AL-RIHLA 2026 – Day 1, Lecture 1: Living the Sīrah: Prophetic Lessons for Modern Challenges | Shaykh Hammad Mustafa al-Madani al-Qadri

The University of Nottingham welcomed participants from across the United Kingdom and internationally for AL-RIHLA 2026, a unique three-day residential dedicated entirely to journeying through the blessed Sīrah, attributes, character and teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the company of Shaykh Hammad Mustafa al-Madani al-Qadri, who will deliver the keynote lectures throughout all three days.

AL-RIHLA continues the legacy of the Grand Mawlid Camps, developing that tradition into an immersive residential journey through the life of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Participants have travelled from across the UK, including London, Manchester, Scotland, Birmingham and Southampton, alongside international attendees from Pakistan, Denmark, the United States and Canada.

Organised by Minhaj-ul-Quran International UK (MQI UK) and Minhaj Muslim Generations (MMG), the residential brings together scholars, elders, young people, organisational representatives and volunteers around one central purpose: not simply to hear the Sīrah narrated, but to learn how its guidance can reform our thinking, actions, habits, attitudes and direction in life.

Opening acknowledgements recognised the leadership and teams who made AL-RIHLA possible, including Syed Ali Abbas Bukhari, President MQI UK; Mubeen Hussain, President MMG; Moazzam Raza, General Secretary MQI UK; Aadil Khan, General Secretary MMG; Humayun Farooq; Haris Khan; Adam Malik; Hafiz Ahmed Raza; Hafiz Asim Shabbir; representatives of Minhaj Welfare Foundation; MQI centres, scholars and volunteers.

Special acknowledgement was also given to the leadership of Al-Hidayah, including Dr Zahid Iqbal and Asif Habib Malik, recognising the foundations established through the earlier camps and initiatives which have helped inspire the continuation of this tradition.

A JOURNEY THAT MUST CHANGE US:

Shaykh Hammad Mustafa al-Madani al-Qadri began by setting out the purpose of the three days.

The objective is not simply to recount events from the life of the Holy Prophet ﷺ. Books can provide chronology and biography. The greater purpose of AL-RIHLA is to live the Sīrah, to reflect upon it deeply enough that its guidance begins to change the individual.

The three days therefore represent a journey of recalibration: identifying shortcomings in our thinking, actions, habits, attitudes and ambitions, and redirecting our lives upon the footsteps of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.

Lesson: The Sīrah must produce change

Learning the Sīrah is not complete when information has been acquired. Its real measure is whether something changes within us.

The objective is to leave AL-RIHLA thinking differently, behaving differently and possessing a clearer direction for life.

WHAT DOES SĪRAH MEAN?:

Drawing upon classical authorities including Ibn Fāris, Ibn Manẓūr, al-Rāghib and al-Zabīdī, Shaykh Hammad explained that Sīrah derives from sayr: to move, travel and proceed along a path.

Its linguistic meanings include:

Sayr: travelling

Masīr: the course taken

Siyar: recorded ways

Sunnah: a recorded way of life and precedent for those who follow

Ṭarīqah: a route which can actually be walked

Hayʾah: a preserved form which can be restored

The Sīrah is therefore not merely historical information.

“A path to be walked. A precedent to be followed. A form that can be restored.”

Sīrah and Sunnah are fundamentally interconnected. In technical scholarship, Sīrah commonly refers to the events and circumstances of the Prophet’s ﷺ life, while Sunnah carries additional legal and scholarly usage.

The technical definition presented was:

مَا نُقِلَ إِلَيْنَا مِنْ أَحْوَالِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ

“Everything transmitted to us of the states of the Prophet ﷺ.”

This encompasses his blessed birth, upbringing, call, migration, campaigns, character, dealings, relationships, diplomacy and governance.

Knowledge of his Sīrah reaches us through those who loved and accompanied him, those who opposed him, and the recorded events of his age.

Lesson: The Sīrah is a path, not simply a biography

A biography tells us what happened. The Sīrah shows us how to travel through life.

AL-RIHLA itself therefore carries an important meaning. We are undertaking a journey upon the path established by the Holy Prophet ﷺ, with the ultimate spiritual destination being closeness to Allah ﷻ and His Beloved ﷺ.

THE ENTIRE BLESSED LIFE IS SĪRAH:

A fundamental question was then addressed: does the Sīrah encompass only the 23 years of Prophethood, or the entire blessed life of the Holy Prophet ﷺ?

The Qur’anic answer was presented through Sūrah Yūnus 10:16:

فَقَدْ لَبِثْتُ فِيكُمْ عُمُرًا مِّن قَبْلِهِ

“I have lived a lifetime among you before it.”

Before the proclamation of Prophethood, the Holy Prophet ﷺ had lived for forty years amongst the community of Makkah and the people of Quraysh.

