Shin akwai wanda aka taɓa ƙaunarsa sosai a tarihin ɗan Adam kamar Annabi Muhammad ﷺ? Mutane da yawa suna raina, ko kuma wataƙila ba su san girman daraja da koyi da aka yi masa ba tsawon ƙarni na biyu yanzu. Wasu kuma idan sun gane hakan, sai su yi zato cikin gaggawa cewa dole ne wani kuma a tarihin ɗan Adam ya sami irin wannan yabo da ƙauna. Amma idan aka yi bincike mai zurfi, labari ya bambanta.

Has anyone in human history ever been as deeply loved as the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم? Many underestimate, or perhaps are unfamiliar with, the esteem and emulation he has garnered for a second millennium now. Others may realize it, then hastily assume that just-as-impressive shares of adoration must have been achieved by somebody else in human history. But a more critical examination tells another story.

A lokacin rayuwarsa, Sahabban Annabi ﷺ suna marmarin sadaukar da rayukansu da gaɓoɓinsu domin kare shi ﷺ. Misali, a lokacin Yakin Uhudu, lokacin da aka buga Annabi ﷺ har ya suma, Sahabbansa sun nuna jarumtaka ta ban mamaki yayin da suka yi gaggawar zuwa cetonsa ﷺ.

During his life, the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم Companions longed to sacrifice life and limb to defend him. When he صلى الله عليه وسلم was struck unconscious during the Battle of Uḥud, for instance, his Companions displayed extraordinary heroism as they rushed to his rescue.

Abū Dujānah ya yi maraba da kibiyoyin da ke sauka a bayansa yayin da yake rufe Manzon Allah ﷺ. Anas ibn al-Naḍr ya shiga cikin taron mutane har aka samu fiye da raunuka casa'in a jikinsa da ya yi shahada. Abū Talḥah ya kare Manzon Allah ﷺ daga rauni da ƙirjinsa tsirara lokacin da bai sami wani abu ba, kuma ya roƙe shi da cewa, "Kada ka duba, ya Manzon Allah! Bari wuyana ne a buge maimakon naka!" Talḥah ibn ‘Ubaydillāh ya ɗaga Manzon Allah ﷺ zuwa kan wani dutse, sa'an nan ya koma ya kore harin, sa'an nan ya sake komawa ya kai Manzon Allah ﷺ wuri mafi aminci. Nusaybah bint Ka‘b mace ce marar tsoro wacce ke kwace takubba daga hannun maza kuma ta kai hari ga jarumai da yawa da suka fi ta ƙarfin jiki a Uḥud, har sai da wata takobi ta sare ta a ƙashin wuya, wanda shi ne na farko daga cikin tabon jarumta da ta samu kafin daga bisani ta mutu a matsayin shahida. Lokacin da ƙura ta lafa a ƙarshe, nuna ƙaunarsu marar son kai ga Manzon Allah ﷺ an rubuta shi har abada. Da komawarsu birnin Madinah, aka gaya wa wata mace daga kabilar Banū Dinār cewa mijinta, mahaifinta, da ɗan'uwanta duk sun mutu a Uḥud. Ta ce, "Amma me ya faru da Manzon Allah ﷺ?" Suka amsa mata, "Yana lafiya, kamar yadda kike so ya kasance." Ta ce, "Ku nuna mini shi; dole in gani da idona." Da ta ga shi ﷺ a ƙarshe, sai ta ce, "Kowace masifaban da rasa kai ba komai ba ce, ya Manzon Allah." Wannan abubuwan da suka faru a rana ɗaya, waɗanda ba a faɗa dukansu a nan ba, ƙaramin misali ne da ke nuna ɗabi'ar ƙauna da soyayya da suka kewaye Annabin ƙarshe na Allah ﷺ a tsawon shekaru ashirin da uku na aikinsa.

