Love of the Prophet!

The first time I read a book on the life of the prophet was in 1984. The title of the book was "MUHAMMAD, THE BENEFACTOR OF HUMANITY" by Nayeem Siddiqi. It is considered one of the best book on the life of the prophet pbuh. There were so many exemplary stories told in the book about the life of the prophet and his sahabah but there was one story that really moved my heart. After 26 years i could still remember it very well. It is about the love of the prophet pbuh by the Ansar. The story goes like this.

When Prophet Muhammad pbuh entered Mecca a large quantity of booty- 24,000 camels, 400,000 goats 4,000 measures of silver – was collected at Ja’arana and as usual one-fifth of it was taken by the prophet pbuh for collective use and for relieving poverty the rest was distributed.

The Quraish was given a larger shared which angered some of the Ansars at the prophet's generosity at the cost of those who had staked their lives to support him and fought his battles.

Some Ansars were saying “We are called for help in adversity but the fruit of victory goes to others.”

When the Prophet heard this he called together the Ansars and asked them if the rumours were true. The Ansar confessed that there was such talk but only among irresponsible youths.

Then the Prophet said:“Is it not true that you were in the wrong and God gave you right guidance through me? That you were divided and God united you through me? That you were poor and God made you prosperous through me?’ At every sentence the Ansar cried, “Truly, we are greatly indebted to God and His Prophet.”

The Prophet again said, “No, you should say, O Muhammad! When people denied you we believed in you. When you were abandoned by the Quraish we sheltered you. When you came to us in poverty we gave you every help. And at every sentence I will say, ‘Yes, it is true.’ But O Ansar! Do you not like that while others take with them camels and goats, you take Muhammad with you.” This statement by the prophet moved the Ansar so much that torrents of tears began to wet their beards and they emotionally cried out, “We want only Muhammad and nothing else.” When the Prophet quietly explained to them the reasons which necessitated sympathetic treatment of the Quraish they really understood it.

They realized it, that there is nothing in this world equal to the love of the prophet. The Ansar know it very much in their heart. The worldy richness, even when the whole world turn into gold and presented to them it still cannot match their love for him. That is why they cried out “We want only Muhammad and nothing else.”

The prophet one day was reported cried out yearning for his ummah when he was sitting with his companions who asked him about the reason, he said" I yearn for my brothers "They said "Are not we your brothers?" He said :"No,you are my friends, my brothers are those who embrace Islam without seeing me "

Now even though prophet Muhammad is no longer with us, we can still shows our affection and love toward him by saying much salawat to him...

If you wish to travel far and fast, travel light. Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears - Glenn Clark