We believe that Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is the servant and Messenger of Allah, the Lord of the worlds, and His final Prophet and Messenger. Allah, Exalted be He, says: {Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the prophets. And Allah is All-Knowing of everything.} [Surat al-Ahzāb: 40] Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "My similitude in comparison with other prophets before me is like that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for the place of one brick in a corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, but say: 'Would that this brick be put in its place!' So, I am that brick, and I am the last of the prophets." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (3535) and Muslim (2286)]
He is the chief of the children of Adam. In a Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I will be the chief of the children of Adam on the Day of Judgment, the first one for whom the grave will be split open, and the first intercessor and the first one whose intercession will be accepted." [Narrated by Muslim (2278) and Abu Dāwūd (4673)] He is the intimate friend of Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If I were to take an intimate friend from my Ummah, I would take Abu Bakr; but he is my brother and my Companion." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (3656)]
We know that he was given such miracles the like of which were not given to any of the messengers (peace be upon them). The greatest of these miracles is the noble Qur’an. And the first thing revealed to him was the opening verses of Surat al-‘Alaq, as reported in an authentic Hadīth: ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: The commencement of the divine revelation to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was in the form of good dreams which would come true like bright daylight, and then the love of seclusion was bestowed upon him. He used to go in seclusion in the cave of Hirā’ where he used to worship continuously for many days before having desire to see his family. He used to take with him the journey food for the stay and then come back to Khadījah to take his food likewise again till suddenly the truth descended upon him while he was in the cave of Hirā’. The angel came to him and asked him to read. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "I do not know how to read." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) added: "The angel caught me and pressed me so hard that I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read and I replied: 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon, he caught me again and pressed me a second time till I could not bear it any more. He then released me and again asked me to read but again I replied: 'I do not know how to read.' Thereupon, he caught me for the third time and pressed me, and then released me and said: '{Read in the name of your Lord Who created, created man from a clinging clot. Read, and your Lord is the Most Generous) [Surat al-‘Alaq: 1-3].'" Then, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) returned with the revelation, with his heart beating severely. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (3), Muslim (160), and At-Tirmidhi (3632)] Thereafter, Surat al-Muddaththir was revealed to him. Jābir ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) speak about the period of pause of the revelation: "While I was walking I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up towards the sky, and behold! I saw the same angel who came to me in the Cave of Hirā’, sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. I was so terrified by him that I fell down on the ground. Then, I went to my wife and said: 'Enwrap me, enwrap me.' And they enwrapped me." Thereafter, Allah Almighty revealed: {O you covered [in your cloak], arise and warn... and shun ar-rujz} [Surat al-Muddaththir: 1-5]. Abu Salamah said: "Ar-rujz is idols." Then, the revelation got intense and continued. [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4926), Muslim (161), and At-Tirmidhi (3325)]
‘Ā’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) reported that Al-Hārith ibn Hishām (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah, how does the revelation come to you?" The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sometimes it comes to me like the ringing of a bell, and that is the hardest for me, and when it leaves me I understood what he has said. And sometimes the angel appears to me in the form of a man and talks to me and I understand what he says." ‘Ā’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I saw the revelation coming down on him on an intensely cold day, and when it left him, his forehead would drip with sweat." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (2), Muslim (2333), At-Tirmidhi (3634), and An-Nasā’i (933)]
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) continued to call to monotheism for 13 years in Makkah and then stayed in Madīnah for ten years teaching and illustrating the Shariah of Allah, calling to His religion, and conducting Jihad in Allah's cause until he passed away at the age of 63 - (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).
