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An occasion through which man can reach the hearts of people:
Dear honorable brothers, the anniversary of the Prophet's birthday (the occasion of Mawlid) has passed, and I have few points about this occasion, so I invoke Allah to help me clarify them to you. The first point: How should we celebrate this occasion? Muslims are accustomed to hold ceremonies in Masjids where people come and speeches are delivered by scholars who talk about the noble traits of the Prophet PBUH.
Dear brothers, those who attend these ceremonies are the usual visitors of the Masjid or may be visitors from other Masjids, but they are all one party (i.e. they are practicing Muslims). Furthermore, they listen to sermons about the Prophet's noble traits all year long, his good conducts and his biography. However, if one of us wants to give these pieces of information to the other party (the non-practicing Muslims), he should look for these people among his friends and relatives trying to know who among those is far from religion, is heedless and is lost in life mazes, and who does not come to Masjids, who does not listen to the word of truth and who knows nothing about the Prophet PBUH or about the exaltedness of this religion. After bringing those people in a way or another, you can speak or let someone else deliver a speech about the Prophet PBUH in order to take the hand of this heedless person to the path of the truth, so that he will join the group of believers.
Therefore, the occasion of Mawlid is a good opportunity to make the circle of Muslims bigger and to bring more heedless people and those who are far from religion to join the group of believers. Talking to your brother in Islam and to the usual visitors of the Masjid is like talking to one party because all of them believe in what you lecture, and they know most of it. Let alone, their sentiments incline to such lectures, so in such a case you are not making any breakthrough.
The father of a friend of mine is an agnostic, and my friend tried for long years to guide to religion till he was able to convince him to offer Salah. One year and on the occasion of Mawlid, he held a ceremony at his house and invited notable scholars who delivered speeches, and the friends of his father attended the ceremony. Do you know what happened? Some of them were convinced, and they joined the group of believers.
Dear brothers, the anniversary of Mawlid is a good opportunity to talk to people about the origin of Islam, about the Master of mankind, about this honorable Da'wah and about this merited religion. This occasion is an opportunity to reach out to the hearts of people.
The profitable commerce is the one done with Allah:
Dear brothers, had the Prophets' Da'wah was confined only to those who believed in him, Islam would have never spread. Therefore, you should think of the non-practicing Muslim whether he is a friend, a relative or a heedless neighbor who does not attend religious sessions, and who does not go to Masjids. You should think of the other party, because if one of them is guided to Islam because of you, this will be a great deed in your record. The Prophet PBUH said to Ali, may Allah honor his face:
((By Allah, if Allah guides even one person through you that is better for you than possessing a whole lot of red camels))
Hence, think of the non-religiously committed Muslim, the heedless person, the lost Muslim and the one who does not practice Islam in his house whether he is a relative, a friend or a neighbor. You should bring him to such occasions, you should persuade him and explain this religion to him and if you are incapable of doing so, you can bring someone who can, and when you do so, this will be a trade-gain that will never perish.
If you are a father whose son is heedless, undutiful and lost, what will you say to the one who persuades him to become dutiful to you, who brings your son back to you, who convinces him of your favor upon him? How thankful you will be to this person because of his favor! Much in the same line, and for Allah is the highest description, Allah will reward the one who brings the heedless back to Islam, to faith and to Allah. This is one point.
Celebrating the anniversary of the Prophet's birthday is an Islamic activity:
The second point: Some people consider celebrating Mawlid occasion an innovation, but we can say to those people that is there is no harm done when someone talks about the noble traits and good conducts of the Prophet PBUH? Does not Allah say the following Ayah?
﴾Or is it that they did not recognize their Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) so they deny him?﴿
Getting people acquainted with the Prophet PBUH, with his infallibility, with his Prophethood, with his noble traits, with his biography, with his words, with his actions, with his role in Da'wah and with his leadership is but an action that is related to the core of Islam. If in such occasion you serve food, given feeding people is an act of Sunnah, how will this be considered innovation? The thing that is not accepted is to consider celebrating this occasion an act of worship that should be performed, while it is not, but celebrating this occasion is an Islamic activity which is supported by Ayat from the Quran and As7adeth of the Prophet PBUH.
