Book Review: 40 Hadiths on the love of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

Book Review: 40 Ḥadīths on the love of the Prophet ﷺ 

Book title: العقد الثمين في حب النبي الأمين صلى الله عليه وسلم ‘al-ʿIqd al-Thamīn fī Ḥubb al-Nabī al-Amīn ﷺ’ (The precious necklace concerning the love of the Prophet, the Trustworthy ﷺ)

Pages: 590

Author: Mufti Yusuf Shabbir

Publisher: Dar al-Samman, Istanbul, Turkey

Reviewer: Mufti Amir Isap

The litmus test to truly determine your claim of loving Allah is to assess your love of the Quran, and the love of the Quran is imbued through your love for the Prophet ﷺ ; and no doubt, the love of the Prophet ﷺ will only manifest itself through your love of his Sunnah

–  Sahl ibn Abdullah at-Tustari

The love of the Prophet ﷺ is an absolute necessity for every believer. No doubt, that is exactly how I would describe this book to any student of knowledge – an absolute necessity. From the well-thought-out organisation and chronology of the chapters to the laborious and painstaking task of detailed referencing, it beckons not only the eager student of knowledge, but also the seasoned scholar and bibliophile.

Shaykh, Mufti Yusuf Shabbir, a resident scholar of Blackburn, has collected and assembled crucial discussions pertaining to the love of the Prophet ﷺ; ranging from the definition of love, the types of love, the signs of love and the practical manifestations of this love. In doing so, he has effectively responded to doubts and aspersions that are cast regarding core tenets of Islam, such as ‘how can one love the Prophet ﷺ more than their friends, family and even themselves; is this not fanatical and extreme?’ He responds to such misunderstandings whilst remaining in the shade of classical scholarship, often even citing opinions of contemporary scholars who add a fresh perspective to the discourse.

It may seem that the title of the book is misleading, as it is not only a comprehensive work devoted to loving the Prophet ﷺ, rather, the reader is pleasantly surprised to find a series of intricate discussions that extend, but are not limited to, elucidations on the familial love believers should possess for the beloved wives, children, extended family and companions of the Prophet ﷺ; as well as exhaustive chapters dedicated to innovation, its categorisation and even contextualising the text to allude to certain innovations prevalent in the 21^st century. He further annexes a discussion on blasphemy and those who defile their tongues against the blessed Prophet ﷺ.

True love dictates love for all that which is held beloved by the Prophet ﷺ; which is why Shaykh Yusuf expounds on the love of the sacred cities of Makkah and Madinah and their respective mosques, visiting the grave of the Prophet ﷺ and loving all that he loved. And of course, a chapter dedicated to those fortunate souls who are blessed with a vision of the Prophet ﷺ in their dreams; he details the different categories of dreams in a succinct manner.

This collection of 40 Prophetic narrations is without doubt an intellectually tantalising piece that is imbued with a spiritual synthesis that leaves the reader yearning for the company of the Prophet ﷺ and those blessed men and women who surrounded him. As I glance over at the beautifully-bound 590 page book, I can only pray to Allah that He accept this act of love and dearly hope Shaykh Yusuf will undertake the arduous task of now translating this work into the English language for a wider audience to benefit.

(Click on the following link to read an overview of the book by the author: https://islamicportal.co.uk/40-hadiths-on-the-love-of-the-prophet-with-detailed-commentary-new-book-release/)