Sheikh Ibrahim Niyass رضي الله تعالى عنه آمين

| Who is Rasūluʾllah? (The Mawlid Address)

Bismiʾllahi ʾr-Raḥmāni ʾr-Raḥīm wa ʾṣ-ṣalātu wa salām ʿalā Rasūlihi ʾl-Karīm:

We give thanks to Allah and we greet all Muslims wherever they may be, and we also greet all creatures because Allah ﷻ created Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ to be a mercy to all of creation.

“And we have not sent you except as a Mercy to the entirety of creation.” | Qurʾān 21:107

In fact, the Universe is composed of all that exists except Allah ﷻ Himself. This ayah is part of the evidence showing that Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ is not only the Best of creation, but also the first because one cannot show mercy to something that is not within its time nor realm. In other words, Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ even “preceded his predecessors” as he was a mercy for them, as well. Thus, to gather to celebrate the Mawlid al-Nabīʾ amounts to gathering to remember Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ and to rejoice in the Divine Mercy of Allah ﷻ. Allah ﷻ says:

“Say, ‘In the Bounty of Allah and in His Mercy, let them rejoice therein.’ That is better than what they amass.” | Qurʾān 10:58

If we have reason to rejoice, let us revel in the benefits of Allah’s mercy. This is a better reason than any other matter or cause for gathering.

So we gather to celebrate the birth of the Seal of Humanity, Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ, the man whose birth was a catalyst for the release of the slave of Abū Lahab, the Prophet’s ﷺ uncle, whom Allah ﷻ curses for criticising the Revelation:

“Perish the hands of Abī Lahab! Perish!” | Qurʾān 111:1

Suhaybah, Abū Lahab’s slave, was the one who informed him of Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah’s ﷺ birth. Out of sheer joy, he granted her emancipation. After Abū Lahab died, ʿAbbās saw him in a dream and inquired about the condition in the Hereafter. He replied that every Monday he is taken out of the Fire and favoured with suckling milk from middle finger as a reward for the joy and good he expressed on the day of the Prophet’s ﷺ birth.

One scholar put forth this argument, “As it was that this disbeliever was a source of unmitigated distress, him and "his hands” will be destroyed in Jaḥīm for eternity. Yet every Monday, he is singled out and given relief from his punishment, out of the elation he expressed for Aḥmad ﷺ. So what do you think the reward would be of the slave who delights in the Prophet ﷺ all their life, and strives to affirm the Divine Unity in their belief and actions?“

This is an illustration to show that the Mawlid may very well be a source for obtaining forgiveness from Allah ﷻ. Shaykh Ibrāhīm Niāsse said that the Mawlid (Wolof colloq. Gamou) is clearly endorsed and necessitated in the Qurʾān. He argues that Allah ﷻ says in the Book to Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ:

"And all that We relate to you of the news of the Messengers is so that by them We may make strong and firm your heart by them…” | Qurʾān 11:20

Shaykh Ibrāhīm said that if the Best of Prophets ﷺ can strengthen his faith from some references in the lives of those who preceded him, it is obvious that we can cultivate our faith from some of the passages in the life of the Best of Prophets, Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ.

The Mawlid is nothing more than an opportunity to learn about the path of Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ and extoll praises on him as the believers have been commanded to do. So I hope that no one is ignorant enough to suggest that learning is not a duty. Despite Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah’s ﷺ comprehensive and balanced knowledge of the outward and inward matters, Allah ﷻ still addresses him in the Qurʾān and says:

“And say, 'My Lord! Increase me in knowledge!” | Qurʾān 20:114

We acknowledge this momentous occasion and to learn about Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ, whom Allah ﷻ has showered with praise and special favour, and to improve our knowledge of His Dīn. Shaykh Ibrāhīm said, “The Prophet ﷺ received his first praise from Allah ﷻ, so we are not wrong if we imitate Allah ﷻ in this action.” Likewise, we commemorate the Mawlid to give mutual respect to one another [ziyār] with the intention of seeking Divine blessings and revitalising our friendships.

Allah ﷻ praises the character and behaviour of the Prophet ﷺ where He says:

“And assuredly you are upon immense character.” | Qurʾān 68:4

He ﷻ even praises Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah’s ﷺ eyes during the Night Journey and Ascension:

“His sight did not waver nor exceed limits.” | Qurʾān 53:17

This is to say that even when beholding all the Signs and wonders of the heavens and seeing His Lord, he did not even blink. Allah ﷻ has exalted his heart, saying that he ﷺ did not reject the Reality of the journey:

“Nor did the heart deny what it saw.” | Qurʾān 53:11

He ﷻ even assigns His own Names to Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ when describing his ﷺ inward disposition:

“Indeed a Messenger has come from amongst yourselves; It grieves him that any injury or difficulty should befall you. He is eager for you; for the believers [he is] full of pity, kind, and merciful.” | Qurʾān 9:129

Allah ﷻ gives Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ two of His Most Beautiful Names, al-Raʾūf and al-Raḥīm. Although He created him ﷺ, he attaches great importance to him and never abases him ﷺ.