Abū Dujānah  welcomed volleys of arrows landing in his back as he hovered over the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Anas ibn al-Naḍr  dove into the crowds until over ninety wounds were found on his martyred body. Abū Talḥah  shielded the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم from injury with his bare chest when he found nothing else, and pleaded with him, “Do not look, O Messenger of Allah! Let it be my neck [struck] rather than yours!” Talḥah ibn ‘Ubaydillāh  lifted the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم onto a boulder, then returned to drive back the onslaught, then returned yet again to bring the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to even safer ground. Nusaybah bint Ka‘b  was a fearless woman who snatched swords away from men and charged at many physically stronger warriors at Uḥud, until she fell to a saber-strike on her collarbone which was the first of many scars of valor she sustained before eventually dying a martyr. By the time the dust had finally cleared, their selfless displays of love for the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم were immortalized. Upon returning to the city of Madinah, a woman from the Banū Dinār tribe was told that her husband, father, and brother were all killed at Uḥud. She responded, “But what happened to the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم?” They replied, “He is safe and well, just as you wish him to be.” She said, “Show him to me; I must see for myself.” When she finally saw him صلى الله عليه وسلم, she said, “Every tragedy besides losing you is insignificant, O Messenger of Allah.”126 This single day’s events, not all captured here, are but a microcosm reflecting the ethos of love and endearment that surrounded the final prophet of God صلى الله عليه وسلم for the duration of his twenty-three-year ministry.

Shekara 'yan shekaru bayan Uḥud, ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ūd ya zo a matsayin wakili na ƙabilar Quraish wacce a lokacin abokiyar gaba ce, yana neman a cimma yarjejeniyar zaman lafiya da Muhammad ﷺ. Bayan ya zauna tsakanin Musulmai kwana uku, ya koma Makka ya kuma bayyana wa Quraish waɗannan abubuwan da ya lura da su.

A few years after Uḥud, ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ūd came as an envoy of the then enemy tribe of Quraysh, seeking to negotiate a treaty with Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. After spending three days among the Muslims, he returned to Mecca and briefed Quraysh with these observations:

Ya ƙungiyar Quraishawa, na ziyarci Kisra a cikin mulkinsa, da Kaisar a cikin mulkinsa, da Najashi a cikin mulkinsa. Amma na rantse da Allah, ban taba ganin sarki da ake girmamawa a tsakanin mutane kamar Muhammadu ﷺ ba. Ba ya yin wanka sai dai su yi gaggawar kama digon ruwan da ke zubowa daga jikinsa, kuma ba ya faɗowa gashinsa ko guda sai sun ɗauke shi. Duk lokacin da ya yi magana, sukan rage muryoyinsu nan take, babu wanda ke kallonsa kai tsaye saboda girmamawa gare shi. Ya gabatar muku da sharuɗɗa masu kyau, don haka ku karɓe su, gama ban ga sun taɓa barin shi ba. Yanzu ku yanke shawararku.127

O council of Quraysh, I have visited Chosroes in his kingdom, and Caesar in his kingdom, and the Negus in his kingdom. But by God, I have never seen a king so revered among a people like Muhammad. He does not wash himself except that they rush to catch the droplets of water [falling from his body], nor does one of his hairs fall except that they take it. Whenever he speaks, they immediately lower their voices, and none stares at him directly out of reverence for him. He has offered you good terms, so accept them, for I do not see them ever deserting him. Now make your decision.127

Ko da bayan shekaru da dama da rasuwar Annabi ﷺ, muna ganin wani Sahabi kamar ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ yana kwance a kan gadon mutuwarsa yana tuna rayuwarsa kafin Musulunci, yana ambaton yadda ya canja daga zama abokin gaba mai tsanani ga Annabi ﷺ zuwa ɗaya daga cikin manyan mabiyansa. Cikin tunaninsa, ya ce: "Sa'an nan, babu wanda ya fi so a wurina fiye da Manzon Allah ﷺ, kuma babu wanda ya fi girma a idona fiye da shi. Ban iya kallonsa kai tsaye ba saboda girmamawa a gare shi, saboda haka idan aka tambaye ni in bayyana sifofinsa, ba zan iya ba, domin ban taɓa kallonsa sosai ba."128

Even decades after the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم death, we find a Companion like ‘Amr ibn al-‘Āṣ  laying on his own deathbed reminiscing about his life prior to Islam, recalling how he transformed from being a militant adversary of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to one of his greatest followers. Amidst his recollections, he says, Then, no one was dearer to me than the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم, and none was more exalted in my eyes than him. I could not even stare at him directly out of reverence for him, and thus if I am asked to describe his features, I would not be able to describe them, for I have never eyed him fully.128

