In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Ever Merciful
All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon Muhammad ibn Abdullah, whose birthday is being celebrated, upon his family and upon his companions.
Mr. Abdul Fattah Al-Seesy, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, may Allah safeguard you, and the honorable audience,
May Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon you!
The Prophet’s birthday is not just a celebration of a great messenger, through whom Allah guided humanity and redressed the course of history, but is rather a celebration of the birth of a nation raised by this noble Prophet (peace be upon him) to observe virtues and noble manners; to call for the good and the right; and to encounter evil and falsehood. By dent of these prophetic teachings, the Muslims introduced through their civilizational journey all that brought happiness to humanity; broadly provided it with a spacious umbrella of justice, freedom and equality; and safeguarded it against the pitfalls of other civilizations which incurred vicious evils on humanity, past and present.
Perhaps it is quite unattainable, if not impossible, to offer a fully encompassing overview about the personality of Muhammad (peace be upon him) or to incorporate all the aspects of its greatness within a single speech, lecture or book. As a proof of this fact, Muhammad ibn Yousuf As-Salihi, the Levantine, a 10th Hijri century scholar, noted in the introduction to his major encyclopedia titled, Subul Ul-Huda War-Rashad [The Ways to Guidance and Uprightness], “Contemplating this book [referring to his own encyclopedia], you would know that it constitutes the gist of my worldly life and my provision in my life to come”. He also added that he selected it from among more than three hundred prophetic biographies, which he had thoroughly reviewed, and included in it only that which is true. (Vol. 1, p. 6) You might also be surprised to know that the number of the pages of this six-volume book added up to nine thousand pages, all dedicated to the biography of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It is interesting that the biography of the noble Prophet (peace be upon him) was addressed from several perspectives, which is something unparalleled in addressing the biographies of other Prophets (peace be upon them). These perspectives include the Prophet Muhammad’s characteristics, attributes, manners, and virtues, all depicting him as a unique human being over history. Therefore, Ash-Shama’il Al-Muhammadiyyah [The Muhammadan Attributes] is now an independent discipline addressing the Prophet’s biography, and registering his most detailed physical and moral characteristics, as well as his personal and societal affairs. These attributes also include his features, the color of his eyes, the shape of his mouth, nose, and hair; the breadth of his shoulders, the look of his palms, feet and gait; and how he looked at people. The description even involves a detailed registration of his ring, clothing, sword and shield, his turban and garments; and how he would dress, eat, drink, laugh, jest, etc.
As for his moral characteristics, authors included forbearance, mettle, patience, clemency, compassion, leniency, generosity, bravery, bashfulness, faithfulness, honesty, fairness, chivalry and magnanimity.
Such passion to register the details of the noble Prophet’s life was not limited to old historians and biographers, but rather extended to capture historians and biographers at every age and place, almost ending – as far as we know - with Dr. Salahuddin Al-Munajjid (d. 2010), who authored Encyclopedia of the Writings about the Prophet (peace be upon him), in which he enumerated two thousand four hundred and eighty-eight books dedicated to the study of the Prophet’s biography in all its aspects.
Despite this multitude of Muslim and non-Muslim historians who dedicated their lives to the registry of the Prophet’s biography and to unveiling its details, still much of this prophetic biography is unaddressed. Indeed, humanity is now in dire need for such ideal biography to guide them across the intricacies and thorny paths of the present age. Besides, all that has been written about the Prophet (peace be upon him) is but a token of reverence and appreciation of his unfathomable nobility and greatness.
In the present age, the radicalness of contemporary political movements and social ideologies imported from abroad are engaging our young generations by feigning that they promote equality and non-discrimination. It has, therefore, become necessary to remind those generations of the example of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the leading Muslim scholars, who remain unacknowledged only by the ungrateful. The young generations also need to know that innovation does not necessarily mean total dismissal or denouncement of tradition, and that arrogance and recklessness constitute a plague that inevitably ends disturbing values, concealing the truth and distorting consciousness.