Knowing the Prophetic biography is obligatory on every individual Muslim:
Dear brothers, the third point: We should all know that learning the Prophetic biography is Fard Ayn (an obligation) on every individual Muslim. Please, pay attention to the word "Fard Ayn" which means that no Muslim, regardless of his social class or position, is excused from this Fard. If you ask for a proof, here it is:
﴾Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad PBUH) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.﴿
How can the Prophet PBUH be a good example to you as long as you do not know his stances, his courage, his mercy and his just, and how he treated his wives, his companions and his neighbors?
Dear honorable brother, the Prophet's biography is in fact a complete set of values and we should follow his steps in every stance he took.
((…it was decided the companions would sacrifice a lamb for dinner. One of them volunteered: "I will sacrifice the lamb." Another said: "I will skin it." and The Prophet PBUH said: "I will gather the wood from the desert."))
If you ask experts in this field, they will tell you that gathering the wood from the desert is the hardest chore.
((So the group said: "O Messenger of Allah, it is not becoming of you to discomfort yourself as such. You rest. We will be honored to do all this on our own." The Prophet PBUH answered: "I know that you are eager to do it all, but Allah isn't pleased with the slave who distinguishes between himself and his companions, and considers himself better than sh3er."))
This is a practical Sunnah from his biography, and had it been applied by Muslims in all their activities, there would not have been any discord, enmity, disagreement, resentment or dispute amongst them. If you put people an equal footing with you, they will love you, but if you look down upon them, they will hate you. Hence, if you track down the stances of the Prophet one by one, you will deduce rules, a method and a set of values that regulate your life and business. Let me repeat that knowing the practical Sunnah (in the Prophetic biography) is Fard Ayn on every individual Muslim due to the following Ayah:
﴾Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad PBUH) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.﴿
Knowing the verbal Prophetic Sunnah is obligatory on every Muslim:
One more thing, knowing the verbal Sunnah (i.e. The Hadeeth) is also Fard Ayn on every individual Muslim, and the proof is in the following Ayah:
﴾What Allah gave as booty (Fai') to His Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) from the people of the townships, - it is for Allah, His Messenger (Muhammad PBUH), the kindred (of Messenger Muhammad PBUH), the orphans, Al-Masakin (the poor), and the wayfarer, in order that it may not become a fortune used by the rich among you. And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)﴿
How can you take what the Prophet PBUH gives you if you do not know what he said? How can you refrain from whatever the Prophet PBUH forbade you if you do not know his prohibitions? Hence, depending on the fundamental rule that, "Whatever is deemed necessary to offer the Fard, is a Fard itself, whatever is deemed necessary to offer a Sunnah is a Sunnah itself, and whatever is deemed necessary to offer a mandatory is a mandatory itself", is Wudu (ablution) Fard? Yes, it is Fard, because Salah (which is Fard) cannot be completed without Wudu. Let me repeat the rule once again, "Whatever is deemed necessary to offer the Fard, is a Fard itself, whatever is deemed necessary to offer a Sunnah is a Sunnah itself, and whatever is deemed necessary to offer a mandatory is a mandatory itself." Listen carefully to the following Ayah, please:
﴾What Allah gave as booty (Fai') to His Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) from the people of the townships, - it is for Allah, His Messenger (Muhammad PBUH), the kindred (of Messenger Muhammad PBUH), the orphans, Al-Masakin (the poor), and the wayfarer, in order that it may not become a fortune used by the rich among you. And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad PBUH) gives you, take it, and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)﴿
How can the Muslim apply the Prophet's orders and refrains from the Prophet's prohibitions? He can do so when he learns the verbal Sunnah which is manifested in his As7adeth. Thus, learning it is Fard Ayn on every individual Muslim. This is the third point.
