Using Honored Titles When Addressing Him

Through reading the Qur’an, we will instantly realize that when addressing His Prophets and Messengers, Allah (swt) calls upon them directly by name. For example, He says ‘”O Noah, indeed he is not of your family…” [Qur’an 11: 46] and He says, “O Moses, I have chosen you over the people with My messages and My words [to you]…” [Qur’an 7:144] When we address someone, it is a sign of respect that we take their name when calling upon them as opposed to saying something like, “Hey man.” However, when we want to address someone with an even higher level of respect and mannerism, we don’t address them by their name, we address them by their respected title. For example, we say, “Mr. President” or “Mr. Senator” indicative of the respect given to them because of their high position. Likewise, Allah (swt) when He addresses the Messenger ﷺ, does not address him directly by name – rather He addresses the Messenger with the honorific title and position that he ﷺ holds, “O Messenger” and “O Prophet”.

In this is a lesson to the believers of the mannerism of speaking to (and by extension about) the Messenger ﷺ. Indeed, elsewhere in the Qur’an, Allah (swt) rebukes some of the Bedouins that came to the Messenger ﷺ and called out to him from behind his apartments, “O Muhammad, come out to us,” by saying that ‘most of them have no intelligence’. Allah (swt) is teaching the believers a lesson about the level of manner and respect required when addressing the Prophet ﷺ and by extension his sunnah (traditions) and ahadeeth (narrations) which are what are with us today. If Allah (swt) does not address His Messenger directly out of respect, but chooses to address him ﷺ with honor, the believers need to pay attention and take a lesson from this and adopt a similar level of respect towards him ﷺ.

Sometimes, in our haste to quote the Messenger ﷺ, we tend to forget the level of respect that is imperative. There are multiple instances in the Qur’an where Allah (swt) has commanded the believers to watch how they speak to the Messenger ﷺ and, specifically, to lower their voices when addressing him ﷺ. For example, Allah (swt) says in Surat an-Nur, “Do not make the calling of the Messenger between yourselves as the call of one you to another…” [Qur’an 24:63] and in Surat  al-Hujurat , “O you who have believed, do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet or be loud to him in speech like the loudness of some of you to others, lest your deeds become worthless while you perceive not.”[Qur’an 49:2]. This does not mean that we don’t mention his hadeeth or anything like that; rather, it is teaching us the mannerism that ought to be present when doing so.

The early Muslims when deciding to take ahadeeth from an individual would look, in addition to everything else, the mannerism that he would show when narrating the hadeeth towards the Prophet ﷺ. It is known that Imam Malik (rahimahu allah, may God be pleased with him) would not narrate hadeeth to his students until he had bathed, dressed himself in his best clothes and perfumed himself out of respect and honor towards the Messenger ﷺ. As such, we should aim to instill this adab in our hearts as well.

Do not put yourselves before Allah and His Messenger

Allah (swt) addresses the believers in Surah al Hujurat saying,

[O you who believe, do not put yourselves forth before Allah (swt) and His Messenger…] [Qur’an 49:1]

In this ayah, Allah (swt) is giving the believers a command that they do not place themselves, either by their speech or actions, ahead of Allah (swt) and His Messenger ﷺ. This is a warning to the believers to understand their position in relation to Allah (swt) and His Messenger ﷺ, that they do not hastily lead themselves to saying something or doing something before Allah (swt) has commanded it or against what has been commanded. However, if we reflect upon this ayah, it leads to the question that, how can an individual place himself before Allah (swt) at all? After all, Allah (swt) is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth, and therefore it is inconceivable that an individual would be able to do anything that Allah (swt) is unaware of. If anything, it is conceivable that an individual can put himself before the Messenger ﷺ, intentionally or unintentionally – so why mention Allah (swt)? The scholars of tafseer (exegesis) explain this beautiful point by saying that the reason Allah (swt) is mentioning Himself first is to honor the Messenger ﷺ by placing his name ﷺ alongside Allah’s name. Meaning that, just as you would not put yourself before Allah (swt), likewise you are not to put yourself before the Messenger ﷺ. By mentioning Himself with the Messenger ﷺ, Allah (swt) is elevating the status of the Messenger ﷺ and equating disobedience to him ﷺ as disobedience to Allah, as Allah (swt) says elsewhere in the Qur’an, [whoever obeys the Messenger, has obeyed Allah]. [Qur’an 4:80]

“Your Lord has not forsaken you nor is He displeased”

In the early part of the seerah (biography of the Prophet ﷺ), after the Messenger ﷺ received the first revelation, there was a period in which revelation completely ceased for a period of time. This time was difficult for the Messenger ﷺ as he was afraid that since nothing further had come down, Allah (swt) might be displeased with him ﷺ. This led him to worry for a period of time.