We know that one of his greatest miracles, after the noble Qur’an, is the Isrā’ and Mi‘rāj. Allah, the Exalted, says: {Glory be to the One Who took His slave [Muhammad] by night from the Sacred Mosque [in Makkah] to the Aqsā Mosque [in Jerusalem] whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs. Indeed, He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.} [Surat al-Isrā’: 1]
Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I was brought the Burāq, which is an animal white and long, larger than a donkey but smaller than a mule, which would place its hoof a distance equal to the range of vision. I mounted it and came to Bayt al-Maqdis, and then tethered it to the ring used by the prophets. I entered the mosque and prayed two rak‘ahs in it and then came out, and Jibrīl brought me a vessel of wine and a vessel of milk. I chose the milk, and Jibrīl said: 'You have chosen the natural thing.' Then, he took me to heaven. Jibrīl then asked for (the gate of heaven) to be opened and he was asked: 'Who are you?' He replied: 'Jibrīl.' He was further asked: 'Who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' Jibrīl replied: 'He has indeed been sent for.' (The gate of heaven) was opened for us and lo! we saw Adam. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then, we ascended to the second heaven. Jibrīl (peace be upon him) (asked the gate of heaven to be opened), and he was asked: 'Who are you?' He answered: 'Jibrīl.' And he was further asked: 'Who is with you?' He replied: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He replied: 'He has indeed been sent for.' The gate was opened. When I entered, ‘Īsa ibn Maryam and Yahya ibn Zakariyya (Zecharia) (peace be upon both of them), cousins from the maternal side, welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then, I was taken to the third heaven and Jibrīl asked for the opening (of the gate). He was asked: 'Who are you?' He replied: 'Jibrīl.' He was further asked: 'Who is with you?' He replied: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He replied: 'He has indeed been sent for.' (The gate) was opened for us and I saw Yūsuf (peace be upon him), who had been given half of beauty. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then, he ascended with us to the fourth heaven. Jibrīl (peace be upon him) asked for the (gate) to be opened, and it was said: 'Who are you?' He replied: 'Jibrīl.' It was further said: 'Who is with you?' He said: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He replied: 'He has indeed been sent for.' The (gate) was opened for us, and lo! Idrīs (Enoch) (peace be upon him) was there. He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Allah Almighty says: {And We raised him to a high status} [Surat Mariyam: 57]. Then, he ascended with us to the fifth heaven and Jibrīl asked for the (gate) to be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He replied: 'Jibrīl.' It was further said: 'Who is with you?' He replied: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He replied: 'He has indeed been sent for.' (The gate) was opened for us, and there I was with Hārūn (Aaron) (peace be upon him). He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then, I was taken to the sixth heaven. Jibrīl (peace be upon him) asked for the door to be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He replied: 'Jibrīl.' It was said: 'Who is with you?' He replied: 'Muhammad.' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He replied: 'He has indeed been sent for.' (The gate) was opened for us, and there I was with Mūsa (peace be upon him). He welcomed me and prayed for my well-being. Then, I was taken to the seventh heaven. Jibrīl asked for (the gate) to be opened. It was said: 'Who are you?' He said: 'Jibrīl.' It was said: 'Who is with you? He replied: 'Muhammad (peace be upon him).' It was said: 'Has he been sent for?' He replied: 'He has indeed been sent for.' (The gate) was opened for us, and there I found Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) reclining against Al-Bayt Al-Ma‘mūr, and there enter into it seventy thousand angels every day and they never come back. Then, I was taken to Sidrat Al-Muntaha whose leaves were like elephant ears and its fruit like big earthenware vessels. And when it was covered by the Command of Allah, it underwent such a change that none amongst the creation has the power to praise its beauty. Then, Allah revealed to me a revelation and He made obligatory for me fifty prayers every day and night. Then, I went down to Mūsa (peace be upon him) and he said: 'What has your Lord enjoined upon your Ummah?' I said: 'Fifty prayers.' He said: 'Return to your Lord and beg for reduction, for your Ummah will not be able to bear this burden, as I have put to test the Children of Israel and tried them.' I went back to my Lord and said: 'My Lord, make things lighter for my Ummah.' He reduced five prayers for me. I went down to Mūsa and said: 'He reduced five (prayers) for me.' He said: 'Verily, your Ummah will not be able to bear this burden. Return to your Lord and ask Him to make things lighter.' I then kept going back and forth between my Lord, Blessed and Exalted be He, and Mūsa, till He said: 'There are five prayers every day and night, O Muhammad, each being credited as ten; so, that makes fifty prayers. He who intends to do a good deed and does not do it will have a good deed recorded for him; and if he does it, it will be recorded for him as ten; whereas he who intends to do an evil deed and does not do, it will not be recorded for him; and if he does it, only one evil deed will be recorded.' I then came down and when I came to Mūsa and informed him, he said: 'Go back to your Lord and ask Him to make things lighter.' I said: 'I did return to my Lord so much that I felt ashamed before Him.'" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (7517), Muslim (162), and this is his version, At-Tirmidhi (3131), An-Nasā’i (450), and Ibn Mājah (1399)]
One of his signs is the splitting of the moon. Allah, the Exalted, says: {The Hour has drawn near and the moon has split asunder.} [Surat al-Qamar: 1] Ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: During the Prophet's lifetime, the moon was split into two parts; one part remained over the mountain, and the other part went beyond the mountain. Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Witness." [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (4864), Muslim (2800), and At-Tirmidhi (3285)]
Allah Almighty endowed him with numerous special traits. In a Hadīth, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I have been preferred over the other prophets in six respects: I have been given words which are concise but comprehensive in meaning; I have been helped by horror; spoils have been made lawful to me; the earth has been made for me clean and a place of worship; I have been sent to all humankind; and the line of prophets is closed with me." [Narrated by Muslim (523) and At-Tirmidhi (1553)] The scholars mention these traits within their books, and sometimes they write whole separate books on them.
