THE PROPHET’S ELEVATED STATUS

There is no doubt of the fact that Allah gave the Prophet (pboh) a very elevated status in the entire universe, both among human beings and with the other creatures.

Long before the universe was created Allah had already recorded the status of the Messenger and the Path he was to follow. Imam Ghazali, in his book, Ihya ulumud deed, writes that Allah recited Surahs Yaseen and Tahaa, fifty thousand years before He created the universe. If we should look at the meanings of these Chapters we would see that Allah speaks about the Mission of Prophet Muhammad in the very beginning of both the Chapters. For example in Surah Yasees He revealed the following:

Yaaseen, by the Wise Qur’an; Verily, you are indeed one of the Messengers on the Straight Path. (36:1-4)

The beginning of Surah Tahaa is as follows:

Taahaa, We have not revealed unto thee (Muhammad) this Qur’an that thou should be distressed; but as a reminder to him who feareth. (20:1-3)

Prophet Muhammad (pboh) was established by the Lord as the leader of all the Messengers and the Seal of the Prophets even before they were sent to their respective peoples. Allah says:

Behold, Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying, I gave you a Book and Wisdom, then comes to you a Messenger, confirming what is with you. Do you believe in him and render him help. Allah said: Do you agree and take this My Covenant as binding on you? They said: We agree. (3:81)

According to this revelation, all the Messengers agreed to:

• Him being their leader in this world and in the next.
• Help him in the mission for which he was to be sent.
• Inform their people of his coming.

All the Messengers knew that the Holy Prophet (pboh) was to be:

• The best example for mankind.
• The Bringer of the complete code of life.
• The universal model for all times
• The one that was to unite mankind into one brotherhood.
• The one that was to invite to Allah by His leave.
• The one whose mission will be to light up to path to Allah.
• The one who was able to give the glad tidings and warnings on the basis of firsthand experience.
• The one who is the mercy to the worlds.
• The chief intercessor on the Day of Judgment.
• The one designated to distribute Kauthar in the hereafter.

As Allah mentions in the verse quoted above, every Messenger left with their people the knowledge that he who is the beloved of the Lord, will be coming.

Some of their predictions are as follows:

Moses said to his followers that the Lord said to him the following:

I will raise up a prophet among their brethren like unto thee. (Deut. 18:15-18)

It is an established fact that there was no Israelite Prophet after Moses who gave to them what Moses gave; e.g. he gave the Laws. Perhaps, this was a reason why Jesus said: I came to uphold the Law. That was the Laws given by Moses from the revelations that came from the Lord.

This fact is established In the Bible in the following verse:

And there rose not a prophet, in Israel, like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. (Deut. 34:10)

Jesus told his followers the following:

I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. How be it when he, the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth; for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come. (Jn. 16:12-15)

Unlike the predictions of the other Messengers, Prophet Muhammad (pboh) in his Farewell Sermon asked from his unbelievably large congregation: Have I delivered the Message? They replied, in one voice; Yea, we bear witness that you have.

Recognized by all creatures:

It was normal for the trees, plants, stones and even some animals to greet the Prophet (pboh) whenever he used to pass by them. Some such incidents are hereby listed:

• Ali ibn Talib reports: I was with the Apostle of Allah in Makkah, and we came out from the city from one side; as we walked every mountain or tree that we passed said to the Apostle, (pboh) Greetings on you O Messenger of Allah. (Tirmizi).
• Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet (pboh) would give his Sermon while standing beside the date palm trunk. When he had the pulpit made he used it instead. The trunk therefore began weeping, and so the Prophet (pboh) went to it and rubbed his hand over it to stop it from crying. (Bukhari)
• According to Imam Ahmad, the trunk bellowed until it cracked and split. (Ahmad).
• A camel complained to the Prophet (pboh) about the ill-treatment that it was getting from its master. (Ahmad, Abu Dawood).

The faithful followers of the Beloved Messenger also recognized his greatness as a person with special blessings coming from him. Some examples are as follows:

Abu Juhaifa narrates the following: Once, Allah’s Apostle went to Al Batha at noon, performed the ablution and offered two rakaats Zuhr prayer and two rakaats Asr prayer, while a spear head stick was planted before him. The passers were passing in front of it. (After the prayer), the people got up and held the hands of the Prophet (pboh) and passed them on their faces. I also took his hand and kept them to my face, and noticed that it was cooler than ice, and the smell was nicer than musk.

Anas reported that: I never touched silk or neither Dibaj (thick silk) softer than the palm of the Prophet, (pboh) nor have I smelt perfume nicer that the sweat of the Prophet (pboh). (Bukhari).

After the Friday prayer was over, the Holy Prophet (pboh) entered the city of Yasrab from the southern end and the city was renamed thenceforth as Madinatun Nabi, meaning the city of the Prophet (pboh), which for convenience is called Madinah.

The moment and the style of the procession for entry into the city were exceptionally grand and impressively impact. The atmosphere was renting from the echoes of Takbeer. The streets and lanes resounded with the words of praises and Piety of Allah. All the men and women, youngsters and aged one had surged up everywhere with eager eyes to gaze upon the effulgence of Allah. (Rahmatul lil aalameen, vol. 1; p.80)

Not only was the Messenger (pboh) held with respect and honor on earth but all the creatures in the skies displayed great respect and honor to him as he ascended past them during the night of the Miraj.