Craze to See

23. CRAZE TO SEE THE HOLY PROPHET

(SALLALLHU ALAIHI WASSALLAM)

The Sahaba yearned to have a look at the countenance of the Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam). When Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash’ari reached in the vicinity of Madinatul Munawwara together with his companions, all of them started singing: “We will meet our friends Muhammad and his Companions tomorrow.” They invented the tradition of shaking hand, which is the symbol of love and respect.

The Sahaba considered absence from the court of the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) a great crime. One day mother of Hudhaifah asked him: “For how long have you not seen the Prophet?” He said: “For so many days.” She admonished him. He said: “Let me go to his court to perform Maghrib prayer with him and invoke Allah for his Mercy upon us.” 1

1 Tirmidi

2 Musnad Ibne-Hambal, Vol. 5, p. 422

3 Bukhari

This was the very craze among the Sahaba that drove them to the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam)’s grave after his demise.

Once Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub Ansaari visited his grave and put his cheeks on it. Marwan noticed him and said: “You know what you are doing?” He said: “I have come to the court of the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) and not to a heap of bricks and stones.” 2

A glimpse of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) added much strength to the faith of the Sahaba. When he migrated to Madinatul Munawwara, there were many people who could not recognize him as they had not seen him earlier. But when the sun went high, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr spread his shawl over the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) to cover him from the sunlight. People saw the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam)’s bright face and got enlightened. 3 2 www.GardensOfSunnah.co.uk

During the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Sahaba encircled the Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam). The Bedouins used to come to the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) to see his face and say: “This is surely a lucky face.” 4

4 Abu Da’ood

5 Abu Da’ood

During his last illness, the Glorious Prophet of Islam (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) raised the curtain of his house and observed the Sahaba engaged in prayer. It was this very last glimpse of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) that made the Sahaba so overjoyed that their concentration was feared to be disturbed. Sayyiduna Anas says: “The Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam)’s face was as clean as the page of the Holy Quraan. We never saw such a beautiful scene, as it was when the Holy Prophet (Sallallhu Alaihi Wassallam) raised the curtain and showed his bright face to us.” 5

The Sahaba loved their eyes only because these helped them to see the face of their Beloved Habbeb (Sallallahu Alaihi Wassallam).