We have been ordered to love Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam); as we have been instructed to obey him.

It is a love that should control our lives.

Nothing should be dearer After Allah- to our hearts than the Prophet (swallallahu alaihi wasallam)
.

This is not simply a duty or deed!!But it is a ‘MUST ONE ’

How can you not love the Prophet Muhammad

(swallallahu alaihi wasallam)

Allah says in Surah Taubah: 24

قُلْ إِن كَانَ آبَاؤُكُمْ وَأَبْنَآؤُكُمْ وَإِخْوَانُكُمْ وَأَزْوَاجُكُمْ وَعَشِيرَتُكُمْ وَأَمْوَالٌ اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهَا وَتِجَارَةٌ تَخْشَوْنَ كَسَادَهَا وَمَسَاكِنُ تَرْضَوْنَهَا أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكُم مِّنَ اللّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَجِهَادٍ فِي سَبِيلِهِ فَتَرَبَّصُواْ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ اللّهُ بِأَمْرِهِ وَاللّهُ لاَ يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الْفَاسِقِينَ

Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the dwellings in which you delight . . . are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision (torment). And Allah guides not the people who are faasiqoon (rebellious, disobedient).” [al-Tawbah 9:]

Allah has clearly warned us and explained to us in the above that those who are not loving prophet more than all beloved ones are not among those who are guided.

The prophet (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) Says:

Hazrat Anas (R.A.) states that Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:

لا يؤمن أحدكم حتى أكون أحب إليه من ولده ووالده والناس أجمعين

“None amongst you can be a complete believer if he does not love me more than his parents, children and the entire mankind.” (Bukhari)

Once the prophet (saw) was holding the hand of 'Umar bin Al-Khattab.

'Umar said to Him, "O Allah's Messenger! You are dearer to me than everything except my own self."

The Prophet said,

"No, OH, Umar. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, (you will not have complete faith) till I am dearer to you than your own self."

Then 'Umar said to him, “Now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self."

The Prophet said, "Now, O 'Umar, (now you are a True believer)."
(Bukhari)

Ways of Loving Rasulullah:

The love for Rasulullah covers the extreme internal love,

the kind of love we feel to our beloved ones.

The Hadith reported by Imam Bukhari testifies this:

Umar ® says:

During the period of the Prophet there was a man named 'Abdullah whose nickname was Donkey. He used to make Rasulullah to laugh.

The Prophet had lashed him for many times for drinking (alcohol).

And one-day he was taken to the Prophet on the similar charge and was beaten. On that, a man amid the people said, "O Allah, curse him! How often he has been brought up to Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) for the same sin to repeat!

“The Prophet said, do not Curse him, by Allah, I know that He loves Allah and his messenger. (Bukhari)

Rasulullah (Swallallahu alaihi wasallam) referred to the internal love because the man even did not avoid major sins in his life, still rasoolullah says that he loves Allah and His Rasul (swallallahu alaihi wasallam)

Follow Sunnah –Tradition of Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam):

We must follow the actions of our Nabi Muhammad Swallallahu alaihi wasallam) that is we must live according to the Sunnah of Rasulullah swallallahu alaihi wasallam).

Allah subhanahu wata-aala states in the Qur’an:

قل ان كنتم تحبون الله فاتبعوني يحببكم الله ويغفرلكم ذنوبكم

‘(O beloved!) Say, ‘O People! If you love Allah SWT, then follow me; Allah SWT will love you and forgive your sins…..’ (Surah Al-Imran)

Every Muslim is instructed to be follow Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) ‘s every order and to keep an eye on his instructions,

Allah says in the Qur’an: ‘Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger of Allah.’(4: 59)

‘Who so obeys the Messenger (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) has certainly obeyed Allah. (4: 80).

The prophet (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) says:

Whoever followed my Sunnah (my tradition) he has loved me.

Please do not say 'it is just sunnah only'.

Because ,Companions of Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) practised every sunnah ,because it is sunnah/tradition of Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam).

Unfortunately ,we are differentiating between 'fard' and sunnah to avoid sunnahs in life just on the 'reason' of Sunnah (we seek refuge from that).

If we undermine any sunnah ,it si a big sin also...

3- Please send swalawat on prophet:

Benefits of sending salawat to Prophet(swallallahu alaihi wasallam)

Allah says in the Qur’an:

ان الله وملائكته يصلون على النبي يا أيها الذين آمنوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوأ تَسْلِيْمًا

‘Indeed, Allah and His angels send blessings on Nabi Muhammad Swallallahu alaihi wasallam.

O, you who believe! Send upon him blessings and salute Him wholly well adequately”. (Surah Al-Ahzaab, Verse 56)

Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) has said:

‘The person who reads swalawat upon him once shall receive 10 blessings from Allah SWT.

And he also said: The closest person to me on the Day of Judgment is the one who is doing more swalawat on me.

Bring Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) to our homes

Rewards of Loving and following Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam)

Allah will forgive our sins, and he will rise our status. He also will increase in our good deeds.

Besides this we will get closer to Allah and we will be awarded with the pleasure of the prophet (swallallahu alaihi wasallam)

and we will be honoured by his shafa-a' (intercession on the Day of Judgment).Our wishes related to the both worlds.

