Connect with us

News

Friday Sermon] This Is How To Love The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)!

Published

4 years ago

on

Imam Murtadha Gusau

By Imam Murtadha Gusau

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of all creation. May the salutations of Allah, His peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet, his family, his companions and his true and sincere followers until the Last Day – then to proceed:

Dear brothers and sisters! As Muslims, we are commanded to love the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) and to follow in his path without religious deviations or innovations, in order to worship Allah Almighty in the way that He commanded. Sometimes, unfortunately, our claims of love fall short, and thus there are signs that we can reflect on in order to analyse how much love we truly have for the greatest human being to walk this earth, Peace and blessings be upon him.

Respected servants of Allah! The strength of love for the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) is connected to the Muslim’s faith. When his faith increases, his love for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) increases. Loving the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is an act of obedience to Allah and a means of drawing closer to Him. Loving the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is one of the obligatory duties in Islam.

It was narrated that Anas (RA) said: The Prophet (Peace be upon him) said:

“None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his father, his child and all the people.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

You can increase your love of the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) by realising the following:

1. He was sent by his Lord who chose him above all of creation to convey the religion of Allah to mankind. Allah chose him because He loved him and was pleased with him. If Allah were not pleased with him, He would not have chosen him. So we must love the one whom Allah loves and be pleased with the one with whom Allah is pleased. We must realise that he is the close friend of Allah (Khalil) and that close friendship is a higher status and it is the highest degree of love. Jundub (RA) is said to have narrated that:

“I heard the Prophet (Peace be upon him) say: ‘I declare before Allah that I have no close friend from among you. Allah has taken me as a close friend as he took Ibrahim as a close friend. If I were to have taken a close friend from among my Ummah, I would have taken Abu Bakr as a close friend.” [Muslim]

2. We should realise the high status to which Allah has raised him, for he (Peace be upon him) is the best of mankind. It was narrated that Abu Hurairah (RA) said:

“The Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) said: “I will be the leader of mankind on the Day of Resurrection, the first whose grave will be opened, the first to intercede and the first to be asked to intercede.” [Muslim]

3. We should realise that he suffered trials and difficulties in order to bring Islam to us. We should remember that the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) was persecuted, hit, slandered and insulted; the closest people to him disowned him and accused him of being a madman, a liar and a sorcerer. He fought the people in order to protect the religion so that it could reach us; they fought him, expelled him from his people and homeland, and gathered armies against him.

4. We should follow the example of his companions who loved him deeply and sincerely. They loved him more than wealth and sons, and more than their own selves. There follow some examples of that:

“It was narrated that Anas (RA) said: I saw the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) when the barber was cutting his hair and his companions were going around him wanting to ensure that his hair would fall only into someone’s hand.” [Muslim]

CITAD Decries Alleged Gender Based Violence At Kano Higher Institution

It was narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“On the Day of Uhud some of the people fled and left the Prophet (Peace be upon him), but Abu Talhah stood before him covering him with a shield. Abu Talhah was a powerful archer who broke two or three bows that day. When a man passed by carrying a quiver containing arrows, he would say: Give them to Abu Talhah. Whenever the Prophet (Peace be upon him) raised his head to look at the people, Abu Talhah would say: “O Prophet of Allah, may my father and my mother be sacrificed for you, do not raise your head lest you be struck by an arrow shot by the enemy. My neck is before your neck.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

5. You should follow his Sunnah in word and deed, so that his Sunnah is the path you follow in your whole life, and you put his words before any other words and put his command before everything else; and you should follow the Aqidah (belief) of his noble Companions, and the Aqidah of the Tabi’in who followed them, and the Aqidah of those who followed their path until the present day, namely Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama’ah, and avoid bid’ah (innovation).

We ask Allah to help us to love His Messenger (Peace be upon him) and to make him dearer to us than our children, parents, families and our own selves.

Dear and respected servants of Allah! Also, following are some signs that you love Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) sincerely:

1. You follow the message that he conveyed (the Qur’an): This entails reciting, studying, and implementing the rulings of the Creator that were revealed through His Messenger. Belief in the divine scripture is just one part of faith; implementing its rulings in your life is another. Study the Qur’an on a daily basis. Recite, understand, implement, and memorise what you can.

2. You love to follow the Sunnah: Every individual will vary in their love of the Sunnah and thus their love of the Messenger (Peace be upon him). The more you love the Sunnah, the more you’ll try to implement it in your life. You’ll never hear the words “It’s just a Sunnah” coming out of your mouth, primarily because you’ll do anything to follow his path. Instead, every time you learn about a Sunnah, you’ll be eager to implement it in your life. When you learn that something contradicts the Sunnah, you tend to stay away from it lest you fall into religious innovation (Bid’ah). You also ensure that what you’re doing on a daily basis is legitimate and has some basis in the Qur’an or his Sunnah (Peace be upon him). Study the Sunnah from an authentic source and implement it into your life.

