Written by : Saifur Rahma
The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was noted for superb eloquence and
fluency in Arabic. He was remarkable in position and rank. He was an
accurate, unpretending straightforward speaker. He was well-versed in Arabic
and quite familiar with the dialects and accents of every tribe. He
spoke with his entertainers using their own accents and dialects. He
mastered and was quite eloquent at both bedouin and town speech. So he had
the strength and eloquence of bedouin language as well as the clarity
and the decorated splendid speech of town. Above all, there was the
assistance of Allâh embodied in the revealed verses of the Qur'ân.
His stamina, endurance and forgiveness - out of a commanding position -
his patience and standing what he detested - these were all talents,
attributes and qualities Allâh Himself had brought him on. Even wise men
have their flaws, but the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him),
unlike everybody, the more he was hurt or injured, the more clement and
patient he became. The more insolence an ignorant anybody exercised against
him the more enduring he became.
'Aishah said:
"The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) , whenever he is given
the opportunity to choose between two affairs, he always chooses the
easiest and the most convenient. But if he is certain that it is sinful,
he will be as far as he could from it. He has never avenged himself; but
when the sanctity of Allâh is violated he would. That would be for
Allâh's not for himself. He is the last one to get angry and the first to
be satisfied. His hospitality and generosity were matchless. His gifts
and endowments manifest a man who does not fear poverty."
Ibn'Abbas said: "The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was the most generous.
He is usually most generous of all times in Ramadan, the times at which
the angel Gabriel (Peace be upon him) comes to see him. Gabriel used to
visit him every night of Ramadan and review the Qur'ân with him. Verily
the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) is more generous at giving
bounty or charity than the blowing wind."
Jabir said:
"The Prophet (Peace be upon him) would never deny anything he was asked
for."
His courage, his succour and his might are distinguishable. He was the
most courageous. He witnessed awkward and difficult times and stoodfast
at them. More than once brave men and daring ones fled away leaving him
alone; yet he stood with full composure facing the enemy without
turning his back. All brave men must have experienced fleeing once or have
been driven off the battlefield at a round at a time except the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) 'Ali said: "Whenever the fight grew fierce and the
eyes of fighters went red, we used to resort to the Prophet (Peace be
upon him) for succour. He was always the closest to the enemy."
Anas said: "One night the people of Madinah felt alarmed. People went
out hurriedly towards the source of sound, but the Prophet (Peace be
upon him) had already gone ahead of them. He was on the horseback of Abu
Talhah which had no saddle over it, and a sword was slung round his
neck, and said to them: 'There was nothing to be afraid for.'"
He was the most modest and the first one to cast his eyes down. Abu
Sa'îd Al-Khudri : "He was shier than a virgin in her boudoir. When he
hates a thing we read it on his face. He does not stare at anybody's face.
He always casts his eyes down. He looks at the ground more than he
looks sky-wards. His utmost looks at people are glances. He is willingly
and modestly obeyed by everybody. He would never name a person whom he
had heard ill-news about - which he hated. Instead he would say: 'Why do
certain people do so....'"
Al-Farazdaq verse of poem fits him very much and the best one to be
said of:
"He casts his eyes modestly but the eyes of others are cast down due
to his solemnity, and words issue out of his mouth only while he is
smiling."
The Prophet ??? ???? ???? ???? is the most just, the most decent, the
most truthful at speech, and the honestest of all. Those who have
exchanged speech with him, and even his enemies, acknowledge his noble
qualities. Even before the Prophet hood he was nicknamed Al-Ameen (i.e. the
truthful, the trustworthy). Even then - in Al-Jahiliyah - they used to
turn to him for judgement and consultation. In a version by At-Tirmidhi,
he says that 'Ali had said that he had been told by Abu Jahl that he
(Abu Jahl) said to the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him): "We do not
call you a liar; but we do not have faith in what you have brought." In
His Book, Allâh, the Exalted, said about them:
"It is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses (the Qur'ân) of
Allâh that the Zalimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers) deny." [6:33]
Even when Heraclius asked Abu Sufyan: "Have you ever accused him of
lying before the ministry of Prophethood?" Abu Sufyan said: "No."
