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The
manners and morals of Muhammad
"We
sent you not (O Muhammad), but as a Mercy for all
creatures."
The noble Qur'an,
Al-Anbiya(21):107
In order to understand
the message of Islam, it is first necessary to acquaint
ourselves with the prophet of Islam. You cannot, as the
popular saying goes, separate the message from the
messenger. It is therefore only natural to wish to study
the life of Muhammad (pbuh), his manners and his morals,
and to see how Islam manifested itself in his person as a
living example for all Muslims till the end of time.
Abu Hurairah described
him as follows
:
"He was of medium
build, closer to being tall. His skin was extremely white,
his beard was black, his mouth was pleasant, his eyebrows
were long, and his shoulders were wide"
Anas ibn Malik said:
"I never touched
silk or any soft fabric equal to the softness of his palm,
and I never smelled a scent more pleasing than his."
Hind ibn Abi Hala (the
son of Muhammad's wife Kadijah) described Muhammad (pbuh)
as follows:
"The Messenger of
Allah was of consecutive sorrows, continuous thought,
never finding rest, long in silence. He did not speak
without cause. He spoke with his full mouth (was not
arrogant), and spoke concisely. His speech was just, with
neither excess nor deficiency. He was not pompous, nor
denigrating. He exalted all blessings no matter how small
and never belittled a single one. He would never praise
his food nor criticize it. He was never angered by matters
of this life nor that which was associated with it.
However, if justice was transgressed nothing could stand
up to his anger until justice was established. He never
became angry for his own self nor sought retribution for
himself. If he gestured, he did so with his whole palm. If
he was amazed, he overturned it. If he spoke, he struck
with his right palm the inside of his left thumb. If he
became angry he turned away, and when he was happy he
lowered his gaze. The majority of his laughter was
[restricted to] smiling."
Ali ibn abi Talib
described Muhammad (pbuh) as follows:
"He was not
vulgar nor did he condone vulgarity, and he was not one to
shout in the market place. He did not reward evil with
evil, rather, he would forgive and overlook. He never in
his life struck anything with his hand except when he was
fighting in the name of Allah. He never struck a servant
nor a woman, and I never saw him taking revenge for an
injustice dealt him, except if the prohibitions of Allah
were transgressed. For if the prohibitions of Allah were
transgressed he was among the strongest of them in anger.
He was never given a choice between two matters but he
chose the simplest of the two. If he entered into his home
he was a man like any other; cleaning his own garment,
milking his own goat, and serving himself.
He would guard his
tongue from that which did not concern him. He would
attract them (the people) and not repel them. He would
ennoble the noble of the people and charge them with their
affairs. He was wary of the people and guarded himself
against them but without depriving them a warm smile or
fitting conduct. He would inquire after his companions and
would ask the people about their affairs. He would
encourage that which was good and strengthen it, and he
would discourage that which was evil and undermine it. He
was balanced and consistent. He would never be neglectful
that they would not learn neglect and grow indifferent. He
had a provision for every occasion and he never fell short
of justice nor exceeded it. The closest people to him were
the best among them, and the best among them in his eyes
were the most comprehensive in advice. The highest of them
in stature with him was the best among them in looking
after the people and assisting them. He would not rise nor
sit down without praise [to God]. If he visited a
gathering he would sit wherever the group ended (and not
at their head) and he encouraged the same. He would give
all those sitting with him their just due [to the extent
that] they would each feel that none was more important to
him than them. If someone were to sit with him or come in
search of a favor he would be patient with them until they
(the guest) would be the one to leave. Whoever came to him
with a request was never turned away except with that
which they had asked for or with a kind word. His
cheerfulness and good manners encompassed them all such
that he became a father to them and they all became equal
in rights. His gatherings were those of knowledge,
humbleness, patience, and integrity. In them there would
be no raising of voices nor transgressions of
prohibitions. They would not expose one-another's errors,
but would be equal, encouraging each-other in the fear of
God. In them, they would respect their elders, be merciful
to their children, give preference to those in need, and
protect the stranger."
