You don't know him
Who Is This Man ?
This is a man whose character miraculously affects a broad spectrum of people to this very day, from all backgrounds and races. The number of people his life has affected cannot be counted . From black to white, rich to poor, educated and uneducated, woman and man alike.
So who is this person ?
He was a man born as an orphan, his father died before he was born and then he lost his mother when he was very very young.
A man who was loved by his tribesmen until he challenged their corruption.
A man who chose to live in poverty so that others may eat.
A man who spoke clearly and unequivocally against extremism of all forms.
A man who once gave a valley full of livestock away in charity without even counting.
A man who ordered for the eggs of a bird be returned to its nest after the mother flew over the heads of his companions complaining.
A man who asked about the health of a woman who used to leave rubbish at his door so that when it wasn't there he was concerned for her.
He was insulted and assaulted but was patient and forbearing and almost always forgave.
He was the man who never refused a request for wealth or help so much so that once a man asked for the very shirt on his back and he at once handed it over and gave it to the man.
Who is this man ?
He is the man who would accept the request of the children in the street and help them with whatever they needed , once tenderly consoling a child when the child's pet bird passed away.
The man who spoke clearly against all forms of domestic violence he never even came close to hitting a child, even slightly as a reprimand.
The man who was known by the titles 'the trustworthy' and 'the honest' even by his enemies .
The man who stood at night and prayed for humanity with tears flowing so much that they soaked his beard and even the floor beneath his blessed feet.
He was patient when his uncle who looked after him like his own son passed away, he was patient when that same year his loving and supporting wife died .
He was the man who freed slaves and called others to do so.
The man who even forgave those who killed his relative .
The man who resolutely defended the weak and oppressed
He is the man who when his son died and was asked about his tears explained that crying was a mercy from God.
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The man who when he asked to curse a people rather asked God to guide them.
The man who slept on the floor on a mattress made from straw, in spite of the fact that he was a leader of a nation.
He was the man who was patient when hypocrites maligned and accused his wife of foul behaviour .
His name's meaning became known as true through his kind and generous actions.
He is the man who when stones were thrown at him bleeding profusely he rather asked God to spare the people rather than destroy them, even though angels were sent to him ready to carry out the destruction of the town.
The man who said that he would accept any invitation to eat at anyone's home even if it was to eat the foot of a sheep.
He was called by God almighty 'a mercy to creation' and as for this amazing mans name, His name was Muhammad ﷺ
Peace and blessings be upon him
His name means the praised one.
God almighty said about him in the Quran :
“And you are on a tremendous standard of character.” Meaning of The Qur’an, Chapter 68, Verse 4
Following are just some examples of the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
MERCY & COMPASSION
“ The Most Merciful shows mercy to those who are themselves merciful (to others). So show mercy to whatever is on earth, then He who is in heaven will show mercy to you.”[9]
“God is compassionate and loves compassion.”[10]
“He is not of us who has no compassion for our little ones and does not honour our elders.”[11]
“May God have mercy on a man who is kind when he buys, when he sells, and when he makes a demand.”[12]
AGAINST EXTREMISM
"Those who go to extremes are doomed" repeating it thrice. Muslim
Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well, and that if they do wrong you will do wrong to them. Instead, accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and not to do wrong (even) if they do evil.” (Al- Tirmidhi
Love the one you love only so much, for he could turn into someone you hate one day. And hate the one you hate only so much, for he could one day turn into someone you love”
Tirmidhi
"Do good deeds properly, sincerely and moderately. . .Always adopt a middle, moderate, regular course, whereby you will reach your target (of paradise)." - Sahih Al-Bukhari, Volume 8, Hadith 470
He was never given the choice between two things but he would choose the easier of the two, so long as it was not a sin; if it was a sin he would be the furthest of the people from it Narrated by al-Bukhaari
(Extremists) These would be a people who would recite the Qur'an with their tongues and it would not go beyond their collar bones. They would pass clean through their religion just as the arrow passes through the prey.