To console His Messenger ﷺ, Allah (swt) sent down Surah Duha and through it, He consoled the heart of the Messenger ﷺ. Out of the entire surah, the ayah that strikes the heart is the subtlety of the third one when Allah (swt) says, “Your Lord has not forsaken you nor is He displeased.” [Qur’an 93:3]. Allah (swt) here is informing His Messenger ﷺ to not worry because Allah (swt) has not forsaken him and that He has not left him alone. If we reflect on the second part of the ayah, Allah (swt) says, “nor is He displeased.” The obvious question would be, displeased with whom or displeased with what? The ‘who’ or ‘what’ has been left out and the scholars of tafseer give us the reason for it. The surah itself in its entirety is addressed to the Messenger ﷺ – yet in this particular part of the Surah, where Allah mentions His Displeasure, He (swt) leaves out addressing the Messenger ﷺ directly. This is out of respect and honor towards the Messenger ﷺ because Allah (swt) does not even want to mention the Messenger ﷺ close to mentioning His displeasure. So He simply says, “nor is He displeased” and leaves it at that because out of His immense love for the Messenger ﷺ, it is inconceivable that Allah (swt) will be anything but pleased with him ﷺ.

There are many, many other instances in the Qur’an where this love and respect to the Messenger ﷺ is shown and each is a lesson on its own. Allah (swt) has a truly special way of addressing His beloved Messenger in the Qur’an. What we should try to take away from this is implementing the adab and respect in our own lives towards the Messenger ﷺ whenever we speak about him ﷺ, mention his seerah, or quote ahadeeth. This is what we have from him ﷺ today and it is equivalent in the level of adab and respect it requires. Sometimes we might get carried away and start quoting hadeeth to each other back and forth to prove a certain point or refute someone – but when was the last time that we thought about the mannerism we are employing when quoting the statements of the Messenger ﷺ? If Allah (swt) Himself addresses His Messenger ﷺ with such respect, it is only imperative after all that we too show the same level of respect and honor when we mention him ﷺ.

A group of women from the tribe of Ghifar approached the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (peace be upon him) to seek his permission to tend to the wounded during the battle of Khaybar. The Prophet ﷺ welcomed their request, giving them permission, stating, “By the blessings of God.”

With this group of women was a young girl named Umayyah bint Qays radi allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with her). She shares with us her own part of the story.

“Then we set out with him. I was a young girl. He made me sit on his she-camel behind the luggage. I saw the bag had got traces of blood from me. It was the first time I had a period. Then I sat forward on the camel [to hide it] and I was embarrassed. When the Messenger of God ﷺ saw what happened to me and the traces of blood, he said, “Perhaps you have had menstrual bleeding?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Attend to yourself. Then, take a container of water, then put salt in it, then wash the affected part of the bag, then come back.” I did so. When God conquered Khaybar for us, the Prophet ﷺ took this necklace that you see on my neck and gave it to me and put it on my neck with his own hand. By God it will never be parted from me.” She wore the necklace her entire life and stipulated that she should be buried with it. ((Nadwi, M. K. 2007. Al-Muhadithaat: The Women Scholars in Islam. London and Oxford: Interface Publications, pp. 59))

Let us take a few lessons from this incredible narration. From it, we can take lessons on the perspectives and proactive attitudes of these female companions of the Prophet ﷺ. From it, we can also take incredible lessons in chivalry and beautiful interactions between the Prophet ﷺ and the women in his community.

Let us begin by considering the perspective of the women who came to offer their skills to the Prophet ﷺ. They didn’t say, “What’s up with Islam? Why aren’t women obligated to fight in this battle just like men?!”

