What is the difference between the hypocrites and true believers?
What is the difference between the hypocrites and true believers?
When spring comes, we all smell flowers blooming. Nature wakes up, and every one of us has feelings that are impossible to describe. Mu’min, a true believer in God and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), has even stronger feelings when the month of Rabi» al-Awwal comes. For this is the month when spring comes into his soul.
The man, who loves the Prophet ﷺ with his heart, cannot find words for these feelings. This is the sign of faith. This is the manifestation of initial purity, from which God created us; because everyone was born in the initial purity of Iman.
And before a person starts to realize the prophecy of the Messenger ﷺ and the existence of the Creator, these feelings arise in his mind and his heart; because the love for the Messenger ﷺ is an integral part of a Mu’min’s faith. It is impossible to believe in the Creator with an empty heart with no love for His Messenger ﷺ.
The Prophet ﷺ says in the famous Hadith, “None of you will attain true faith until you love me more than your property, your children and yourself.” He ﷺ did not say it out of arrogance. God save us from such thoughts! He said it to explain the commands of the Almighty.
The love for the Messenger ﷺ is one of these commands. Each of us must look into his heart: is there the love for the Messenger of God ﷺ? If he has the feeling in his heart, he can be sure, that he proved to himself he has got the sign of faith in God.
When the day comes when the Prophet ﷺ was born, the best of God’s creations, the feeling, that lives in every one of us, wakes up again. It gets more manifest. That is what happens to the true Muslim believers in the month of Rabi» al-Awwal. That feeling is the love for the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. And only this love for the Messenger of God ﷺ and the faith in the Almighty can make us happy in this world and in the eternal life.
Hypocrites and True Muslims
I would also like to draw your attention to a fallacy widespread between some people. They claim, that the love for the Messenger of God ﷺ is just following his commands and prohibitions and the Sunna. They also argue that you cannot have any feelings for the Messenger of God ﷺ. This is false! If this were so, then there would be no difference between Munafiqs (hypocrites) and Mu’mins (sincere believers). This is the only line that separates a hypocrite from the other Muslims.
During the Prophet’s ﷺ times hypocrites also observed the Prophet’s orders and prohibitions. They prayed, and visited the Majlis of the Prophet ﷺ, were near the Companions but still remained hypocrites.
There are no outward signs that distinguish hypocrites from true believers. Sincere believers in God and His Messenger ﷺ are marked only by love. This love for the Messenger of God ﷺ makes a true believer follow him and comply with the Almighty’s commands and prohibitions.
The Messenger of God ﷺ was endowed by God with the best human qualities and we cannot but love him. Even those people who have not seen the Messenger of God ﷺ but have heard about his wonderful qualities, his behavior, and life, have a great love for him.
This love compels us to follow the Prophet ﷺ. It makes us do good deeds in line with the Sunna of the Messenger of God ﷺ, his teachings, his commands and his prohibitions.
The love of Habib ibn Adi
Each of us must seek in his soul for this love; look to see, if it is there. We are talking about the love comparable to that of the Companions of the Messenger of God ﷺ. Take, for example, the case when a Companion of the Prophet ﷺ Habib ibn Adi was tied to a pillar and the pagans were going to execute him – in revenge for the pagans killed in the battle of Badr. These pagans did not know about the love for the Messenger of God ﷺ, they were unaware of the Companions’ feelings. They said to Habib ibn Adi, “Would you not rather be at home now and enjoy your family? Do you wish Muhammad ﷺ, who got you here, was here instead of you?” Habib ibn Adi says, “No, I do not. I would not want to be with my family, even when the Messenger of God ﷺ gets a thorn sting. Even then I would not swap places with the Messenger of God ﷺ!” These were the words of the Companion, who was going to be cut into pieces.
When the pagans heard his answer, they were amazed at the love of the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and said that they had not seen a man honoured and loved as much as the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. And indeed, the whole world has recognized that no other man was loved by his followers more than the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
They Love the Prophet ﷺ though they have not seen him
Of course, when we cite the examples of these Companions, you may ask: but how can you love the Messenger of God ﷺ as his Companions loved him? After all, they have seen the living Prophet ﷺ and that is different. Yes, there is a grain of truth here. Of course, they have seen and been close to the Messenger of God ﷺ, and it is impossible to love the Messenger of God ﷺ as much as they did. The Companions were with the Messenger of God ﷺ all the time, day and night. However, during the Prophet’s time there were the Mu’mins, who have not seen the Messenger of God ﷺ. Yet, they loved him no less than those who have.
Do you know that the separation from loved ones makes you love them even more? That is why we can love the Messenger of God ﷺ, as his Companions did. But we need to pursue this love. For the Messenger of God ﷺ mentioned the Mu’mins, who will appear in his Community later and who will love him more than those who have seen him. Praise be to God, that there are such Mu’mins! And each of us must strive to this.
If someone says he cannot do so, because of his own reasons or of other people, then it is best to praise the Messenger of God ﷺ as much as possible. The man who constantly offers Salawat will surely get to love the Prophet ﷺ.
God says in the Koran (meaning), “Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.”
This is a direct command of the Almighty. Blessing the Prophet ﷺ is the best way to love him. Words of blessing, “Allahumma Salli «ala Sayyidina Muhammadin wa» ala ali Sayyidina Muhammadin wa Salim”, or simply “Allahumma Salli «ala Muhammad” are great, powerful words. The Almighty blesses tenfold the people saying them. We send blessings to the Prophet ﷺ once and God sends us ten times more!
How to Get Rid of Problems?
Blessing the Prophet ﷺ also helps you get rid of sorrows and troubles. So the Hadith says, it is known from the Mu’mins who loved the Messenger of God ﷺ.Whenever you feel sad, distressed or confused and do not know what to do, bless the Messenger of God ﷺ and it will help you! Whenever you experience hardships, failure in life, or in business, perform Salawat to salute the Messenger of God ﷺ and you will see that it will help you!
It was narrated from the Imams Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi and al-Hakim that the Prophet ﷺ woke up after one fourth of the night and said, “Remember God, remember God, the Judgement Hour is near, death is near.” And one of the Companions asked, “Oh Messenger of God, I say Salawat a lot. How often should I do this?” That is, instead of remembering God, this Companion blessed the Prophet ﷺ. Then the Messenger of God ﷺ answered him, “As often as you want!” Then the Companion said, “And if I send you blessings for one-third of the night, O Messenger of God?” The Messenger of God ﷺ says, “This is good for you! You can send blessings even for one-third of the night. You can send blessings as long as you want.” And then the Companion said, “Oh Messenger of God, then I will bless you all the time, after the obligatory prayers, and all my spare time!” And the Prophet ﷺ did not object either. Why? Because when we say Salawat for the Messenger of God ﷺ, we remember the Almighty, who sent us the Messenger ﷺ.This kind of worship has no limitations. This is one of the best ways to worship God. This is the best remembrance of the Almighty.
Therefore, we must often send blessings to the Messenger of God ﷺ, on special occasions: Friday night or day and, of course, the month of Rabi» al-Awwal, when we remember the Messenger of God ﷺ most of all. In those days, the Almighty increases the reward for our worship and we should use it, blessing our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.
