The Pre-Eminence of Prophet Muhammad (s)
Mawlana Shaykh Hisham Kabbani
25 February 2010 Abidjan, Ivory Coast
أعوذ بالله من الشيطان الرجيم بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم الحمد لله الذي شرّفنا بأن هدانا إلى ديننا دين الإسلام والصلاة والسلام على أفضل البشر سيدنا محمد عليه أفضل الصلاة والسلام أما بعد، السؤالان اللذان سألتموه: الأول، لا ضرورة لتفسيره. والثاني هناك رسالة إن شاء الله لمجتمع كوت ديفوار.
a`oodhu billahi min ash-shaytaani'r-rajeem bismillahi'r-rahmaani'r-raheem, alhamdulillahi'lladhee sharaffanaa bi an hadaanaa ila deeninaa deenu'l-islaam w'as-salaat w'as-salaam `ala afdali'l-bashari sayyidina Muhammadin `alayhi afdali's-salaatu w'as-salaam. Amaa ba`d, as-suaalaan alladhaan sa'altumoohu: al-awwal, laa daroorata li-tafseerihi. Wa ath-thaaniy hunaak risaalat insha-Allah li-majtama` Cote D'Ivoire.
The first question you asked, I don’t see any importance to say "why it (Mawlid) is important?" The second question, I will say "yes, I have a message for the Cote d'Ivoire people."
On saying that, I would like to answer the first question.
O Muslim Ummah! O Muslim Scholars! Don’t poison the minds of the Muslims, don't brainwash their minds to ask questions about the birth of Prophet (s) . His birth is the birth of Islam! Don’t ask about what is the importance of his birth; leave (that to focus on) what is the importance of Islam. There is no need to be Muslims if we don’t celebrate the birth of Prophet Muhammad (s). Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar! Allahuma sallu `alayh. Allahuma salli `alayh! I ask everyone to stand for the Prophet (s), and we must stand for his name alone. In the Ottoman time when they ruled the world for 700 years, old emperors, sultans of the Ottomans, anytime the name of Muhammad (s) was mentioned in the palace the sultans stood up and you scholars don’t stand up for the name of Muhammad (s)? Shame on you! Shame on Muslim scholars! Allah (swt) (swt) said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا
inn' Llaha wa malaa`ikatahu yusalloona `ala 'n-nabi, yaa ayyuhal-ladheena aamanu salloo `alayhi was sallimoo tasleema.
Verily, God and His angels bless the Prophet: [hence,] O you who have attained to faith, bless him and give yourselves up [to his guidance] in utter self-surrender! (33:56)
Allah (swt) ordered, "Me and My angels are sending (future tense) our praisings on Muhammad. O Muslims! You also send prayers on Prophet (s)!
That is worship, so if we stand here all night for respect of Prophet Muhammad (s) and making salawaat, is it shirk or kufr or bidaa`, as some are saying? It is not!! They are wrong and we are right! We have to be happy that if there is a Mawlid everyday for the Prophet (s), we have to attend, even if we have to crawl, just as you have come here today. Allah (swt) (swt) gave him that authority, gave him that respect by saying:
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
wa innaka la-`ala khuluqin `azheem
You are of the best character, yaa Muhammad! (68:40)
The Prophet (s) respected the young and elderly. Lam yaqul fee hayaatihi 'laa', He never said to anyone in his life, "no." So it is our duty to respect what Allah (swt) respects, to love what Allah (swt) loves, and to be with what Allah (swt) loves!
We have to be with Prophet Muhammad (s). If you don’t stand up for him, if you don’t respect him, you will not be on the Day of Judgment in front of him and in his presence. He said:
عن ابى سعيد الخدرى ادم فمن دونه تحت لوائى يوم القيامة ولا فخر
Adam wa man doonahu tahta liwaaihi yawma 'l-qiyaamah wa laa fakhr...
Adam (and who is below Adam) will be under my flag, under my shafa`ah on the Day of Judgment, and I say it without pride...