The claim of loving Allah is proved by following His Prophet's Sunnah:
The fourth point: If you claim that you love Allah, your claim needs proof since lots of people claim so, and this proof is manifested in following the Prophetic Sunnah. Allah says:
﴾Say (O Muhammad PBUH to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins.﴿
Every claim should be supported by a proof, so those who claim that they love Allah should give a crystal clear proof, which is following the Prophetic Sunnah. Beware of claiming to love Allah or to be loved by Him if you do not follow His Prophet's Sunnah.
﴾Say (O Muhammad PBUH to mankind): "If you (really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur'an and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your sins.﴿
Whoever applies the Prophetic Sunnah fulfills the purpose of his existence:
One more thing, if you follow the Prophetic Sunnah and stick to his method what will you achieve? You will achieve everything; you will fulfill the purpose of your existence and creation, you will become on the right path, you will follow the straight course, you will head towards your destiny and you will become prosperous. In this case there will be no reason to be Divinely disciplined since you are sound and healthy (religiously). Allah says:
﴾And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad PBUH) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) Forgiveness.﴿
Scholars of the interpretation of the Quran said, "This Ayah means that as long as you (i.e. the Prophet PBUH) are among them, or as long as they (Muslims) apply your Sunnah after your death, they will not be punished." Hence, why will Allah punish you if you apply Sunnah in your house, at work, in your deeds and in your daily life activities?
﴾And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad PBUH) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) Forgiveness.﴿
This means that people will be secured from the Divine Torment as long as they apply the Prophet' Sunnah PBUH in their life, and as long as they build their life on obeying him PBUH. "Blessed be he who follows the Sunnah and is not influenced by heresy." People are in prosperity as long as they are applying the Prophetic Sunnah (after his death) and the companions were secured from any Divine Torment as long as he (i.e. the Prophet PBUH) was amongst them receiving the Revelation and conveying the Message to them. Thus, if they follow him, they will be in prosperity. Do you not feel the need to know the Prophetic Sunnah since it is our security against any torment?
﴾And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad PBUH) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) Forgiveness.﴿
"Amongst them" means as long as people apply the Prophetic Sunnah in their lives. Do you sleep according to the Sunnah? Do you wake up according to it? Do you consider Sunnah while you eat? Do you treat your life according to the Sunnah? Do you sell according to it? Do you buy according to it? This is how applying the Sunnah is manifested.
Allah's Religion is based on justice:
Another delicate fact related to the occasion of Mawlid: If you were living in the era of the Prophet PBUH, you were gifted with an eloquent tongue, persuasive abilities and strong proof and you persuaded the Master of mankind and the beloved to the Haqq (Allah the Truth) to judge between you and the adverse party in your favor, although the judgment should be in the favor of the adverse party, you will not survive Allah's Punishment due to the following Hadith:
((Verily, I am only a human and the claimants bring to me (their disputes); perhaps some of them are more eloquent than sh3er. I judge according to what I hear from them). So, he whom I, by my judgment, (give the undue share) out of the right of a Muslim, I in fact give him a portion of (Hell) Fire))
[Al-Bukhari from Um Salamah]
No matter how much you show your love to the Prophet PBUH, unless you are straight on the Path of Allah, unless you give back to people their rights and unless you fulfill your duties you will not survive Allah's Torment. Celebrating this occasion and praising the Prophet PBUH is not enough to bail us out of Allah's Torment. People who deprive sh3er of their righs will not be forgiven unless they give the rights to their owners, or unless they are forgiven by them, so there is no other way to waive them.
Also, Muslims should never assume that gathering people, delivering speeches, singing Islamic songs and feeding the poor can cover their violation of sh3er' rights or their religious shortcomings. Let me remind you again that if you were living in the era of the Prophet PBUH, and you were able to take a judgment from his honorable mouth in your favor, given you are not entitled to that judgment (it should be in the favor of the adverse party), you will not Survive Allah's Punishment. Pay heed, for this religion is not a game, but rather it is Allah's Religion which is based on justice. In fact, some people assume that by performing Hajj they will become free of all sins like the day they were born; well this is true when it comes to the sins that are between you and Allah, but for those violations of sh3er' rights, you will not be forgiven unless they forgive you for them or you return their rights in full.
