The Prophet Muhammad a Mercy To the World

Chapter Two

Even while Lord of Arabia, he mended his own shoes and coarse woollen garments, milked the ewes, swept the hearth, and kindled the fire; Dates and water were his usual fare, and milk and honey his luxuries.

John Davenport "An Apology for Mohammed and the Koran" London 1869 Sublime Qualities of Prophet Muhammad

Inspirational Conducts

The Prophet Muhammad, the final Messenger and Apostle of God, may Allah bless him and his family, had the greatest of morals in all aspects of life. When Imam Ali son of AbY ?"lib, peace be upon them, was asked about this he said: 'How can I describe the morals of the Prophet when God himself has testified that they are 'sublime' when He said: eAnd most surely you have sublime morals f 26.

The Prophet's wife, when asked about his morals answered: 'The morals of the Apostle of God were [an embodiment of] the Qur'an.'27

Before the advent of his prophetic mission he acted under the supervision of God and was being prepared according to a divine plan to be a living embodiment of loftiness and 26 The Holy Qur'an; The Pen (67): 4 27 The White Path (al-ma9ajjah al-bay+"'); vol.4, p.120

eminence. This divine preparation was alluded to by Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali ibn AbY ?"lib who knew the Prophet better than anyone else among the Muslims, when he said: 'From the time that he was weaned, God placed him in the company, day and night, of the greatest of His angels to show him the path of virtue and the most excellent morals of the world.' 28

His Dealings with the People

It is related that H{usayn son of Imam Ali, peace be upon them both, said: 'I asked my father about how the Apostle of God, may Allah bless him and his family, would spend his time indoors. He said: 'When he sought the refuge of his house he would divide his time into three parts; one part for God, one part for his family, and one part for himself. Then the part that was for himself he would divide between himself and the people; both those close to him and the general public, and he would spare all the time that he could for them. It was his policy regarding the time he set aside for the Muslim community to favour the virtuous with his manners and he divided his time according to their virtue in the religion. Among them were those who had a single need, those who had two needs, and those who had a number of needs. He would concern himself with them and occupy them with what would benefit both them and the community by asking about them and getting them to inform him of what was needed. He would say: 'Let those present inform those who are absent and whoever is not able to inform me of his needs then let someone else do it on his behalf.'29

28 The Path of Eloquence; speech #192, The Speech of Disparagement 29 sunan al-nab:; p.14

Imam H{usayn relates: 'Then I asked my father about how the Apostle of God spent his time outside the house. He said:

'The Apostle of God, may Allah bless him and his family, would guard his tongue except in matters which concerned him. He would work to unite the people and not divide them. He would honour the nobles of every people and place them in authority over them. He would warn the people against discords. He would be on his guard with the people at all times but would never withhold from them his smile or good manners. He would miss those of his companions who were absent and would ask the people about the affairs of the people, and would encourage what was beautiful and good and discourage what was ugly and bad.

He was balanced and did not go to extremes and would never become heedless for fear that the people would become heedless and divert from the right path. He was prepared for every situation and would not fall short of the truth nor go beyond it. It was the best of the people who followed him. In his view the best of them were those who gave the best counsel and the highest in station were those who gave the best solidarity and support.'30

Imam H{usayn relates: 'Then I asked my father about his gatherings. He said: 'Whenever the Apostle of God sat down to a meeting or stood up from one he would always be in remembrance of God, glory be to His name. Whenever he sat with some people he would always stay until the end of the gathering and would order others to do the same. He would give each of those present his due so that everyone would think that they were the most honoured person present. Whenever he sat with someone or stood with him regarding a matter, he would wait patiently until the other person was

30 mak"rim al-akhl"q; p.13

satisfied and left. If anyone asked him for anything he would either give him what he asked or speak to him some kind words. His openness and good manners enveloped the people and he was to them as a father and to him they all had equal rights. His gatherings were gatherings of kindness and modesty, patience and trust, where voices were not raised and sanctity was not trampled upon. There the people vied with each other to be the most just and the most virtuous and God- conscious. They would respect the elders and treat the young with mercy and give preference to those in need and protect the stranger.'31

Imam H{usayn also relates that his father said: 'The Apostle of God was constantly smiling, and very easy to get along with.

He was not uncouth or hard-hearted, loud voiced or immodest. He would not seek to find faults with people nor to flatter people.

He would ignore and avoid that which he did not like, but [no one] would lose hope from him nor would he disappoint anyone.

