Rabi’ul-Awwal: Remembering The Prophet’s Mission

In Rabi’ul-Awwal, believers are reminded of the message of Islam and our love of the Prophet (saw), where both the birth and death of the Prophet (saw) took place during this month.

The affection that Muslims have for our Prophet (saw) is only natural, as Allah (swt) says:

 “The Prophet is closer to the believers than their own selves” [33: 6]

Anas (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “None of you truly believe until I become more beloved to him than his family, wealth and all the people.” [Al-Bukhari]

The Sahaba were the foremost in their love for the Prophet (saw), where Abdullah bin Hisham (ra) narrates: We were with the Prophet (saw) while he was holding the hand of Umar. Umar said, “You are more beloved to me than anything except my own self.” The Prophet (saw) replied, “No, by the One whose Hand my soul is in it, not until you love me more than your own self.” Umar said, “Then, now, by Allah, you are more beloved to me than my own self.” The Prophet (saw) said, “Now you have it, Umar.” [Al-Bukhari]

Such is our veneration of the Prophet’s message, that if a believer finds any aspect of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saw) missing in his life, he is quick to work to change that within himself. Believers have no better way of expressing their love for our Prophet (saw) than to love all that he (saw) loved and to dislike all that he disliked. Believers know that what was most beloved to the Messenger of Allah (saw) is also what is most beloved to Allah (swt), so we strive to make that the most beloved to ourselves.

The Prophet (saw) was truly honored among the Prophets (as), as he was singled out to be the final Messenger to all of mankind. Abu Tharr (ra) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “I was given five things no one before me was given: victory in battle by fear from the distance of a month’s travel; the whole earth was made a Masjid for me and a purification, where a man from my Ummah can pray where he is when the time for prayer arrives; the spoils of war were made permissible for me, while they were not permissible for those before me; I was given intercession on the Day of Judgement (Al-Shafaa’a); and previous Prophets were sent to specific tribes, whereas I was sent to all of mankind.” [Al-Bukhari] 

And his Ummah was made the best Ummah brought forth for mankind, as the Ayah says:

“You are the best Ummah brought forth for mankind: you enjoin what is right (Ma’roof), and you forbid what is wrong (Munkar), and you believe in Allah.” [3:110]

When the believer hears that an aspect of the Prophet’s Sunnah is not being upheld, he is quick to encourage it, and therein lies the proof of his love for the Prophet (saw): to love what he loved. Qatadah (ra) said, “We were told that Umar bin Al-Khattab recited this Ayah [3:110] during a Hajj that he performed, when he saw that the people were rushing it. He then said, ‘Whoever likes to be among this [praised] Ummah, let him fulfil the condition that Allah set in this Ayah’.”

The Mission

Discussion around the excellent qualities of the Prophet (saw) and his everlasting message should be encouraged among the young and the old. At the same time, we must not forget that the Prophet (saw) was not only sent with a message to be conveyed, but he (saw) was also sent with a mission to complete.

The manifestation of the Prophetic mission was the Hijrah in the month of Rabi’ul-Awwal and the establishment of the independent authority of Islam in Madinah. From the very first day in Madinah, the Prophet (saw) established the authority of Islam and applied Islam fully, then continued on to spread that authority to neighboring lands. Often, when we discuss the Hijrah, we limit ourselves to the description of how the Prophet (saw) hid in the cave, or how he slept in his bed. This diverts us away from discussing the true significance of this event. 

Umar (ra) said: “The Hijrah separated truth from falsehood, so calculate your calendar dates from it.”

Escaping persecution or establishing a State?

The Hijrah to Madinah did not take place because the Muslims in Makkah only sought to avoid persecution, or to escape the hardships they faced; rather, the Hijrah was an event that took the da’wah of Islam in a new direction. Prior to the Hijrah, the Prophet called the people of Makkah to Islam while he had no political authority, and those who embraced Islam accepted the Messenger of Allah (saw) as a Prophet without political authority; however, when he (saw) arrived in Madinah, the believers received him (saw) as Prophet and a ruler. Prior to the Hijrah, he (saw) was a Prophet who verbally opposed and spoke out against the corrupt values and evil practices of the idol-worshipping Quraysh; but after the Hijrah, he (saw) implemented the rules and laws of Islam directly and practically. The direction of Islam had changed from verbally identifying and exposing the problems of society in Makkah, to providing and implementing practical laws and solutions for mankind in society in Madinah.

RasulAllah (saw) – as the best example for mankind – practically demonstrated his mission by presenting the Islamic State in Madinah as a beacon of justice on earth. Yet today, the Muslim world only remembers the individualistic lessons in his message, while neglecting the societal and political lessons from his (saw) mission that sought to establish the Islamic political authority over society.

The delay of the burial of the Prophet (saw)

The death of the Prophet (saw) in Rabi’ul-Awwal has further significance for Muslims that is often overlooked. The news of the Prophet’s death was so heavy upon the Sahaba and the Muslims that some of them refused to believe that he had passed away. Upon hearing this, Abu Bakr (ra) went to the mosque and delivered one of the greatest speeches given by any Muslim after the Prophet, where he said: “O People! Whoever worshiped Muhammed, know that Muhammed is dead. And whoever worshiped Allah, then know that Allah is Ever-Living and never dies!” He then recited the following verse, which was revealed after the Battle of Uhud:

 “Muhammad is no more than a Messenger – many Messengers have passed before him. So if he dies or is killed, will you turn back on your heels?” [3:144]

When a Muslim dies, it is obligatory for Muslims to bury him as soon as possible; but the Sahaba did not bury the Prophet (saw) immediately. Nuruddin Al-Haythami - the Shafai Scholar - said, “It is known that the Sahabah (ra) agreed that selecting the Imam after the end of the era of Prophethood was an obligation. Indeed, they believed it to be more important than the other obligations, as they were busy with it over even the burial of the Prophet (saw).”

How can we honor RasulAllah (saw) today?

We must honor the struggle and sacrifice of the Prophet (saw) and his Sahaba (ra) – the people whom the Prophet (saw) loved – by transmitting their message and following in their footsteps, behaving as they did towards their situation as we face our situation today.

The message of Islam – its values, ideals, rules, and laws – and the Muslims today are under intense attack. We must take inspiration and guidance from the words and actions of the Sahaba, who never wavered in their Iman or in their obedience to Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw), despite facing immense challenges and obstacles:

When Reb’iee ibn ‘Amer (ra) was asked by Rustum – a general in the Persian army – “What brought you here?” Reb’iee replied, “Allah sent us to deliver whoever He Wills from worshiping the creation to worshiping the Creator of the creation, and from the constriction of this world to its vastness, and from the oppression of religions to the justice of Islam.” [Al-Tabari]

Today, as we remember the life of the Prophet (saw), the Muslim Ummah must renew the mission of the Prophet (saw) for our time – the mission to establish the Islamic way of life and the political independence of Islam by re-establishing the Khilafah State in the Muslim lands, following the method of RasulAllah (saw) so that the world can see the beauty and light of the full application of Islam once again.