Good conducts exalt man in the Sight of Allah:
Dear brother, here is another point that is related to the occasion of Mawlid: The Prophet PBUH was the most eloquent amongst speakers, the most knowledgeable amongst knowledgeable people, the best Mujtahid (Lawmaker) among the Mujtahideen, the best Faqeeh (Jurist) amongst Fuqahaa', the best judge amongst judges, the best leader amongst leaders and the best commander in wars amongst commanders. However, when Allah (The Creator of the universe) wants to praise him, what exactly does He praise? He praises his exalted standard of character. Allah says:
﴾And verily, you (O Muhammad PBUH) are on an exalted standard of character.﴿
Accordingly, what exalts you in the Sight of Allah? It is your good conducts.
What makes you sublime in the Sight of Allah? Your good manners do.
What makes you enter Paradise? Your exalted attributes do.
What transcends you? Your good traits do.
Allah the Almighty praises his Prophet PBUH with the thing that exalts him in His Sight; it is his exalted standard of character. Man might be gifted with so many scientific and eloquent skills, and he might be very persuasive, but unless these skills are accompanied with good conducts, exaltedness, chastity, honesty and trustworthiness, they will not exalt man in the Sight of Allah.
Da'wah is sincere when it is accompanied with good conducts not arrogance:
Dear brother, I am addressing with these words Du'aat (plural of Da'iyah; callers to Allah): The Prophet is the Master of mankind, the beloved to the Haqq, the most honorable person in the Sight of Allah, the closest one to Him and the most fearful man of Allah. Furthermore, he received the Revelation, the Quran was descended on him and he was endued with miracles. Yet, Allah says to him:
﴾And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you﴿
Though the Prophet PBUH received the Revelation, though he is infallible, though he is the Master of mankind, though he is the most beloved to the Haqq and though he was endued with miracles, this Prophet PBUH, to whom the Quran has sent down, is addressed as follows:
﴾And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you﴿
With greater reason, the Da'iyah (caller to Allah) who does not receive any Revelation, who does not have miracles and who is fallible, should not be harsh with people, otherwise they will break away from about him. If the Prophet PBUH had been harsh, people would have broken from about him, so what about an ordinary believer? Hence, calling to Allah does not work with harshness, acrimony, sternness, haughtiness or arrogance. Da'wah needs good conducts, so that the Da'iyah will win people's hearts. Keep in mind that powerful people own necks, whereas the believers win hearts. How big the difference between the two is! The secret weapon the Da'iyah has is his good conducts, his humility, his gentleness, his honesty and his truthfulness.
﴾And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you; so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allah's) Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs.﴿
Summary of the aforementioned points:
These are the main points dear brother, and let me repeat them in brief. The first point: If you want to celebrate the occasion of Mawlid think about those among your friends, neighbors or relatives who are heedless, who are non-practicing Muslims, who do not offer Salah, who do not go to Masjids and who know nothing about Allah, in order to invite them, serve food, show them your good hospitality and talk to them about the Prophet PBUH, and if you do not have the skills to do so, invite someone who has. This is how we make use of such celebrations and the result will be adding new believers to the group of believers.
The second point: Get people acquainted with the Prophet PBUH. Serving food in such an occasion is not an innovation. However, considering this celebration an act of worship is an innovation, because celebrating it is an Islamic activity the believer performs according to the Quran and Sunnah.
The third point: Getting people to know As-Sunnah Al-Qawliyyah (the verbal Prophet Sunnah) which is Fard Ayn on every individual Muslim and which is manifested in the Sahih As7adeth of the Prophet PBUH so that people can distinguish the Sahih (sound) and Mutawatir (A hadith whose words are narrated by such a large number as is required for a mutawatir, in a manner that all the narrators are unanimous in reporting it with the same words without any substantial discrepancy) from Da'eef (weak) and Ma'wdoo' (fabricated) in order to avoid them and keep away from slipping. Hence, knowing the Prophetic Sunnah is Fard Ayn, because whatever is deemed necessary for Fard to be observed is Fard itself.
The fourth point: You are secured from Allah's Torment as long as you apply the Prophetic Sunnah, and thus one of the cornerstones of surviving Allah's Torment is applying the Prophetic Sunnah.