He was most modest and far from being arrogant or proud. He forbade
people to stand up at his presence as other people usually do for their
kings
Visiting the poor, the needy and entertaining them are some of his
habits. If a slave invited him, he would accept the invitation. He always
sat among his friends as if he were an ordinary person of them. 'Aishah
said that he used to repair his shoes, sew or mend his dress and to do
what ordinary men did in their houses. After all, he was a human being
like others. He used to check his dress (lest it has some insects on).
Milking the she-sheep and catering for himself were some of his normal
jobs. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was the most truthful to his
pledges, and it is one of his qualities to establish good and steady
relationship with his relatives - 'Silat-Ar-Rahim'. He is the most merciful,
gentle and amiable to all people. His way of living is the simplest
one. Ill-manners and indecency are two qualities completely alien to him.
He was decent, and did not call anybody names. He was not the sort of
person who cursed or made noise in the streets. He did not exchange
offences with others. He pushed back an offence or an error by forgiveness
and overlooking. Nobody was allowed to walk behind him (i.e. as a
bodyguard). He did not feel himself superior to others not even to his
slaves (men or women) as far as food or clothes were concerned.
Whoever served him should be served by him too. 'Ugh' (an utterance of
complaint) is a word that had never been said by him to his servant;
nor was his servant blamed for doing a thing or leaving it undone. Loving
the poor and the needy and entertaining them or participating in their
funerals were things the Prophet (Peace be upon him) always observed.
He never contempted or disgraced a poor man for his poverty. Once he was
travelling with his Companions and when it was time to have food
prepared, he asked them to slaughter a she-sheep. A man said: I will
slaughter it, another one said: I will skin it out. A third said: I will cook
it. So the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) said: I will collect
wood for fire. They said: "No. We will suffice you that work." "I know
that you can do it for me, but I hate to be privileged. Allâh hates to
see a slave of his privileged to others." So he went and collected
fire-wood.
Let us have some of the description of Hind bin Abi Halah: "The
Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) was continually sad, thinking
perpetually. He had no rest (i.e. for long). He only spoke when it was
necessary. He would remain silent for a long time and whenever he spoke, he
would end his talk with his jawbone but not out of the corners of his
mouth, i.e. (snobbishly). His speech was inclusive. He spoke inclusively and
decisively. It was not excessive nor was it short of meaning. It was
amiable. It was in no way hard discoroning. He glorified the bounty of
Allâh; even if it were little. If he had no liking for someone's food, he
would neither praise nor criticize.
He was always in full control of his temper and he would never get
seemed angry unless it was necessary. He never got angry for himself nor
did he avenge himself. It was for Allâh's sanctity and religion that he
always seemed angry.
When he pointed at a thing he would do so with his full hand-palm, and
he would turn it round to show surprise. If he were angry he would turn
both his body and face aside. When he was pleased, he cast his eyes
down. His laughter was mostly smiling. It was then that his teeth which
were like hail-stones were revealed.
He never spoke unless it was something closely relevant to him. He
confirmed the brotherhood relationship among his Companions; and thus he
made them intimate and did not separate them or implant enmity among
them. Those who were honourable with their peoples, were honoured and
respected by him and were assigned rulers over their own peoples. His
cheerfulness was never withdrawn at anyone's face; even at those whom he
warned his people from or those whom he himself was on the alert of. He
visited friends and inquired about people's affairs. He confirmed what was
right and criticized the awful and tried to undermine it. He was
moderate in all affairs. He was equal to others and was not privileged. He
would never act heedlessly, lest the others should get heedless. Each
situation was dealt with in its proper due.
Righteousness was his target; so he was never short of it nor
indifferent to it. People who sat next to him were the best of their people and
the best of them all were - for him - those who provided common
consultations. For him, the greatest ones and the highest in ranks were the
best at providing comfort and co-ordination and succour. Remembrance (of
Allâh) was a thing he aimed at and established whenever he sat down or
stands up. No certain position was assigned for him to sit on. He sits
at the end of the group, seated next to the last sitter in the place.
