: to love Allah and His Messenger more than anyone else, to love a person for no purpose other than for Allah‘s sake, and to hate to relapse into disbelief after Allah has saved him from it as much as one would hate to be thrown into the fire

We are required to love Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) more than all others (except Allah) because it was through him that we learned who Allah is, His attributes, our position in relation to Him, what Allah wants from us, and how to worship Him. He guided us through practical example along the way, and following

this is certain to earn for us Allah‘s acceptance and the ultimate bliss. He has spared us the worst calamity that can ever befall anyone, which is incurring Allah‘s anger and punishment. He sacrificed everything to deliver Allah‘s message to us. He sacrificed his health and wealth and his whole life. If we realize all this, how can we not love him more than we love ourselves and all others?

We love Prophet Muhammad because, as described in the Qur‘an, he was a ‗mercy for all nations‘. His compassion extended to all, friends and enemies. Consider this: that, enemies often became his beloved companions and followers. They embraced Islam, saying that his character was proof that he was a true messenger of Allah.

It should be noted that we must love Allah more than the Prophet; the Prophet comes next. Loving Allah, the Prophet and his followers is an act of worship for which one will be rewarded. And vice versa; hating Allah or His Prophet expels one from the bounds of Islam. Correspondingly, hating those who hate Allah or the Prophet is part of Islamic belief, for which the individual will be accounted for and rewarded.

It needs to be clarified here that the emotion of ‗hate‘ that is meant in this context does not lend itself to the commonly known evil type of hate which is the imperfect

human emotion; rather, it is the type of hate that perfects one‘s faith as it is directed in the right measure against those who have taken a defiant stance against the Creator and His chosen messengers. It is a lot like the negative feeling one may hold against the actions of a man who defies and abuses his elderly parents in an evil manner, or an outlaw who fights the justice system and spreads fear and corruption in society. It is clear that hating the actions

of such individuals is a natural feeling that good people are expected to have. Although Islam teaches love in all its many forms, it instructs the faithful believers not to love those who do not love Allah and His messengers, until they change their ways, in which case, they commanded to love them! In a nutshell, a Muslim loves for Allah as well

as hates for Allah. And here is the great fact about this emotion of hate; a Muslim is instructed not to hate anyone for personal reasons. For example, if a person insulted a Muslim, he is instructed to forgive; surely the difference is great between hating for Allah (well placed emotion) vs. hating for satisfying the self (a destructive) emotion).

The love we should have for the Prophet must be a genuine love, not a mere verbal statement. It should be supported and proven by obedience, following his commands and avoiding what he prohibited. Correspondingly again, the expression of our feelings of

hate or revulsion at the refusal of our fellow human beings to believe in Allah‘s Oneness and follow the monotheistic teachings of His prophets should be in our positive and pro-active approach to those who disbelieve. We want and pray for them to be guided to the truth, and we need to work for that and work with them for that.

5. Belief in the Last Day

Islam teaches that this life is but a test of conduct for each individual, to see whether or not he or she will follow the commands of Allah. In the hereafter, people will be resurrected and stand before Allah for a just reckoning of their deeds and actions while they were alive on earth. People with good deeds will be generously rewarded and warmly welcomed to the heaven of Allah. However, those with records of many bad deeds will be punished and cast

into hell. People have been given knowledge of right and wrong, instinctively and through revelation, and they must choose their path in this short life. Their choices in this life will ultimately determine their places in the eternal life to come. Allah says in the Qur‘an: Whosoever has done an atom‘s weight of good will see it, and whosoever has done an atom‘s weight of evil will see it. (Qur‘an 99: 7-8)

Belief in the Day of Judgment implants in the human heart the consciousness of Allah, impelling people and

society at large to obey Him sincerely without any external pressure. Effectively, the hereafter for the individual starts right after his soul departs his body. Shortly after his burial, two angels come to the grave and ask the following three questions (like a final exam):

Who is your Lord?

What is your religion?

Who is your prophet?

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that the believer would not have difficulties in answering them correctly, while the unbeliever would not be able to give the right answers.34 Depending on the result, the person will start to suffer or enjoy his/her stay in the grave after this brief questioning. The grave will expand or contract to give comfort or torture to its dweller depending on what

they deserve.35

6. The Belief in Predestination

It includes the belief in the following:

a) Allah knows everything. His knowledge is not bound by time. Past, present and future are all known to Him.

b) Everything which takes place is already written in a book called the ‗Preserved Tablet‘.

c) Allah has created everything, including the actions of people, the good and the bad, but He commanded people to do good deeds and forbade them from doing evil.

d) One must believe that everything that happens in this universe is happening with Allah‘s permission, and nothing can take place against His Will.

It should be noted that Allah‘s prior knowledge of things does not mean that human beings have no choice. Human beings choose, but Allah knows their choices prior to their choosing and action. He merely allows them to follow through with their decisions.