THE KINDNESS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)

THE KINDNESS OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)

Sent by: Br. Abu Munzir

The Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) taught love, kindness and compassion to his people, and was seen to be the most loving, kind, and compassionate of all of them. The Quraan mentions his kind and gentle behavior in these words:

فَبِمَا رَحۡمَةٖ مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمۡۖ وَلَوۡ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ ٱلۡقَلۡبِ لَٱنفَضُّواْ مِنۡ حَوۡلِكَۖ

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)

There are many instances that show his kindness and gentleness, especially to the weak and the poor. Hadhrat Anas, who was his helper, said:

خَدَمْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَشْرَ سِنِينَ، فَمَا قَالَ لِي أُفٍّ‏.‏ وَلاَ لِمَ صَنَعْتَ وَلاَ أَلاَّ صَنَعْتَ‏.‏

“I served the Prophet for ten years, and he never said to me, "Uf” (a minor harsh word denoting impatience) and never blamed me by saying, "Why did you do so or why didn’t you do so?” (Bukhari)

Once he said to his wife: "O ‘Ayeshah! Never turn away any needy man from your door empty-handed. O ‘Ayeshah! Love the poor; bring them near to you and Allah will bring you near to Him on the Day of Qiyaamah (Resurrection)”.

Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), the Almighty, is Kind, and the Prophet imitated Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s example by showing kindness to His servants and all creatures without any regard for their beliefs, color or region. The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ فِي الْأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ

“Allah is kind and He loves kindness in all matters.” (Bukhari)

His heart ached within him at the corrupt state of his fellow-Makkans and their rejection of One God, Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa). The Holy Quraan testifies to it in these words:

لَعَلَّكَ بَٰخِعٌ نَّفۡسَكَ أَلَّا يَكُونُواْ مُؤۡمِنِينَ (3)

“(O Prophet!) Perhaps you are going to let yourself collapse in grief because they do not believe.” (Ash-Shu’araa 26:3)

At another place Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) says:

فَلَعَلَّكَ بَٰخِعٌ نَّفۡسَكَ عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِمۡ إِن لَّمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهَٰذَا ٱلۡحَدِيثِ أَسَفًا (6)

“So, (O Prophet!) Perhaps you are going to kill yourself after them, out of grief, if they do not believe in this discourse.” (Al-Kahf 18:6)

And yet at another point, it is said in Quraan:

فَلَا تَذۡهَبۡ نَفۡسُكَ عَلَيۡهِمۡ حَسَرَٰتٍۚ

“So (let) not go out your soul for them (in) regrets.” (Faatir 35:8)

He took great interest in the welfare of all people, primarily in spiritual welfare that brightens the Aakhirah (Hereafter) and then the worldly wefare. The Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) imitated the attributes of the Lord Almighty and translated them into practice in the highest form possible for man. Kindness is an attribute of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), which has no limits. It is extensive and encompasses all things and all beings without discrimination. Likewise was the kindness of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam). He extended it to all beings, both animate and inanimate and benefited all without measure.

It is stated in Quraan:

لَقَدۡ جَآءَكُمۡ رَسُولٌ مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيۡهِ مَا عَنِتُّمۡ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيۡكُم بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ (128)

“Surely, there has come to you, from your midst, a Messenger who feels it very hard on him if you face a hardship, who is very anxious for your welfare, and for the believers he is very kind, very merciful.” (At-Taubah 9:128)

The Quraanic words for the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)’s kindness, رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ (Ra’oofun Raheern), are very intensive and comprehensive in meaning and convey the true nature and extent of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)’s kindness to people. The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said:

"‏ إِنَّ مِنْ أَبَرِّ الْبِرِّ صِلَةَ الرَّجُلِ أَهْلَ وُدِّ أَبِيهِ بَعْدَ أَنْ يُوَلِّيَ ‏”‏

"The finest act of goodness is the kind treatment of a person to the loved ones of his father after his death….. ” (Muslim)

The issue of treating friends well was also extended to include relations:

"‏ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يُبْسَطَ لَهُ فِي رِزْقِهِ، وَأَنْ يُنْسَأَ لَهُ فِي أَثَرِهِ، فَلْيَصِلْ رَحِمَهُ ‏”‏‏.