Muslim
The Khawaarij (those extremists who kill innocent people etc.) are the dogs of Hell.” Ibn majah
He forbade the cutting of trees , the killing of women and children and those in houses of worship and killing of animals except for essential food. (Part from muwatta Imam malik)
Do you want have to kill the animal twice (by scaring it by sharpening the blade)
Tabarani
The one who kills an innocent person will not smell the scent of paradise
Bukhari
Don't get angry, don't get angry, don't get angry
Bukhari
Gentleness is never in something except it adds to it harshness is never in something except that it makes it deficient
Adab al mufrad
CONTENTMENT & SPIRITUALITY
“Richness is not having many possessions. Rather, true richness is the richness of the soul.”[13]
“Indeed, God does not look towards your bodies nor towards your appearances. But, He looks towards your hearts.”[14]
“Do not talk too much without remembrance of God. Indeed excessive talking without remembrance of God hardens the heart. And indeed the furthest of people from God are the harsh-hearted.”[15]
“Be mindful of God, you will find Him before you. Get to know God in prosperity and He will know you in adversity. Know that what has passed you by was not going to befall you; and that what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship.”[16]
“God, the Exalted, has said: ‘O son of Adam, I forgive you as long as you pray to Me and hope for My forgiveness, whatever sins you have committed. O son of Adam, I do not care if your sins reach the height of the heaven, then you ask for my forgiveness, I would forgive you. O son of Adam, if you come to Me with an earth load of sins, and meet Me associating nothing to Me, I would match it with an earth load of forgiveness.’”[18]
LOVE
“By the one who has my soul in His hand, you will not enter the Garden until you believe, and you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I point out to you something, which will make you love one another if you do it? Make the greeting of peace widespread amongst you.”[20]
“The servant does not reach the reality of faith until he loves for the people what he loves for himself of goodness.”[21]
“Love for the people what you love for yourself and you will be a believer. Behave well with your neighbours and you will be a Muslim.”[22]
“There have come to you the diseases of the nations before you: envy and hatred, and hatred is the razor. It shaves the religion and it does not shave hair. By the one in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, you will not believe until you love one another. Shall I tell you something which, if you did, you would love each other? Spread peace between yourselves.”[23]
“None of you has faith until he loves for the people what he loves for himself.”[24]
“When a man loves his brother he should tell him that he loves him.”[25]
“Love for the people what you love for yourself.”[26]
COMMUNITY & PEACE
“What sort of deeds or traits of Islam are good?” The Messenger of God replied: “To feed others, and to greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know.”[27]
“He who makes peace between the people by inventing good information or saying good things, is not a liar.”[28]
“By God, he does not (truly) believe! By God, he does not (truly) believe! By God, he does not (truly) believe! Someone asked: ‘Who, o Messenger of God?’ He said: ‘He whose neighbour is not safe from his mischief.’”[29]
“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white except by piety and good action.”[30]
“The believer is not he who eats his fill while his neighbour is hungry.”[31]
CHARITY & HUMANITARIANISM
“God almighty said: “Spend (i.e. on charity), O son of Adam, and I shall spend on you.”[32]
“Charity does not diminish wealth.”[33]
“Visit the sick, feed the hungry and free the captives.”[34]
“Make things easy, and do not make them difficult, and give good tidings and do not make people run away.”[35]
“Every act of goodness is charity.”[37]
CHARACTER & MANNERS
“The believers who show the most perfect faith are those who have the best character, and the best of you are those who are best to their wives.”[38]
“(God) has revealed to me that you should adopt humility so that no one oppresses another.”[39]
“He who truly believes in God and the last Day, should speak good or keep silent.”[41]
“The best among you is he who has the best manners.”[42]
“The strong man is not the one who is strong in wrestling, but the one who controls himself in anger.”[44]
ENVIRONMENT AND ANIMALS
“If the Hour (the day of Resurrection) is about to be established and one of you was holding a palm shoot, let him take advantage of even one second before the Hour is established to plant it.”[45]
“If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charity for him.”[46]
“Removing harmful things from the road is an act of charity.”[47]
The companions asked the Prophet Muhammad , ‘O God’s Messenger! Is there a reward for us in caring for the animals?” He replied: “There is a reward for caring for any living being.”[48]
“Whoever kills a sparrow or anything bigger than that without a just cause, God will hold him accountable on the Day of Judgment.”[49]
“A prostitute saw a dog lolling around a well on a hot day and hanging his tongue from thirst. She drew some water for it in her shoe, so God forgave her.”[50]
Here are some examples of the qualities of the character of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:
FORBEARANCE, FORGIVENESS AND COMPASSION
After Makkah the conquest of Makkah , people who previously had tortured his companions and fought him in battle said to him by Allah Allah preferred you over us , he responded , no reproach for you on this day may Allah forgive you and He is the most merciful of those who show mercy" ( He quoted from the Quran surah yusuf )
Anas Ibn Malik said,
“I served the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, for ten years and he never said ‘Uff!’ to me. He did not say about anything I had done, ‘Why did you do it?’ or about anything I had not done, ‘Why didn’t you do it?’”[53]
Anas said,
“I was with the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, when he was wearing a thick cloak. a bedouin pulled him so violently by his cloak that the edge of the cloak made a mark on the side of his neck. Then he said, ‘Muhammad! Let me load up these two camels of mine with the property of God you have in your possession! You will not let me load up from your property or your father’s property.’ The Prophet was silent and then he said, ‘Shall I take retaliation from you, bedouin, for what you have done to me?’ He repled, ‘No.’ The Prophet asked, ‘Why not?’ The bedouin replied, ‘Because you do not repay back a bad action with a bad action.’ The Prophet laughed and ordered that one camel be loaded up with barely and the other camel with dates.”[54]
Once a man demanding repayment for a debt seized hold of the Prophet Muhammad and behaved very badly. The Prophet’s companion was present and chased him off and spoke harshly to him. However the Prophet said,
“He and I needed something else from you. Command me to repay well and command him to ask for his debt well.”