He forbade himself three things: showing off, excess in anything and [interfering in] those things which did not concern him.

He held back three things from the people: he would not condemn or rebuke anyone, nor would he seek out another's secrets, and would only speak in matters in which he sought a divine reward.

31 ibid; p.14

When he spoke his companions lowered their heads as though birds had landed upon them32 and when he fell silent they spoke. They would not vie with each other to speak, and when he spoke they would pay attention until he had finished. They spoke with him as they spoke normally; he would laugh with them when they laughed and be amazed when they were amazed. He would bear the uncouth language and questions of a stranger with patience.

He would say: 'If you see someone in need then aid him'. He would not accept praise except from his equals. He would never interrupt another person when he was speaking until he asked permission or until the speech had ended or the other person stood up to leave.33

It is related that Zayd ibn Th"bit said: 'When we sat with the Prophet and we began to talk about the afterlife he would join in with us. If we began to talk about worldly affairs he would also join in with us. If we began to speak about food and drink he would also join in with us.'34 It is related that Imam Ali said: 'The Apostle of God, may Allah bless him and his family, whenever he saw that one of his companions was dejected he would joke with him to delight him.'35

Anas said: 'Whenever the Apostle of God he passed by some children would always greet them.'36

32 A figure of speech, depicting their motionlessness and attentiveness 33 mak"rim al-akhl"q; p 14 34 bi9"r al-anw"r (Oceans of Lights); vol.16, p.235 35 sunan al-nab:; p.60

36 mak"rim al-akhl"q; p.16

Asm"' daughter of Zayd relates: 'The Prophet passed by some women and greeted them.'37 Whenever any of his companions or anyone else called him he always said: 'At your service.'38 He would always call his companions by their kunyas39 to honour them and win their hearts over and would always give a kunya to those who did not have one after which that person would be known by this kunya. He would also give kunyas to the ladies who had children and those who did not. He would also give kunyas to youngsters to soften their hearts.'40

The Apostle of God was among the most courteous of people. He would not hold back on cold mornings from going to a male or female servant or a child and washing their face and hands for them. Whenever someone asked him something he always paid attention and would always wait until the other person left so that he himself would not be the first to leave. Whenever someone offered him his hand he would accept it.41

His Humility

Ibn Abb"s relates: 'The Apostle of God, may Allah bless him and his family, would sit upon the earth, and eat upon the earth. He would milk the ewe, and respond to the invitation

37 bi9"r al-anw"r; vol.16, p.229, 9ad:th35, chap.9. 38 sunan al-nab:; p.52. 39 Agnomens. Usually of the form AbY' or Omm' so-and-so, the father or mother of so-and-so. Translator 40 sunan al-nab:; p.52. 41 bi9"r al-anw"r; vol.16, p.228, Beirut edn.

[to food] of the freeman and the slave even for the simple trotter meal.'42 Imam £"diq peace be upon him relates: 'Whenever the Apostle of God entered a meeting place he would always sit in the lowliest place in the gathering.'43

The prophet's wife was asked: 'What does the Prophet do in private?' She said: 'He sews his clothes and mends his shoes and does what a man usually does when he is with his wife.'44

He used to say: 'There are five things I will not stop doing until I die; eating on the floor with the servants, riding on the saddle of a donkey, milking goats with my hand, wearing wool, and greeting children, so that these may become traditions [of humility for others] after I am gone.'45

Im"m H{asan, peace be upon him, in a tradition about the manners of the Apostle of God says: 'No, I swear by Almighty God that he would never lock himself behind doors, nor let doormen or guards keep him concealed, he would not be occupied by being served with morning or afternoon meals, . . . but rather he was in full view. Whoever wished to meet the Prophet of God could do so. He would sit upon the ground and place his food on the ground and wear rough clothes and ride upon a donkey and let others ride behind him...'46

42 ibid. p 227, chap.9, 9ad:th 34. 43 ibid; p.240 44 mak"rim al-akhl"q; p.16, Beirut edn. 45 bi9"r al-anw"r; vol.16, p.220, chap.9, 9ad:th 11. 46 ibid. vol. 16, p.228

It is related that Ibn Ab: Awf" said: 'The Apostle of God did not disdain or consider himself to be above walking with widows or paupers and fulfilling their needs.'47 Anas ibn M"lik relates: 'No-one was more beloved to his companions than the Apostle of God. When they saw him they would never stand up as they knew how much he hated that.'48

The Symbol of Love and Blessings

'When he spoke those present would lower their heads as though birds had landed upon them and when he fell silent they would speak and they would not vie with each other to speak.'49

