prophetic legacy of mercy

Prophetic Legacy of Mercy: Our Relationships, Our Attitudes

By

Luqman O. Obileye

04/12/23 1NASFAT LEKKI MARCH 2008

Introduction• All Praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all that exists. We thank

Him. We glorify Him and we ask Him to send His choicest blessings on Prophet Muhammad (SAW), his household and all of us who follow the true guidance unto the day of Judgement. Amin.

• My dear brothers and sisters, as-salaam alaikum waramotulahi wabarakatuhu! I am beholden to the entire membership .of NASFAT Lekki Branch for giving me an opportunity to fellowship with you and more importantly to share my thoughts on the message of our Blessed Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

• I pray Allah to bless you and honour you with His Love and the love of all those who Love Him. May He command all His creatures to make way for you and assist you to achieve your heart desire. Ultimately, may He count all of us among the inmates all al-Janat Firdous. Amin.


Who is this Prophet?

• Now hath come unto you an apostle from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the believers he is most kind and merciful.

• But if they turn away, Say : "Allah sufficeth me: There is no god but He: On Him is my trust - He is the Lord of the Throne (Of Glory) Supreme – Q9:128-129


The Qur’an Describes Him as a Mercy!

• “We sent thee not, but as a Mercy for all creatures” Q21:107

• “…yet (art thou sent) as a Mercy from thy Lord, to give warning to a people to whom no warner had come before thee: in order that they my receive admonition” Q28:46

• “….Say, He believes in God, has faith (trusts) in the Believers, and is a Mercy to those who believe….” Q9:61


He is a Mercy, the Servant of the Most Merciful!

• 2 Ahadith Qudsi:1) When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by

writing in His book which is laid down with Him: My mercy prevails over my wrath.

2) Paradise and Hell-fire disputed together, and Hell-fire said: In me are the mighty and the haughty. Paradise said: In me are the weak and the poor. So Allah judged between them, [saying]: You are Paradise, My mercy; through you I show mercy to those I wish. And you are Hell-fire, My punishment; through you I punish those I wish, and it is incumbent upon Me that each of you shall have its fill.

04/12/23 5

We are Servants of a Merciful God!

NASFAT LEKKI MARCH 2008

Our Relationships, Our Attitudes


04/12/23 7

Cycles of Mercy: A Muslim & His Relationships


A Muslim & Allah


A Muslim is first of all an Optimist


Faith & Optimism

• 'Let none of you die unless he has a good opinion of Allah'." (Muslim) – This hadith encourages the triumph of hope and

expectation of forgiveness (mercy) when one meets Allah, the Exalted.

– One should be in the state most loved by Allah, since He is the most Gracious, the most Merciful, the most Beneficent, and the most Generous.

– He loves to forgive those with hope. In the words of a hadith: "Everyone will be raised on the Resurrection Day in the condition in which he died.”

04/12/23 NASFAT LEKKI MARCH 2008 10

Faith & Optimism

• “Good expectation are a feature of belief, and nothing can be achieved without belief and hope” (Prophet Mohammed, Hadith). He also said “Be optimistic and good shall be found” Islam is a religion that calls for optimism and trust.

• “The narrative of faith in our personal lives should be no different than that of the Prophet and his Hijrah. Iman (or faith) is light. Iman is optimism” - Tarek A. Ghanem .


Faith & Optimism

• Narrated Anas ibn Malik, “Allah's Messenger (saw) passed (by our house) that my mother Umm Sulaym listened to his voice and said: Allah's Messenger, let my father and mother be sacrificed for thee, here is Unays (and requested him to invoke blessings upon me).

• “So Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) invoke three blessings upon me. I have seen (the results) of the two in this very world (in regard to wealth and progeny) and I hope to see (the result) of the third one in the Hereafter”


A Muslim is Always Between Fear & Hope!


A Conversation with the Dying….

• Prophet: 'How are you?'

• Young man: 'I hope for Allah's pardon, but I am fearful because of my sins.

