Muhammad (PBUH) in Qur'an

Today's Khutbah

In the month of Rabi al-Awwal, some are celebrating the Mawlid and some are not — that is not today's topic, though we will shed some light on it later. Today, we talk about how the Prophet (PBUH) has been described in the Quran. The Quran is the word of Allah revealed to the Prophet, and it informs the Prophet about himself, and informs us.

Ibrahim's Dua and Its Acceptance

This was the dua of Ibrahim and his son when they were building the Ka'aba. That dua was accepted, and the Prophet came from the family of Isma'il (AS): "He it is who has sent unto the unlettered people an apostle from among themselves, to convey unto them His messages, and to cause them to grow in purity, and to impart unto them the divine writ as well as wisdom — whereas before that they were indeed, most obviously, lost in error" (Al-Jumu'ah 62:2).

رَبَّنَا وَابْعَثْ فِیهِمْ رَ سُولًا مِّنْهُمْ یَتْلُو عَلَیْهِمْ آیَاتِكَ وَیُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَیُزَكِّیهِمْ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَزِ یزُ الْحَكِیمُ

“O our Sustainer! Raise up from the midst of our offspring an apostle from among themselves, who shall convey unto them Thy messages, and impart unto them revelation as well as wisdom, and cause them to grow in purity: for, verily, Thou alone art almighty, truly wise!”

Al-Baqara 2:129

A Prophecy Fulfilled

وَإِذْ قَالَ عِیسَى ابْنُ مَرْیَمَ یَا بَنِي إِسْرَ ائِیلَ إِنِّي رَسُولُ اللهَّ ِ إِلَیْكُم مُّصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَیْنَ یَدَيَّ مِنَ التَّوْرَ اةِ وَمُبَشِّرً ا بِرَسُولٍ یَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِي اسْمُهُ أَحْمَدُ فَلَمَّا جَاءهُم بِالْبَیِّنَاتِ قَالُوا هَذَا سِحْرٌ مُّبِینٌ

“And this happened, too, when Jesus, the son of Mary, said: 'O children of Israel! Behold, I am an apostle of God unto you, sent to confirm the truth of whatever there still remains of the Torah, and to give you the glad tiding of an apostle who shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad.' But when he came unto them with all evidence of the truth, they said: 'This is nothing but spellbinding eloquence!'”

As-Saff 61:6

A Man Only — Yet a Mercy to All Worlds

He was a man from his own people, chosen to deliver the message — a human being like us. And yet: "And thus, O Prophet, We have sent thee as an evidence of Our grace towards all the worlds" (Al-Anbiya 21:107). "AND WE have sent thee as an apostle unto all mankind: and none can bear witness thereto as God does" (An-Nisa 4:79). "NOW We have not sent thee otherwise than to mankind at large, to be a herald of glad tidings and a warner, but most people do not understand this" (Saba' 34:28).

قُلْ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ مِّثْلُكُمْ یُوحَى إِلَيَّ أَنَّمَا إِلَـهُكُمْ إِلَـهٌ وَاحِدٌ فَمَن كَانَ یَرْ جُو لِقَاء رَبِّهِ فَلْیَعْمَلْ عَمَلًا صَالِحًا وَلَا یُشْرِ كْ بِعِبَادَةِ رَبِّهِ أَحَدًا

“Say: 'I am but a mortal man like all of you. It has been revealed unto me that your God is the One and Only God. Hence, whoever looks forward to meeting his Sustainer on Judgment Day, let him do righteous deeds, and let him not ascribe unto anyone or anything a share in the worship due to his Sustainer!'”

Al-Kahf 18:110

A Model of Character

His character was an excellent example, a model to be imitated, and a symbol of respect and admiration. Yazid ibn Yabnus said, "We went to 'A'isha and said, 'Umm al-Mu'minin, what was the character of the Messenger of Allah like?' She replied, 'His character was the Qur'an.'"

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللهَّ ِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ یَرْ جُو اللهَّ َ وَالْیَوْمَ الآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللهَّ َ كَثِیرً ا

“VERILY, in the Apostle of God you have a good example for everyone who looks forward with hope and awe to God and the Last Day, and remembers God unceasingly.”

Al-Ahzab 33:21

A Witness Over the Community

He was a witness for all people and a witness against them, depending upon acceptance or rejection of his message.

وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاء عَلَى النَّاسِ وَیَكُونَ الرَّ سُولُ عَلَیْكُمْ شَهِیدًا

“And thus have We willed you to be a community of the middle way, so that with your lives you might bear witness to the truth before all mankind, and that the Apostle might bear witness to it before you.”