﴾And Allah would not punish them while you (Muhammad PBUH) are amongst them, nor will He punish them while they seek (Allah's) Forgiveness.﴿
Beware of assuming that your exaggeration in celebrating this occasion will cover your shortcomings or bail you out of the violations you commit or the duties you fall short in fulfilling. Remember, if you were able to take a judgment from the honorable mouth of the Prophet PBUH that would give you ill-acquired right, you should know that you would never escape Allah's Torment. Keep in mind that your good conducts exalt you in the Sight of Allah, because Allah mentions the exalted standard of the character of the Prophet PBUH when He wants to praise him, and this what really exalts man. Allah says:
﴾And verily, you (O Muhammad PBUH) are on an exalted standard of character.﴿
If you call people to Allah, try to be a perfect example to them, try to be kind to them and try to be humble as much as you can, because the Prophet PBUH who received the Revelation and who was given miracles was addressed by Allah as follows:
﴾And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you;﴿
True devoutness and noble traits are inseparable:
Dear brother, allow me to give you proofs of what I said. There is a dogmatic relation between being truly religious and having good conducts, for if one has no morals, he cannot be religious. The Prophet PBUH defined the main purpose of his Message and the perfect method of his Da'wah in the following Hadith narrated by Imam Malik:
((I was sent to be an educator))
((I was sent to complete the best of morals))
The purpose of his Message is to establish a firm ground of morals whether in the individual or in the society and the means to achieve that is knowledge:
((Instruct and do not rebuke, because the instructor is better than the rebuker.))
If you track down the texts in the Quran and Sunnah you will discover this dogmatic relation between being truly religious and having good conducts. Allah says:
﴾Have you seen him who denies the Recompense?* That is he who repulses the orphan (harshly),﴿
The following Ayah refers to such a person…
﴾But if they answer you not (i.e. do not believe in your doctrine of Islamic Monotheism, nor follow you), then know that they only follow their own lusts. And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts﴿
The Prophet PBUH said:
((There is no faith for the one who has no trust, and there is no religion for the one who does not fulfill his promise.))
((Indeed haya (modesty) and Iman (faith) are Companions. When one of them is lifted, the other leaves as well.))
Establishing a connection with Allah purifies the soul:
Dear brother, man's soul gains success, prosperity, triumph and happiness when it establishes a connection with its Lord, and such a connection brings psychological purity to the soul and taints it with the best morals:
﴾Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allah ordered, by following the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds)* And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (i.e. disobeys what Allah has ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islamic Monotheism or by following polytheism, etc. or by doing every kind of evil wicked deeds).﴿
Dear brother, the following Hadith is crucial concerning our topic:
((Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: A man asked: 'O Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam [peace be upon him])! There is a woman who prays, gives charity and fasts a great deal, but she harms her neighbor with her speech (by insulting them).' The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihe wa-sallam) said, "She will go to Hell."))
((Muslim reported in his Sahih that the Prophet PBUH once asked his companions: "Do you know who is the bankrupt?'' They said: "The bankrupt among us is one who has neither money with him nor any property". He said, "The real bankrupt of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with Salat, Saum and Sadaqah (charity), (but he will find himself bankrupt on that day as he will have exhausted the good deeds) because he reviled sh3er, brought calumny against sh3er, unlawfully devoured the wealth of sh3er, shed the blood of sh3er and beat sh3er; so his good deeds would be credited to the account of those (who suffered at his hand). If his good deeds fall short to clear the account, their sins would be entered in his account and he would be thrown in the (Hell) Fire."))
Who is the bankrupt?
((…The real bankrupt of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with Salat, Saum and Sadaqah (charity), (but he will find himself bankrupt on that day as he will have exhausted the good deeds) because he reviled sh3er, brought calumny against sh3er, unlawfully devoured the wealth of sh3er, shed the blood of sh3er and beat sh3er; so his good deeds would be credited to the account of those (who suffered at his hand). If his good deeds fall short to clear the account, their sins would be entered in his account and he would be thrown in the (Hell) Fire))
This is the definition of the real bankruptcy.