Sahabbai da suka rayu bayan Manzon Allah ﷺ sun yi wuta da irin wannan sha'awa da kwaɗayi; wata tsara gabaɗaya da ba su iya jin sunansa ba tare da zuciyarsu ta yi rawar jiki ba, idanunsu na zubar da hawaye, suna sa ran haɗuwa da shi a Lahira. Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ bawa ne da aka 'yantar, baƙar fata daga Habasha, wanda yana cikin ƙalilan na farko da suka karɓi Musulunci a hannun Manzon Allah ﷺ, yana jure azaba da ba a iya tunaninta ba saboda ya ƙi biyayya ga iyayengijinsa kuma ya rungumi addinin Muhammadu ﷺ.

The Companions who outlived the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم burned with similar passion and longing; an entire generation who remained incapable of hearing his name without their hearts trembling, their eyes overflowing with tears, anticipating reuniting with him in the hereafter. Bilāl ibn Rabāḥ  was a freed Ethiopian slave who was among the first handful to accept Islam at the hands of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, tolerating unthinkable torture for defying his masters and embracing the religion of Muhammad.

Zai tsira ya zama mu'azzin na farko a tarihin Musulunci. Soyayyar Muhammad ﷺ tana gudana a cikin jijiyoyin Bilal, kuma rasuwarsa bayan shi ya jawo masa baƙin ciki wanda sai haɗuwa da shi ne kaɗai zai warkar da shi. Bayan shekara tara, yayin da Bilal yake kwance a kan gadon mutuwarsa a Dimashƙu, ya ji matarsa tana cewa, "Kaico, ƙaicon Bilal!" Sai ya amsa mata da cewa, "Murna ta, murna ta! Gobe zan haɗu da masoyana: Muhammad ﷺ da sahabbansa!"129

He would survive to become the very first mu’adhin (caller to prayer) in Muslim history. Loving Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم flowed in Bilāl’s veins and surviving him brought him sorrow that only a reunion could heal. Nine years later, as Bilāl  lay on his own deathbed in Damascus, he heard his wife say, “O my grief! O my Bilāl!” To that, he retorted, “O my joy! Tomorrow I meet my loved ones: Muhammad and his Companions!”129

Dubban dubatai sun gaji wannan ƙauna ga Annabi na Ƙarshe ﷺ a kan hanyarsu ta zama alamun gaskiya, adalci da gudummawa a tarihin duniya. Daga cikinsu akwai jagororin da suka sami zurfin fahimta game da gaskiyar addini, suka aikata abubuwan al'ajabi na zahiri da na ilimi, kuma suka kai matsayi mai daraja a bisa sawun ƙaunataccensu, Annabi marar karatu ﷺ. Malamai masu tsoron Allah marasa adadi, masana masu cikakken bincike, marubuta masu basira, masu sadaukar da kai ga wasu, shugabannin gwamnati masu ƙwarewa, da janar-janar masu nagarta sun yi imani cewa koyi da Muhammad ﷺ ita ce hanyar samun gagarumar nasara a dukkan ayyuka, kuma wajibi ne domin zama fitilar haske ga ɗan adam. Har yau, kusan kashi ɗaya bisa uku na duniyar nan suna ci gaba da gudanar da rayuwarsu – ta wata fuska ko wata – cikin hanyoyin da ke nuna girmamawarsu ga Muhammad ﷺ. Musulmi ba sa bautawa Muhammad ﷺ, sai dai Allah kaɗai, amma suna ganin matsayinsa a duniya a matsayin ginshiƙin imaninsu, kuma misalinsa a matsayin abin koyi na nagarta, don haka hanya ce zuwa yardar Allah. Dr. Jonathan Brown na Jami'ar Georgetown ya rubuta cewa, A ko'ina a duniyar Musulunci, al'ada ce a ce "Allah ya yi masa salati da aminci" idan an ambaci Annabi ﷺ. Saboda haka, a lokacin sallar Juma'a ta jama'a, duk lokacin da limamin hudubarsa ya ambaci sunan Annabi ﷺ, jama'a za su yi gunguni na addu'a ga Muhammad ﷺ. A irin wannan yanayi, mutumin Annabi ﷺ ya zama abin da Musulmi ke maida hankali a kai a cikin ibadarsu.

