Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Allahumma salli wasallim wa baarik ‘ala Sayyidina wa Habeebina Muhammad wa ‘ala aalihi wa sahbihi ajma’in.
All praises be to Allah the Most High, Most Loving and Most Merciful. All praises are for Him whom without His love; we would be far from all the blessings we live with today. We praise Allah ta’ala and thank Him for His guidance, we thank Him for His Prophets, we thank Him for choosing us to be among the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam.
As Rabi’ul Awwal closes its curtains on us, we contemplate on its lessons and the fruits of our efforts from that month. The word “Rabi'” in arabic means Spring; the season in which flowers bloom, the season of growth and renewal. As we move forward now, we ask ourselves: Have the recent Rabi’ impacted me in any way? Did I see any growth in my love for Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam? The Salawat I did, the Seerah I read, the gatherings I attended in remembrance of his birth.. Have my heart felt the change? Is this love mirroring in my actions now? Am I a better follower of Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam today..?
As believers, we know the importance of loving him sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam and how it comes together with our love for Allah ta’ala. True love for Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi saves us from Allah’s displeasure, regardless of how much we may still be struggling with our sins and desires. In a story of a companion of Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam who was known as the ‘Joker of Madinah’, he was caught for drinking alcohol and brought to punishment by Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi. His name was Nu’ayman ibn ‘Amr al Najjari whom despite his jovial character and strong love for Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam, he was addicted to drinking and was brought to punishment more than once. One day as he was brought to Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam on the same charge, a man among the people said: “O Allah, curse him! How frequently he has been brought on such a charge!” The Prophet sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam upon hearing this quickly intervened and said: “Do not curse him, for by Allah, I know he loves Allah and His Messenger.” (Sahih al Bukhari)
After a month of strengthening our love for Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam, we ask ourselves how can we reap the fruits of this love? How can this love reflect in our deeds, guide our actions and shape our character?
One of the ways I found really impactful in my journey towards connecting with Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam is an assignment Anse Rydanah Dahman once gave us: Imagine Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam knocking on your door one morning before Fajr (at the time of Tahajjud), telling you that he will be staying with you that day. How would your day go? Would waking up for Tahajjud be difficult for you that night? Would your prayers be short and brief without much focus and internalization, or would it be long with heartfelt du’as and repentance? Our daily chores.. Attitude towards others… Everything would definitely change if we felt the presence of Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam by our side.
“Love is a verb”; we all have heard of this phrase before. In a hadith, this is emphasized to us by Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam as reported by one of his companions. Sayyiduna Rabi’ah ibn Ka’b reported: I spent the night with Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam and brought him water for his ablution and his needs. The Prophet said to me: “Ask.” I said: “I ask for your companionship in Paradise.” The Prophet said: “And anything else besides that?” I said: “That is all.” The Prophet said: “Then help me do it for you by prostrating often.” This narration beautifully illustrates the profound truth that love is not just an emotion but a tangible action. Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam emphasizes this by encouraging Rabi’ah to do a lot of prostration (i.e: long prayers) so that he could be with Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam in Paradise. This shows us the importance of tangible acts of worship as a reflection of our love for him sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam.
Imam Ibn Qayyim al Jauziyyah in his book Madarij al Salikin gives us ten practical ways to develop the love of Allah ta’ala in our hearts. Among them are:
1) Reciting the Qur‘an, reflecting and understanding its meaning and its intent.
2) Drawing closer to Allah through optional deeds, after fulfilling the obligatory duties.
3) Being continuous in the dhikr (remembrance) of Allah, with the tongue, the heart and the limbs – under all circumstances. The more constant the dhikr, the more love develops and intensifies.
Notice that all of these points requires actions. Our senses and limbs are the bridge to our hearts. The more we work on ourselves, the more we will feel it. Love does not develop overnight… Real lasting love requires work and sacrifices.
So moving forward after Rabi’ al Awwal, how do we continue to carry the love of Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam in our hearts? The answer lies in our actions. The love we feel for Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam should not diminish with the passing of the month. This love must continue to be a Light that illuminates our hearts and guides our actions. The month was not merely about reciting mawlids and attending gatherings, but it is about embodying the teachings of Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam in our daily lives.
As we move forward, let us hold on firmly to the teachings of Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam. Connect, reflect and learn. Walk on the path of the Companions of Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam. Learn how to work on our worship like they did. May our actions be the tools that build our love for Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam everyday. May Allah ta’ala make us into His sincere servants whom He accepts as His Lovers and the Lovers of His most Beloved; Rasulullah sallAllahu ‘alaihi wasallam. Aameen ya Rabbal ‘alameen.
Anse ‘Alimatunnisa Abdul Ghani, Ribaat Academic Institute Instructor
