This is the greatest right for human beings. There are no rights for any person greater than the rights of the Prophet (ﷺ). Allāh the Almighty stated in the glorious Qur’ān:

"Indeed, We have sent you as a witness and a bringer of good tidings and a warner. That people may believe in Allāh and His Messenger and honour him and respect him [i.e., the Prophet] and exalt Allāh morning and afternoon." (Al-Qur’ān, 48: 8-9)

It is a must therefore that love, care and full respect be given to Allāh‘s Apostle ﷺ especially over all other people including, but not limited to self, children and parents. Allāh‘s Apostle ﷺ said: “One will not become a complete believer until I be more beloved to him than his own children, parents and all other people”.

Some of the most important rights of the Prophet (ﷺ) are full respect, honour and love without any exaggeration or negligence. Proper respect and reverence of the Prophet (ﷺ) during his life is to respect his tradition, applications, his person and way of life. As for the proper respect of the Prophet after his death and departure of this world, it is to respect his traditions, actions and rules he laid down, along with divine constitution, the Glorious Qur’ān and the hadeeth practices that was revealed to him from Allāh, the Almighty.

We learn from the narrations of the companions of Allāh’s Apostle (ﷺ) how they respected him, showed their reverence and expressed their love, admiration and respect to him. It is reported that ‘Urwah bin Masoud (who hadn't accepted Islām at the time) was delegated to negotiate with the prophet (ﷺ) during the truce of Hudaybiyyah. After observing the Prophet's (ﷺ) companions, he said to his people: “I have visited kings such as Chesrous, Caesar and Najashi. I have never seen a group of people honouring, respecting and cherishing the commands of their leader as I have seen the companions of Muhammad. I have noticed that whenever he ordered them to do something, they all haste and run to execute it to the letter. I have also seen them fight over the splashing water when he washes in ablution for prayer. I have noticed them lowering their voices when they address him out of respect. I have also noticed that no one looks him in the eyes or the face when they talk to him, out of respect and modesty”.

It was in this fashion that our predecessors respected, honoured, revered and showed their love, appreciation and respect to our beloved Prophet (ﷺ). The prophet (ﷺ) has been greatly blessed with good character, an easy-going personality, generosity, kindness, ethics and lenience. Had the Prophet (ﷺ) been rough person, others would not have gathered around him and befriended or even associated with him as Allāh the Almighty mentioned in the glorious Qur’ān.

One of the rights of the prophet (ﷺ) upon us Muslims is to believe him fully and wholeheartedly in whatever he brings of the news and reports of Divine inspirations. This means Muslims must believe their prophet (ﷺ) in terms of whatever he relayed about previous nations and generations as well as the future. He is also entitled to the right of full obedience in so far as all that he commands or forbids, due to the fact that all his commands are to be considered perfect and are aimed at our survival and hereafter. It is also one of his entitled rights to believe that the laws, rules and regulations he brought forth for Muslims all over the world are indeed the best that anyone could bring. They are the most authentic, complete and comprehensive for our life on Earth, as well as, the hereafter. They are more complete than any other previous laws and instructions of any previous prophet or messenger, as those were sent to a particular group, people or a certain locality. A believing Muslim must not give priority to any other law, no matter who enforces or calls for it. Allāh the Almighty stated in the glorious Qur’ān:

"But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit in [full, willing] submission." (Al-Qur’ān, 4:65)

Say, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allāh, then follow me, [so] Allāh will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful." (3:31)

One of the rights that Allāh’s Apostle (ﷺ) is entitled for every believing Muslim is to defend his Divine laws, rules and regulations bought forth for Muslims all over the world. One must attempt to defend such divine laws by every possible means in accordance to the type of attack that it is under attack. If the enemies of the divine laws brought by Allāh‘s Apostle (ﷺ) are using any kind of a proof of evidence to prove the Divine Laws of Islām are faulty, then a knowledgeable, believing and committed Muslim must use his utmost power of knowledge to defend the divine laws brought by Allāh’s Apostle (ﷺ). Similarly, if the attack was against Muslims by any other weapon, then committed Muslim leaders must defend their faith and belief accordingly with suitable weapons.

None of the Muslims, regardless of position or status in the society, must condone, accept or pardon any attack aimed at the divine laws brought by the prophet (ﷺ) according to the capability. Such person is labelled sinner, weak in faith and belief, and short of expressing his true love, consideration, appreciation and respect to the rights of his the Prophet (ﷺ).

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