Finding Comfort Through Remembering the Prophet ﷺ

Narrated by 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): the Prophet ﷺ said: ((يا أَيُّها الناسُ! أَيُّما أحدٍ من المؤمنينَ أُصِيبَ بمصيبةٍ، فلْيَتَعَزَّ بمصيبتِه بي عن المصيبةِ التي تُصِيبُه بغيري، فإنَّ أحدًا من أُمَّتي لن يُصابَ بمصيبةٍ بعدي أَشَدَّ عليه من مصيبتي)) “O people, whenever any believer is struck by a hardship or loss, let him find comfort by remembering his loss of me, compared to any other hardship that may happen to him. For no one in my nation will ever suffer a loss after me that is harder upon them than losing me.” [Sahih Al-Jami‘] This may only be fully understood by someone who understands the meaning of another saying of the Prophet ﷺ, narrated by Anas ibn Malik: ((لا يؤمنُ أحدُكم حتى أكونَ أحبَّ إليه من ولدِه ووالدِه والنَّاسِ أجمعينَ)) “None of you truly believes until I am more beloved to him than his child, his parent, and all people.” [Sahih Muslim] After all, the deepest grief is usually felt over losing a child, a parent, or another dearly loved person. But the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is meant to be more beloved to the believer than any of them. So it is as if the meaning becomes: None of you truly believes until my death is a greater tragedy to him than the death of his child, his parent, or anyone else. So where is this feeling, and where is this awareness, when we lose those we love?