These women understood the wisdom of Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) in every ruling and situation. They knew they could participate and be rewarded if they did so (like Nusayba bint Kab who personally defended the Prophet ﷺ in the Battle of Uhud), but were not mandated to do so. They realized that there was mercy in the lifted obligation and they were of those who realized the wisdom in the fact that there were differences in obligations.

Nevertheless, simply because they were not mandated to participate in the battle did not stop them from doing their part, in whatever way they felt they could be most effective. They did not sit around complaining or waiting to be asked; they simply did. Perhaps we can take from their examples as Muslim women in our own communities.

How many of us complain about the men’s side of the prayer hall being vastly greater in size or in cleanliness? How many of us feel incredible frustration when we cannot hear the prayer because small children are screaming around us or because the microphone stops working? We have tangible issues to complain about, no doubt. However, what are we doing, as women, with the means that we already have? What are we doing in our current situation?

Are we talking throughout the khutbah (Friday sermon) when we know we are supposed to remain silent and listen attentively? When two of us cannot pray, are we speaking while everyone else is praying and potentially disturbing those struggling to concentrate in their prayers? Are we watching after our own children or helping other sisters watch after theirs? Are we bringing in food for ourselves or our children and leaving crumbs and spilled drinks on the once-clean prayer carpet, despite the specific signs which request that all food remain outside? Are we dumping our shoes in front of the shoe racks instead of on the shoe racks and creating potential blockages for the elderly and hazards in the case of emergencies? (I know of a masjid who had to call 911 because a child’s life was at risk and the firefighter could not access the child immediately because he tripped over a pile of women’s shoes!)

What are we doing with what we have, considering the situations that we are in? Look at these women. They proactively took a leadership position in offering to help in a battle and service the community. How can we also learn to follow their example in our own lives?

Additionally, let’s look at their approach and perspective. They didn’t say, “If we go out and offer to help in this battle, some men may be intimidated because we’re so aggressive.” They did not tie their responsibility to Allah (swt) and their community to the possibility of attracting or not attracting men. I am constantly approached by young women who are told by their parents or those in their communities that they should stop being involved with Islamic work because “men are scared by women who are assertive and passionate about activism.” In my personal role as the Muslim Student Association President, I was told more than once that men were intimidated by me because of my position in leadership. In some of our families and some of our communities, we sometimes focus on tying our sisters’ abilities to attracting or not attracting a potential spouse, instead of developing our sisters’ incredible skills and potentials for the sake of Allah (swt) and the benefit of the community.

On the other end, the women in this example also did not say, “We’re just going to sit around and once Prince Muslim comes along, then we’ll get involved and work on becoming better Muslimahs.” This might seem far-fetched, but how many of us have heard or said statements such as, “I want to get married because then my husband will wake me up for qiyam (late night prayer) and Fajr!” However, oftentimes, those of us who say things like this are not doing those actions on our own.

Getting married isn’t going to solve our inabilities to wake up for Fajr or get up for qiyam. We need to develop our own selves without expecting marriage to somehow magically change our lives. Marriage can be a great tool of self-improvement and can help us change for the best, with Allah’s will. Marriage is amongst the greatest blessings that Allah (swt) can bestow on a person; and the creation of a family, and taking care of that family, is amongst the greatest acts of worship. But if we are not personally working on ourselves now, how can we expect that it will be easier with the additional baggage of another individual who is also imperfect?

What we see in the example of these women is that they took action and sought to benefit the community through their work for the sake of Allah (swt). These women looked at their personal situations, considered their personal skill sets and realized that they could use the skills they had, in the time that they were needed, to benefit their society in a proactive manner. They did not dwell on how they could be perceived or make continuous excuses for why someone else should do it. How, too, can we follow their example?

Let us now look at the interaction of these women with the Prophet ﷺ and his conduct toward them. First, let’s address the incredible manhood of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. As “the walking Qur’an,” the Prophet ﷺ had such an incredible demeanor that the women knew they could easily approach him and offer their services to the community. The relationship he had built with women in his community was one of trust, empowerment, dignity and appreciation. This is evident, most specifically, in the way that he (peace and blessings of God be upon him) turned one of the most embarrassing moments Umayyah, the young girl, could have ever imagined into one of the fondest moments of her life.