3. You study his Sirah and encourage others to do so: Every Muslim should study the biography of the Prophet (Peace be upon him); his compassion, his love, his dedication, his sincerity, his beauty, his exalted character, his concern for his Ummah, and what he went through to convey this message to the rest of the world. The companions used to teach their children the Sirah from a young age. This is one of the greatest signs you love the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) because you want to know more about him and his life, and oftentimes you’ll see those who love him study the sirah multiple times. Study the Sirah from a reputable, authentic source. You have so many resources in this day and age that there’s no excuse for not reading a summarised version of the Sirah or listening to a video series. Furthermore, encourage your family and friends to also study the sirah and share gems from your studies in order to encourage others.

Studying the Prophet’s Sirah is a sign for our love for the Prophet (Peace be upon him); one cannot truly love someone except that they must know about them. This love for the Prophet (Peace be upon him) should supersede our love for our fathers, mothers, relatives, children and even ourselves.

Advert

By studying the Sirah we learn about the sacrifices and struggles made by the Prophet (Peace be upon him) in his life to spread Islam. This love must be sincere love for him and it must be translated into obeying him in what he commanded and following his example as a way of life. Imam Shafi‘i would say:

“لَوْ كانَ حُبُّكَ صَادِقاً لأَطَعْتَهُ, إنَّ الْمُحِبَّ لِمَنْ يُحِبُّ مُطِيعُ”

“If your love is sincere, you would have obeyed Him. For verily the lover for the one he loves, obeys him.”

We must understand, to love the Prophet (Peace be upon him) is an obligation for every Muslim.

Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taimiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

“The reason why it is obligatory to love the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and venerate him more than any other person is that we cannot attain the greatest good in this world or in the Hereafter except at the hands of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), by believing in him and following him. That is because no one can be saved from the punishment of Allah, and the mercy of Allah cannot reach him except by means of the Prophet (Peace be upon him), by believing in him, loving him, being loyal to him and following him. This is the means by which Allah will save him from punishment in this world and in the Hereafter. This is the means by which he will attain what is good in this world and in the Hereafter.” [See Majmu‘ al-Fatawa, volume 27, page 246]

Let us spend time every day to study the life of our beloved Prophet so we can increase in love for him. How is it we spend so much time knowing friends, spouses, people we admire, but we do not spend time learning about the best of mankind.

Read even a minimum of 15 mins a day on the Sirah of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). Start with the book ‘The Sealed Nectar’ by Shaykh Safiyur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri, then move to more advanced books.

4. You ask Allah to send prayers upon him often: Saying “Allahummah salli ala Muhammad” in any of its appropriate variations is asking Allah to send peace and blessings and mercy upon the beloved Messenger, and every time you do it, Allah Almighty will send upon you 10 times the blessings and mercy in your life. Furthermore, every time you send salutations upon him, an angel appointed next to the Messenger (Peace be upon him) to conveys your prayers to him. Finally, the more you send prayers upon him, the closer you’ll be to him on the Day of Resurrection and the more of his intercession you’ll have on that severe day.

Try to at least begin the basic habit of sending 10 prayers upon him in the morning and 10 in the evening and work your way up from there throughout the day and night, especially every time you remember him or when his name is mentioned (Peace be upon him).

5. You love the things he loved and the people he loved: This includes acts of worship (fasting Mondays and Thursdays or praying at night) and countless Sunnan (such as using the siwak) as well as the people he loved and those who loved him, such as Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali, his entire family, and the companions in general. This is a litmus test for many who claim to love the Messenger but believe in fabrications against his noble companions.

6. You frequently remember his life and wish to be with him: When you love someone, you find yourself thinking

The more you love the Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him), the more you’ll refer back to his life and the more you’ll pray that Allah grants you reunion with him in the Hereafter, in the highest levels of Paradise.

Dear brothers and sisters! I have no doubt, no any Muslim worth the name will be happy or will support, agree or accept an insult on the personality of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and at the same time we are telling the whole world with a strong voice that wallahi, you cannot also love the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) by going against his Shari’ah or his laws!

Prophet (Peace be upon him)’s Shari’ah prohibited you to take the law into your own hands, you are doing it or inciting people to do so all in the name of showing your love to him, which is a great lie!

His Shari’ah prohibited you to punish anybody through burning with fire, and you are doing it all in the name of loving him (Peace be upon him)!!

Imam Abu Dawud (may Allah have Mercy on him) collected three Hadiths in a chapter of his Sunan called:

“The Detestable Nature of Burning the Opposing Forces (in Military Confrontation) With Fire.”