Orwah ibn Mas!Yd al-Thaqaf: described the depth of the Muslims' love for the Apostle of God and their commitment and obedience to him, when the Quraysh sent him as a legate regarding the question of the peace treaty of al-H{odayb:yah. Orwah said addressing the Quraysh: 'O people, I swear by Almighty God that I have been in the presence of kings, and I have been in the presence of the Caesar of Rome and the Chosroe of Persia and the Negus of Abyssinia, but, by God, I have never seen a king whose companions revere him as the companions of Muhammad revere him. When he orders them they make haste to implement his orders. When he performs his ablutions they almost kill each other [seeking blessings from] the water of his ablutions. When he speaks they lower

47 ibid. p. 437 48 bi9"r al-anw"r; vol.16, p.229, chap.9, 9ad:th 35 49 mak"rim al-akhl"q; p.15

their voices and they do not stare at him out of reverence for him.'50 Anas ibn M"lik relates: 'I saw the Apostle of God when the barber was cutting his hair. His companions had surrounded him seeking to catch his hair in their hands as it fell.'51

It is related that Im"m al-Ri+", peace be upon him, said: 'I heard my father relating from his father, from my great grandfather from J"bir ibn Abdull"h AnN"ri52, who said: 'The Apostle of God was in a tent of leather. I saw Bilal of Abyssinia53 who had just come out with the leftover water from the Apostle of God's ablutions. The people rushed to him and whoever succeeded in getting some would wipe his face with it. Whoever did not get any would take it from the hand of his companion and wipe his face with it.'54

Anas ibn M"lik said: 'I served the Apostle of God for some years and he never swore at me ever, nor did he ever hit me, nor did he rebuke me, nor did he frown in my face, nor did he reproach me for being tardy in carrying out his orders. If

50 bi9"r al-anw"r; vol.20, p.332, chap.20 51 ibid. vol. 17, p.32, chap.14, 9ad:th 14.

52 J"bir ibn Abdull"h AnN"ri was one of the devout and loyal companions of the Prophet Muhammad who went on to live long enough to meet the Prophet's fifth appointed successor, Imam B"qir, as foretold by the Prophet - some seventy years after the Prophet's death As well as to Imam Ali at the time of the Messenger of God, J"bir paid homage of allegiance to every one of the Prophet's successors he met. J"bir is considered as one of the reliable narrators of the Prophetic hadith 53 Bilal was a black African slave who was bought off by the Prophet from his Quraysh masters and set free, and he went on to become the Prophet's assistant.

54 bi9"r al-anw"r; vol. 17, p 33, chap. 14, 9ad:th 14. Beirut edn.

anyone of his wives reproached me he would say: 'Let him be, for if a thing is ordained it will be.'55

His Clement and Forgiving Nature

It is related that Anas said: 'I was walking with the Apostle of God and he was wearing a rough cloak from Najr"n. A Bedouin Arab approached him and pulled him so violently by his cloak that I saw that the Apostle of God's shoulder had been marked by the rough cloak. Then the man said: 'O Muhammad, give me some of God's wealth that you have!' The Apostle of God turned to him and laughed and ordered a gift for him.'56

During one of the battles, one of his companions said to him:

'Invoke God against the Polytheists!' The Prophet said: 'I have been sent as a mercy and guidance and have not been sent to curse people.'57 The Apostle of God used to say: 'My Lord has enjoined upon me seven things: he has enjoined upon me sincerity in secret and in public, and that I forgive those who have wronged me, and that I give to those who have withheld from me, and that I maintain bonds with those who cut off from me, and that my times of silence are spent in thought, and that whatever I see I derive a lesson from it.'58

When he left the tribe of Thuqayf after having been insulted and tormented by them one of his companions said: 'O Apostle of God, invoke God against them.' He said: 'O God,

55 ibid. vol. 16, chap. 9 56 bi9"r al-anw"r; vol.16, p.230, chap.9, 9ad:th 35. 57 The White Path (al-ma9ajjah al-bay+"'); vol.4, p.129. Second Edition. 58 sunan al-nab:; p.71

give guidance to the tribe of Thuqayf and bring them to us [so that they learn Islam].'

In another account it is said: 'The Prophet never struck a woman or a servant and indeed, he never struck a single thing with his hand except when he was fighting in the way of Almighty God. If ever he was harmed he would never take revenge on the person who had harmed him except when something sacrosanct of his had been desecrated, then he would take action.

