The Essence of Faith: Why Loving the Holy Prophet ﷺ is Mandatory?

Your iman cannot be completed until you love the Holy Prophet ﷺ more than anything that is dear to you in this world. Shaykh Hammad Mustafa al-Madani al-Qadri

Love is an expression denoting one's inclination to something in which delight is experienced and when that inclination grows and strengthens it is called passionate love. Shaykh Hammad Mustafa al-Qadri

Introduction:

In the journey of spiritual excellence, the central and essential way to express our honor, respect, and reverence for the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is through profound love. This love is not merely a sentiment; it is the very foundation of a believer's existence and the ultimate criterion for the perfection of faith. Without this passionate and never-ending devotion, the structure of our Iman (faith) remains incomplete.

Defining the Reality of Love:

Love, as defined by scholars like Imam al-Ghazali, is an expression denoting one's inclination toward something in which delight is experienced. When this inclination grows and strengthens, it transforms into “passionate love”. While common love, such as for family, children, and wealth is natural, the love that is obligatory and acts as a form of worship is the intense love for Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.

Love as the Metric of True Belief:

The completion of faith is inextricably linked to the intensity of one's love for the Holy Prophet ﷺ. As mentioned in Sahih Bukhari, the Holy Prophet ﷺ says that:

لَا يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ وَالِدِهِ وَوَلَدِهِ وَالنَّاسِ أَجْمَعِينَ.

“None of you will have faith till he loves me more than his father, his children and all mankind”

(Bukhari, al-sahih, Vol:1, P:14, Hadith#15)

This intensity, sincerity, and devotion determine whether or not your Iman has reached its fulfillment.

The Lesson from Sayyiduna Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ):

A profound moment in Islamic history occurred when the Prophet ﷺ was holding the hand of Sayyiduna Umar (رضی اللہ عنہ). Narrated Abdullah bin Hisham:

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ آخِذٌ بِيَدِ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَأَنْتَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا مِنْ نَفْسِي فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ حَتَّى أَكُونَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ فَإِنَّهُ الْآنَ وَاللَّهِ لَأَنْتَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ نَفْسِي فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْآنَ يَا عُمَرُ.

(Bukhari, al-sahih, Vol:6, P:2445, Hadith#6257)

“We were with the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) and he was holding the hand of Hazrat `Umar bin Al-Khattab. Hazrat `Umar said to Him, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! You are dearer to me than everything except my own self. The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said, No, by Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete faith) till I am dearer to you than your own self. Then Hazrat `Umar said to him, However, now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, Now, O `Umar, (now you are a believer).”

The Warning Against Worldly Attachment:

The Holy Qur'an warns believers against prioritizing worldly attachments over Divine love. If our parents, children, wealth, and businesses are more beloved to us than Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, then we risk spiritual stagnation and the command of torment. To walk the path of true guidance, we must elevate our love for the Prophet ﷺ above all worldly luxuries and personal inclinations.

Conclusion:

The core message of the blog is that love is the soul of faith. True Adab (respect) and Iman (faith) cannot be achieved through rituals alone; they require a heart that prioritizes the Holy Prophet ﷺ over everything else in existence including one's own life, intellect, and family. This obligatory love is the bridge to Allah's pleasure and the only way to safeguard our spiritual journey from the distractions of the world.

Blogger: Dr. Muhammad Iqbal Chishti (Research Scholar, Social Media Live updated Cell)