The Jordanian General Iftaa Department reaffirmed on Sunday the religious duty to venerate the status of the Prophet—peace be upon him—and to treat his memory with utmost deference.
اضافة اعلان
In a statement issued on the occasion of the commemoration of the Prophet’s birthday, the Department added that "using any expression containing disrespect toward the noble prophetic status—even if the speaker did not intend offense—is a major sin."
It stressed the necessity for Muslims to adhere to the most honorable and appropriate speech when speaking about the Prophet—peace be upon him—or when recounting his news and biography.
This statement comes after a family expert sparked controversy during an appearance on a podcast broadcast on social media, where he touched upon an incident that occurred involving Prophet Muhammad—peace be upon him—within the context of discussing marital issues and divorce. Followers considered the manner in which the story was narrated offensive to the Prophet.
Below is the full text of the Iftaa Department's statement:
"Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
The Holy Quran and the purified prophetic Sunnah mandate strict adherence to absolute respect and reverence for our Master, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. They obligate the careful selection of words to elevate speech in a manner worthy of his noble status and when describing his circumstances and life events, peace and blessings be upon him. Allah Almighty said:
{That you [people] may believe in Allah and His Messenger and honor him and respect him and exalt Him morning and afternoon} [Al-Fath: 9].
Allah Almighty also said:
{Do not make [your] calling of the Messenger among you as the call of one of you to another} [An-Nur: 63].
Allah Almighty made it obligatory to honor him, peace and blessings be upon him—meaning to support, revere, and glorify him. Consequently, using any expression that implies offense to his noble status—even if the speaker did not intend offense—is considered among the major sins.
For this reason, the Noble Companions and those who followed them in righteousness refrained from transmitting the lampoons and insults directed at the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, by polytheists and hypocrites, even if merely as a narration of events. This was highlighted by scholars; as mentioned in the book [Al-Shifa bi-Ta'rif Huquq al-Mustafa] after citing the consensus prohibiting the narration of satire directed at the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:
'May Allah have mercy on our pious predecessors who were cautious regarding their religion. They omitted from the narratives of military expeditions and biographies anything of this nature—meaning offensive content—and abandoned its transmission, except for minor, unseemly details mentioned solely to demonstrate Allah's vengeance against the speaker and His punishment of the slanderer for his sin. Consider Abu Ubaid Al-Qasim ibn Sallam, may Allah have mercy on him, who, when forced to quote satirical Arabic poetry in his writings as evidence, used metrical pseudonyms for the names of those mocked to safeguard his faith and avoid participating in defaming anyone through transmission or publication. How much more caution, then, must be exercised regarding anything touching the honor of the Master of Mankind, peace and blessings be upon him.'
Adhering to the most honorable and appropriate speech is a religious duty, one of the rights of the Chosen One (Al-Mustafa), peace and blessings be upon him, over Muslims, and a measure of a Muslim's faith, sincere followership, and appreciation for what the Messenger of Allah represents to them. He is the gifted mercy and the illuminating lamp sent with wisdom; it is therefore fitting for believers to express their gratitude to him, peace and blessings be upon him, through faith in him and emulation of his guidance, making respect for him a way of life for all believers.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds."
