MANNERS OF PROPHET (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)

MANNERS OF PROPHET (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)

Sent by Br. Abu Yahya

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) says about His Last Prophet Hadhrat Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam):

فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ لِنْتَ لَهُمْ وَلَوْ كُنْتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانْفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ [آل عمران: 159]

“So, (O Prophet!) It is through mercy from Allah that you are gentle to them. Had you been rough and hard-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you” (Aale ‘Imraan 3: 159)

About himself the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "Allah has sent me as an apostle so that I may demonstrate perfection of character, refinement of manners and loftiness of deportment.” (Muwatta Imam Maalik and Musnad Imam Ahmed]

By nature the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) was gentle and kind hearted, always inclined to be gracious and to overlook the faults of others. Politeness and courtesy, compassion and tenderness, simplicity and humility, sympathy and sincerity were some of the keynotes of his character. In the cause of right and justice he could be resolute and severe but more often than not, his severity was tempered with generosity. He had charming manners which won him the affection of his followers and secured their devotion. Though virtual king of Arabia and an apostle of Allah, he never assumed an air of superiority. Not that he had to conceal any such vein by practice and artifice: with fear of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), sincere humility was ingrained in his heart. He used to say: "I am a Prophet of Allah but I do not know what will be my end.” (Bukhari – Kitaab ul Janaaiz)

In one of his sermons calculated to instill the fear of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) and the day of reckoning in the hearts of men, the Prophet Hadhrat Muhammad said: "O people of Quraish! Be prepared for the Aakhirah (Hereafter), I cannot save you from the punishment of Allah; O Bani Abd Manaf, I cannot save you from Allah; O Abbas, son of Abdul-Muttalib, I cannot protect you either; O Fatimah! Daughter of Muhammad! Even you I cannot save.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

He used to pray: "O Allah! I am but a man. If I hurt anyone in any manner, then forgive me and do not punish me.” (Musnad Ahmed Vol. 6, page 103)

He always received people with courtesy and showed respect to older people and stated: “One way of showing highness to Allah is to honor the elderly Muslim” (Ibne Maajah — Hadeeth 3712)

He would not deny courtesy even to wicked persons. It is stated that a person came to his house and asked permission for admission. The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) remarked that he was not a good person but might be admitted. When he came in and while he remained in the house, he was shown full courtesy. When he left, Mother of the Believers, Hadhrat ‘Ayeshah said: "You did not think well of this man, but you treated him so well.”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) replied: "He is a bad person in the sight of Allah who does not behave courteously and people shun his company because of his bad manners.” (Bukhari)

He was always the first to greet another and would not withdraw his hands from a handshake till the other man withdrew his hands. If one wanted to say something in his ears, he would not turn away till one had finished as reported in the books of Abu Daawood and At-Tirmizi. He did not like people to get up for him and used to say: "Let him, who likes people to stand up in his honor, he should seek a place in hell.” (Abu Daawood – Kitabul Adab)

He would himself, however, stand up when any dignitary came to him. He had stood up to receive the wet nurse who had reared him in infancy and had spread his own sheet for her. His foster brother was given similar treatment. He avoided sitting at a prominent place in a gathering, so much so that people coming in had difficulty in spotting him and had to ask which one was the Prophet Hadhrat Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam).

Quite frequently uncouth Bedouins accosted him in their own gruff and impolite manner but he never took offence. (Abu Daawood)

He used to visit the poorest of ailing persons and exhorted all Muslims to do likewise. (Bukhari — Attendance on ailing persons)

He would sit with the humblest of persons saying that righteousness alone was the criterion of one’s superiority over another. He invariably invited people be they slaves, servants or the poorest believers, to partake with him of his scanty meals. (At-Tirmizi)

Whenever he visited a person he would first greet him and then take his permission to enter the house. He advised the people to follow this manner and not to get annoyed if anyone declined to give permission, for it was quite likely the person concerned was busy otherwise and did not mean any disrespect.

There was no type of household work too low or too undignified for him. Hadhrat ‘Ayeshah has stated: "He always joined in household work and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes and sweep the floor. He would milk, tether, and feed his animals and do the household shopping.” (Bukhari, Shifaa Qadhi ‘Iyaadh)

He would not hesitate to do the menial work of others, particularly of orphans and widows. (An-Nasa’ee, Ad-Darimi)

Once when there was no male member in the house of his Sahaabi (Companion) Hadhrat Khabbab bin al-Arat who had gone to the battlefield, he used to go to his house daily and milk his cattle for the inhabitants. (Ibne Sa’ad Vol. 6 page 213)