Following the Prophetic Sunnah
By: Addressed to Shaykh Darwīsh Muḥammad (may Allah have mercy on him)
نَحْمَدُهُ وَنُصَلِّي عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِ الْكَرِيمِ
Translation of the letter:
May Allah, the Exalted, adorn and beautify both your outward and inward with adherence to the noble Sunnah of the Chosen Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his noble family), for the sake of the Prophet and his glorious household — blessings and peace be upon him and them.
The Prophet Muḥammad (peace be upon him) is the beloved of the Lord of all worlds. That which is beloved, beautiful, and praiseworthy is meant for the beloved; in other words, what the beloved prefers is also what the lover prefers.
It is for this reason that Allah Most High says in the Qur’an:
“Indeed, you are upon an exalted standard of character.” (Qur’an 68:4)
And:
“Indeed, you are among the messengers, upon a straight path.” (Qur’an 36:3–4)
And again:
“Indeed, this is My straight path, so follow it. And do not follow other ways.” (Qur’an 6:153)
Allah has described the path of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as the Straight Path and has forbidden the following of all other ways, describing them as deviant and scattered.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), while expressing gratitude to Allah and guiding the creation, declared:
“The best guidance is the guidance of Muḥammad.”
He also said:
“My Lord taught me manners, and how excellent was His training of me.”
Lesson:
While all believers are beloved to Allah in a general sense — as indicated in the Qur’an — the level of belovedness attained by the Prophets, especially the Master of all Messengers, Muḥammad Muṣṭafā (peace be upon him), is unmatched.
Despite this lofty station, he showed the utmost humility and said:
“Know that I am the beloved of Allah, but I do not say this out of pride.”
In the Qur’an, Allah clearly mentions the path to becoming His beloved:
“Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you.” (Qur’an 3:31)
This is a foundational principle of love: the beloved is always given the best, and everything beloved to him becomes beloved to the lover as well.
Allah gave His Beloved the comprehensive Book, the final and complete Sharī‘ah which abrogated all previous laws, and described his character as “exalted.” He then commanded all of humanity:
“Say, [O Muḥammad], ‘If you love Allah, then follow me.’”
Thus, the mark of true love for Allah is obedience to the Prophet ﷺ.