Dear brother, celebrating the occasion of Mawlid is manifested in following the Prophetic Sunnah.
Some Prophetic As7adeth about the value of morals in the believer's life:
I would like to mention some Sahih As7adeth about the value of morals in the life of the believer. The Prophet PBUH said:
((The most beloved servant to Allah is he who has the best character))
((The believer with the most complete faith is the one who has the best moral behavior))
He also said:
((The best thing a person may be given is good conducts))
He also said:
((Nothing is heavier on the scale of a believer on the day of Judgment than good manners))
The Prophet PBUH also said:
((A believer will attain by his good behavior the rank of one who prays during the night and observes fasting during the day))
Better yet, the worshiping believer can achieve the highest ranks in the Hereafter because of his exalted morals.
((Noble morals melt (sweep away) sins just like when water melts ice, and the bad morals corrupt deeds just like when vinegar corrupts honey))
Dear brother, these words are crystal clear. Thus, if you want to gain happiness, prosperity and security, you should follow the Prophetic Sunnah. It is meaningless to celebrate the occasion of Mawild while you are committing sins. A man who owns a mix-gender swimming pool, held once a ceremony in the occasion of Mawlid, and speeches were delivered. He thought that it was fine to do so. As long as you commit sins, it is meaningless to celebrate the Mawlid, and this behavior reflects stupidity and deception. Hence, you should first seek the pleasure of the Prophet PBUH by following his Sunnah, and then you are can celebrate the occasion of his Mawlid.
Dear brother, call yourselves to account before you are called to do so and weigh your deeds before they are weighed against you, and you should know that the Angel of Death has passed over us to reach sh3er, and will pass over sh3er to reach us, so let us pay heed. The wise man is the one who calls himself to account (and refrains from doing evil deeds) and does noble deeds to benefit him after death; and the foolish person is the one who subdues himself to his temptations and desires and seeks from Allah the fulfillment of his vain desires. Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.
***
The 2nd Khutbah:
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and I testify that there is no Deity worthy of worship but Allah Alone, the Guardian of the pious, and I testify that our Master Muhammad is his slave and Messenger, who is on an exalted standard of character.
Some aspects of the Prophet's conducts:
Dear brother, I would like to mention a summary of the good conducts the Prophet PBUH had. The noble Prophet PBUH was of great modesty and abundant politeness. He used to initiate Salam (i.e. greeting whenever he sees people). Whenever he talked to someone, he totally focused on him whether the addressee was a youngster or an adult. If ever he shook hand with someone, he would be the last to pull his hand. When he used to give alms, he would put the money in the hand of the needy person. Whenever he wanted to sit, he would sit wherever there was a space (i.e. never allocate a certain place for himself). He never stretched his legs. He used to go to the market and carry his purchases. There are three standards mentioned in the Sunnah. The Prophet PBUH said:
((Whoever carries his own belongings will be free of arrogance))
((He who remembers Allah of much remembrance is free from hypocricy))
((He is free of stinginess who pays his money's Zakat (obligatory Alms-giving).))
Hence, the man who pays Zakat should never be described as stingy, the one who carries his things by himself, should never be described as arrogant and the one who remembers Allah abundantly should never be accused of hypocrisy. The Prophet PBUH had never been seen stretching his legs, and he never scorned any deed to achieve his purpose, his companion's or neighbor's. He used to go to the market and carry his purchases saying, "I am the one who should carry my own things." He also used to respond positively to the invitation of a free man, a slave, or a weak one. As for the majority of people, if the one who invites them is rich, they will accept the invitation at once, but if he is poor they give excuses in order to decline. Unlike them, the Prophet PBUH would accept excuses. Furthermore, his attitude at home was distinct; He would patch his clothes, sew his slippers, serve himself, tie his camel and sweep his home. Also, he used to help his wives in the households. Moreover, he used to eat with his servant, and help the weak and the miserable. He used to walk gently and to lower his gaze. He was of continual somberness. He was always thoughtful, and he never spoke unless there was a need for his speech. He was often silent, but when he used to speak, he would be the most fluent and eloquent. He was amiable, and he was neither ungrateful, nor offending.