They had observed him as a child, a young man, a shepherd, a merchant and a member of their society. Some would later become his fiercest opponents, yet they could not identify dishonesty, fraud, immorality or a defect in his conduct.

Shaykh Hammad described this as a vetting of the Prophet’s ﷺ life by the community of Makkah and the people of Quraysh. In simple modern terms, it can be understood like the referencing or background check stage before an appointment. Previous conduct is examined to establish whether present claims can be trusted.

In this case, forty years of life had already been lived openly before witnesses.

Forty years, watched by all. Twenty-three years of mission.

The very society which opposed his message had already witnessed the integrity of the Messenger ﷺ delivering it.

Lesson: Character precedes proclamation

The credibility of the message was supported by the credibility of the life through which it was delivered.

Our conduct before we speak can therefore be one of the strongest forms of daʿwah.

Lesson: Every stage of his ﷺ life teaches us

The Sīrah does not begin at forty.

From his blessed birth until his departure from this temporal world, the entire life of the Holy Prophet ﷺ provides inspiration, motivation and practical lessons.

THE HOLY PROPHET ﷺ AT THE CENTRE OF THE DĪN:

Shaykh Hammad then addressed the claim sometimes made that extensive focus upon the Holy Prophet ﷺ amounts to a “personality cult”.

The Qur’an itself establishes the opposite.

In Sūrah Muḥammad 47:2, Allah ﷻ commands belief in:

“what was revealed upon Muḥammad ﷺ.”

The Qur’an is not presented as guidance detached from the Messenger ﷺ upon whose blessed heart it was revealed.

Likewise, Sūrah al-Nisāʾ 4:80 declares:

مَنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ

“Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah.”

And Sūrah Āl ʿImrān 3:31 establishes the path of ittibāʿ:

فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ

“Follow me, and Allah will love you.”

Ittibāʿ was explained powerfully as placing one’s feet where his blessed footsteps fell ﷺ.

The Holy Prophet ﷺ is therefore not a distraction from Allah ﷻ. Following him is the divinely prescribed route towards Allah’s pleasure and love.

Lesson: Follow him ﷺ to reach Allah’s love

Love of Allah is not an abstract claim. The Qur’anic route is ittibāʿ: following the Holy Prophet ﷺ in belief, worship, conduct, relationships and character.

THE PARABLE OF THE ANGELS:

A narration from Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, transmitted by Sayyidunā Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh رضي الله عنه, was used to illustrate this relationship.

The angels described a man who built a magnificent house, prepared a banquet within it and sent a summoner to invite people.

Some accepted the invitation and entered. Others refused.

The angels then explained the parable:

The House: Paradise

The Banquet: its blessings

The Summoner ﷺ: the Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Those who respond to the Messenger ﷺ accept the invitation towards Allah and Paradise.

The narration contains the profound statement:

وَمُحَمَّدٌ ﷺ فَرْقٌ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ

“And Muhammad ﷺ is the criterion that divides people.”

The Holy Prophet ﷺ is therefore not the object of a personality cult. He is the focal point of guidance within the Dīn, through whom humanity learns how to worship Allah, understand revelation and live according to Divine guidance.

Lesson: The Messenger ﷺ is the route to the message

The Qur’an was revealed upon his blessed heart and manifested through his life.

When confused about how faith should translate into family life, work, business, relationships or personal decisions, study how the Holy Prophet ﷺ lived.

The Sīrah turns Divine guidance into a lived reality.

THE COMPLETE FAVOUR: OUTWARD AND INWARD BEAUTY:

The lecture then moved into its central theme: the outward and inward perfection of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.

Allah ﷻ says in Sūrah Luqmān 31:20:

وَأَسْبَغَ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعَمَهُ ظَاهِرَةً وَبَاطِنَةً

“And He has lavished upon you His blessings, both outward and inward.”

Shaykh Hammad illustrated this through simple examples.

A beautiful rose without fragrance feels incomplete. A beautiful car without an engine may look impressive but cannot fulfil its purpose.

Likewise, human beings can become preoccupied with outward appearance, clothing, grooming, possessions, technology and image, while neglecting the condition within.

Lesson: Outer appearance cannot replace inner character

Islam does not demand neglect of appearance. The lesson is balance.

A beautiful outward form must be accompanied by beautiful character, intentions and conduct.

The goal is ẓāhir and bāṭin together, outward and inward beauty.

GRATITUDE FOR WHAT WE SEE AND WHAT WE CANNOT SEE:

The same Qur’anic verse reminds us that Allah’s blessings encompass what is visible and invisible.

A home, income, transport and family may be visible blessings. The ability to see, think, walk and function depends upon countless unseen blessings operating continuously within us.

Comparison with others can make people overlook what they already possess.

