Why was the Holy Prophet (pboh) shadowless

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Today insha Allah, we will deal with an unusual topic which is why Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was shadowless. 

Firstly we need to understand that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was a human being.  Allah says;

Say (O Muhammad): "I am only a human being like you.  It is inspired in me that Your God is one God.  (41:6)

One of the possible reasons why Allah gave us this info in the Holy Qur’an is because of the birth of Prophet Jesus (as).  Jesus (as) was the second-to-last Messenger and he came into this world in a very miraculous way.  His ruh was placed in his mother and then the physical aspect of his personality was formed.  After the coming of Jesus (as) came Prophet Muhammad (pboh) and Allah is telling us that this Messenger is normal human just like everyone else.  The difference lies in the fact that he is the recipient of Divine revelations.

The next thing important point of reference is that although Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was a normal human being he was indeed special.  His soul existed long before Hazrat Adam (as) was created.  Allah says in Surah Maa-idah;

There hath come to you from Allah a (new) light and a perspicuous Book.  (5:15)

A lot of scholars opine that a (new) light is a reference to Prophet Muhammad (pboh).  He contained a special light that was radiating from his personality.  And there are a lot of narrations from his Companions that stated that his countenance was physically brighter than the full moon.  For example when he was 3½ years old and was in the care of Halima he went missing one day and when Halima and her family went looking for him they saw from a far a bright light perched on a tree.  Upon closer observations they found that the light they saw was in fact Muhammad (pboh) sitting on one of the branches.

Allah says in Ayat an-Nur light upon light.  In other words Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was a reflection of pure and refined light.  Thus emanating from his personality was only light.

Now with all this in mind to answer the initial question, i.e. why was Prophet Muhammad (pboh) shadowless we need to understand that a weaker source of light cannot cast a shadow on a brighter and more refined source of light.  For example you cannot see the shadow of the stars because of the brightness of the sun.

This was the case with Prophet Muhammad (pboh).  The light emanated from his personality was so refined and bright that the sun or other sources of light could not have cast a shadow from his blessed personality.  There are other matters pertaining to his status and relationship with his Lord such as a cloud shaded him whenever he was in the open.  But that is as a result of his exalted status. 

What is the implication of this?  There must been a reason and lesson in all of this for us.  After all, he is our model.  Prophet Muhammad (pboh) came to remove darkness from the earth.  And what is a shadow?  Something dark.  So Allah has caused it to be that not even a dark shadow came from him.  All that came from him was light.  His personality was so bright and beautiful that whenever Hazrat Aisha (ra) wanted to mend a piece of clothing late in the afternoon she never lit a lamp but instead sat next to the beloved Messenger (pboh) and was able to use the light that emanated from him to see.

Can you imagine this blessed personality?  He is so special and because of this we should acquaint ourselves with these nice and remarkable things about him.  And if we can connect ourselves to him we can also benefit and share in his light. 

May Allah enable us to connect to this magnificent source of light and through our effort may it be a means of eradicating the darkness and blemishes from our personality.

Physical Purity

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We are in the blessed month of Rajab and consequently the event of the Mir’aj will be highlighted.  The Mir’aj is the greatest event that could have ever happened to a creature in this universe.  So when the topic of the Mir’aj is raised there are many dimensions to it that can be expounded on.  Today I would like to draw your attention to one pertinent aspect. 

The goal of the Mir’aj was to meet Allah.  But you cannot meet Allah if you are unclean.  Allah says;

Truly, Allah loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves.  (2:222)

This is the first important lesson for us.  Purity is a comprehensive term because it deals with the body, mind and soul.  But today let us just look at the physical aspect of it.