It is related that Im"m H{asan said: 'The Apostle of God would not be angered by the mundane world or the matters belonging to it, but if the truth was transgressed against then nothing could withstand his anger until he could succour it. He would not become angry for his own affair nor would he succour it.'59

His Steadfastness

The Apostle of God was persevering and steadfast to the utmost degree. For example, when AbY ?"lib informed him of what the Quraysh had been plotting for him and for the Clan of H"shim in general he said: 'O uncle, if they were to put the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left hand on condition that I forgo this mission, I would not forgo it until God makes it prevail or I perish in the process.'60 He would encourage the first Muslims to stand up to opposition and to stay with the truth and would say: 'There were those before you whose flesh and nerves would be raked

59 mak"rim al-akhl"q; p.13. 60 Ibn Ath:r; al-k"mil f: al-ta'r:kh; vol.1, p.587, Beirut edition.

to the bone with steel rakes and they would not relinquish their religion, and saws would be placed upon the middle of their heads and they would be sawn in two and they would not relinquish their religion. God will fulfil this mission until one will be able to ride from £ana!" to H{a+ramaut fearing nothing but God and the wolf for his flocks, but you are too hasty.'61

When he visited the city of al-?"'if, he was treated in the worst possible manner by the people of the city, who incited the children and slaves against him and they began stoning him until wherever he put his foot there was a stone, and they split open his head and wounded his body. However he did no more than pray and supplicate to Almighty God saying: 'O God, to you I complain of my weakness and my lack of means and my insignificance in the eyes of the people, O Most Merciful One, you are the Lord of the enfeebled ones and you are my Lord. To whom will you deliver me? To an enemy from afar who is scowling at me or an enemy whom you have given dominion over my affair? As long as your anger is not upon me then I do not care, although your protection I prefer.'62

His most difficult days were during the battles of O9ud and the Confederates (al-A9z"b). In the battle of O9ud the Muslims were routed by the forces of polytheism after they had disobeyed the orders given by the Prophet Muhammad. No-one remained at the heart of the fighting except the Apostle of God, Imam Ali, and certain sincere companions. The Prophet was severely injured; his nose was broken and his face was split open and he lost copious blood until false

61 bi9"r al-anw"r; vol.18, p.210. 62 bi9"r al-anw"r; vol.19, p.17, chap.5, 9ad:th 9.

news spread that he had died. Despite this however, he remained steadfast until God put an end to the adversity.

In the campaign of the Confederates, the believers were under extreme pressure which the Holy Qur'an speaks of saying: eAnd when they came upon you from above you and from below you and when your eyes trembled and your hearts came into your mouths and you began to have doubtful thoughts about God. There the believers were tested and were shaken most severely f63

The Muslims were in danger of being annihilated by the army of the Confederates who had lain siege to Medina, and the Apostle of God witnessed all this, which was of such severity that the perseverance of great men vanquished before it. However, the Apostle of God remained steadfast and optimistic of victory during this trial and rose above it with his endurance, and by this he gave hope to the believers and raised their spirits and gave them strength and strengthened their trust in Almighty God. He made plans to confront the situation with the utmost poise and determination until God gave victory to His servant and Apostle, and defeated the Confederates Himself.

His Abstinence

The Apostle of God was a supreme example in abstinence. It is related that Ibn Abb"s said: 'Once, Omar entered into the presence of the Apostle of God who was seated upon a mat of straw fibres which had left marks upon his side. Omar said: 'O Prophet of God, it would be better if you got a couch for yourself!' He said: 'What have I got to do with this mundane

63 The Holy Qur'an: The Confederates (33): 11.

world? As far as myself and this world are concerned, I am like a rider who has travelled on a hot summer's day and taken shade below a tree for an hour or so and then left it and continued his journey.'64

Ibn Abb"s also said: 'The Apostle of God used to go without eating every other night and his family could find nothing to eat. Mostly their bread was of barley.'65

It is related that once he washed his robe and was without a robe [until it dried], or he gave his clothes to a poor person and was without clothes himself as he did not own another robe so he covered himself with a straw mat.

In certain Qur'anic commentaries it is said that the meaning of God's words: e?"h" We sent not this Qur'an down upon you so that you might become distressed f66 is that you are not required to be so harsh with yourself to the extent that you don't have more than one set of clothes to your name so that when you give your clothes to a poor person or wash your clothes you are without clothes and have to cover yourself with straw matting. This was an indication from God that He would be pleased with the Prophet even if he was less of a paradigm.