He continues: "He
was continually smiling, gentle in manners, soft in
nature. He was not severe, harsh-hearted, loud, abusive,
or miserly. He would disregard that which he disliked, and
no one ever despaired of him. He never responded to
disparagement or evil words. He forbade upon himself three
things: Argument, arrogance, and that which did not
concern him. And he relieved the people of three: He would
not degrade any among them or abuse them, he would not
search after their honor or private matters, and he would
not speak except in matters which he hoped to be rewarded
for. When he spoke his attendees would lower their heads
as if birds had alighted upon them. Once he finished they
would speak. They would not vie with one-another in his
presence to speak, but when one would talk in his presence
the rest would listen until he finished. Speech in his
presence was that of the first among them. He would laugh
with them, and wonder with them. He had patience with the
strangers when they were gruff in speech and requests, to
a degree that his companions would fetch them to him. He
would say: 'If you see someone in need, fetch him to me.'
He would not accept praise except from those who were
balanced and not excessive. He would not interject into
someone's speech unless they transgressed, in which case
he would either rebuke them or else leave.
He was the most
generous of heart, truthful of tongue, softest in
disposition, and noble in relationship. He who first set
eyes upon him feared him, but he who associated with him
loved him. Those who described him
would say: 'I have never seen before of after him anyone
similar to him, peace be upon him' "
With God:
Whenever Muhammad (pbuh)
commanded his followers to observe a command or
prohibition of God he was always found to be the most
observant of this command or prohibition. He was the most
devout in worship to God among them, and no one could
equal him in worship, and in patience in the worship of
God.
Al-Mugeerah ibn Shooba
narrated:
"The Prophet,
peace be upon him, used to stand in prayer until his feet
became swollen and cracked.
He was then asked: 'Hasn't God forgiven you that which is
before you and that which is behind you?' He (Muhammad,
pbuh) replied: 'Should I not be a thankful servant?'
" (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Aisha (pbuh) narrated:
"Allah's
Messenger (pbuh) used to fast till one would say: he never
stops fasting, and he would abstain from fasting till one
would say:t he never fast."
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Anas said:
"You would never
like to see him standing in the middle of the night in
prayer but you would, and never would you like to see him
sleeping but you would"
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
The companions narrated
that when a hardship or trial befell him he would pray. He
would say
"My comfort has
been placed in prayer" (Narrated
by Al-Nissai)
With Life:
Muhammad (pbuh) was the
most far removed among his people from the love of money
or wealth. He encouraged his followers to be industrious,
make an honest living and discouraged them from seeking
charity. He did not condemn wealth and the wealthy,
however, he feared for his followers and encouraged them
to not allow it to corrupt them or obsess them.
Muhammad (pbuh) himself
could have been the most wealthy man in the history of
Arabia, however, he preferred to live simply and use his
wealth in that which pleased God. As the leader of the
Islamic nation, he received great wealth, however, he
hated for this wealth to remain in his home for more than
a day without having distributed it in charity. At times
he would distribute tens or hundreds of thousands of
"dinars" at a time as soon as he received them.
He lived according to his sayings:
"O my Lord,
indeed, true life is only the afterlife" and
"What have I to do with this life? The similitude of
me and this life is as a traveler who stopped to take
shelter in the shade of a tree and then arose and left
it"
Urwah narrated that Aisha
(the wife of Muhammad, pbuh) said to me,
"O my nephew! We
used to see the crescent, and then the crescent, and then
the crescent, in this way we saw three crescents in two
months and no fire (for cooking) used to be lit in the
houses of Allah's Messenger (pbuh). I said, "O my
aunt! Then what use to sustain you?" Aisha said,
"[These two]: dates and water."
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Abu Tharr narrated that
Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said,
"If I had gold
equal to the mountain of Uhud, it would not please me that
any of it should remain with me after three nights (i.e. I
would spend all of it in Allah's cause) except what I
would keep for repaying debts." (Narrated
by Al-Bukhari)
Jabir ibn Abdullah
narrated:
"The messenger of
Allah was never asked for something and then he said 'no'
(he never refused a request)"
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
With People:
"By the grace of
Allah, you are gentle towards the people; if you had been
stern and harsh-hearted, they would have dispersed from
round about you"
The noble Qur'an,
A'al-Umran(3):159
Even with all of his
concerns and obligations, Muhammad (pbuh) never became
unmindful of his people. He had a special place in his
heart for each one of them and he was known among them for
his soft-spokenness, his generosity, his tolerance, and
his friendliness.