Lesson: Gratitude changes perspective

Whether experiencing financial pressure, family difficulties, uncertainty or personal challenges, the believer continues to recognise Allah’s blessings.

وَلَئِن شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ

Gratitude is itself a path towards increase.

AN EXCELLENT PATTERN TO ENTER:

Allah ﷻ says in Sūrah al-Aḥzāb 33:21:

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ

“In the Messenger of Allah ﷺ you have an excellent pattern.”

The concept of uswah was explained not simply as something to admire, but as a mould into which our own lives should be poured.

A portrait is admired.

A mould is entered.

The Sīrah is therefore not a gallery through which we walk admiring the past. It provides a form through which we reshape ourselves.

Lesson: Move from admiration to imitation

Love should increasingly become imitation.

Ask not only, “What did the Holy Prophet ﷺ do?”

Ask: “What should I now change because he ﷺ did this?”

THE GATHERING OF ALL EXCELLENCES:

Drawing upon Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ’s al-Shifāʾ, Shaykh Hammad explained the distinction between qualities that are wahbī, bestowed by Allah and embedded within a person’s constitution, and those which are kasbī, developed and acquired through life.

Human excellence is normally dispersed. One person possesses courage, another generosity, another intelligence, another eloquence or patience.

Qāḍī ʿIyāḍ describes the Holy Prophet ﷺ as:

مُحِيطًا بِشَتَاتِ مَحَاسِنِهَ

“Encompassing their scattered excellences.”

In him ﷺ, both bestowed and acquired excellences reached their perfection.

Lesson: Prophetic excellence is comprehensive

We should not restrict emulation to worship alone.

His ﷺ leadership, mercy, courage, communication, family relationships, humility, discipline and dealings all belong to the same Sīrah.

THE OUTWARD BEAUTY OF THE HOLY PROPHET ﷺ:

The lecture then turned to descriptions preserved by the Companions رضي الله عنهم who had the blessing of seeing him ﷺ.

Sayyidunā al-Barāʾ b. ʿĀzib رضي الله عنه described the Holy Prophet ﷺ as being of moderate stature, broad between the shoulders, with blessed hair reaching his earlobes.

He then said:

لَمْ أَرَ شَيْئًا قَطُّ أَحْسَنَ مِنْهُ

“I never saw anything more beautiful than him.”

The significance lies in the word shayʾan: anything, rather than merely “anyone”.

His comparison encompassed everything his eyes had witnessed.

Lesson: Let Prophetic example shape our appearance

The modern world constantly supplies new personalities to imitate.

The believer’s deepest source of inspiration should instead be the Holy Prophet ﷺ, extending even into personal presentation, grooming and appearance.

MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN THE MOON:

When Sayyidunā al-Barāʾ رضي الله عنه was asked whether the blessed face of the Holy Prophet ﷺ was like a shining sword, he corrected the comparison:

لَا بَلْ مِثْلَ الْقَمَرِ

“No, rather it was like the moon.”

Sayyidunā Jābir b. Samurah رضي الله عنه similarly recalled seeing the Holy Prophet ﷺ on a moonlit night. He looked between the full moon and the blessed face before concluding that the Holy Prophet ﷺ was more beautiful in his sight than the moon.

Sayyidunā Kaʿb b. Mālik رضي الله عنه described another dimension of that radiance. Following the events surrounding Tabūk, when the Holy Prophet ﷺ accepted his repentance and smiled, his blessed face shone like a piece of the moon.

Lesson: Let happiness show on your face

The Holy Prophet ﷺ did not manufacture an artificially severe personality.

When something pleased him, his happiness could be seen.

Smile when you experience happiness, and smile for the happiness of others.

“AS IF THE SUN WERE RUNNING IN HIS FACE”:

Sayyidunā Abū Hurayrah رضي الله عنه described the Holy Prophet ﷺ:

كَأَنَّ الشَّمْسَ تَجْرِي فِي وَجْهِهِ

“As if the sun were running in his face.”

He also described the remarkable pace of the Prophet’s ﷺ walk. He moved with such purpose that it appeared as though the earth itself were being folded beneath him, while the Companions would exert themselves to keep pace.

Lesson: Walk with purpose

Do not drift through life.

Time should have direction. Worship, learning, work, service to the Dīn, family and community all deserve purposeful attention.

The physical manner in which the Holy Prophet ﷺ walked itself reflected a life with a destination.

Lesson: Apply yourself fully

The Companions رضي الله عنهم exerted themselves to remain alongside the Holy Prophet ﷺ.

The wider lesson is one of effort and discipline. Whether studying, working or serving the Dīn, a believer should fulfil responsibilities properly rather than merely appearing busy.

Honesty at work is also part of Prophetic character.

HUMILITY IN THE WAY HE ﷺ WALKED:

Sayyidunā Anas b. Mālik رضي الله عنه described the Holy Prophet ﷺ as radiant, with perspiration resembling pearls. When he walked, he inclined forward.