When the Prophet ﷺ saw her blood, he did not embarrass her and shout, “Astaghfirillah! (I seek refuge in God!) Sister! Haraam! Now you are a fitna (trial)!” His first advice to her did not consist of ordering her to leave his presence now that she was an accountable young woman. Instead, he taught her purification in that moment. He showed her ease and naturalness in that moment. He gave her a necklace, which he personally placed on her with his blessed hands, and helped her feel honored and special in that moment.

How many young women do we know who are struggling with their self-esteem? What are we doing, as a community, to help build it up instead of tear it down? How many young women have we told, “Cover up,” because they are a temptation to men? Instead of linking hijab (modesty) to loving Allah, (swt), we have often linked it to protecting men from women within the Muslim community. How many men have made comments such as, “Fitna just walked in,” without realizing the painful consequences on a female’s psyche when the only frame of reference her Muslim brother has for her is that she’s temptation?

All of these experiences have happened to me personally within the Muslim community and also to many women that I know. The methodology in which women are made to feel that they are the ultimate fitna psychologically damages women’s understanding of Islam and their self-esteem. It cripples a natural, normative relationship in which men and women work together for the benefit of society and forces men and women to fear being around one another in unnatural ways. This is not from the Prophet ﷺ.

We take from the example of the Prophet ﷺ that he let people live comfortably around him so that even when something which could have turned into the most humiliating experience a woman could have ever imagined, that girl, in that moment, gained knowledge, nearness to Allah (swt), and love of being with the Prophet ﷺ in the Hereafter. In our communities too, we need to re-evaluate the ways through which men and women interact and the rhetoric we use to describe women.

Let us look at the rhetoric of the Prophet ﷺ when he was asked by the women if they could participate. In his interaction with them, he verbally encouraged them. He didn’t say, “No. The men might be distracted by you and be tempted to leave the battlefield.” Instead, he specifically gave them the blessings of God.

We need to begin truly exemplifying the incredible character of the Prophet ﷺ who didn’t imply that Umayyah (ra) and the women she was with would cause chaos in the battlefield if they were present. He knew his community; he had developed the men and women in his community. And the women in his community followed his example; they felt comfortable and confident approaching him (peace and blessings of God be upon him).

This is the type of respectful brotherhood and sisterhood we need to embody in our Islamic work, in our marriages, and in our lives.  Their example teaches that men and women both have something to contribute and we need to be supportive of one another’s contributions when used for societal benefit. Allah (swt) tells us in Surat al-Tawbah, “The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah [charity] and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those—Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.” (Qur’an 9:71)

The Prophet ﷺ taught us how to achieve natural, healthy, balanced and beneficial community relationships. He taught us how to teach people about Allah (swt) with mercy, humility and respect. How many more members of our communities are we going to lose before we follow his example?

The above narration is full of lessons for us as a community in the West especially. Transforming challenges into opportunities is the methodology of the Prophet ﷺ. The women in this example were empowered to take action because of the teacher who built them and taught them to do so. This is Islam; the liberating, societally-benefiting and revolutionary way of life which can transform even the most embarrassing experience into the fondest memory, cherished for life.

If this is Islam, if this is our religion, when will we put it into practice? When will we follow the example of these female companions of the Prophet ﷺ in our attitudes and our own lives? And even more urgently, is it not time that the beauty of the Prophet ﷺ began to touch those in our own communities through the virtue of our own actions?

* Portions of this article were generally transcribed from a session on Womanhood, which can be viewed here.

You’re the best person I’ve ever known, the best friend I’ve never met
Your sincerity to me is blinding enough to completely canvas the world around me
with drapes that read, respect, honor, focus, protect…
and leaving a window so that I can zoom in on the important things,
and yet those are the things that I forget, or neglect,
…I will do better.

