Honor of Nabi (saw) and Role of Islamic States

          

In this article we would look into implications of love/respect for our beloved Nabi (saw) and role of Islamic states/societies in this regard.

Quran is embodiment of guidance for mankind. Human beings, individually and collectively, can seek guidance from Quran regarding all social fields- political, economic, social, moral, psychological and legal ones. Quran is ‘kalam u Allah’/ Allah’s speech and as such is the most comprehensive Book in terms of words and meanings; its words have multi-layered  meanings.  Human intellect requires a lot of efforts and time to discover deeply embedded Quranic meanings. But all people do not have enough knowledge and acumen to have access to deeply embedded Quranic meanings.  Such people having ordinary knowledge of Quran have been graciously bestowed by Allah Almighty with the person of our Nabi (saw).  Because our Nabi’s (saw) actions and sayings are the best and most comprehensive interpretations of Quran, by following our Nabi (saw), the people of ordinary knowledge can have access to a practical model through which such people can avail  deeply embedded Quranic guidance regarding all individual and collective matters- social, political, economic, moral, psychological and legal ones.

 In other words, person of our Nabi (saw) is the linchpin of individual and collective systems in Islamic societies. The mode to establish and execute Islamic systems is to cultivate and promote Love for our Nabi (saw) among the Muslim masses. Love for Nabi (saw) is such a seed in the Muslims’ hearts, in which sacredness of everything associated with our Nabi (saw) is secured; in other words, love for our Nabi (saw) among Muslims masses is the rationale on the basis of which Muslims become capable of adopting and practicing everything associated with our Nabi (saw). This is how the whole edifice of Islamic systems is based on Love/ ‘ishq’ of Muslims for our Nabi (saw). A society having negligible or less than required Love for Nabi (saw) becomes deprived of capability of erecting Islamic state systems in their entirety though they may adopt selective pieces of such systems. A non-Muslim society can never establish Islamic systems in their entirety.

That is why love for our Nabi (saw) is enjoined upon all Muslims. “Say, [ Muhammad (saw)], "If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people (tawbah-24)."

Because love for Nabi (saw) is the essential fuel which runs whole machine of Islamic systems, this verse is emphasizing the  importance of person of our Nabi (saw) along with Allah and ‘jihad’  more than everything else including economy, wealth, and lives of dear ones. This importance and respect of person of our Nabi (saw) has been described in another way in Quran by stating: “O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not” (al-hujurat-2).

 Love and respect for our Nabi (saw) is also important in another way. The people having love for our Nabi (saw) are the people having faith. Such people are surely ultimately guided to the right way. In other words, if people having love for our Nabi (saw) are, for the time being, incapable of establishing Islamic systems, Allah surely guides them towards such capability. Quran says about Muslims: “…… but Allah hath endeared the faith to you and hath beautified it in your hearts, and hath made disbelief and lewdness and rebellion hateful unto you. Such are they who are the rightly guided” (al-hujurat-7). In this verse, people of faith have been ensured to be guided rightly; in other words, believing people [all loving our Nabi (saw) are believing people] are ensured to establish Allah's Will/ Islamic systems on earth.

The Muslims not having love for our Nabi (saw) are replaced from helm of affairs.The people having love for our Nabi (saw) are the people having love for Allah, and when such people obey/follow our Nabi (saw) as well, Allah also loves them (al-imran-31). The people who fail in achieving  Allah's love are replaced (from helm of affairs) with some other people whom Allah loves and who have love for Allah so that such replacing people may establish Allah’s will on Allah’s earth.  Allah says: “O you who have believed, whoever of you should revert from his religion – Allah will bring forth [in place of them] a people He will love and who will love Him [who are] humble toward the believers, powerful against the disbelievers; they strive in the cause of Allah and do not fear the blame of a critic. That is the favor of Allah; He bestows it upon whom He wills. And Allah is all-Encompassing and Knowing” (al-maidah-54).

From the words “ people He will love and who will love Him”, it may be inferred that people who are replaced do not love Allah and as such Allah does not love them. Because only people loving our Nabi (saw) are capable to follow our Nabi (saw) and are likely to be loved by Allah,  it means people not loving our Nabi (saw) are replaced (from helm of affairs) with people loving our Nabi (saw) and such people loving our Nabi (saw) enforce Allah’s systems on Allah’s earth.

From the foregoing it is clear that love and respect for our Nabi (saw) is not only a matter of honor of our beloved Nabi (saw) but it is also such a  most essential and basic part of Islamic systems without which whole edifice of Islamic systems can neither be erected nor be operated effectively.  Therefore Islamic states/societies are under obligation to promote and protect honor of our beloved Nabi (saw) in the eyes of mankind generally and in the eyes of Muslim masses particularly. The honor for our beloved Nabi (saw) is the spirit behind whole Islamic thoughts, way of life and systems. Islamic states/societies are under obligation to defend this spirit, if they do not want to lose their entity.