• Prophet: 'These two things (fear and hope) never gather in the heart of a person at such a time without Allah granting him what he hopes for and sheltering him from what he dreads'." (Ibn Majah and Tirmidhi)


Hope & Fear

• A person drinking Zamzam water should intend and hope for healing, blessings and whatever is best for him in this life and in the hereafter.

• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The water of Zamzam is (good) for whatever it is intended.“

• He (Allah) is the One that sends down rain (even) after (men) have given up all hope, and scatters His Mercy (far and wide). And He is the Protector, Worthy of all Praise” Q42:28


A Muslim & Self: Purchased by His Lord


Purchased by His Lord

• Allah hath purchased of the believers their persons and their good; for theirs (in return) is the garden (of Paradise): they fight in His cause and slay and are slain: a promise binding on Him in truth through the Law the Gospel and the Qur'an: and who is more faithful to his covenant than Allah? Then rejoice in the bargain which ye have concluded: that is the achievement supreme.

• Those that turn (to Allah) in repentance: that serve Him and praise Him; that wander in devotion to the Cause of Allah; that bow down and prostrate themselves in prayer; that enjoin good and forbid evil; and observe the limits set by Allah; (these do rejoice). So proclaim the glad tidings to the Believers. - Q9:111-112


Purchased by His Lord

• Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: If any Muslim who suffers some calamity says that which Allah has commanded him: "We belong to Allah and to Him shall we return: O Allah, reward me for my affliction and give me something better in exchange for it", Allah will give him something better than it in exchange. (Muslim 456)


A Muslim & Family: Love &Mercy


Love & Mercy• Narrated AbuHurayrah: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him)

said: Of the dinar you spend as a contribution in Allah's path, or to set free a slave, or as a Sadaqah given to a needy, or to support your family, the one yielding the greatest reward is that which you spent on your family (Muslim 494)

• Anas ib Malik says: I have never seen anyone more kind to one's family than Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him), ….(Muslim 1107)

• O ye who believe! save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is Men and Stones over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe who flinch not (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allah but do (precisely) what they are commanded. Q66:6


A Muslim & Neighbour: Love & Mercy


Prophetic Quotes on Neighbourly Love

• "God has no mercy on one who has no mercy for others."

• "None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself."

• "He who eats his fill while his neighbour goes without food is not a believer."

• "God does not judge you according to your bodies and appearances but He looks into your hearts and observes your deeds."


A Muslim should do six acts of kindness to another:

1. He should greet him when he meets him

2. Accept his invitation when he gives one

3. Say 'God have mercy on you' when he sneezes

4. Visit him when he is ill

5. Follow his bier when he dies

6. Like for him what he likes for himself.

Source: Prophetic Saying


04/12/23 24

His manners and disposition

• "By the grace of Allah, you are gentle towards the people; if you had been stern and ill-tempered, they would have dispersed from round about you" [Qur'an 3:159]

• About himself the Prophet (pbuh) said “Allah has sent me as an apostle so that I may demonstrate perfection of character, refinement of manners and loftiness of deportment." [Malik]

• “He is a bad person in the sight of Allah who does not behave courteously and people shun his company because of his bad manners." [Sahih Bukhari]

• He was always the first to greet another and would not withdraw his hand from a handshake till the other man withdrew his.


04/12/23 25

Love for Others

• The Prophet (pbuh) enjoined upon Muslims to treat the poor kindly and to help them with alms, Zakat, and in other ways.

• He said: "He is not a perfect Muslim who eats his fill and lets his neighbour go hungry."

• He asked, "Do you love your Creator? Then love your fellow beings first."

• Monopoly is unlawful in Islam and he preached that "It is difficult for a man laden with riches to climb the steep path that leads to bliss."


Love for Others• He did not prohibit or discourage the acquisition of wealth

but insisted that it be lawfully acquired by honest means and that a portion of it would go to the poor.