Despite being the leader of humanity and the greatest of Allah’s creation, there was no arrogance in his manner.

Lesson: Carry achievement without displaying it

Achievement should not become a badge of superiority.

The more Allah gives us, the greater our humility should become.

Lesson: Keep your eyes on your own path

The forward inclination of the Holy Prophet ﷺ also provided a powerful lesson about focus.

He was not occupied with prying into the affairs of others.

In the modern world, social media makes it possible to spend hours observing other people’s careers, holidays, possessions, relationships and lives.

The Prophetic lesson is different. Know your responsibility and concentrate upon the path Allah has placed before you.

Distraction can pull us away from our destination.

THE SICK CHILD: AVAILABILITY OVER TASK:

One of the most powerful leadership lessons came from the account of a woman who brought her ill nephew to the Holy Prophet ﷺ during a period of war.

Despite the immense responsibilities surrounding him, the Holy Prophet ﷺ gave the child his attention.

He placed his blessed hand upon the boy’s head, prayed for him, performed wuḍūʾ and allowed him to benefit from its remaining water as barakah. The boy was then given the extraordinary opportunity to see the Seal of Prophethood upon the blessed back of the Holy Prophet ﷺ.

This was contrasted with the tendency to tell children or others seeking our attention: “I’m busy; come back later.”

Lesson: People can be more important than the task

For parents, leaders, scholars and those carrying responsibility, this is a profound standard.

Professional responsibility did not make the Holy Prophet ﷺ inaccessible.

The feelings and needs of people mattered.

Lesson: Give children your time while they are young

Concerns about young people often arise when they reach sixteen, eighteen or twenty-five.

But tarbiyah begins much earlier.

Time, attention and accessibility given during childhood cannot always be recovered later.

AWE FROM AFAR, LOVE UP CLOSE:

The Companions described the Holy Prophet ﷺ:

“Whoever encountered him unexpectedly was overawed by him, and whoever kept his company and came to know him loved him.”

From a distance there was dignity, presence and majesty.

Up close there was gentleness, warmth and love.

Lesson: Dignified to the world, gentle with people

Muslims represent their faith in universities, workplaces and wider society.

Present yourself well. Communicate confidently. Carry yourself with dignity.

But within families, communities and relationships, confidence should never become hardness.

The closer people come to us, the more they should experience kindness, humility and approachability.

THE PROPHETIC HANDSHAKE:

Imam al-Tirmidhī records that when the Holy Prophet ﷺ shook someone’s hand:

“He would not withdraw his hand until the other person withdrew theirs.”

Whether meeting someone influential, a servant, a child or an ordinary member of society, the other person was never made to feel that the Prophet ﷺ was eager to move on to someone more important.

Lesson: Never make someone feel insignificant

A greeting communicates value.

Give people your attention rather than looking beyond them towards the next person or next task.

NEVER TURN AWAY FIRST:

The Holy Prophet ﷺ would likewise not turn his blessed face away from someone until that person turned away.

Lesson: Be present with people

When someone is speaking to you, give them your attention.

Prophetic manners are incompatible with half-listening while looking at a phone, scanning a room or preparing to move elsewhere.

Presence itself is a form of respect.

THE MANNER OF SITTING:

The Holy Prophet ﷺ would not stretch his legs towards someone sitting with him.

His manner of sitting reflected dignity and consideration for those around him.

On another occasion, when a Companion entered while the Holy Prophet ﷺ was sitting in an otherwise empty mosque, he still moved to make space for him.

The lesson was beautifully expressed:

“There should be room in our hearts.”

Lesson: Make space for people before space is needed

Hospitality and respect are states of the heart before they become physical actions.

The person entering should feel welcomed, valued and wanted.

FROM OUTWARD BEAUTY TO INNER BEAUTY:

The opening lecture established the foundation for the three-day journey.

The Sīrah is not confined to history, nor to the 23 years following the proclamation of Prophethood. It encompasses the entire blessed life of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and presents a complete model of outward conduct and inward character.

From his ﷺ walk, smile, greeting and manner of sitting to his attention towards a sick child, every detail carries guidance.

The central challenge of Living the Sīrah is therefore personal:

Can what we learn about him ﷺ begin to appear within us?

Next lecture will continue the journey with Shaykh Hammad Mustafa al-Madani al-Qadri, completing further narrations concerning the outward beauty of the Holy Prophet ﷺ before moving deeper into his inner beauty.

The focus will turn towards his ﷺ akhlāq, morals, ethics, temperament and character, drawing upon practical case studies from the blessed Sīrah to understand not only how the Holy Prophet ﷺ appeared to those around him, but how he treated people, responded to situations and embodied the highest standard of human character.

The journey continues from knowing the Sīrah to living the Sīrah.