Source: HadeethEnc.com, English v1.25.0
Arabic text
عَن عُمَرَ بنِ الخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قال: سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «لَا تُطْرُونِي كَمَا أَطْرَتِ النَّصَارَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ؛ فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا عَبْدُهُ، فَقُولُوا: عَبْدُ اللهِ وَرَسُولُهُ».
Translation
‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians exaggerated in praising the son of Mary, for I am only His slave. So, call me the slave of Allah and His Messenger."
Explanation
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) prohibits immoderateness and exceeding the Shariah-prescribed limit in praising him and forbids ascribing to himself the peculiar attributes and actions of Allah or knowledge of the unseen, or that he should be supplicated to along with Allah, as the Christians did with Jesus, the son of Mary (peace be upon him). Then, he made it clear that he is one of the servants of Allah and commanded us to call him: the servant and Messenger of Allah.
Benefits
- It warns against exceeding the Shariah-prescribed limit in extolling and praising, for this leads to polytheism.
- What the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) warned about did take place within this Ummah, as a group of people went to extremes regarding the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), and another group did the same regarding the members of his household and another group did it for the pious figures. So, they fell into polytheism.
- The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) described himself as a slave of Allah, thus pointing out that he is merely His slave, and it is not permissible to devote to him anything of the Lord's characteristics.
- The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) described himself as the Messenger of Allah, thus pointing out that he is a messenger sent by Allah, and so we are obligated to believe and follow him.
Explanation: العربية
ينهى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم عن الإفراط ومجاوزة الحد الشرعي في مدحه ووصفه بأوصاف الله تعالى وأفعاله الخاصة به، أو أنه يعلم الغيب، أو يدعا مع الله، كما فعلت النصارى مع عيسى ابن مريم عليه السلام. ثم بين أنه عبد من عباد لله، وأمر بأن نقول عنه: عبد الله ورسوله.
- التحذير من مُجاوزةِ الحد الشرعي في التعظيم والمدح؛ لأن ذلك يُفضي إلى الشرك.
- ما حذَّر منه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قد وقع في هذه الأمة، فغَلَتْ طائفة بالرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وطائفة في أهل البيت، وطائفة في الأولياء، فوقعوا في الشرك.
- وَصَفَ رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نفسَه بأنه عبدُ الله؛ ليبيِّن أنه عبدٌ مَربوبٌ لله لا يجوز أن يُصرفَ له شيءٌ من خصائص الرب.
- وَصَفَ رسولُ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نفسه بأنه رسولُ الله؛ ليبين أنه رسولٌ مُرسلٌ من عند الله فيجبُ تصديقُه ومتابعتُه.