If you have to consciously make an effort to meet your Lord you first have to observe physical cleanliness.  Because it is such an important ingredient to meet Allah, Allah says of the unbelievers;

O you who believe!  Verily, the Mushrikun are najasun (impure) so let them not come near Al-Masjid-al-Haram (at Makkah).  (9:28)

The next important point is Salaat.  In the institution of Salaat we are actually standing in front of our Lord.  Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said“worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you don't see Him then truly He sees you”.  And he (pboh) is also reported to a have said ‘salaat is the Mir’aj of a believer’.  Why is this so?  In salaat we are standing in front of our Lord and conversing with Him. 

And the prerequisite of salaat is physical cleanliness.  Once cannot perform the salaat if wudu and or ghusl have not been observed. 

We need to keep in mind that if one wants to feel the presence of Allah you have to first be physically clean.  Not only when it comes to salaat, but even if you want to enter His House or read His Glorious Book.

Also we don’t know when the angel of Death will visit us so it’s prudent that we observe physical cleanliness so that whenever he comes we would be in a fit state to return to our Lord.  Part of spirituality is to observe cleanliness and the Mir’aj confirmed this.  If you are not pure and clean it would be improbable to meet Allah.

Make this Mir’aj that point where you try to attain cleanliness for your entire personality and start off with the physical aspect of it.  May Allah make it easy for us and take care of our affairs.

What do you keep in your chest?

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The ending of Surah Adiyat is quite interesting because Allah says;

And that which is in the breasts (of men) shall be made known.  Verily, that Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection) their Lord will be Well-Acquainted with them (as to their deeds), (and will reward them for their deeds).  (100:10-11)

 
When we see the word breast mentioned it usually denotes to the human chest and everything inside it, particularly the heart.  As we’ve mentioned in previous discourses the heart is the seat of the personality and it is from the heart where all our emotions emanates from.

So what Allah is telling us is that on the Day of Accountability everything in ones chest will be revealed; whether it is good or bad. 

When we commit any wrong doing it is not whipped out or taken out completely from our book of records.  We know that the Qur’an says good removes evil but it is not completely erased.  Instead it is covered.  This is why we pray Allahummas turrnaa bi satrikal jameel (O Allah!  Cover us (i.e. our faults) with a beautiful covering).

On the Day of Judgement Allah will look at these evil deeds and will ask the person if he/she did commit them.  In relation to this Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said;

Allah will bring the believer very close and privately and ask him “Do you know this sin?  Do you know that sin?” The believers reply will be, “Yes Oh Lord,” until he is reminded about all of his sins, and he thinks he will perish.  Then Allah will say “I covered up your sins during your life, and I will forgive your sins today”.  Then he will be given his book of good deeds.

It is only then will all your evil deeds be completely erased as you cannot go heaven with stains against you.

The higher you ascend the thinner the air becomes and the more constricted the chest will be.  This is possibly why Prophet Moses (as) prayed O My Lord! Open for me my chest (20:25).  And possibly why before he was taken up in the Mir’aj Prophet Muhammad’s (pboh) chest was opened and washed.

So to we don’t want a constricted heart and in order to safe guard against this we must prepare from now.  Satan doesn’t want this.  This is why it is recorded in Surah Naas concerning Satan’s motives: who whispers in the breasts of mankind.

And on that point a noteworthy mention is that some people argue that it is impossible for Prophet Muhammad (pboh) to be present at more than one place at one at the same time.  If Satan can whisper to the hearts of men at one at the same time; what about the greatest creature that has ever been created?  But that is a different subject.

We need to take note that all our deeds and all the secrets we hold in our chest will come to light on that Day and no one will want any impurity and evil to come out in front of the Lord and Master.  So start preparing for that great meeting from now. 

Work hard to cover the blemishes that are recorded against you.  Remember Satan doesn’t want this and he will try tirelessly to divert your focus away from Allah.  That is an individual battle.  No one else can ward off Satan from you.  You need to put your faith and trust in Allah and let him take care of your affairs.

We beg Allah to enable us to cover up our wrongs by engaging in good and beneficial deeds and may He bless us and reward us so that on the Day of Accountability when our chest is opened up it will be pleasing to Him, insha Allah.