He would joke with his
companions, sit and talk with them, play with their
children and sit them on his knee. He would respond to the
call of the free man or the slave, or the young girl or
the poor. He would visit the sick on the opposite end of
the city and he would attend their funerals. He would
accept the people's apologies and their excuses, and he
was the most humble among them.
Abdullah ibn Al-Haritha
narrated:
"I have never
seen anyone who smiled more continuously than the
Messenger of Allah (pbuh)"
(Narrated by Al-Tirmathi)
Usamah ibn Zayd narrated:
"The daughter of
the Prophet (pbuh) sent (a messenger) to the Prophet
(pbuh) requesting him to come as her child was dying.
However, the Prophet (pbuh) returned the messenger and
told him to convey his greeting to her and say:
"Whatever Allah takes is for Him and whatever He
gives is for Him. Everything with Him has a limited fixed
term (in this world) and so she should be patient and hope
for Allah's reward." She again sent for him, swearing
that he should come. The Prophet (pbuh) stood up, and so
did Sa'id ibn Ubadah, Mu'ath ibn Jabal, Ubay ibn Ka'ab ,
Zayd ibn Thabit and some other men. [When he arrived,] the
child was brought to Allah's Apostle (pbuh), his chest
heaving. On that the eyes of the Prophet (pbuh) began
shedding tears. Sa'd said, "O Allah's Apostle! What
is this?" He replied, "It is mercy which Allah
has lodged in the hearts of His slaves, and Allah is
merciful only to those of His slaves who are merciful (to
others)." (Narrated by
Al-Bukhari)
Anas ibn Malik narrated
that
"the Prophet
(pbuh) used to mix with us (the children) to the extent
that he would say to a younger brother of mine, 'O
abu-Umayr! What did the Nughayr (a kind of bird) do?'
" (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Abu Dawood narrated that
the Messenger of Allah would say:
"Let none of you
transmit to me [evil news] about my companions, for I like
to meet with you with a pure heart"
Ibn Masood narrated that
Muhammad (pbuh) said to a group he sent to teach and
advise:
"Be lenient and
do not make [this religion] difficult. Bring glad tidings
and do not repel"
AbuMalik al-Ash'ari said:
"The Messenger of
Allah (pbuh) said: 'Cleanliness is half of faith, and
[saying] 'Praise be to God' fills the scale, and [saying]
'Glory be to God' and 'Praise be to God' fill up what is
between the heavens and the earth, and prayer is a light,
and charity is proof [of one's faith], and patience is a
brightness, and the Qur'an is a proof for or against you.
All men go out early in the morning and sell themselves,
some setting themselves free and others destroying
themselves.' " (Narrated by
Muslim)
With His Family and
Children:
Aisha, the wife of
Muhammad (pbuh) said:
"Allah's
Messenger (pbuh) used to patch his sandals, sew his
garment and conduct himself at home as anyone of you does
in his house. He was a human being, searching his garment
for lice, milking his sheep, and doing his own
chores." (Narrated by
al-Tirmathi).
She also said:
"He would patch
his garments and sole his sandals"
She was once asked: "How was he with his
family?", she responded: "He was in
the service of his family until it was time for prayer, at
which time he would go and pray"
Anas narrated:
"I never saw
anyone more merciful with children than the Messenger of
Allah (pbuh)" (Narrated by
Muslim)
Abu Hurairah narrated
that:
"The Messenger of
Allah never denigrated any type of food; if he liked it he
ate it, and if he disliked it he left it alone"
(Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)
Generosity,
Clemency and Conduct:
Abdullah ibn Amr
narrated:
"Allah's
Messenger (pbuh) neither spoke in an insulting manner nor
did he ever speak evil intentionally. He used to say, 'The
most beloved to me among you is the one who has the best
character and manners.'"
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
AbuHurayrah narrated that
the Prophet (pbuh) said:
"The most Perfect
believer in respect of faith is he who is best of them in
manners." (Narrated by
Abu-Dawood)
Qatadah ibn Malik
narrated that Zayd ibn Ilaqah related on the authority of
his uncle, Qatadah ibn Malik, that the Prophet (pbuh)
would supplicate:
"O Allah, I seek
Your protection against undesirable manners, acts, and
desires." (Transmitted by
Al-Tirmithi.)