The Prophet repaid the loan and added a gift more to it due to the fact that his companion alarmed him.
The man, known as Zayd Ibn Sa’na, later became a Muslim. Zayd explains,
“There were only two remaining signs of Prophethood which I had not yet recognised in Muhammad or notice: forbearance overcoming quick-temperedness and extreme ignorance only increasing him in forbearance. I tested him for these and I found him as described.”[55]
Anas Ibn Malik recalls the compassion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ towards children:
“I never saw anyone who was more compassionate towards children than God’s Messenger.” [56]
The Prophet’s companions were killed and tortured. He was boycotted, starved and abused. There were so many injustices and wrong committed against the Prophet and his followers. However when he peacefully regained Mecca, known as the conquest of Mecca, he delivered a universal forgiveness and pardon.
APPEARANCE AND APPROACHABILITY
Abdullah Ibn al-Harith said:
“I did not see anyone who smiled more than the Messenger of God.”[58]
Jaabir Ibn Samurah narrated:
“I saw the Messenger of God ﷺ on a brightly moonlit night wearing a red garment. Then I started looking at him and at the moon. And for me, he was more beautiful than the moon.”[60]
‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib narrated:
“Those who saw him suddenly stood in awe of him and those who shared his acquaintanceship loved him. Those who described him said they had never seen anyone like him before or since. ”[61]
HUMILITY AND MODESTY
“Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a Servant. So, call me the Servant of God and His Apostle.”[63]
The Prophet’s ﷺ wife, Aishah (may God be pleased with her) was asked:
“What did God’s messenger do at home?”
She said:
“He was like any other human being, cleaning and mending his garment, milking the goat, mending his shoes, serving himself, and be of service to his family, till he hears the call to prayer, then he goes out [to pray in the mosque].”[64]
“I am but a man like yourselves. I am prone to forget just as you are.”[65]
When the Prophet ﷺ saw a man trembling with fear when he saw him, he said to him:
“Relax I am not a king, I am the son of a woman from Quraysh [an Arab people] who would eat dried meat.”[66]
The Prophet ﷺ would invoke his lord saying:
“O God, make me live humbly and make me die humbly, and gather me among the humble on the day of resurrection.”[67]
Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri said,
“I saw the messenger of God ﷺ prostrating in mud and water such that I saw the marks of mud on his forehead.”[68]
Anas said,
“The Prophet ﷺ would be invited to eat barley bread and fat and he would accept it.”[69]
Aisha (may God be pleased with her) said,
“At our home (that is, the home of the Holy Prophet’s household), fire would not be kindled (sometimes) for a whole month; we subsisted merely on water and dates.”[70]
REFERENCES
Narrated by Bukhari
Narrated by Bukhari
Narrated by Muslim
Narrated by Tirmidhi
Narrated by Tirmidhi
Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim
Narrated by Tirmidhi
Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah
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Narrated by Ibn Hibban
Narrated by Ibn Majah
Narrated by Ahmad
Narrated by Ahmad
Narrated by Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi
Narrated by Bukhari, Tareekh al-Akhbar
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Narrated by Bukhari
Narrated by Ahmad and Tirmidhi
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Narrated by Bukhari, Muslim and Ahmad
Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim
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Narrated by An Nasai
many Taken from "who do you love" onereason.org credit to Andreas tzordis