“Whoever is pleased that he be granted more wealth and that his lease of life be pro longed, then he should keep good relations with his Kith and kin.” (Bukhari)

He emphasized on this matter because Hadhrat Jarir bin ‘Abdullah Al-Bajali reported that once he declared:

"‏ مَنْ يُحْرَمِ الرِّفْقَ يُحْرَمِ الْخَيْرَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

"Whoever is deprived of gentleness, he is deprived of goodness.” (Ibne Maajah, 3687)

Bahz bin Hakeem, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather told him that he asked Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam): “Who most deserves (my) reverence?”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) replied:

"‏ أُمَّكَ ‏”

"Your mother.”

He asked: "Then who?”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) replied:

"‏ أُمَّكَ ‏”

“Your mother.”

He asked: "Then who?”

Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said:

"‏ أُمَّكَ ‏”

“Your mother.”

He asked: “Then who?”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) replied:

‏”‏ ثُمَّ أَبَاكَ ثُمَّ الأَقْرَبَ فَالأَقْرَبَ ‏”

“Then your father, then the nearest relatives, then the nearest relatives.” (At-Tirmizi)

He dwelled on the issue of treating orphans humanely as he stated that:

"‏ خَيْرُ بَيْتٍ فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ بَيْتٌ فِيهِ يَتِيمٌ يُحْسَنُ إِلَيْهِ وَشَرُّ بَيْتٍ فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ بَيْتٌ فِيهِ يَتِيمٌ يُسَاءُ إِلَيْهِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

“The best house among the Muslims is a house in which there is an orphan who is treated well. And the worst house among the Muslims is a house in which there is an orphan who is treated badly.” (Ibne Maajah)

This means that the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) cautioned his followers against general maltreatment of anyone regardless of his status. By extending good treatment from friends to relatives and then to neighbors, Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) made all humans interdependent as he emphasized in the following words:

اَلْخَلْقُ کُلُّہُمْ عِیَالُ اللّٰہِ فَأحَبُّ الْخَلْقِ عِنْدَ اللّٰہِ مَنْ اَحْسَنَ الٰی عِیَالِہ

"All creatures are Allah’s dependents, and those dearest to Allah are the ones who treat His dependants kindly.” (Baihaqi, Sho’ab ul Iman)

He emphasized the kind treatment of women again and again in his speeches. In his Farewell Sermon, the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) has made it clear:

"‏ اسْتَوْصُوا بِالنِّسَاءِ خَيْرًا

“I enjoin good treatment of women……” (Ibne Maajah)

A person said to the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam): "O Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam)! My relatives are such that although I cooperate with them, they cut me off; I am kind to them but they ill treat me.”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said this in reply: "So long as you continue as you are, Allah will always help you and He will protect you against their mischief” (Muslim)

This was not only a way of bringing comfort to the mind of the worried person but one of the communicative techniques of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) to assure whoever found himself in that situation to look up to Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa) to be consoled and protected. So it was pointless to preach vengeance to this kind of people suffering from this similar fate.

He was always counseling people to be good-hearted regardless of their sex, age or gender. Once Hadhrat Asmaa binte Abu Bakr’s mother, who was still an unbeliever, came to see her in Madinah al Munawwarah. She told this to the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) and said: "My mother has come to see me and she is expecting something from me. May I oblige her?”

The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said: "Yes, be kind to your mother.” (Muslim)

This attitude of the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) was equally extended to Hadhrat Zainab as-Saqafia, the wife of Hadhrat Abdullah ibne Mas’ood and an Ansari woman. She went to see the Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) and to inquire whether it would be a charity if they spent something on their husbands and on the orphans under their care. The Prophet (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) said:

"لَهَا أَجْرَانِ أَجْرُ الْقَرَابَةِ وَأَجْرُ الصَّدَقَةِ ‏”‏‏.‏

"….she will receive double rewards (for that): One for helping relatives, and the other for giving Charity.” (Bukhari)

There are many Ahaadeeth concerning his kindness to animals, birds and insects: "Allah prescribed kindness towards everything; so when you slaughter any animal, slaughter it well; when you sacrifice, make your sacrifice good. And let everyone sharpen his weapon and make it easy for his sacrificed animal” (Muslim)

He made this kind of statement to demonstrate his love for both humans and animals. In essence, Prophet Muhammad (SallAllaho Alaihe WaSallam) was equally showing his followers that he too is feels pain.