• Kindness to animals gracious to him who earns his living by his own labour, and that if a man begs to increase his property, Allah will diminish it and whoever has food for the day, it is prohibited for him to beg." "

• He did not encourage beggary either and stated that "Allah is gracious to him who earns his living by his own labour, and that if a man begs to increase his property, Allah will diminish it and whoever has food for the day, it is prohibited for him to beg.


Love for Others• He did not encourage beggary either and stated that

"Allah is gracious to him who earns his living by his own labour, and that if a man begs to increase his property, Allah will diminish it and whoever has food for the day, it is prohibited for him to beg."

• To his wife he said, "O A'isha, love the poor and let them come to you and Allah will draw you near to Himself." [Sahih Bukhari]

• His love for the poor was so deep that he used to pray: "O Allah, keep me poor in my life and at my death and raise me at resurrection among those who are poor." [Nasai]


A Muslim & Other Creations: Kindness


Kindness to Animals

• "A man walking along a path felt very thirsty. Reaching a well he descended into it, drank his fill and came up. Then he saw a dog with its tongue hanging out, trying to lick up mud to quench its thirst. The man saw that the dog was feeling the same thirst as he had felt, so he went down into the well again and filled his shoe with water and gave the dog a drink. God forgave his sins for this action.

• The Prophet was asked: 'Messenger of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals?' He said, 'There is a reward for kindness to every living being.'“

• Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) forbade inciting animals to fight with one another (Tirmidhi and AbuDawud 1110).


Conclusion


Last Sermon

• "O People, listen to me in earnest, worship God, perform your five daily prayers (Salah), fast during the month of Ramadan, and give your wealth in Zakah. Perform Hajj if you can afford to. Know that every Muslim is the brother of another Muslim. You are all equal. Nobody has superiority over others except by piety and good action." (from The Prophet's Last Sermon).


Closing• A Muslim must combine piety, forbearance, modesty,

with strict discipline against all forms of corruption, material and otherwise. In several hadith, the Prophet (SAW) emphasised the importance of proper conduct in the life of a Muslim. Allow me to share some of these with you.– By his good character a believer will attain the

degree of one who prays during the night and fasts during the day.(Abu Dawood No. 2233)

– There is nothing heavier than good character put in the scale of a believer on the Day of Resurrection. (Abu Dawood No. 2234)


Closing– I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a

man who avoids quarrelling even if he were in the right, a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking, and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his character good. (Abu Dawood No. 2235)

– He (SAW) used to supplicate by saying: "O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from divisiveness, hypocrisy, and evil character." (Abu Dawood No. 612)

– Narrated Sa'd ibn Hisham ibn Amir: I said: Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah. She said: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) was the Qur'an. (Muslim 369)


Finally, Know that:

• None can award or withhold blessings besides Allah. • Shaitan is your enemy, so take him as such. • The person who considers his evil deeds to be good

deeds cannot be guided to the right path. • Real honour is in being obedient to Allah. • Mankind is in need of Allah while He is not in need of

anyone. • None can make those who are buried in the grave

hear you.


Finally, Know that:

• Those who recite Al-Qur'an, establish Salah and give Zakah may hope for Allah's blessings and reward.

• Allah has not sent any Book which has a provision of shirk (worshipping anyone else besides Allah).

• Plotting evil recoils none but the author of it.

• If Allah was to punish people for their wrong doing, He would have not left even an animal around them.

• The believers men and women are protectors one of another: they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers practice regular charity and obey Allah and His apostle. On them will Allah pour His mercy: for Allah is Exalted in power Wise. Q9:71


The Ummah & Its Future…

As for the Ummah, the genuine and faithful existence of the Ummah of the beloved Prophet should be an echoing of his words to Abu Bakr: “What do you think of two when Allah is their third?” What do you think of a people when Allah is with them? - Tarek A. Ghanem


Thank you for your attention!


prophetic legacy of mercy

Spiritual

relationships nasfat

nasfat lekki branch

muslim allah

asa mercy

isa mercy

cycles of mercy

fear hope

hope prophet mohammed