Anas ibn Malik narrated:
"I was walking
with the messenger of Allah (pbuh) and he was wearing a
mantle of Najran with a thick border. A Bedouin met him
and pulled the mantle so violently that I saw this violent
pulling had left marks from it's border on the skin of the
neck of the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). And he (the
Bedouin) said: Muhammad!, command that I should be given
out of the wealth of Allah which is at your disposal. The
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) turned to him and smiled, and
then he ordered for him a provision."
Anas narrated:
"Eighty men from
the men of Makkah descended upon the Messenger of Allah
(pbuh) from the mountain of Al-Taneem, in [full] armor,
with the intent of doing battle with him. He (Muhammad,
pbuh) captured them peaceably and then did not kill
them" (Narrated by Muslim)
A pagan by the name of
Zaid ibn Sa'ana came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in
order to collect a debt. When he drew near Muhammad (pbuh)
he wrenched him by his clothes violently, exposing his
shoulder, and spoke rudely at him. Finally, he said: "You
sons of AbdulMuttalib are all a procrastinating lot."
Immediately, Umar ibn Al-Khattab leapt at him chastising
and rebuking him harshly, all the while the Messenger of
Allah (pbuh) looked on smiling. Then the Prophet (pbuh)
said to Umar: "He and I were in need of other than
this O Umar; You should have commanded me to excel in my
repayment, and have commanded him to excel in his request
for repayment." He (Muhammad, pbuh) said: "There
[still] remains in his term three [days]" He
(Muhammad, pbuh) then commanded Umar to see to his
recompensation and to increase him twenty 'saa' (weights)
as compensation for the terrorization he had endured (from
Umar). This man later became a Muslim" (Narrated
by Al-Bayhaqi, ibn Habban, and Al-Tabarani)
Anas ibn Malik said:
"Allah's
Messenger (pbuh) had the best disposition amongst people.
He sent me (when I was a child) on an errand one day, and
I said: By Allah, I would not go. I had, however, this
idea in my mind that I would do as Allah's Apostle (pbuh)
had commanded me to do. I went out until I happened to
come across children who had been playing in the street.
In the meanwhile, Allah's Messenger (pbuh) came there and
he caught me by the back of my neck from behind me. As I
looked towards him I found him smiling and he said: Unays,
did you go where I told you to go? I said: Allah's
Messenger, yes, I am going. Anas further said: I served
him for nine years but I know not that he ever chastised
me about a thing which I had done why I did that, or about
a thing I had left as to why I had not done that."
(Narrated by Muslim)
In another narration, he
said:
"I served the
Prophet (pbuh) at Madinah for ten years. I was a boy.
Every work that I did was not according to the desire of
my master, but he never said to me: Fie!, nor did he say
to me: Why did you do this? or Why did you not do
this?" (Narrated by
Abu-Dawood)
Anas also said:
"No one was more
beloved to us than the Messenger of Allah (pbuh),
[however], if we saw him we would not stand up for him for
we knew how much he disliked [for us to do so]. And on one
occasion someone called to him saying: 'O best of mankind
...' He replied: 'That is Abraham, peace be upon him'
" (Narrated by Muslim)
Adi ibn Hatim al-Ta'ee
came to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to ask about Islam, so
Muhammad (pbuh) invited him to his home. When they sat
down, a small girl brought a pillow to the Messenger of
Allah (pbuh), however, he placed it between him and Adi
and sat on the ground. Adi later said: "[When I
saw that] I knew that he was not a king"
It was also narrated that
Muhammad (pbuh) once said:
"I am but a
servant, I eat as the servant eats, and I sit as the
servant sits"
Muhammad (pbuh) would tie
his own camel, feed his own animal, eat with the servants,
knead dough with them, and carry his own groceries from
the market.