Your Ummah is fine, not because of me or mine, or wounds that heal with time,
those who’d die for a dollar sign, but because of promises divine,
and so when we feel that we’re at our worst,
and our sadness would cause our hearts to burst,
it feels like there are times,
when there are angels within our lines.
Or maybe hovering over squares,
with chants of freedom in the air,
And though tyrants step on our necks
We smile…for history has always been on our side..
Yours is an Ummah that simply doesn’t die…

I’m sorry for my weakness.
For every time I’ve been ashamed of your name, and asked someone to call me Mo,
For not knowing enough about you to defend you when they drew cartoons, or accused you with the most heinous of accusations…
For not getting over my distaste of reading and waiting for hollywood to put you on the big screen so I can know about you.
As if Steven Spielberg, Mel Gibson, and Johnny Depp could somehow recreate the twinkle in your eye,or a beautiful bead of sweat as it scaffolds on your forehead, frantically fighting gravity not wanting to fall off your body.

I keep thinking of seeing you, and wonder if you would smile at me…
the thought gives me goosebumps…
You told me to meet you at the pool, so on that day, I hope and pray
that I can see you through the crowd,
that no angels barricade me as I sprint at break neck speed,
I hope you recognize it’s me.
I will crowd the companions to get access to your vision.
I will obey my thirst and quench it from your hand, so until that day I will pray…
I will stand and I will pray, as if my feet are holding the earth from splitting.

If I make it, I cry at the thought of seeing you.
For I know the words that I used to read out of all too thin pages,
will do no justice, to your face, your scent, your touch, your voice.
My Messenger of Allah has always existed between the curves and dots of the
Arabic alphabet, So Muhammad ibn Abdillah in 3D and whatever other dimensions the hereafter brings with it, will be an overboard of senses.
I will fall in love with your shadow,
and will tell Ali that his description did not do justice,
and tell my mother Aisha, that we heard her story of how you passed away between her chin and her chest, over and over and over again,
and it made us cry every single time.
For there was no disaster that we suffered more
than what we suffered before our souls merged with flesh,
of entering an Earth that was without you,

Does the sky even recognize us anymore…
And I will sit in the shade of your smile,
and ask you your story directly from your mouth,
as we sip from Salsabil, ice cold,
and would be deeply embarrassed if you asked me for mine,

Cuz I never did anything right, other than loving you
and then…if you let me, I would love…
for a hug.

In the Quran, Allah (swt) describes his Prophet ﷺ in two very important ways:

1. The Job Titles of the Prophet ﷺ

“Oh Prophet, we have sent you as a Witness, and a Bringer of Glad Tidings, and as a Warner. And as a Caller towards God by His permission, and as an Illuminating Lamp.” (Qur’an, 33:45-46)

2. The Job Description of the Prophet ﷺ

“Just as We have sent among you a messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses and purifying you and teaching you the Book and wisdom and teaching you that which you did not know.” (Qur’an, 2:151)

In this series, we will explore each one of these aspects of the Prophet ﷺ. In the final chapter, we will examine how we can try and follow the Prophet’s Sunnah by approaching these qualities in our own way.

His Titles:

1. Witness
2. Bringer of Glad Tidings
3. Warner
4. Caller to God by His Permission
5. Illuminating Lamp

His Roles:

1. To Recite the Verses of God
2. To Purify The People
3. To Teach them the Book
4. To Teach them New Things they did not previously know

In part I, we will discuss the title: Witness (شَاهِدًا)

First, let us examine the grammar used in this verse. When Allah (swt) says: “يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ شَاهِدًا” the ending of the word شَاهِدًا places it in a state of nasb (accusative) in grammar. In the way this word is being used, not only does it mean: “We sent you as a Witness”, but rather: “We sent you with the specific purpose that you be a Witness.”

What does it mean for a Prophet ﷺ to be a شَاهِدًا?

This word means to give information about something that one has beheld with his own eyes; what one knows to be a certainty. In this case, the Prophet’s ﷺ first and foremost role, was to testify to the people that Allah is One, and the he himself was Allah’s messenger. Additionally, that the Book of Allah was true, that Heaven and Hellfire exist, and that all would eventually return to Allah.

Shah Walilullah ad-Dehlawi translated شَاهِدًا as “bearer of witness to the Truth.”