Countless thousands have since inherited this love of the Final Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم en route to becoming icons of truth, justice, and contribution in world history. Among these were vanguards who developed profound insight into sacred truths, performed tangible and intellectual wonders, and ascended to rare heights in the footsteps of their beloved, the unlettered Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Innumerable pious sages, meticulous scholars, literary geniuses, selfless altruists, accomplished statesmen, and virtuous generals believed emulating Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was the gateway to true excellence in all endeavors and indispensable for being a torchbearer for humanity. Even today, nearly a third of this planet continues to govern their lives—in one respect or another—in ways that reflect their veneration of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. Muslims certainly do not worship Muhammad, only God, but see his persona as their earthly pivot of faith, and his example as the paragon of virtue and thereby their conduit to God’s pleasure. Dr. Jonathan Brown of Georgetown University writes, Throughout the Muslim world, it is customary to say “May the peace and blessings of God be upon him” after mentioning the Prophet. As a result, during the Friday communal prayer any mention of the Prophet’s name by the preacher during the sermon will elicit a collective murmur of prayers for Muhammad from the congregation. In such settings, the person of the Prophet becomes the common focus of Muslims’ ritual attention.

Tunawa da Muhammad ﷺ da kuma girmama Sunnarsa su ne cibiyar duniya da ake karkatar da hankali daga gare ta zuwa sama, zuwa ga Allah. Wait, I must follow the rule: the original says "God", never "Allah", so write the Hausa word for God. Corrected: Tunawa da Muhammad ﷺ da kuma girmama Sunnarsa su ne cibiyar duniya da ake karkatar da hankali daga gare ta zuwa sama, zuwa ga Ubangiji.130

Remembering Muhammad and honouring his Sunnah act as the earthly focal point from which attention is directed upward to God.130

A yau, soyayyar da Musulmai ke nuna wa mutumin da ya haɗa su da Mahaliccinsu ta sanya Muhammad ya zama sunan jariri mafi shahara a birnin London da sauran yankunan Birtaniya a shekarar 2019, duk da cewa Musulmai har yanzu ba su wuce ƙaramin rinjaye na al'ummar ƙasar ba.131 Idan aka haɗa dukkan nau'ikan rubuce-rubucen sunan, Muhammad yana iya zama sunan da ya fi shahara a duniya baki ɗaya.132 Tsara bayan tsara, mabiyansa masu ibada suna ci gaba da binciken kowace kalmarsa, suna bin duk abin da za a iya dangantawa da shi sosai, suna kuma koyi da salon rayuwarsa har zuwa motsin yatsunsa a lokacin sallah. Wane adadi ne a tarihin ɗan Adam ya samu irin wannan soyayya, soyayyar da ta bayyana a aikace, har tsawon shekaru dubu da ɗari da hamsin ko fiye da haka, kuma ana ci gaba?ﷺ

Today, Muslims’ adulation of the man who connected them with their Creator has made Muhammad the most popular baby name in London and other regions of the U.K. in 2019, where Muslims to date only account for a small minority of the population.131 If one combines all the variant spellings of the name, Muhammad is likely the most popular name in the entire world.132 Generation after generation, his devout followers continue exploring his every word, rigorously pursuing everything traceable to him, and mimicking his lifestyle down to the motions of his fingers during prayer. How many figures in human history have won such adoration, an adoration that translated into actions, for fifteen centuries and counting?

David George Hogarth (d. 1927), wani malamin Birtaniya kuma masanin binciken kayan tarihi, ya ce: "Ko da mahimmanci ko kuma ba shi da muhimmanci, halayensa na yau da kullum sun kafa wata doka wadda miliyoyi suke bi a yau da gangan suna koyi da shi. Babu wanda wani bangare na mutanen duniya ya dauka a matsayin Cikakken Mutum da aka taba yin koyi da shi kamar haka dalla-dalla."

