In an Era of Disrespect Toward the Status of the Prophet ﷺ

Peace be upon you,

Regarding the offense of one of the vile individuals against the rank of the Prophet ﷺ, imagine being presented with an offer that appears attractive in numerical terms: that thousands of disbelievers enter the religion of Allah and the strength of the Muslims increases in number and resources—in exchange for just one thing: that you remain silent about a single word of disparagement against your Prophet ﷺ.

Some may think, by a flawed logic of “interest,” that this is a profitable deal—but the dignity of faith has an entirely different measure.

This measure was embodied by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him), who wrote his firm book: “The Unsheathed Sword Against the One Who Insults the Messenger” while imprisoned, in defense of the rank of Prophethood when a foolish criminal transgressed against it. In a statement that is the jewel of his book, he said:

“A single word of insult against the Prophet ﷺ cannot be tolerated in exchange for the Islam of thousands of disbelievers. And for the religion of Allah to prevail in such a way that no one dares to utter a slander against it is more beloved to Allah and His Messenger than that people enter it while it is violated and belittled.”

This statement, dear brothers, is not merely words—it is a foundational principle in the understanding of dignity. We do not want a quantitative Islam built upon the ruins of reverence and sanctity. What does it avail for the number of Muslims to grow, if they accept indignity in their faith?

Manifesting the religion of Allah such that those who would transgress fear even thinking of violating its sanctities is the highest aim, and belittling sacred matters is the first step toward Ummah’s psychological and existential collapse.

It is not appropriate for those who take the lead in da‘wah to address offenders with dull, cold words—this in reality contributes to dismantling the reverence that safeguards the creed. This is the place of decisiveness and resolve—of making people aware of the rank of the Prophet ﷺ—not a place for softness and appeasement.

Unfortunately, we live in a time where meanings, objects, and individuals with no true sanctity are treated as sacred—whoever touches them is accused, criminalized, and punished. So, if our sacred matters are treated lightly by such people, the least that should be is that they remain dignified in our sight.

Our duty today goes beyond mere passing condemnation and begins with instilling the concept of revering the Prophetic rank in the hearts of our children from an early age.

Instead of educational curricula that immerse them in detail that benefit them neither in religion nor in worldly life, our children should learn to honor the sanctities of Islam and the rank of the Prophet ﷺ—and that life has no value without that.

And if only we would establish a regular reading with our children from the mentioned book of Ibn Taymiyyah or its summaries, so that we—and they—learn that supporting the Prophet ﷺ is not merely an emotional reaction, but a firm creed and a way of life.

Peace be upon you.

— Dr. Eyad Qunaibi