A friend, respectable as much for his piety as for his curiosity and thirst for knowledge, reported to me, the other day, the account of an interaction between a moulvi sahib and a questioner. The moulvi had just delivered a lecture to a congregation in the mosque following which a person asked about why it seems that in durood-i Ibrahim, Prophet Abraham (AS) had been extolled in such high terms that he seems to be superior to Prophet Muhammad (SAW). My friend says that the moulvi’s answer left him unsatisfied. I said that in the first place such a question should not have been asked. One wonders where on earth, did the questioner see what he asserted. Apart from that, the spirit of the Quran and the sunnah does not approve of comparing and contrasting Allah’s Prophets as all of them deserve our deepest veneration. This spirit is so eloquently summed up in the Quranic pronouncement, la nufarriqu baina ahadin mirrusilih i.e we, believers, do not discriminate between His Messengers (as far as believing in them is concerned).The unpleasantness of comparing and contrasting the messengers remains notwithstanding the Quranic proviso that “ of the messengers We vouchsafed some to excel others”(2:253). But once such a question is raised, it affords one the best of opportunities to dilate on the catholicity, universality and tolerant outlook of Islam and that of its last Divinely appointed proponent (SAW).
Although Allah chose his last messenger for the highest honours, his greatness lay in humility – humility which is the first and last index of real greatness. This humility is reflected in every word and deed of the Prophet. On the one hand he knew about Allah’s favours on him and remarked that “I am the sayyid (chief) of the human race but, I am not proud” (Abu Dawood and Musnad Ahmad). On the other hand his pride was his humility and his being a lowly servant of Allah. The shahadah that he taught mankind as entry into the fold of Islam declares him as ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (His slave and His messenger).  The Quran that was revealed to him commands him, “say that I am but a human being like you; it is revealed to me that your God is only one God.” (18:110). The heart-melting prayer that he taught us to offer every time at the commencement of the recitation of the Quran distills the essence of extreme humility and sense of nullity before Allah (SWT):
My Allah, I am your slave, the son of Your slave, also the son of Your maidservant. I am helplessly in Your control, my forehead is in Your firm grasp. Your command in my case is always inevitable; Your decision in my case is always just...
Again he never claimed to preach anything new but asserted that he had come to perfect and finalise that which all messengers of Allah had taught mankind from time to time at all places and among all communities. All these messengers are to be believed in and respected. Abraham was one of these revered Prophets and the grand ancestor of our beloved Prophet who descended from him through his son Ishmael (AS). He referred to Abraham as Abina Ibrahim (our father Abraham) and to himself as his son. Abraham had sacrificed everything – his life (by jumping into the fire ignited by Nimrod), his homeland (by migrating) and his only son Ishmael (as Isaac was not born until then) – for the sake of Allah. Allah in turn declared him to be His friend and made him the progenitor of a whole line of Prophets through his sons, Ishmael and Isaac. It was natural that an illustrious son should speak in warmest terms about his illustrious ancestor. That is why the prophet recommended durood-i Ibrahim as the best way of invoking Allah’s blessings upon him. This is yet another illustration of the greatness of our beloved Prophet. It is only the really great who acknowledge the greatness of others. O Allah, shower Your choicest blessings upon the last and the greatest of your messengers as you showered them on Abraham and his progeny!

Lastupdate on : Thu, 13 May 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Thu, 13 May 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 IST