If you go to a president or prime minister, you stand at their door. O Muslims! You cannot stand at the door of Prophet (s)? You stand at the door of a prime minister or an important person; what about Prophet Muhammad? Today, is there importance for the celebration of his birthday? Yes there is importance, and we have to stand up in order to show respect to Prophet Muhammad (s), then he will show us respect on the Day of Judgment. We are standing at the doors of presidents, and prime ministers to ask them for a favor, but we cannot stand in front of Prophet Muhammad, Muhammad, Muhammad and ask Allah (swt) for a favor, for forgiveness for the sake of Muhammad (s)? Allah (swt) forgave Adam for the sake of Muhammad (s)!!
I am sorry I was upset, but now I am okay. When you shout, you make people listen. When you speak slowly they sleep and listen to television. (laughter) The importance of the birth of Prophet (s), that night is surely important for the Muslim community and human beings at large, because he was sent, as he said:
قال صلى الله عليه وسلم (إنما بعثت لأتمم مكارم الأخلاق
innama bu'ithtu li-utimma makaarimu 'l-akhlaaq,
I was sent only to perfect the moral excellence of human beings.
So to remember Prophet (s) on the day of his birth is important for us. To have such meetings shows people how we can follow and apply the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (s) to bring people peace, love, tolerance and acceptance, or else we would be fighting with each other.
These nights unite people from all walks of life. Why is it important Mr. or Mrs. Television, why is it important? As I mentioned two days ago, Allah (swt) mentioned in Holy Qur'an about Sayyidina Yahya (a) said, was salaamu `alayhi yawma yamutu wa yawma yubathu hayyat, "Peace be on him the day he was born." Allah (swt) mentions the importance of the birth of Sayyidina Yahya (a) (John the Baptist). Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur'an that Sayyidina `Isa (a) was mentioning:
وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَيَّ يَوْمَ وُلِدتُّ وَيَوْمَ أَمُوتُ وَيَوْمَ أُبْعَثُ حَيًّا
Wa 's-salaamu `alayya yawma wulidtu wa yawma amootu wa yawma ub`athu hayya.
Peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day when I will be (again) raised up to life! (19:33)
These two prophets are so important that their names are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. Isn't Sayyidina Muhammad, `alayhi 's-salaat wa 's-salaam, who is carrying the whole Qur'an in his heart, not as important as these two prophets, to celebrate and remember the night of his birth?! These two prophets are mentioned in the Qur'an. Sayyidina Muhammad (s) does not need to be mentioned because for sure humanity has to celebrate his birth because he is the Seal of Messengers (s)! That is my answer for the first question.
For the second question, about a message to this country, yes, I traveled around the world and met with presidents and prime ministers and they asked the same question: is there a message for our country? O Cote d'Ivoire! We were dreaming when we were young to come to this country, because in Arabic it is "the beach of the elephant's teeth." Everyone is dreaming to see this land and Allah (swt) made it possible for me by the invitation of Shaykh Koudous to see the reality of these elephants with their beautiful teeth, to see these people here, to see people around this country. They are loving Prophet (s)! That's why the country must unite. The country must remember, especially the Muslims, what Allah (swt) said in the Holy Qur'an:
أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ
Ati`oollaha wa ati`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
Don’t think those on authority are sleeping; they are working day and night, but we are sleeping! We sleep whenever we feel like it; they cannot sleep as they are taking care of the nation. Prophet (s) said, you have to pray for the ruler. Don’t curse the ruler. It is not Islamic, because we have to be ask Allah (swt) to give them wisdom; that is what is necessary for us to do, not demonstrations.
I know my words will make some people not happy, but Islam is not going to benefit anything. Go and sit in the masjid and make du`a for the rulers in general in order for Allah (swt) to bring peace to the country and to all people of Cote d'Ivoire. May Allah unite all Cote d'Ivoire! May Allah (swt) bless the representatives and people of Cote d'Ivoire and may Allah (swt) bless and give wisdom to the rulers ruling Cote d'Ivoire.
As salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa baraakatuh.
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