We are in the month of Rabi Ul Awal. It is important to stay aware of what Islamic month we are currently in because many of our acts of worship, and events in our history correspond with what month it is. This month has significance in our Deen because it is the month that our beloved Prophet ﷺ was born in; arrived in Madinah; and passed away during. It is a month that has a lot of significance, and it makes us ponder about our Messenger ﷺ, and how much he means to us, how much we love him, and aspire to be with him.

We show our love to the Prophet ﷺ by:

·        Believing in him

·        Reading his speech

·        Following his Sunnah

·        Obeying his commandments

To love the Messenger ﷺ is part and parcel of being a believer- in fact, one’s Iman is incomplete if they don’t love the Prophet more than anyone else. No one comes before the Prophet ﷺ. Our love for the Prophet ﷺ should manifest in following his Sunnah, rather than just being merely a cultural or emotional form of love. Your job is to follow the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Whoever rejects my Sunnah is not one of me.” (Al-Sunnah li-Ibn Abī ‘Āṣim 52)

Therefore, never belittle an act of worship just because it’s Sunnah, instead do it because it’s Sunnah and you want to be more like him ﷺ. One of the ways in which our love for the Prophet ﷺ should manifest is by sending a lot of Salawat upon him. We should make this something we do often and teach our children. Another one of the ways that we love him ﷺ is to love his family and his companions, and to name our children after them and learn about their history. We should always mention them in the best way and keep telling their stories and teaching their Seerah. The most important Seerah is the Seerah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

We love the Prophet ﷺ by protecting and reviving his Sunnah and staying away from all innovation as this is an insult to the Prophet ﷺ. To add to the religion is as though the Prophet ﷺ didn’t already teach us everything which is good.

Regarding our love for the Prophet ﷺ, please implement these changes in your life because learning his ﷺ Seerah will increase your love for him ﷺ. Loving the Prophet ﷺ is among the ways in which you will earn Jannah. A Bedouin man once came to the Prophet ﷺ and asked him ﷺ when the hour would be. The Prophet ﷺ replied to him saying ‘what did you prepare for it?’ to which the Bedouin man responded that ‘I did not prepare for it many prayers, many Zakat, or many fasts- but indeed I love Allah and his Messenger ﷺ.’

The Prophet ﷺ said, “A person will be with those whom he loves.” (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5817, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2641)

Love your Prophet ﷺ so that you may be with him on the Day of Judgement. Act upon his ﷺ Sunnah and send Salawat upon him ﷺ. During this month some people celebrate the Mawlid out of their love for the Prophet ﷺ. Firstly, all the scholars agree that the Mawlid of the Prophet ﷺ isn’t one hundred percent known. There is dispute regarding the day that he was born- Allah ﷻ knows best. What we do know is that he ﷺ was born on a Monday, and he ﷺ used to fast on a Monday. Of course, the birth of the Prophet ﷺ is something that the Ummah should be grateful for, but how do we express this gratitude? The Prophet ﷺ expressed gratitude through fasting on Mondays – not just during a yearly congregation.

The day that people celebrate the Mawlid is the 12^th of Rabi Ul Awal, and this is actually the day that the Prophet ﷺ died on. This is a fact that no one disputes. You don’t need to express your love for the Prophet ﷺ on one day because this was not the way of the Prophet ﷺ and his companions. Don’t express your love of the Prophet ﷺ in this manner; instead mention his name ﷺ and learn his Seerah throughout the year. He ﷺ is more deserving than to just be given one day a year!

Moreover, as Muslims our celebrations have been limited by Allah ﷻ and his Messenger ﷺ. Our festivals are the two Eid’s so we cannot make a third. How can you bring a third Eid when Allah ﷻ and his Messenger ﷺ tells us we can only have two? This is going against Prophet ﷺ, and you are not loving him ﷺ by disobeying him ﷺ. If we ever have a dispute on a matter, look at the statement of your Messenger ﷺ whom you love:

Verily he among you who lives long will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafa ar-Rashideen (the rightly guided caliphs), those who guide to the right way. Cling to it stubbornly [literally: with your molar teeth]. Beware of newly invented matters [in the religion], for verily every bidah (innovation) is misguidance.” (Hadith an- Nawawi 28, 40).  

This is the solution to disputes within the Ummah. If we do this, we will find that the way they expressed their love was through the aforementioned practices, not having a dedicated day to celebrate the day we are not even sure that the Prophet ﷺ was born.

Finally, be gentle and teach those who want to love and appreciate the Prophet ﷺ in this way. Understand that Allah might reward them for their intention even though what they are doing isn’t Islamically sound.