We believe that every believer, man and woman, is obligated to believe in him, believe him in all what he informed, and obey his commands. Allah Almighty says: {So that you may believe in Allah and His Messenger, support and revere him, and glorify Him morning and evening.} [Surat al-Fat'h: 9] Allah Almighty also says: {So believe in Allah and His Messenger, and in the Light [the Qur’an] that We have sent down. And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.} [Surat at-Taghābun: 8]
We believe that Allah Almighty should not be worshiped except according to the Shariah brought by Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Our Lord says: {And whatever the Messenger has given you – take it; and what he has forbidden you – refrain from it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is severe in punishment.} [Surat al-Hashr: 7] Allah, the Exalted, warns us against disobeying the Prophet's commands. He Almighty says: {So let those beware who dissent from the Prophet’s order, lest fitnah strike them or a painful punishment.} [Surat an-Nūr: 63]
We are required to revere and love him. Allah, Glorified be He, says: {Say: "If you love Allah then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: for Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful."} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 31]
Love for the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is one of the fundamentals of faith. Allah Almighty mentions it in association with love for Him and warns those who give precedence over it to any of the worldly dear things, like one's relatives, property, and homeland. The Almighty Lord says: {Say: "If your parents, your children, your brothers, your spouses, your clan, the wealth you have acquired, the trade you fear to decline, and the homes you cherish – [if these] are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His decree. For Allah does not guide disobedient people."} [Surat at-Tawbah: 24]
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) should be dearer to the believer than his own soul, his parents, his children, and all people. ‘Abdullāh ibn Hishām (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: We were with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as he was holding the hand of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb. ‘Umar said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, indeed you are dearer to me than everything except my own self." In response, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No, by the One in Whose Hand my soul is, till I am dearer to you than your own self." Thereupon, ‘Umar said to him: "However, now, by Allah, you are dearer to me than my own self." The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Now, O ‘Umar!" [Narrated by Al-Bukhāri (6632)]
Allah Almighty coupled the Prophet's mention with His mention in the two testimonies of faith and the Adhān. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is frequently mentioned in the previous scriptures and the noble Qur’an, and Muslim scholars authored various books on his Sunnah, biography, traits, manners, and battles. It is enough here to mention what we are obligated to believe with regard to his prophethood.
Al-Qādi ‘Iyād (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: "If the attributes of perfection and excellence are what we have mentioned, and if we see someone amongst us with the honor of having one or two of them, if both exist in him throughout his life, such as good lineage, beauty, strength, forbearance, bravery, and tolerance, and he attains good status, fame, and special love in people's hearts due to his character, though he may have died a long time ago; so what do you think about the great status of someone who combines all these traits in a way that cannot be measured, expressed in words, or acquired through effort or special means; yet they are the gift of the Almighty Lord, including the merit of prophethood, the message, intimate friendship, love, being chosen, the journey of Isrā’, seeing Allah Almighty (that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) saw Allah Almighty during the night of Isrā’ is subject to difference of opinion. The correct view, however, is that he did not see his Lord during that night.) Also nearness, the revelation, the intercession, the Wasīlah, the merit, the high status, the praised station, the Burāq, the Ascension to heaven, being sent to all people, black and white, leading the prophets in prayer, the testimony among all prophets and nations, being the chief of the children of Adam, the standard of Praise, the glad tidings, the warning, the status in the sight of the Lord of the Throne, being obeyed there, trustworthiness, guidance, being mercy to the worlds, being granted content and responded his requests, the Kawthar, hearing the speech, the completion of favor, forgiving his past and future sins, reassurance of heart, relief of burden, enduring fame, great victory, the descent of tranquility, support with angels, being given the Book and wisdom, the seven oft-repeated verses, and the glorious Qur’an, purification of the Ummah, supplication to Allah, the peace and blessings of Allah and the angels, judging between people by what Allah showed him, relieving them of their burdens and shackles, swearing by mentioning his name, answering his supplication, speaking to inanimate objects, making the deaf hear, letting water sprout from between his fingers, multiplication of little things, splitting of the moon, returning of the sun, transformation of things, and victory through terror - in addition to other numberless things that can only be encompassed in knowledge by the One Who bestowed them and favored him thereby; there is no god but Him; and what He Almighty prepared for him in the Hereafter, of honorable positions, ranks of respect and bliss, and the best reward and more, things that go beyond people's minds and discernment." [Ash-Shifa Bi Ta‘rīf Huqūq Al-Mustafa (1/55 - 57)]