According to Shaykh Ibrāhīm Niāsse, this reverence towards the Prophet of Allah ﷺ is a sign showing us the way in which we must behave towards him ﷺ at al times. In his poem “He The Prophetic Seal”, found in Majmuʿ al-qasāʾid al-mawlid al-nabawī, the Shaykh wrote:

“He who sealed the Prophets | Led all of them by the letter 'Yā’”

Never in the entirety of the Qurʾān does Allah ﷻ directly address Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ with “Yā Muḥammad”, as he does with other prophets. He ﷻ only addresses him ﷺ as “Yā ayyuha ʾn-Nabī” or “Yā ayyuha ʾr-Rasūli”.

Sayyidinā Muḥammad ﷺ is called by name only four times in the Qurʾān:

“And Muḥammad is but a messenger…” | Qurʾān 3:144

“Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah…” | Qurʾān 48:29

“…and those who believe in what was revealed to Muḥammad…” | Qurʾān 47:2

“Nor is Muḥammad the father of any of you…” | Qurʾān 33:40

I must reiterate that if Allah ﷻ the Creator respects the Prophet ﷺ so much that he does not hail him by name, it is a subtle invitation to us to love an respect him ﷺ in like fashion. Shaykh Ibrāhīm added:

“If the people knew the meaning of Muḥammad | Knowing the Reality they would honour and glorify him.”

As for us, we gather to understand this dimension of the Prophet ﷺ because to know the true immensity of him ﷺ will cause us to love him totally. When we love him ﷺ, we will certainly follow him ﷺ. Following him ﷺ grants us forgiveness from Allah ﷻ. However, none of the disciples [muridīn] will benefit from salvation except the ones that follow Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ. Shaykh Ibrāhīm Niāsse, in his lessons during the Mawlid, said that he read the Qurʾān from beginning to end and has noted seven groups of disciples who followed their masters well. But the only group that benefitted from the salvation of Allah ﷻ is the group that followed Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ.

“Say: Indeed if you love Allah, then follow me and Allah will love you and forgive you your wrongdoings.” | Qurʾān 3:31

Allah ﷻ calls those who followed their own instincts “deeply regretful”, as was the case with the brothers Abel and Cain, the sons of Adam:

“Then he persuaded himself to kill his brother; so he then killed and realised he was of the losers.” | Qurʾān 5:30

Following Iblīs and the shayṭān also leads to Hellfire and eternal contrition:

“As for My slave, you will have no authority over them except for the one who follows you from the evil-doers.” | Qurʾān 15:42

Regarding those who give in to whims and desires, Allah ﷻ says that their actions are “carnally canine”:

“…he followed his base desires; so his similitude likens to that of a dog, whose tongue lolls out when attacked or left alone…” | Qurʾān 7:176

“And after them came the unworthy successors who abandoned prayer and pursued their own wants; they will soon come to know the Ghay (the deepest level of Hell).” | Qurʾān 19:59

Those who submitted to Pharaoh did not receive positive benefit from their guidance, either:

“…But they followed the command of Firʿawn, and the command of Firʿawn was not [at all] discerning.” | Qurʾān 11:97

“Then would those who are followed distance themselves of those who followed (them); they would see the penalty, and all relations between them would be cut off. Those who followed will say, 'If only we had another turn so we could disassociate ourselves from them as they have disassociated themselves from us.’ Thus will Allah show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire.” | Qurʾān 2:166-167

All in all, the only group that has benefitted from Divine salvation is the one who followed Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ. Then the primary indication that proves our love for something is the dedication we show in following it. Such were the teachings of Shaykh Ibrāhīm at the Mawlid.

Indeed, Shaykh Ibrāhīm Niāsse was not only one to call and point people towards Allah ﷻ, but he was also a teacher who gained and mastered guidance from Allah ﷻ, and then reciprocated it to his disciples. When discussing the theme of love for the Prophet ﷺ, he said in a poem:

“When the Best of Creation ﷺ is walking, I am stepping behind him so closely | As soon as he ﷺ stops, I stop.”

Such a walk will never cease because the Prophet ﷺ is ever en route returning to Allah ﷻ. Any way that is not of the Prophet ﷺ, Baye Niāsse regards it as stagnant water. How unhappy the one will be who, when faced with an ocean is concerned with a stale puddle! Baye Niāsse said:

“O you! Go and drink at the ocean | and turn away from the stagnant water that cannot satisfy your thirst.”

Anything which is of consequence after the arrival of Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ owe its importance to the latter. I present the lessons of Shaykh Ibrāhīm “Baye” Niāsse as the reasons we are gathered here together from all different backgrounds and walks of life. Even if we confine ourselves only to mutual respects, there is good in such because we gain from learning and helping each other. Moreover, Baye exhorts us to glorify Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ, to send copious amounts of ṣalawāt upon him ﷺ, and spend out of our wealth and provision for him ﷺ. Baye said, “For all I know, I do not see anything more important than working with an open heart for Sayyidinā Rasūluʾllah ﷺ on the night of the Mawlid, and relating his ﷺ noble habits to the believers for them to emulate and remain steadfast in.”

Shaykh Muḥammad al-Māhī bin Sayyid ʿAlī Cissé

-Saliou Niang (trans. WOL-FRA-ENG) [©2010 Medina Baye - Kaolack, SN]