May I highlight two..

Sweetness of Iman and companionship of Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam)

Anas®says: The Prophet said, "Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness (delight) of faith:

1. The one to whom Allah and His Messenger are dearer than anything else.

2. Who loves a person and he loves him only for Allah.

3. Who dislikes to revert to the disbelief as he dislikes to be thrown into the fire" (Bukhari).

Companionship with Rasoolullah in Jannah:

1- Story: "You will be along with those whom you love!

A man asked the Prophet "When will the day of judgment be?" The Prophet said, "What have you prepared for it?" The man said, "Nothing, except that I love Allah and His messenger." The Prophet said, "You will be with those whom you love!!"

Anas ® Says: We had never been as happy as we were on hearing these words of the Prophet (swallallahu alaihi wasallam).

Therefore, I love the Prophet, Abu Bakr and 'Umar, and I expect that I will be with them because of my love for them even though my deeds are not alike to their ones.
(Bukhari)
-----------------

2-Story of Thauban (Raliyallahu Anhu) and Revelation Qur’anic verse in connection with:

‘Thauban (s’auban) A companion and freed slave for Rasoolullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam), was seen by Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam).

The Prophet (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) said to him, `Why do I see you sad'

Then Thauban said:

`Now we can see you face to face. But after the death we will be missing you.Because your position in Jannah will be the highest. Min would be very low. How to get your closeness there…I am about that missing”

The Prophet did not give any reply,

It was at this occasion that Allah revealed this verse from Qur’an (Qur’an 4:69).

. وَمَن يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَالرَّسُولَ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ مَعَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِم مِّنَ النَّبِيِّينَ وَالصِّدِّيقِينَ وَالشُّهَدَآءِ

وَالصَّـلِحِينَ وَحَسُنَ أُولَـئِكَ رَفِيقا

“And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger – those will be along with the ones upon whom Allah has presented favour, of the prophets, the dedicated affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the virtuous people. And excellent are those as companions.”!!

How did Swahaba (RA) love Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam)?

It is fully unique and compare less, that to see how companions of Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) loved Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam).

-Every companion respected and loved him in the upper most level.

They considered everything for him as sacred.

They followed him in each step and respected everything belonged to Him.

All his words, actions and confirmations were recorded.

They were ready to follow whatever he ordered.

That is why the leader of Quraish Abusaufyan (before his acceptance of Islam) exclaimed about it saying: I never saw any body respecting somebody as Muhammad is being respected by his people!!

How the Companions Loved the Prophet

Here I quote stories of two companions:

Sayyiduna Bilal ®

A-

After the Prophet (swallallahu alaihi wasallam)'s death it became very tough for his dear companion Bilal (Ra) to stay in Madinah because he could n’t take his feeling of his missing for Rasulullah. In Madinah he only could stay with the companionship of Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam).

S He left Madinah to Syria (sham), and decided to stay there for the rest of his life.

Once he saw the Prophet: saw (swallallahu alaihi wasallam): in his dream saying to him:
"O, Bilal! How is it that you never visit me."

At once he set out for Madinah. It was during the khilafat of sayyiduna Umer ®

On reaching in Madinah, he directly went to Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) and greeted

him and conveyed his feelings.

Then, Swahaba including Umer ® requested him to call azan.but he refused saying that he could do it only when Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) is with him.

Later grandsons of Rasulullah Hasan and Husain ® wished him to call out the Azan. He could not refuse them, for they were very dear to Rasulullah, flowers of Jannah, so Bilal ® respected them vey much….

But as soon as the Azan was started all medina people even the young girls came out to the street remembering the time of rasulullah,they cried and shouted in joy.

But, when Bilal ® reached at the second part of Kalima -ashhadu anna muhammadrrasoolaullah - and was stuck and suddenly lost his voice and cried out making all Madinah to cry and weep…Bilal could n’t continue and finish Azan.So,After few days He went back again to Syria.

Habib Ali Jifry Explains Bilal's story -very emotional (with English subtitles)

B-

When Bilal ® was in his last moments of his life facing the death, his wife cried out in sadness, saying, oh my sorrow! O, my lose?

Then he replied, No, it is my pleasure..O, my pleasure! O, my joy. I am happy to meet Muhammad (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) and his people tomorrow (after my death).

Ansari woman,Amazing story of The true love..

During the Battle of Uhud,

When an Ansari woman was told that her father, brother and husband had all died in the battle, she didn’t turn into bothered but rather continued to ask of Rasulullah(swallallahu alaihi wasallam), and after being stated that he was safe and sound, so too was she not satisfied.

It was only until she had seen Muhammad (swallallahu alaihi wasallam)’s face with her own two eyes that she exclaimed,

“When you are alive, all dangers are smaller for me.

Tree That Loved The prophet (swallallahu alaihi wasallam)

Conclusion:

Please keep Rasulullah (swallallahu alaihi wasallam) alive in your hearts. Love him above all, even our beloved ones.

Please follow his life in your life as much as possible. Please focus on that in every moment.

Then, please read more and more swalawat for him as Allah has required us.

And help his ummah and serve his religion.

Especially show your mercy to needy and poor people. because he has said 'look for me among the week and needy people' i.e. I love those who are in help for these...