He used to cherish whatever blessing he had, no matter how tiny it was. He would not dispraise any blessing. He would not praise any taste (of food) nor dispraise it. He would not get angry for any worldly sake. He would not be angry for the sake of his soul, nor would he avenge for himself. Also, he would avert and turn away when he got angry, and he would lower his gaze when he was happy. He would reconcile between people and never separate them. He would bring people nearer not send them farther. He would act generously with each noble person of any tribe and give him their leadership. The noble Prophet PBUH would look after his companions and check their conditions. He would appreciate the good deed and correct it, while he would rebuke the bad deed and weaken it. He would not hold back in executing any obligation. If he sat with anyone, his companion would think that he was the most honorable one for him. If anyone asked him for anything, the noble Prophet PBUH would give it to him, but if he (the Prophet PBUH) did not have the requested object, he would tell him some sweet kind words.
He was always smiling, easy going, not a tough neither a rude one. He was neither bad tempered nor vulgar, neither a scoffer nor a ridiculer. He would disregard what he did not like. He would not dispraise anyone, nor would he rebuke anyone. He would laugh at what his companions laughed at, and would admire what they admired. He used to be patient with the strangers' toughness, and never interrupted anyone's speech until he ended his speech.
Dear brother, talking about the noble traits of the Prophet PBUH needs volumes and many years. However, Allah the Almighty summarizes his traits in the following Ayah:
﴾And verily, you (O Muhammad PBUH) are on an exalted standard of character.﴿
All goodness is in the exalted morals, and they reflect great faith and closeness to Allah the Almighty. If we want to celebrate the occasion of Mawlid, we should first adopt his exalted morals and follow his Sunnah, but how can we follow his Sunnah if we do not know it? Therefore, seeking the religious knowledge is the path of prosperity in the worldly life and in the Hereafter… "If you want to gain prosperity in this world, you should seek knowledge, if you want to gain prosperity in the Hereafter, you should seek knowledge, and if you want to gain prosperity in them both, you should seek knowledge as well."
Supplication:
O Allah, we beseech You to show us the way of righteousness together with those to whom You showed it; and to give us good health together with those whom You have healed; and to be our Protector, as You are of those whom You protect; and to bless what You have bestowed on us; and to save us from the affliction that You have decreed –for You rule with justice and You are never judged; and he whom You protect shall never be humiliated, and he whom You make Your enemy shall never be elevated, blessed and dignified are You. We thank You for what You have decreed, we ask You for Forgiveness for our sins, and we repent to You.
O Allah, increase us [in Your Blessings] and do not decrease us, honor us and do not humiliate us, give us [from Your Gifts] and do not deprive us, be in favor of us and not against us and make us satisfied and be satisfied with us.
O Allah, please make us do well in the Deen, which is our dignity, make us do well in our worldly life, in which we dwell and grant us safety on the Day of Judgment for it is our Final Destination. O Allah, please supply our life with all good things and make our death a rest from every evil, O our Master, the Lord of all Worlds.
O Allah, make us desire what You have made lawful and reject what You have made unlawful, make us by Your benevolence independent of all sh3er and make our obedience to You turn us away from our disobedience.
O Allah, cover our weak points, calm our fears, make us secure in our countries and let this country and all other ones in the Muslim World secure and generous.
O Allah, let us not be oblivious to Your planning; do not deprive us of Your shield and do not make us forget Your remembrance.
O Allah, we seek refuge with you from being in need of anyone but You, from fearing anyone but You, from lowering ourselves before anyone save You. O Allah, we seek refuge from an intractable disease, from enemies who glee at our misfortune and from withholding after bestowing, O Lord of the Worlds.
O Allah, by Your Mercy and Benevolence, raise high the word of Al-Haqq and this Deen, grant triumph to Islam, dignify Muslims and lead the rulers of Muslims to what pleases You, O Lord of the Worlds, as You are the only One Who is capable over His decreed and Who responds to our supplication.
