According  to  sound  narrations,  when  at  the  terror  of  the  resurrection  everyone including the prophets will cry out for themselves, God’s Messenger (UWBP) will demonstrate  his   pity   and  compassion2     by  calling  out:  “My  community!  M y community!”3  As is affirmed by those who disclose the realities, when he was born, his mother heard the same words among his supplications.4  Then the whole history of his life, as well as the benevolence he taught demonstrate his perfect compassion and clemency.  Also,  by  evincing  an  infinite  need  for  his  community’s  innumerable prayers,5  he showed a boundless compassion, for he showed that because of it he was concerned with the happiness of all of them. You can  understand, therefore, how

lacking in gratitude and conscience it is not to observe the practices of so kind and compassionate a leader.

SECOND POINT

Among the universal, general duties of his prophethood, God’s Noble Messenger (Upon   whom  be  blessings  and  peace)  displayed   great  compassion  in  certain particular, minor matters. Superficially, his behaving so kindly in such matters seems unfitting for the supreme  importance of the prophetic mission. But in reality, such minor matters were the tips or samples of a chain that would be the means whereby a universal,   general   function   of   prophethood   would   be   fulfilled.   The   greatest importance was therefore given to the sample for the sake of the mighty chain.

For example, the extraordinary gentleness God’s Messenger  (UWBP) showed towards Hasan and Husayn in their childhood and the great importance he gave them6 was  not  only  out  of  love  and  natural  kindness  and  family feeling,  it  was  rather

because they were each the tip of a luminous thread of the office of prophethood, and the  source, sample, and index of a community of great consequence which would receive the legacy of prophethood.

Indeed, the Messenger (UWBP) used to take Hasan (May God be pleased with him) tenderly into his arms and kiss his head7  for the sake of the luminous, blessed, Mahdi-like  descendants  who  would  spring  from  him,  such  as  Shah  Geylani,  the  Ghawth al-A‘zam,8  who would be the inheritors of prophethood and would uphold the sacred Shari‘a of Muhammad.

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2   See, Bukhari, Tawhid, 32; Muslim, Iman, 326.

3   Bukhari, Tawhid, 36; Tafsir Sura 17:5; Fitan, 1; Muslim, Iman, 326, 327; Tirmidhi, Qiyama, 10;

Darimi, Muqaddima, 8.

4   See, Suyuti, al-Khasa’is al-Kubra, i, 80, 85, 91; al-Nabhani, Hujjat Allah ‘ala’l-’Alamin, 224,

227, 228.

5   See, Tirmidhi, Qiyama, 24.

6   See, Bukhari, Fada’il al-Ashab, 22; Muslim, Fada’il al-S˘ahaba, 56, 60.

7   See, Musnad, v, 47; al-Tabarani, al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, iii, 32; xx, 274.

8   Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qadir Gilani, d. 561/1165-6. The eponymous founder of the Qadiri Order. (Tr.)