With Parents
AbuHurayrah narrated that
a man came to Allah's Messenger (pbuh) and said, "O
Allah's Messenger! Who is the most deserving person of my
good companionship?" The Prophet (pbuh) said,
"Your mother." The man said, "Who is
next?" The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Your
mother." The man said, "Who is next?" The
Prophet (pbuh) said, "Your mother." The man
asked for the fourth time, "Who is next?" The
Prophet (pbuh) said, "Your father." (Narrated by
Al-Bukhari)
A man came to AbudDarda
and said, "I have a wife whom my mother commands me
to divorce," he replied to him that he had heard
Allah's Messenger (pbuh) say, "A parent is the best
of the gates of Paradise; so if you wish, keep to the
gate, or lose it." (Narrated in Mishkat Al-Masabih,
Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.)
AbuBakrah said: The
Prophet (pbuh) said thrice, "Should I inform you
about the greatest of the great sins?" They said,
`Yes, O Allah's Messenger!" He said, "To join
others in worship with Allah and to be undutiful to one's
parents." The Prophet (pbuh) then sat up after he had
been reclining (on a pillow) and said, "And I warn
you against giving a false witness," and he kept on
repeating that warning till we thought he would not
stop." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Anas ibn Malik narrated
that the Prophet (pbuh) said, "The worst of Kaba'ir
(the greatest sins) are: to join others as partners in
worship with Allah, to murder a human being, to be
undutiful to one's parents and to make a false
statement," or said, "to bear false
witness." (Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Defense of the
Boundaries of the Religion:
The day Ibraheem (the son
of Muhammad, pbuh) died, there was an eclipse
of the sun. The people began to say: "The sun has
eclipsed for the death of Ibraheem", whereupon
the messenger of Allah (pbuh) became angry and chastised
them saying:
"Verily, the sun
and the moon are two signs of the signs of Allah, they do
not eclipse for the death of anyone nor for his birth, so
if you see that (an eclipse) then supplicate to God,
reverence His name, pray and give charity"
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
On another occasion, a
man said: "God and You (O Muhammad) have willed
this" regarding a certain matter. The Messenger
of Allah then rebuked him saying:
"Have you made me
equal to God?" (Narrated by
Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
For the same reason,
another time, a man was delivering a speech and said: "He
who obeys God and His messenger is indeed wise, and he who
disobeys Allah and his messenger has lost." Upon
hearing this, the Messenger of Allah said:
"You are the most
evil of speakers" (Narrated
by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Note: Muhammad (pbuh) did
not want those listening to the speech to think that God
and His messengers are in any way equal.
Muhammad (pbuh) also used
to say:
"Do not
over-praise me as the Christians over-praised [Jesus] the
son of Mary. For I am only His servant, so say: 'Allah's
servant and messenger' "
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
His Bravery and
Bashfulness:
Many people believe
bravery and bashfulness to be self-contradictory opposites
of one-another, however, in Muhammad (pbuh) we were given
the example of a true balance between these two
attributes. It was narrated that Muhammad (pbuh) was the
most bashful of all mankind, and if he disliked a matter
we (the companions) would know that from his face (his
expression). Aisha (pbuh) narrated that whenever he was
informed of an error committed by someone he would never
say: "Why did 'such' the son of 'such' do
such-and-such", rather, he would say:
"Why do some
people do (or say) such-and-such?"
In this manner he would
caution them, but he would not mention the man by name.
(Narrated by Abu-Dawood)
Regarding his bravery Ali
ibn Abi-Talib, one of the bravest young men in the Islamic
nation said:
"In the heat of
battle, [when the passions burned strongest,] we would
seek shelter behind the Messenger of Allah (pbuh), for
there was none closer to the enemy than him, and you had
seen me on the day of Badr,
battle of we were taking shelter behind the Prophet of
Allah (pbuh) and he was the closest among us to the
enemy" (Narrated by Abu-Dawood)
Al-Bukhari narrated upon
the authority of Anas:
"The Messenger of
Allah was the best of mankind, and the most generous among
mankind, and the bravest among mankind. The citizens of
Al-Madinah awoke in a panic one night [to a sound], so
they rode out towards the sound. On their way they met the
Messenger of Allah (pbuh) returning, having beat them to
the sound, saying: 'Do not worry, do not worry' and he was
riding a horse of Abi-Talha with no saddle (in his hurry
to reach that sound), around his neck hung his
sword."
