I am content with Muhammad as a prophet

"I am pleased with Allah as my Lord, with Islam as my religion, and with Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as my Prophet and a Messenger."

This is a beautiful and unique remembrance, distinctive in its words and phrasing, and profound in its structure and meaning. It spreads contentment and joy, radiates tranquility and peace, and instills faith and certainty in the heart.

For this reason, a Muslim is encouraged to begin their day and night with this great supplication. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "There is no servant who, when he enters the evening and when he enters the morning, says: 'I am pleased with Allah as a Lord, with Islam as a religion, and with Muhammad as a Prophet,' except that it becomes a duty upon Allah to please him on the Day of Resurrection." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).

This contentment—being pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as a religion, and with Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a Prophet—is the very essence of happiness and the key to success. Through it, the believer finds the sweetness of faith, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "He has tasted the sweetness of faith who is pleased with Allah as his Lord, and with Islam as his religion, and with Muhammad as a Messenger." (Narrated by Muslim).

For faith has a sweetness and a pleasant taste that are found by the one who truly achieves this state of contentment. The more the heart is filled with this contentment, the greater the sweetness and the stronger the faith.

Due to the importance of this contentment and the Muslim's constant need to affirm and remember it, it has been connected to the call to the five daily prayers. After the muezzin announces the time for prayer, a Muslim is encouraged to say, among other post-adhan supplications: "I am pleased with Allah as a Lord, with Muhammad as a Messenger, and with Islam as a religion." The one who says this will have their sins forgiven, as stated in Sahih Muslim.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "If anyone says when he hears the mu’adhdhin, “I testify that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger; I am satisfied with Allah as Lord, with Muhammad as Messenger, and with Islam as religion,” his sins will be forgiven him"

Scholars have mentioned that contentment is the highest level of reliance on Allah. The one who firmly establishes their feet in reliance, submission, and delegation to Allah, will inevitably achieve contentment. He who is content with his Lord will have his Lord be content with him. Indeed, the servant's contentment with Allah is merely a result of Allah's contentment with him. Allah the Almighty says: "Allah being pleased with them, and they with Him" (Quran 5:119).

Therefore, contentment is the greatest gate of Allah, the paradise of this world, and the resting place of the worshippers. In it lies all goodness, as Umar ibn al-Khattab wrote to Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with them both): "All goodness lies in contentment."

The Meaning of Being Pleased with the Prophet Muhammad as a Prophet and Messenger

One of the meanings of contentment is sufficiency. If a person is pleased with something, they find it sufficient. For example, a person content with their portion of provision is satisfied with it and does not look to what others have.

Similarly, whoever is pleased with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) finds him sufficient. They take him as a Prophet and Messenger, a beloved and a leader, a master and a guide, a role model and an exemplar. They believe in this, are proud of it, and are honored by it. They do not seek a leader other than him, nor a role model besides him.

To be pleased with the Prophet Muhammad as a Prophet and Messenger means you don't seek a leader or role model other than him, because he is more than enough for you in this regard. It means you don't follow a path that contradicts his, you don't reject any of his sayings, and you don't listen to those who attack his Sunnah (way of life).

You are pleased with him because Allah, the Sovereign, the Self-Sufficient, the Praiseworthy, was pleased with him, chose him, selected him, purified him, and designated him to be the bearer of His message and the conveyer of His words. How could a needy servant, in constant need of guidance, not be pleased with the one who guides and leads them out of darkness into light?

He reached the heights by his perfection,

And dispelled the darkness with his beauty.

All his words are truthful,

All his actions are complete.

All his traits are beautiful,

He surpassed the rain with his generosity.

All his qualities are perfected,

So send blessings upon him and his family.

May Allah's peace be upon Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Contentment with Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a Messenger is a requirement for the validity of one's faith. For a person's faith to be sound, they must fully submit to the belief that Muhammad, son of Abdullah, son of Abd al-Muttalib, the Qurayshi, is the Messenger of Allah and His Prophet, sent by Allah the Almighty with the complete and final message of Islam to all of creation. This entails being convinced of this, finding him sufficient, and finding peace in him, without any resentment, regret, or sadness.

The scholar al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Being pleased with Muhammad as a Messenger requires being pleased with everything he brought from Allah, and accepting it with complete submission and an open heart, as Allah the Almighty says: “But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O Muhammad SAW) judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them) with full submission” (Quran 4:65)"

Being pleased with Muhammad as a Prophet and Messenger means fulfilling your duties toward him, which include faith, love, obedience, emulation, and support.

It means being pleased with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as your leader—that is, you follow him. He lays out your path, and you are content with his way. You walk according to his guidance, follow his Sunnah, take pride in your connection to him, love him, believe in him, and emulate him. You support him and defend him, his religion, his Sunnah, and his law.

Allah the Almighty says: "The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allâh (His Words, the Qur'ân) and His Messenger (SAW), to judge between them, is that they say: "We hear and we obey." And such are the prosperous ones (who will live forever in Paradise)"

Therefore, choose your leader with precision and care, because your leader in this world is your leader in the Hereafter. "The Day We will call every people with their leader." So, whoever chooses the Prophet as their leader, he will lead them, by Allah's permission, to Paradise.

Do not be like the person who chose his own desires as his leader, or the one who was led astray by following the desires of others, and so his desires led him to destruction, a fate we seek refuge from.

So, who is your leader in this life?

My leader, my Prophet, and my Messenger is the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).