In his introduction to his book “‘Abqariyyat Muhammad [The Genius of Muhammad]”, ‘Abbas Maḥmūd al-‘Aqqad rightly observes that a person who fails to perceive the greatness of the great people is actually valueless. He also notes that the society in which the rights of the illustrious dignitaries are disregarded is naturally more disregarding of the rights of the lower ones. “What value can a person possibly gain when s/he fails to perceive the value of the great notables? Really, when people disregard the makers of glory, those lower than them are most likely disregarded” (al-‘Aqqad, ‘Abqariyyat Muhammad, 2:24). Likewise, in his laudatory poem celebrating the glories of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Shawqi—the Prince of Arab Poets, hails Al-Azhar for safeguarding the Muslim heritage, the splendid heritage shared by the entire humanity whose rich treasures continue to inspire great minds from the east and the west until today. Then he goes on to forewarn us against the “delusive band”, which denies the past insomuch that they could deny their own forefathers and ancestors just because they belong to the past. This delusive band is fond of destroying the tradition though they still have nothing new to introduce. They introduce nothing novel but emptiness, shallowness and valueless gossip. Shawqi said,
Follow not the delusive band, denying the past
Were they to disclaim their dead forebears in dust,
They would have done it in fact
Preoccupied by diminishing the past
Yet, when building, they fall short!
Weak in skills and poor in knowledge, but big in mouth
Honorable Ladies and Gentlemen!
Celebrating the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is actually an act of honoring human greatness in one of its highest and noblest exemplary figures. He was great in birth, great in life, great in polity and administration, great in speech and rhetoric, and great in presidency and leadership. He proved his historic greatness even in all social roles as a father, a husband, a master and a man. It is but very little to write about him as well as about other great human examples lengthy voluminous books celebrating their histories and biographies. They are deservedly worth of celebrating their births and of dedicating long times for reflections and writings about them. Here, I feel it necessary to announce my advice to all common Muslims and leaders as well. Unfortunately, the Prophet (peace be upon him) who “had an irresistible inward impulse to announce the truth, for which he risked his life and suffered daily persecution for years” is no longer the today ideal for the Muslim life and the Muslim main battles against poverty, ignorance, diseases and scientific and cultural decline. The Muslims got nothing from turning away from the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) but bitter fruits and unbearable humility. His birthday has hopefully been expected to invigorate goodness in the hearts of Muslims being—to use the Qur’anic term, the most charitable nation: “You have been the most charitable nation brought out to mankind”. (Quran, 3:110)
Surely, Muslims are undertaking a variety of major battles aiming for scientific and technological progress and civilization after years of heteronomy to other civilizations with greater powers and scientific progress. It is most significant for Muslims, undertaking these battles, to reflect on the birth of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as a maker of civilization and adopt his ideas for renaissance and his determinate heart and challenging patience in face of crises. Indeed, he left us an enormous legacy of matchless teachings and guidelines in his statements, practices, decisions, and behaviors. Muslims are expected to avail themselves of this precious treasure on ethics and beliefs in their current battles against inability, backwardness, subordination and humility. Conversely, reflecting on the Prophet's heritage and the status quo of Muslims could move a careful researcher to suffer encephalic vertigo. Muslims are hugely graced with sources of powers and means for urbanity and progress whereas their realities have been modestly humble for long times until humility has become a Muslim main feature and characteristic.
We —God knows— never intend to impart disappointment or cry for the past glories, but the current reality is too difficult to ignore or overlook. Thank God, I am limitlessly full of hopes and trust in the Muslim Nation. Despite sickness and weakness, the nation will never die or melt into other nations. Rather, it will bear the flame of truth and freedom and remain the most charitable nation as the Qur’an describes it.
Hopes are first placed in God, then in the young people whose eyes are reflective of delightful news and vivid anticipations backed with resolute determination to save this nation from idleness and decline to vigorous building of civilization, progress and advancement inspired by the infallible revelation and the guidance of Prophet Muhammad— may God's Peace and Blessings be upon him and upon all other prophets and upon their families and companions.
Mr. President, I deeply appreciate your due care for Egypt's youth and advise myself, first of all, as well as all executive officials to pay their utmost attention for the youth, being the real treasure of Egypt and the originators of its renaissance. Egypt, our dear country, is really laden with worries and pains but also fraught with hopes and trust in God.
At last, I would like to congratulate you and Egyptians as well as all Arabs and Muslims on the commemoration of the honorable prophet beseeching God to help you achieve the best for man and land in our beloved nation. Thank you for listening.
Al-Salamu Alaykum wa Raḥmatullah wa Barakatuh
God's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be with you all
Rabī‘ Awwal 9, 1438 AH/Dec.8, 2016
Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb
Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh