Mahabbat al-Rasul bayn al-Ittiba wal-Ibtida
- Author died
- -
- Editions
- General Presidency of the Administrations of Scientific Research, Ifta, Call and Guidance, Printing and Translation Administration
Mahabbat al-Rasul bayn al-Ittiba wal-Ibtida (Love of the Messenger Between Emulation and Innovation) is a contemporary Islamic treatise on creed by the scholar Abd al-Raouf Muhammad Uthman, focusing on the theological obligation of loving the Prophet Muhammad, its authentic manifestations through emulation (ittiba'), and the refutation of theological extremism (ghuluw) and religious innovations (ibtida') associated with it.
Background and Purpose
The author composed the work to delineate the boundaries between legitimate devotion to the Prophet and newly invented practices or excessive veneration. He observed that while love of the Prophet is a fundamental pillar of faith, some Muslims—influenced by extreme Sufi tendencies—came to believe that genuine love entails ghuluw (extremism), while accusing mainstream Muslims who reject such extremes of aloofness (jafa'). The book was written to establish the true criteria of prophetic love based on the Quran and the Sunnah and to examine the doctrinal and practical consequences of deviation. It was published in its first edition by Maktabat al-Diya' in Jeddah in 1412 AH.
Structure and Contents
The work is organized into an introduction, a preliminary chapter (tamhid), two main parts (abwab), and a conclusion:
- Preliminary Chapter (Tamhid): Covers three topics: the definition of prophethood and messengership, the mortal human nature (bashariyyah) of the Prophet as an aspect of his prophetic perfection, and prophethood as a divine selection (istifa').
- Part One: Love and Emulation (al-Mahabbah wal-Ittiba'): Divided into two chapters:
- Chapter One (Love of the Messenger): Examines the linguistic and legal definitions of love, the obligation of loving the Prophet and its status in faith, the motives and means of cultivating this love, and its authentic signs and behavioral effects on the believer.
- Chapter Two (Emulation): Defines the concept of ittiba', details the textual evidence from the Quran and Sunnah establishing the obligation of prophetic obedience, and outlines the practical signs of genuine adherence.
- Part Two: Extremism and Innovation (al-Ghuluw wal-Ibtida'): Divided into two chapters:
- Chapter One (Extremism regarding the Messenger): Explores the concept, types, and historical origins of ghuluw; the manifestations of prophetic exaggeration among earlier religious communities (Jews and Christians); the emergence of ghuluw among the Shia regarding Ali ibn Abi Talib and the Ahl al-Bayt; extremism among Sufis, focusing particularly on al-Hallaj (incarnationism) and Ibn Arabi (the concept of the Muhammadan Reality, al-Haqiqah al-Muhammadiyyah, and unity of existence); the effects of ghuluw on creed and practice; and the legal ruling of Islam regarding extremists.
- Chapter Two (Religious Innovation): Discusses the definition of bid'ah and whether it can be divided into praiseworthy and blameworthy; specific innovations introduced under the guise of prophetic love (such as claims of waking encounters with the Prophet, illegitimate intercession (tawassul), innovated practices at the Prophet's grave, the celebration of the Prophet's birthday (Mawlid), and innovated formulas for invoking blessings upon him); the detrimental impacts of innovation on the individual and society; and methods of countering bid'ah.
- Conclusion (Khatimah): Summarizes the findings of the study, reiterating that true love of the Prophet necessarily entails faithful following (ittiba') and is incompatible with extremism and innovation.
Methodology
The author adheres to an academic methodology outlined in his introduction: collecting material from primary authoritative sources, documenting all Quranic citations, providing hadith verification (takhrij), consulting standard Arabic lexicons for terminological definitions, offering brief biographical notes for lesser-known figures, and directly attributing all cited opinions and quotations to their original sources.
Answer updated