Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Mawlid al-Nabi, which we will revive today, is the anniversary of the birth of Prophet Muhammad (saw). In the centuries-old tradition of Muslims, the day when our Prophet (saw) honoured the world was seen as an occasion to commemorate him and remember his sunnah. Mawlid al-Nabi is celebrated with different events in many parts of the Islamic world. On this special day, the Messenger of Allah (saw) is remembered by his ummah with respect and affection, and efforts are made to understand and apply his Sunnah. Hearts are full of his love, and his morality, which should be taken as an example, is remembered again. This occasion is very valuable in the eyes of the Ummah today.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

The greatest gift for the Ummah of Muhammad (saw) is the respect and love he felt for the Qur’an. It is such a love that it has preserved its place in the hearts of Muslims for more than 1400 years with the same energy as on the first day. This love will continue until the end of time. One of the most valuable proofs of the prophethood of our Prophet (saw) is the love felt for him in the hearts of believers, increasing day by day. As mentioned in a hadith, Rasulullah (saw) said, “A person (in the hereafter) will be with his beloved.”[1] The Prophet Muhammad (saw) has a steadfast place in the hearts of believers. Even the mention of his name has an effect that makes hearts tremble. Allah (swt) mentions in the Quran, “Indeed, Allah confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allah to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allah to grant him] peace.[2]” And the Ummah, while commemorating his name, have brought their hands to their hearts and offered greetings to Rasulullah (saw). It has been reported that the person who does not send blessings and greetings to Rasulullah (saw) when his name is mentioned is stingy.

Dear Jama’ah!

We did not see the Messenger of Allah (saw) with the eyes of the world like the Companions have. However, we believe in our Prophet without seeing him. The Messenger of Allah (saw) once said; “Blessed are those who see me and believe!” and he also said; “Blessed are those who believe without seeing me!” He repeated his statement seven times. [3]  And another time, when he was among his companions, he asked, “When will I meet my brothers?” The Companions, on the other hand, were astonished and said, “O Messenger of Allah! Aren’t we your brothers? (Here we are)” they said. Rasulullah (saw) then replied, “You are my companions. My brothers are those who believe in me without seeing me.” [4] This good news is the greatest happiness for us, the nation, which has not seen him with the eyes of the world.

Dear Brothers and Sisters!

Obedience to the Prophet is obedience to Allah (swt). It is not enough just to remember our Prophet; It is one of our greatest duties to try to understand him, to take care of the legacy he left us and to act on it. Allah (swt) mentions in the Quran; “And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger – those will be with the ones upon whom Allah has bestowed favour of the prophets, the steadfast affirmers of truth, the martyrs and the righteous. And excellent are those as companions.”[5] We must read the life of our Prophet; We should have interest in it by telling it to our spouse, friend and children. We must adopt and encourage the morality of the Prophet (saw). We should make it a habit to send blessings and greetings to him at least a hundred times a day and renew our relations with the Prophet. We should know and never forget his struggle for humanity and Muslims.

May Allah (swt) keep the love of Him and His Messenger in the hearts of us and our generations. Ameen.

[1] Müslim, Birr ve Sıla, 165

[2] Surah Al-Ahzab, 33:56

[3] İbn Hanbel, III, 155

[4] Taberânî, el-Mu’cemu’l-Evsât, Hadis No: 5494

[5] Surah An-Nisa, 4:69

Khutba: Mawlid al-Nabi