The best of peoples

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah tells us in the Holy Quran;

‘Ye are the best of peoples, evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right, forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah’  (3:110)

After Allah sent 124000 Messengers; after He gave so much tangible care and blessings to the previous nations, He then sent Prophet Muhammad (pboh).  And with his coming, we didn’t see any such visible favours.  Of course, generosity flowed from his personality; but compared to how Allah treated the Israelites, for example; He did not treat the Muslims like that.  The Muslims were subjected to a lot of trials in the early stage of Islam.

And in spite of it all, Allah says in His Holy Words, that we are the best of people that emerge from mankind.  Why did Allah say so, and what is it that makes us the best?  There are many reasons; but today we will just touch a few.

Firstly, one tangible reason is that Muslims are the only people that have been given a piece of paradise on earth.  No other nation has this great blessing.  Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said “the area between my house and my minbar is one of the gardens of Paradise”.

Another important reason is that, Allah created Prophet Muhammad (pboh) very special.  He was invited to the presence of the Lord on the blessed night of the Mir’aj, and on our behalf; he was able to witness all of the unseen verities.  He is our witness to those things that you cannot experience through your senses.  What are angels, paradise, Hell, Who is Allah?  We cannot get surety of this through our five senses.  But we are sure about, is that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was invited to witness all of these; and because he never told a lie we accept his testimony with full convection.  When Moses delivered the message to his people they use to question him

Allah says;

There is no god but He: that is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, (3:18)

We know that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) never told a lie nor said anything out of his personal desires; so if he says there is no God but Allah; we take it.  This is another reason why we are the best of people.  We have been given first-hand knowledge of the unseen verities through the witness of Prophet (pboh).

Another reason, is that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was invited in the presence e of Allah; and he was given a special blessing that night which we call salaat.  Allah gave him a special gift and sent him back to earth; and continues to bestow this special blessing upon him because Allah never changes His habit;

The nature (i.e. the habit and practice) of Allah, is the nature He has bestowed on mankind.  Allah does not change His habit; that is the Straight Way, but a lot of people cannot understand. (30:30)

So Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is a real gift to humanity because he is receiving a special gift from Allah that he distributes to mankind.  This special blessing is received on behalf of human beings and anyone who attaches themselves to him shares in it, even up to today.  No other Messenger was given this special blessing.

When Allah says we are the best; this is one of the reasons why.  Regardless of the time period; so long you are one of his followers and engage in darood you continue to get that special blessings that will coming to you, because of your recitation of the zikr. 

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why he is reported to have said ‘he who reads a single Durood upon me, Almighty Allah blesses him ten times, ten of his sins are forgiven, and he is increased ten times in stages’.

Understand that we are special in the sight of Allah and it is important for us to remain at our best in this world and in the next.  One way of doing this is to send abundant darood on the Messenger; a simple formula that has great returns.

May Allah bless us, guide us and take care of our affairs.

Transcript of discourse delivered by

Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed