On the anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), Muslims in Canada are deeply reminded of the urgent and vital need to embody Islam fully and uncompromisingly in every aspect of life. This is not merely a day of commemoration—it is a call to commitment, to living Islam as a complete, transformative reality.

Allah (SWT) commands the believers to hold firmly to His Deen, steadfastly avoid division, and adhere exactly to the guidance revealed to His Messenger. The Companions (RA) exemplified this commitment with unparalleled sincerity and devotion. They embraced Islam in its entirety, safeguarding the Deen with meticulous care and faithfully transmitting it across generations. Their unwavering dedication preserved the Qur’an and Sunnah in pure form, leaving no space for distortion or corruption.

Out of profound love for the Prophet (SAW), some Muslims later began marking his birth with annual commemorations. Islamic scholars disagreed over this practice—some deemed it an innovation absent from the Prophet’s or his Companions’ traditions, while others allowed it if conducted sincerely with remembrance and blessings, absent prohibited acts. Yet all agree on this essential truth: the highest and most authentic expression of honoring the Prophet is to follow him fully in every facet of life. A single annual celebration can never replace the relentless pursuit of his guidance in worship, character, law, and leadership every day.

As Allah (SWT) declares in the Qur’an:

“And We certainly sent Moses with Our signs, [saying], ‘Bring your people out of darkness into light and remind them of the days of Allah.’ Indeed, in that are signs for everyone patient and grateful” [Qur’an 14:5].

These reminders are crucial, yet Islam demands that the Messenger’s example remain a living, daily reality. He alone stands as the perfect role model in all matters of life.

When Allah (SWT) sent Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as the final Messenger and revealed Islam as the ultimate, complete guidance, it meant this message is flawless, timeless, and universally binding until the Day of Judgment. It offers the path to true guidance; beyond it lies only misguidance.

The claim that divine laws must adapt with time is profoundly misguided. The Shariʿah comprehensively governs every dimension of human life—individual, family, community, and state—because human nature and societal essentials remain constant.

Yet today, many Muslims commemorate the Prophet’s birth without embracing its profound significance: Islam is not a narrow set of rituals but a complete, all-encompassing way of life. It governs personal conduct, family structures, societal norms, and international relations. Allah (SWT) states:

“And thus We have made you a balanced nation, that you may be witnesses over mankind, and the Messenger a witness over you” [Qur’an 2:143].

This elevates the Muslim responsibility beyond personal faith to a communal and political mission to lead and guide humanity.

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was not only the conveyor of divine revelation but also its living embodiment, manifesting the Shariʿah through his roles as leader, judge, commander, and protector of the Ummah. His Companions (RA) embraced Islam under his leadership in this totality. To remain truly faithful, Muslims today must recognize that the prophetic mission inherently includes political authority, as exemplified by the state he established in Madinah. Islam is incomplete without the power to enforce it.

This truth illuminates the current crisis of the Muslim world. Since the destruction of the Khilafah over a century ago, the Ummah has been deprived of a unifying authority that governs by Shariʿah. In its place, treacherous rulers serve foreign interests, betray their people, suppress attempts to restore the Khilafah, and align with the enemies of Islam. The betrayal is most glaring in Palestine, where Muslims suffer under Zionist occupation while these rulers tighten bonds with oppressors. Liberation will not come through these regimes—it will arise only from the re-establishment of the rightly guided Khilafah, which will unify the Ummah’s armies, mobilize its strength, and restore its honor.

• For the individual, truly following Islam means shaping one’s mind and behavior around the Prophet’s example: embodying taqwa (God-consciousness), sincere worship, moral integrity, courage, mercy, and adherence to Shariʿah in all matters of life and society.
• For the Ummah, it demands revitalizing Islam in its fullest form through the re-establishment of the Khilafah on the Prophetic method, a state that will establish:
• Governance: with a Caliph, assistants, governors, judiciary, and shura councils, all subject to Allah’s law.
• Economy: eliminating riba, monopolies and the stock market which causes them, and hoarding, ensuring just distribution of wealth, and stabilizing currency on the basis of gold and silver.
• Society: regulating relations between men and women lawfully, safeguarding purity, lineage, and family roles.
• Education: building strong Islamic personalities while fostering scientific and intellectual advancement to serve the Ummah.
• Foreign policy: presenting Islam to the world as a message of truth, spreading its guidance globally, and resisting the dominance of false ideologies.

Sadly, many Muslims—including in Canada—reduce Mawlid celebrations to cultural rituals disconnected from this vital mission. True love for the Messenger (SAW) manifests only in total obedience and following his holistic example of leadership, power, and unwavering struggle to establish Allah’s sovereignty.

The anniversary of the Prophet’s birth is not merely a historical commemoration; it is a solemn reminder of his mission—to convey the Revelation, to establish Islam as a way of life and governance, and to guide humanity from darkness into light.

For Muslims in Canada, the moment has come to transcend ceremonies and awaken to the dire needs of our Ummah: the return of the Khilafah, the political unification of Muslim lands, and the liberation of Palestine and all oppressed Muslim territories.

True love for the Prophet (SAW) means carrying his mission forward relentlessly until Islam shapes individuals, societies, and the global order once more. Anything less betrays the noble legacy we claim to honor.