Nabi ﷺ has taught us everything. Nabi ﷺ has guided us in every aspect of life and every situation we may ever face, from the day we stepped into this world until the day we leave. A mercy for both worlds and the most perfect of creation, it is unsurprising that his love is deeply embedded within the hearts of billions of believers. A few years ago, a cartoon of Nabi ﷺ was made in France and distributed widely. There was a great uproar from the Muslim community. These cartoons have now resurfaced.
During such moments, we need to ask ourselves what gives others the courage to create cartoons. To understand this, consider the example of a person who constantly talks ill of his parents. He is disobedient and complains to his friends about every instruction imparted by his parents. He considers them backwards, making life difficult for him rather than easier. As a result, he chooses to follow his own path. If he continues speaking like this, one day, his friend will feel courageous enough to respond too. At the minimum he will begin to agree. Slowly he will add fuel to the fire and eventually, he too will be bold and brave enough to belittle them. Because he knows that this person completely disregards his parents.
Similarly, the kuffar recognise that we ignore the Sunnah in favour of a lifestyle mapped out by the west. Our fellow believers remind us that we are going against the Sunnah. We say with our own tongues that the Sunnah is hard to follow, or it is outdated, or not applicable nowadays. Our lackadaisical attitude can be seen by all and sundry. The kuffar can see that we lack the relevant love, respect and confidence in the teachings of Nabi ﷺ. Thus, they too are courageous enough to insult him before us.
As an Ummah, we need to increase our love for Nabi ﷺ. Recite more durood, add more Sunnahs to your life and continue the mission of Nabi ﷺ. Some Muslims call for a boycott. That is an option but we have seen in recent years that this does not lead to a lasting change. Neither does it attract the help of Allah nor does it create awe in the hearts of others. In short, boycotts are our attempts to retaliate. But Allah himself has explained that the help of Allah is near for those who act upon Deen.
Thus, translate your concern into concerted efforts and amaal. Boycott sins. Automatically, this will create awe in the hearts of others. They will see that Muslims cannot be shaken in their faith and love for Nabi ﷺ. Returning to the example of parents, one who respects them deeply will create a sense of respect for them in the hearts of others. Others will never speak bad of them.
Secondly, some get so engrossed in reading the news. We should be aware of global issues. However, this should be within limits. Instead of wasting time reading countless articles, read the seerah of Nabi ﷺ. In honour of Nabi ﷺ make an intention to add one Sunnah to your life every week. We all know out internal weaknesses. Some of us struggle greatly to implement certain Sunnahs. Make dua to Allah expressing this weakness. The cartoons have saddened us all deeply. As a result, this has boosted the imaan and love for Nabi ﷺ in our hearts. Turn this imaani spark into a raging fire of love for Nabi ﷺ and act upon even those Sunnahs that were once difficult.
As for those who are deeply saddened, take solace in the words of Allah. Allah says, “Indeed, Allah showers His blessings upon the Prophet, and His angels pray for him. O believers! Invoke Allah’s blessings upon him, and salute him with worthy greetings of peace.” (Qur’an, 33:56). A poet beautifully commented that how can anyone praise Nabi ﷺ when durood descends upon Him from the arsh? It would be befitting to add that how can anyone dishonour Nabi ﷺ when durood descends upon Him from the arsh?
Whoever attempts to dishonour Nabi ﷺ will himself become dishonoured. Cartoonists do themselves a disservice. They are blind to the beauty of Nabi ﷺ. It is their loss, not ours. May Allah guide them. Another great tragedy is the case of those believers who do not act upon the Sunnah and do not send durood. This causes deep pain to the heart of Nabi ﷺ and will become a cause of the displeasure of Allah and Nabi ﷺ. May Allah guide us and protect us, aameen.
— Shaykh Dawood Seedat حفظه اللّٰه
Above is an extract from Shaykh’s talk on 26/10/20 in Masjid-ut-Taqwa, Pietermaritzburg. To listen to the full audio, please click here.
