Because our Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is the most noble person who ever walked the Earth, the most elegant, the most honoured and most distinguished human being who ever came into this world, our relationship and understanding with him is more important than our relationship and understanding with any other human being.
Allah (SWT) introduced him to the world through all of the prophets, and the example of this is like when a king, president or prime minister travels to a place and his coming is announced well in advance. They start sending delegations and ambassadors who will go and talk to that country. Messages from ministers and ambassadors are circulated until it is built up to the point where everyone is filled with suspense, nervousness, and are looking forward to it. Then the person arrives, and they are given a grand introduction.
The same thing happened with the Prophet (SAW). Every prophet came into the world and told their people about Muhammad (SAW), which is amazing because that prophet knew that they would not see the Prophet (SAW) in their life nor his Ummah, but they were told by Allah (SWT) to give this message.
A small example would be from the tafsīr of Ibn Kathīr under the āyah in Surah Al-Ahzāb. Under this verse, Ibn Kathīr mentions a very lengthy narration describing a prophet of Banī Isrā’īl whose name was Shaʿyā, known in English as Isaiah. Shaʿyā (AS) was a prophet after Dāwūd (AS) in Banī Isrā’īl, and this was around the time before Banī Isrā’īl got expelled from Bayt Al-Maqdis.
Allah (SWT) instructed Shaʿyā to gather the people on various occasions and sent revelations. He was known as a very compassionate, kind and gentle warner. He loved to give advice. In fact, his advice is mentioned in many scriptures.
One of the things that Allah (SWT) revealed to him was when Banī Isrā’īl was in chaos – a detailed revelation about Muhammad (SAW): that Allah (SWT) was going to send a man who was unlettered from a people who were also unlettered, to warn and give glad tidings, and who will neither be rude nor rough, nor would he be the kind of person to walk around in marketplaces and yell at other people.
His demeanour will be such that weak branches would not snap under his feet, and weak flames would not be extinguished by his walk. His movements would be calm and serene, and his step would be gentle. Then, he says that this prophet would not speak abusive, rough or indecent words.
The description is very detailed, but what it is doing is highlighting the features and characteristics of the Prophet (SAW). It is not just praising him; it is also introducing him in the most beautiful way possible. He would be cloaked in a dress of tranquillity and dutifulness. This would be his most outstanding characteristic, and his nature would be a nature of piety. His words would be wisdom, and his temperament would be to always be honest and always fulfil his obligations, pledges and words. His character would be a character of softness and forgiveness, and his life would be a story of fairness and justice, with his dīn and sharīʿah to be the truth and what is representative of what the truth would be in this world, and would be guided by guidance itself.
Finally, his name would be Ahmad, Muhammad (SAW). Allah will guide him after people had fallen astray and elevate them after they had fallen. He will make those people known that he was sent to, even though no one in the world knew them. He would remove their ignorance and poverty and replace it with wealth, and through this poverty, he would extract and save nations upon nations from their own doom and destruction.
This is an introduction to Muhammad (SAW) that is being given even before ʿĪsā (AS) has been sent. Even ʿĪsā (AS) has not come into the world, and Muhammad (SAW) is being introduced.
After Bayt Al-Maqdis was sacked and people were taken prisoner, Danyāl (AS), who was taken prisoner and punished, was shown the dream of the king who had imprisoned him while he was in prison. He said to the guards, “Your king has seen a dream and is looking for the interpretation. I know the interpretation; just let him know.”
And so, after exhausting all of his resources, the king finally asked for Danyāl (AS) to be brought, and he explained the dream to him and its meaning. In that dream, he said:
“There is an Ummah coming after who will be unstoppable. This is what your dream is telling you; you may have power over Banī Isrā’īl, but after them, a prophet and his Ummah will come, and people like you will have no power over him.”
This is a grand introduction lasting centuries and even millennia before he finally comes into the world.
How important it is to develop a connection with the Prophet—not as a school or class, but as a person, and a personal connection to him, just like how a child looks at their own relationship with their parents. The Prophet (SAW) said:
“I am like your father. I teach you.”
To have our own personal relationship with the Prophet (SAW) is our own duty, and over the next coming weeks, we will try our hardest to become very familiar with our Prophet (SAW): where he came from, his forefathers, how he came into this world, step by step, and what happened in his life. Most importantly, we will use this as a platform to get closer to our Prophet (SAW).
May Allah (SWT) give us tawfīq.