This has a very lofty and important meaning that goes beyond simply speaking, and according to Mawdudi, entails three kinds of evidence.

1. Verbal evidence: The Prophet ﷺ explains, teaches, and spells out the realities and principles of existence and of Allah’s religion. He proclaims without fear the Being of Allah and His Absolute Unity, the existence of the angels, the Hereafter, and the entire narrative of existence from pre-creation to the entering of people into Hell and Paradise. He elucidates for people the “concepts, principles, and rules pertaining to morality and civilization and social life that God has revealed to him, and reject as wrong all the concepts and ways which are prevalent and are opposed to them, even if the whole world rejects them as wrong and violates them in practice.”

When one remembers the kind of opposition and enmity the Prophet ﷺ  and his followers faced on upon simply speaking the truth, from being attacked in Makkah to being stoned and kicked out of Taif, we begin to feel a sense of gravity and weight that this part of the job alone has upon the shoulders that bear it.

2. Practical evidence: Any witness who calls something to be truth is required to demonstrate what he has claimed. We know that Aisha (ra) said of the Prophet ﷺ: “His character was the Qur’an.” He embodied the Qur’an’s entire message in his everyday life as a human being.

What is even more amazing is that he stated in a hadith: “Relate from me, even if it is one ayah.”

This is truly one of the most incredible of the Ahaadith in existence. Why? Because when one looks at any person of celebrity, protection of his/her personal details, embarassing facts, and life narrative are of utmost importance. Often times, politicians must hire entire teams to scrub and protect their backgrounds, and pay off others to keep their personal details out of public sight.

Yet we have a messenger who proudly proclaims: “Relate from me.” Take anything from me, tell people about it, proclaim it, teach it, share it. Nothing is held back, nothing is kept secret, absolutely nothing needs to be covered or protected – because every movement, every word, every smile, every laugh, every whisper, every blink, every facial expression – was a lesson, a guide, an example, a gift for us -his nation. No other human being, except for the Messenger of God ﷺ, has opened up his personal, social, family, and innermost life for all the people to see, scrutinize, and reflect upon. And this was a sign of his Prophethood.

Thus, his position as a practical witness extends beyond his teaching us how to worship. Rather, his witnessing teaches us how to exist. We learn how the verbal evidence he has given, translates into physical witnessing before the angels on our shoulders who are writing our deeds; before the people on the earth who are exposed to our actions, and before Allah (swt) who will hold us to account for what we do. The example in the Messenger (ﷺ) is that there is no difference between his words and his actions. There is no distinction between what is in his heart, what emanates from his lips, and what is executed by his limbs. This, according to the scholars who write extensively on tazkiyyah, is the manifestation of sincerity, and the highest rank of Witnessing to the Truth.

3. Witness in the Hereafter:

When the Court of Allah (swt) is established in the Hereafter, the Prophet ﷺ will give evidence that he conveyed the message to humanity, without making any change in it, as a proof to his people that they could not claim that it was his fault if they did not believe and act upon the revelation he brought.

The thought of testifying against his people and upon his nation weighed heavily upon the Prophet ﷺ.

Abdullah bin Masud relates: Allah’s Apostle said to me, “Recite (of the Qur’an) for me,” I said, “Shall I recite it to you although it had been revealed to you?” He said, “I like to hear (the Qur’an) from others.” So I recited Surat-an-Nisa’ till I reached: “How (will it be) then when We bring from each nation a witness, and We bring you (O Muhammad) as a witness against these people?” (4:41) Then he said, “Stop!” And behold, his eyes were overflowing with tears.”

This witnessing of the Prophet ﷺ is the foundation of the rest of his mission. His bringing glad tidings, warning, calling towards Allah, and teaching people, is first based on his witnessing that set up the basic and most fundamental facts of creation and existence.

It can be inferred from the order in which Allah (swt) lists these job titles of the Prophet ﷺ, that since Witness (شَاهِدًا) of the essential facts comes first, Knowledge is the most fundamental and critical piece that precedes worship. Knowledge of Who is to be worshipped and why we should worship must be testified to and understood before any act of worship is undertaken.

May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon His Messenger Muhammad, the Witness to all Mankind ﷺ.