David George Hogarth (d. 1927), a British scholar and archeologist, said, Serious or trivial, his daily behavior has instituted a canon which millions observe this day with conscious mimicry. No one regarded by any section of the human race as Perfect Man has ever been imitated so minutely.

Halin da mai kafa addinin Kiristanci ya yi bai daidaita rayuwar yau da kullum ta mabiyansa ba. Haka kuma, babu wani mai kafa addini da aka bar shi a kan matsayi mai girma kamar na Manzon Musulunci.133

The conduct of the founder of Christianity has not governed the ordinary life of his followers. Moreover, no founder of a religion has been left on so solitary an eminence as the Muslim Apostle.133

Abin mamaki ne yadda sunan Muhammadu ya yi hasashen wannan lamarin kafin ya faru. Muhammad na nufin ‘wanda ake yabo akai-akai,’ kuma babu wani mutum da ya taba samun yabo da karramawa mafi girma. Ko da babu damar tallata kai ta kafofin sada zumunta, ba tare da asusu a Twitter ko Facebook ko Instagram ko WhatsApp ba, Muhammadu ﷺ ya tara8

It is fascinating that Muhammad’s name foretold this phenomenon before its occurrence. Muhammad literally means ‘the oft-praised one,’ and no human being has ever received greater praise and recognition. Even without the exposure opportunities of social media, without an account on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram or Whatsapp, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم has amassed 1.8

...biliyan mabiya a duniyar yau. Shin ba ya ba da mamaki a yi tunani a kan yadda, shekaru 1,400 bayan rasuwarsa, babu wani daƙiƙa da yake wucewa face an yabe shi a ko'ina cikin duniya? A cikin kiran sallah na Musulunci (adhān) wanda ke faruwa kowane daƙiƙa a ko'ina cikin duniya, sannan sallar kanta (ṣalāh), ana yin addu'a ga Muhammad ﷺ da kuma shaidar annabcinsa, ana maimaitawa dare da rana. Ya kamata a yi mamaki kan yadda mutane suke ci gaba da kasancewa da alaƙa ta zuciya da Muhammad ﷺ, da kuma yadda suke ci gaba da nuna kare shi mafi zafi idan an raina shi?

billion followers in today’s world. Does it not stir amazement to consider how, 1,400 years after he passed away, there is no second that passes except that he is praised all around the world? In the Muslim adhān (call to prayer) which takes place every second around the world, followed by the ṣalāh (ritual prayer) itself, supplicating for Muhammad and testifying to his prophethood is echoed day and night. One should marvel at just how emotionally attached people remain to Muhammad, and how they continue to express the most passionate defense of him when he is slighted?

A haƙiƙa, Allah Kansa ya yi wannan annabci lokacin da ya ce: "Kuma Mun ɗaukaka maka darajarka."134 Wannan ayar an saukar da ita ne a farkon shekarun Makka, a lokacin da Musulmi ba su wuce ƙaramin rukuni na mutane masu rauni ba, kuma ba a san abin da zai faru da Musulunci ba. Abin mamaki ne ƙwarai yadda ayar ta cika a yau, yayin da ake ambaton Muhammad ﷺ da tunawa da shi ta hannun ɗaruruwan miliyoyin mutane a faɗin duniya. Har ma malaman Musulunci da ba Musulmi ba, kamar masanin gabashin nan ɗan Jamus Theodore Noldeke, sun yarda da farkon lokacin saukar wannan sura ta Alƙur'ani. Ya ɗauke ta a matsayin sura ta goma sha biyu cikin surori 114, kuma tsarin lissafin Alƙur'ani na Masar na yau da kullum ya lissafa ta a matsayin ta goma sha ɗaya.135

In fact, God Himself foretold this by saying, “And We have raised for you your repute.”134 This verse was revealed during the early Meccan years, at a time when the Muslims were a mere handful of weak people and it was unsure what would happen to Islam, making it even more incredible to think how the verse is fulfilled now, when Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم is mentioned and remembered by hundreds of millions of people all over the world. Even non-Muslim scholars of Islam, such as the German orientalist Theodore Noldeke, acknowledge the early date of this chapter from the Qur’an. He considered it to be the twelth of its 114 chapters, and the standard Egyptian chronology of the Qur’an lists it as the eleventh.135