Al-Baqara 2:143

Not a Warden or Disposer of Affairs

He was sent as a messenger, witness, and mercy to mankind, but not a warden or disposer of their affairs.

مَّن یُطِعِ الرَّ سُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللهَّ َ وَمَن تَوَلَّى فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَیْهِمْ حَفِیظًا

“Whoever pays heed unto the Apostle pays heed unto God thereby; and as for those who turn away — We have not sent thee to be their keeper.”

An-Nisa 4:80

• Al-Isra 17:54 — Your Sustainer is fully aware of what you are; if He so wills, he will bestow His grace upon you, and if He so wills, He will chastise you. Hence, We have not sent thee unto men with the power to determine their fate.

Warner and Herald of Glad Tidings

وَبِالْحَقِّ أَنزَلْنَاهُ وَبِالْحَقِّ نَزَلَ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا مُبَشِّرً ا وَنَذِیرً ا

“AND AS a guide towards the truth have We bestowed this revelation from on high; with this very truth has it come down unto thee, O Prophet: for We have sent thee but as a herald of glad tidings and a warner.”

Al-Isra 17:105

The Summary of the Mission

"And defer not to the likes and dislikes of the deniers of the truth and the hypocrites, and disregard their hurtful talk, and place thy trust in God: for none is as worthy of trust as God" (Al-Ahzab 33:48).

یَا أَیُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْ سَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا وَمُبَشِّرً ا وَنَذِیرً ا وَدَاعِیًا إِلَى اللهَّ ِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَسِرَ اجًا مُّنِیرً ا وَبَشِّرِ الْمُؤْمِنِینَ بِأَنَّ لَهُم مِّنَ اللهَّ ِ فَضْلًا كَبِیرً ا

“O Prophet, behold, We have sent thee as a witness to the truth, and as a herald of glad tidings and a warner, and as one who summons all men to God by His leave, and as a light-giving beacon. And convey to the believers the glad tiding that a great bounty from God awaits them.”

Al-Ahzab 33:45-47

Mortal Messenger Like the Others

وَمَا مُحَمَّدٌ إِلَّا رَ سُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّ سُلُ أَفَإِن مَّاتَ أَوْ قُتِلَ انقَلَبْتُمْ عَلَىَ أَعْقَابِكُمْ وَمَن یَنقَلِبْ عَلَىَ عَقِبَیْهِ فَلَن یَضُرَّ اللَّهَ شَیْئًا وَسَیَجْزِي اللَّهُ الشَّاكِرِ ینَ

“AND MUHAMMAD is only an apostle; all the other apostles have passed away before him: if, then, he dies or is slain, will you turn about on your heels? But he that turns about on his heels can in no wise harm God — whereas God will requite all who are grateful to Him.”

Al-Imran 3:144

• Az-Zumar 39:30 — Yet, verily, thou art bound to die, O Muhammad, and, verily, they, too, are bound to die.

The Last and Seal of the Prophets

مَّا كَانَ مُحَمَّدٌ أَبَا أَحَدٍ مِّن رِّ جَالِكُمْ وَلَـكِن رَّسُولَ اللهَّ ِ وَخَاتَمَ النَّبِیِّینَ وَكَانَ اللهَّ ُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِیمًا

“Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but is God's Apostle and the Seal of all Prophets. And God has indeed full knowledge of everything.”

Al-Ahzab 33:40

The Completion of Allah's Message

الْیَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِینَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَیْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَ ضِیتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِینًا

“Today have I perfected your religious law for you, and have bestowed upon you the full measure of My blessings, and willed that self-surrender unto Me shall be your religion.”

Al-Ma'idah 5:3

To Celebrate the Mawlid, or Not

A cardinal rule of Islamic jurisprudence is that everything is permitted unless explicitly forbidden by Allah or His Messenger. It is on this basis that we permit all the technological and institutional innovations not present at the time of the Prophet and his companions. I find nothing in the Qur'an or in the Prophetic traditions that explicitly forbids me from celebrating the Prophet's life, his teachings, his morality, his manners, his sacrifices, his struggles, and his birth.

Hence, celebrating Mawlid is not worship, but it is not forbidden either — like putting an air conditioner or an extravagant chandelier in a mosque: they add comfort and beauty to the place of worship but are not elements of worship themselves.

Muslims have their religion, Islam, and they also have their culture. We celebrate marriages, national days, independence days, and the victories of our favorite sports teams. We celebrate our children's achievements, and now many American Muslims also celebrate Thanksgiving as a cultural holiday. Can we not then also celebrate the life of the man who is dearest to us, without deeming it an act of worship? May Allah forgive our sins and allow us to represent Islam in its truest spirit.