During the first hours of
the battle of Hunain, when many of the Muslims forsook
Muhammad (pbuh) and fled the battle field, Muhammad (pbuh)
stood firm in the field of battle as if nothing had
happened saying:
"I am the
Messenger, I lie not!. I am the son of
Abdul-Muttalib."
General Mercy
Ibn Abbas narrated:
"A man had laid
down his sheep (in preparation to slaughter it) and then
he went about sharpening his knife. Upon seeing this, the
Messenger of Allah rebuked him saying: 'Do you want to
kill it twice? Wouldn't it have been better for you to
sharpen your knife before laying it down (so as not to
terrorize it)?' " (Narrated
by Al-Tabarani and Al-Hakim)
Shaddad ibn Aws said:
"Two are the
things which I remember Allah's Messenger (pbuh) having
said: 'Verily Allah has enjoined goodness to everything;
so when you kill, kill in a good way and when you
slaughter, slaughter in a good way. Every one of you
should sharpen his knife, and let the slaughtered animal
die comfortably.' "
(Narrated by Muslim)
Muhammad (pbuh) also used
to command mercy for all animals such that they are fed
well, watered well, not forced to carry too heavy a
burden, and not tortured or maimed for one's enjoyment.
AbuHurayrah said:
"The Messenger of
Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said,
'While a man was walking on a road he became very thirsty.
He found a well, went into it, drank, and came out. [Upon
exiting he met] a dog panting and eating the dirt out of
thirst. The man said: 'This dog has become stricken with
the same degree of thirst which had stricken me.' He went
down into the well and filled his shoe and then held it in
his mouth until he climbed out and gave the dog water to
drink. Allah thanked him (for his good deed) and forgave
him.' They said, 'O Messenger of Allah, are we rewarded
for taking care of beasts?' He said, 'There is a reward
[for you] in every creature with a moist liver.'"(Narrated
by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, and Malik)
AbuHurayrah said:
"Allah's
Messenger (pbuh) said: 'A woman was punished because of a
cat. She neither provided it with food nor drink, nor set
it free so that it might eat the insects of the earth.'
" (Narrated by Muslim and
Al-Bukhari).
Sahl ibn Amr said:
"The Messenger of
Allah passed by a camel who's stomach quite touched it's
back (from lack of food). Upon seeing this he said: 'Fear
God in these unspeaking animals! Ride them [while they
are] in good health, and eat them [while they are] in good
health' " (Narrated by
Abu-Dawood)
Regarding slaves, when
Muhammad (pbuh) became the messenger of Allah the people
of his land had become accustomed to having countless
slaves and usually treated them quite harshly. During the
period of his prophethood he worked diligently to do what
he could to cut down on their numbers. Islam closed most
of the doors leading to slavery and encourages the freeing
of slaves in many ways. For those people who continued to
posses slaves they were encouraged to treat them fairly
and with mercy.
AbuDharr said:
"The Prophet
(pbuh) said: 'Feed those of your slaves who please you
from what you yourselves eat and clothe them with what you
clothe yourselves, but sell those who do not please you
and do not punish Allah's creatures.' "
(Narrated by Abu-Dawood)
Ma'rur narrated that:
"I saw AbuDharr
wearing a Burd (garment) and his slave too was wearing a
Burd, so I said (to AbuDharr), 'If you take this (Burd of
your slave) and wear it (along with yours), you will have
a nice suit and you may give him another garment.'
AbuDharr said, "There [once] was a quarrel between me
and another man whose mother was a non-Arab and I called
her bad names. The man complained about me to the Prophet
(pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) said, 'Did you abuse
so-and-so?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Did you call his
mother bad names?' I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'You still have
the traits of (the pre-Islamic period of) ignorance.' I
said, '(Do I still have ignorance) even now in my old
age?' He said, 'Yes, they (slaves or servants) are your
brothers and Allah has put them under your command. So the
one under whose hand Allah has put his brother, should
feed him from what he eats, and clothe him in what he
wears, and should not ask him to do anything beyond his
capacity. And if ever he asks him to do a hard task, he
should help him with it.'"