The first two Hadiths narrated by Abu Hamzah al-Aslami and Abu Hurairah – may Allah be pleased with them – include the following clear prohibition:

“No one may punish using fire other than the Lord of the Fire (Allah).”

The third Hadith narrated by Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud – may Allah be pleased with him – includes the wording:

“It is not befitting for anyone to punish using fire, other than the Lord of the Fire (Allah).”

All the three Hadiths were classified as “Sahih” (authentic) by Shaykh Al-Albani (may Allah have Mercy on him) in his checking of the Sunan. In Silsilatul-Ahadith as-Sahihah, he adds a discussion of the authentic narration of when Ali, the fourth Caliph of the Muslims, ordered some people to face the death penalty by fire. When news of this reached Ibn Abbas, he disapproved of the decision and relayed a Hadith of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) with a similar wording:

“Do not punish with the punishment of Allah!” [Bukhari]

Imam at-Tirmizi also collected it in his Jami’, adding that when this comment got back to Ali, he said, “Ibn Abbas has spoken correctly.”

So the narrations clearly prove the impermissibility of harming or killing people with fire, in both wars and punishments for crimes, as understood and narrated by at least four of the Companions.

Allah is the only One who has the right to punish anyone with fire.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) commanded us to listen to and obey our leaders, but we said No, and still claiming that we love him (Peace be upon him)!!!

“So let those who oppose the Prophet’s command beware, lest fitnah strike them or a painful punishment.” [Qur’an, 24:63]

And lastly, my message to all of you is the saying of Allah Almighty:

“Say: “Our Lord will assemble us all together (on the Day of Resurrection), then He will judge between us with truth. And He is the (Most Trustworthy) All­Knowing Judge.” [Qur’an, 34:26]

O Allah, grant us true and complete love for your Messenger and his Sunnah and allow us to be upon his path in this life and to rejoice with him in the next life.

We ask Allah to help us to love His Messenger (Peace be upon him) and to make him dearer to us than our children, parents, families and our own selves.

All praises and thanks are due to Allah alone, Lord of the worlds. May the peace, blessings and salutations of Allah be upon our noble Messenger, Muhammad, and upon his family, his Companions and his true and sincere followers.

Murtadha Muhammad Gusau is the Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosques, Okene, Kogi State, Nigeria. He can be reached via: gusauimam@gmail.com or +2348038289761.

This Jumu’ah Khutbah (Friday sermon) was prepared for delivery today, Friday, Shawwal 19, 1443 AH (May 20, 2022).

Related Topics:

News

Kaduna Federal High Court Grants El-Rufai 200million Naira Bail

Published

2 hours ago

on

April 14, 2026

By

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Former Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, on Tuesday secured bail from a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna, bringing to an end a detention that lasted nearly two months.

Meanwhile, a Kaduna State High Court adjourned ruling on a separate bail application to April 21.

Delivering the ruling, Justice Rilwan Aikawa granted the former governor bail after hearing arguments from both the defence and prosecution.

However, but ordered that he remain in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, pending the fulfilment of the bail conditions.

El-Rufai’s lead counsel, Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), had urged the court to admit his client to bail, arguing that it is a constitutional right and that the former governor has strong ties within Nigeria, making him unlikely to abscond.

However, the prosecution, led by the ICPC, opposed the application, citing concerns that the defendant could interfere with witnesses or obstruct ongoing investigations if released.

The court subsequently granted bail with stringent conditions, including a N200 million bond with two sureties in like sum.

The sureties are to include a recognised traditional ruler and a federal civil servant not below Grade Level 15. Other conditions include the submission of landed property documents, deposit of international passports with the court, and a restriction on public comments relating to the case, among others.

Advert

A family member of the former governor, Bello El-Rufai, told journalists that efforts were underway to meet the conditions.

“The conditions are many, close to 10 or more, but we hope to fulfil them,” he said.

The ICPC had, on March 18, filed a 10-count charge against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court bordering on alleged conversion and possession of public property, money laundering, and abuse of office.

El-Rufai’s legal ordeal began on February 16, when he was arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. Although he was initially granted bail, he was subsequently re-arrested by the ICPC and remained in custody for several weeks before his arraignment.

On March 27, the ICPC granted him temporary release on compassionate grounds following the death of his mother, Hajiya Umma.El-Rufai, in Cairo, Egypt.

He was, however, returned to custody after her burial.

Proceedings were further complicated when the defence filed a motion asking Justice Aikawa to recuse himself over alleged bias, a request that was later withdrawn.

Meanwhile, at the Kaduna State High Court, proceedings in a separate case took a different turn as the presiding judge, Justice Darius Khobo, adjourned ruling on El-Rufai’s bail application to April 21, 2026.

