Regard of Muhammad ﷺ in Islam

 

Allah SWT has kept Muhammad SAW together in every good deed. Muhammad is mentioned somewhere in every worship.

‘Kalima Shahadat’ cannot be completed without the testimony of His prophet hood.
‘Prayers’ are incomplete without sending blessings upon Him.
‘Azan’ cannot be completed without the testimony of His prophet hood.
The entire Qur'an was revealed to Him, addressing directly Him.
Hajj and other aspects of Islam are acceptable only by following His Sunnah

This shows that in every worship, Allah SWT has instructed us to mention Muhammad SAW. Our worship is not completed if skip the mention of Muhammad SAW. If someone wants to build a direct relation with Allah SWT, which is different from the teaching of Prophet Muhammad SAW, his deeds will not be accepted. The only way to Allah is the way that Muhammad SAW guided us. By following His footsteps, we can save ourselves from the hellfire and get the rewards of the hereafter. It is required for every human being to accept Muhammad SAW as the last and the final prophet of Allah SWT to be a Muslim. You are not a Muslim if you don’t accept him as a prophet. You can be anyone, a Christian, a Jew, a Buddhist, or a Qadiani if you do not accept Him as the final prophet of Allah SWT. Qur’an itself testifies Muhammad SAW as the final prophet https://quran.com/33/40, and if He is the final prophet, it means a final Messenger as well (see footnotes to understand the difference between a prophet and a messenger). Amazing way of Allah’s speech, SubhanAllah. Sending blessings on Muhammad SAW is an Obligatory Worship (farz ebadah) and it is the only Worship that is also a Sunnah of Allah SWT and His Angels, as Qur’an mentions: https://quran.com/33/56

If we exclude the testimony of Muhammad SAW being the last and the final prophet of Allah SWT, the only thing that remains in Islam is the testimony of Allah being alone worthy of worship. Which is the part of belief in Christian, Jewish, Buddhist and other religions if they follow these religions sincerely. This shows that the only thing that differs us from other religions is the testimony of the prophet hood of Muhammad SAW. As Muhammad SAW said, “the difference between disbelief and faith is abandoning of Salah” Reference: https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:2618 and https://sunnah.com/muslim:82b and Salah is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad SAW which differs us from disbelievers. Hence, testifying Muhammad SAW as the last and the final prophet without any doubt identifies you as a Muslim.

Darood recited in Salah is called Darood’e Ibrahim, which is also taught by Muhammad SAW, making it the most authentic and of the highest ranks in all Daroods’, here is the link to the hadith of Sahih Al Bukhari 3370 in which Muhammad SAW taught Darood’e Ibrahimi: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3370

Now here the main problem and conflict arise, and according to this conflict many of the Muslims raise Muhammad SAW to the level of Divinity, and according to a true Muslim belief, no one is like Allah SWT, no one can be compared with Him, he is alone worthy of worship and worthy to be called for help, alone sustainer of everything. But many people, because of the elevation that Allah SWT granted to Muhammad SAW, start to compare His level with Allah SWT. Whereas it is clear if we read Qur’an and Hadith that this act is not allowed and can expel us from the boundaries of Islamic Faith. Allah says in Qur’an, “And when My servants ask you, [O Muhammad], concerning Me - indeed I am near.” https://quran.com/2/186 Allah said, “And seek help through patience and prayer;” https://quran.com/2/45 and this is only possible if we have faith in Allah SWT that He is the along sustainer of everything and to Him we will return in Qur’an “Sufficient for us is Allah, and [He is] the best Disposer of affairs." https://quran.com/3/173. So ask Allah SWT for help without associating partners with Him, He will listen to it is His promises and Allah never goes against His promises https://quran.com/40/60. During the life of Prophet Muhammad SAW, whenever his companions needed anything, did they ask Muhammad SAW or Allah SWT to fulfill their need? Muhammad SAW said himself in hadith “I have no power to prevent harm or benefit you” https://sunnah.com/tirmidhi:3185 same has also been mentioned in Qur’an Say, "Indeed, I do not possess for you [the power of] harm or right direction." https://quran.com/72/21 and on another occasion He SAW said many times “I shouldn't find that one of you should come on the Day of Judgment with a Person crying loudly mounted on his neck, and he should say to me:" Messenger of Allah, help me," and I should say: I have no authority to help you; I conveyed to you.” https://sunnah.com/muslim:1831a. When Prophet AS was not in the world his companions, even His family never visited His grave to pray for the fulfillment of their needs, they always call upon Allah, and this is the genuine faith in Allah SWT and proper teachings of Muhammad.

We have to understand the difference between Allah and Prophet Muhammad SAW, otherwise, we will be similar to the Christians who worshipped Jesus AS after his death and elevated his level to the level of Allah SWT.

Muhammad SAW was only a man like no doubt Allah elevated his level on to the level of Rehmat’ul Lil’Aalameen رحمت اللعالمین https://quran.com/21/107, and the best example for human being https://quran.com/33/21, but still he was a servant of Allah, a messenger https://quran.com/18/110 Every miracle He performed in his life was gifted by Allah SWT, same like the other prophets were gifted.

Allah Hu Akbar.