He ordered people to do the same. He entertained his participiants in
social gatherings alike so that the one addressed would think that there
was no one honoured by the Prophet (Peace be upon him) but himself. He
whoever sat next to him or interrupted him in order to ask for his
advice about an affair of his, would be the first to start the talk and the
one to end it. The Prophet (Peace be upon him) would listen to him
patiently till he ended his speech. He never denied a request to anyone, if
unapproachable, then few gratifying words would work, instead.
His magnanimity, broad mindedness his tolerance could embrace all
people and entitled him to be regarded as father for them all. In justice,
all of them were almost equal. Nobody was better than another except on
the criterion of Allâh fearing. A favoured one, to him, was the most
Allâh fearing. His assembly was a meeting of clemency, timidness,
patience and honesty. Voices were not raised in rows or riots. Inviolable
things were never violable. Fearing Allâh and worship were their means to
sympathy and compassion. They used to esteem the old and have mercy on
the young. They assisted the needy and entertained strangers.
The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him) was always cheerful, easy,
pleasant-tempered and lenient. He was never rude or rough nor clamorous
or indecent. He was neither a reproacher nor a praiser. He overlooked
what he did not desire, yet you would never despair of him. Three
qualities he disposed of: hypocrisy, excessiveness, and what was none of his
concern. People did not fear him in three area: - for they were not
qualities or habits of his -: He never disparaged, or reproached nor did
he seek the defects or shortages of others. He only spoke things whose
reward was Divinely desirable. When he spoke, his listeners would
attentively listen casting down their heads. They only spoke when he was
silent. They did not have disputes or arguments about who was to talk. He
who talked in his presence would be listened to by everybody till he
finished his talk. Their talk would be about the topic discussed or
delivered by their first speaker. The Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him)
used to laugh at what they laughed at and admired what they used to
admire. He would always show patience with a stranger's harshness at talk.
He used to say:
"When you see a person seeking an object earnestly, assist him to
get his need. And never ask for a reward except from the reward-Giver,
i.e. Allâh."
Kharijah bin Zaid said: "The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was the most
honored among the people with whom he sat. His limbs could hardly be
seen. He was often silent and rarely talked when speech was not a
necessity. He turned away from those whose speech was rude or impolite. His
laughter was no more than a smile. His speech, which was decisive, it was
neither excessive nor incomplete. Out of reverence and esteem and
following the example of their Prophet (Peace be upon him), the Companions'
laughter at his presence - was smiling, as well."
On the whole the Prophet (Peace be upon him) was ornamented with
peerless attributes of perfection. No wonder to be like that for he was
brought up, educated and taught (the Qur'ân) by Allâh. He was even praised
by Allâh:
"And verily, you [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) ] are on an exalted
standard of character." [68:4]
Those were the attributes and qualities that the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) enjoyed which made the hearts of souls of the people close to him,
draw near to him and love him. Those traits made him so popular that
the restraint and enmity of his people grew less and they started to
embrace Islam in large crowds.
This description is in fact no more than a rapid review or rather short
brief lines of Muhammad's (Peace be upon him) aspects of full
perfection. Trying to encompass the whole perfect picture of the Prophet (Peace
be upon him). No one can ever claim to be possessed of full knowledge
or complete mastery of the great attributes of the greatest man in this
universe. No one can ever give this man, the top of perfection, his due
descrpition. He was a man who always sought Allâh's light, to such an
extent that he was wholly imbued with the Qur'ânic approach.
O Allâh! send your blessings (and the Holy Words of Yours) upon
Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as You have send blessings upon
Ibrâhim and the family of Ibrâhim. You are worthy of all praise, All
Glorious.
O Allâh! bless Muhammad and the family of Muhammad as You have already
blessed Ibrâhim and the family of Ibrâhim. You are worthy of all
praise, All Glorious.
Shaik Sadik
O Allah! The (only) Creator of the heavens and the earth! You are my
Wali (Protector, Helper, Supporter, Guardian, etc.) in this world and in
the Hereafter, cause me to die as a Muslim (the one submitting to Your
Will), and join me with the righteous."
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