Counsel to the defendant informed the court that the defence team was served with an amended charge in court and required time to study its contents. The prosecution, also led by the ICPC, had filed an amended nine-count charge, altering the scope of the case and dropping a co-defendant, Amadu Sule, from the trial.

Defence counsel, Ubong Akpan, explained that the adjournment was also due to the inability of the court to deliver the ruling as scheduled, citing the bereavement of the presiding judge.

“His lordship was bereaved and he was unable to put the ruling together. So, we understand these things happen,” Akpan said, adding that the defence remains optimistic ahead of the next hearing date.

El-Rufai is facing separate charges before the Kaduna State High Court bordering on abuse of office, fraud, intent to commit fraud, and conferring undue advantage.

There was heavy security presence at the court premises, with armed operatives stationed at strategic points to maintain order and restrict movement.

Continue Reading

News

Revoking Rainbow Centre’s Licence Over ADC Convention Is Abuse of Power-Atiku

Published

8 hours ago

on

April 14, 2026

By

 

By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, a leading presidential hopeful of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 election, has issued a blistering statement accusing the government and its agents of attempting to revoke the licence of Rainbow Event Centre – the scheduled venue for the party’s national convention today.

In a statement released Tuesday morning, Abubakar described the alleged move as a “shameful and cowardly abuse of public office,” and insisted that the convention will proceed despite what he called a pattern of political intimidation.

The full statement reads:

“The reports from the spokesperson of our great party, which exposes the plans of the government and its agents to revoke the licence of Rainbow Event Centre for the singular offence of hosting the African Democratic Congress convention slated for today, Tuesday, April 14, 2026, is a shameful and cowardly abuse of public office.

Advert

Let it be said without equivocation: coercing a private business owner to deny a lawfully registered opposition party the use of a venue is not governance. It is not politics. It is the naked conduct of a regime that has lost the argument, lost the people, and now reaches for the boot because it has nothing else left.

The ADC has paid every fee. The ADC has signed every contract. The ADC has broken no law. Our only offence is that we are organising, we are growing, and we are preparing to retire this failed government at the ballot box in 2027.

This is how democracies are strangled, not in a single dramatic blow, but in a thousand petty, vindictive acts against opposition parties, against free assembly, and against the sacred right of citizens to choose their own leaders. To the international community, and every democratic partner of Nigeria: take note of what is being done here tonight, and in whose name.

We will not be intimidated. We will not be silenced. We will not bow to this creeping tyranny, and we will never bow to the petty tyrants behind it.

The convention will hold. The ADC will rise. And Nigeria will rise with it.
– AA”

Abubakar, a former vice president and veteran opposition figure, did not provide specific documentary evidence of the alleged licence revocation plot. However, his remarks come hours after the statement made by the National Publicity Secretary of their party, and before the ADC’s scheduled convention, which party officials say is expected to draw thousands of delegates from across the country.

Government spokespersons had not issued an official response at the time of this report.

Observers note that accusations of venue cancellations against opposition parties have been a recurring flashpoint in Nigerian politics, often raising questions about the fairness of the democratic space ahead of major elections.

The ADC has positioned itself as a coalition of disaffected groups and individuals aiming to challenge the ruling party in the 2027 presidential race. Today’s convention is seen as a critical test of the party’s organisational strength and resolve.

Continue Reading

News

Shaaban Sharada Distances Self From Barau/Abba/Shaaban Group’s Planned Gathering And Move To Endorse A New Deputy Governor

Published

12 hours ago

on

April 14, 2026

By

 

Former federal lawmaker Shaaban Ibrahim Sharada has publicly disassociated himself from a political group known as Barau /Abba/Shaaban, which reportedly convened a meeting to endorse Kano State’s new Deputy Governor.

Sharada, who represented Kano Municipal in the House of Representatives between 2019 and 2023, issued the clarification on his verified Facebook page. In the statement, he emphasized that he has no affiliation with the group and no involvement in the planned gathering.

“I woulaaad like to take this opportunity to distance myself from a gathering that is said to be organized on, Tuesday, by the Abba, Barau, and Sha’aban Sharada grp They plan to declare their position regarding the current situation of endorsing new Deputy Governor of Kano under the leadership of Hon. Iliyasu Koki, which has already been published in the media,” Sharada wrote.

Advert

He further stressed that he was unaware of the group’s formation and had no hand in organizing the meeting, adding that he did not even know its purpose.

The former lawmaker with prays for peace and well-being of Kano State:

“May Allah grant us health and peaceful living. Ameen, summa ameen.”

Sharada’s statement comes due to heightened political activity in Kano following the resignation of the former Deputy Governor Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam , with various factions and interest groups positioning themselves on the matter.

His distancing showcases the fluid alliances and tensions within Kano’s political landscape, particularly among figures associated with Senator Barau Jibrin.

 

Continue Reading

Trending