(Narrated by Al-Bukhari)
Abdullah ibn Umar said:
"An A'arabi
(desert Arab) came to the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) and
said: 'O Messenger of Allah, how many times should I
forgive my slave every day?' The Prophet (pbuh) replied:
'Seventy times.' "
(Narrated by Al-Tirmathi and Abu-Dawood)
Abdullah ibn Umar also
narrated:
"The Messenger of
Allah (pbuh) said: 'Pay the worker his [due] wages before
his sweat dries' "
(Narrated by ibn Majah)
Some Quotes:
The Encyclopedia
Britannica states:
"....a mass of
detail in the early sources show that [Muhammad] was an
honest and upright man who had gained the respect and
loyalty of others who were like-wise honest and upright
men." (Vol. 12)
George Bernard Shaw said
about him:
"He must be
called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man
like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern
world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way
that would bring it much needed peace and happiness."
(The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Vol. 1, No. 8, 1936)
Gandhi says in Young
India:
"I wanted to know
the best of one who holds today's undisputed sway over the
hearts of millions of mankind....I became more than
convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for
Islam in those days in the scheme of life. It was the
rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the
Prophet, the scrupulous regard for his pledges, his
intense devotion to this friends and followers, his
intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God
and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried
everything before them and surmounted every obstacle. When
I closed the 2nd volume (of the Prophet's biography), I
was sorry there was not more for me to read of the great
life."
Edward Gibbon
and Simon Ockley speaking on the declaration of Islam
write:
"I BELIEVE IN ONE
GOD, AND MAHOMET* , AN APOSTLE OF GOD' is the
simple and invariable profession of Islam. The
intellectual image of the Deity has never been degraded by
any visible idol; the honor of the Prophet has never
transgressed the measure of human virtues; and his living
precepts have restrained the gratitude of his disciples
within the bounds of reason and religion."
History Of The Saracen
Empires, London, 1870, p. 54
Michael H. Hart in his
recently published book on the ranking of the 100 most
influential men in history writes:
"My choice of
Muhammad to lead the list of the world's most influential
persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by
others, but he was the only man in history who was
supremely successful on both the religious and secular
levels."
The 100: A Ranking Of The
Most Influential Persons In History, M.H. Hart, New York,
1978, p. 33
Jules Masserman, an
American psychoanalyst, says:
"Leaders must
fulfill three functions: 1) Provide for the well being of
the led, 2) Provide a social organization in which people
feel relatively secure, and 3) Provide them with a set of
beliefs … People like Pasteur and Salk are leaders in
the first sense. People like Gandhi and Confucius, on one
hand, and Alexander and Caesar on the other, are leaders
in the second and perhaps the third sense. Jesus and
Buddha
belong in the third category alone. Perhaps the greatest
leader of all time was Muhammad, who combined all three
functions. To a lesser degree, Moses
did the same."
Time magazine, July 15,
1974, article titled "Who were history's greatest
leaders?," this quote by Jules Masserman.
"Head of the
State as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in
one; but, he was Pope without the Pope's pretensions, and
Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without a standing
army, without a bodyguard, without a police force, without
a fixed revenue. If ever a man ruled by a right divine, it
was Muhammad, for he had all the powers without their
supports. He cared not for the dressings of power. The
simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his
public life."
Reverend Bosworth Smith,
Muhammad and Muhammadanism, p. 242
"Serious or
trivial, his daily behavior has instituted a canon which
millions observe this day with conscious memory. No one
regarded by any section of the human race as Perfect Man
has ever been imitated so minutely. The conduct of the
founder of Christianity has not governed the ordinary life
of his followers. Moreover, no founder of a religion has
left on so solitary an eminence as the Muslim
apostle"
Arabia, D. G. Hogarth, p.
52
"He was sober and
abstemious in his diet, and a rigorous observer of fasts.
He indulged in no magnificence of apparel, the ostentation
of a petty mind; neither was his simplicity in dress
affected but a result of real disregard for distinction
from so trivial a source ... In his private dealings he
was just. He treated friends and strangers, the rich and
poor, the powerful and weak, with equality, and was
beloved by the common people for the affability with which
he received them, and listened to their complaints ... His
military triumphs awakened no pride nor vain glory, as
they would have done had they been effected for selfish
purposes. In the time of his greatest power he maintained
the same simplicity of manners and appearance as in the
days of his adversity. So far from affecting a regal
state, he was displeased if, on entering a room, any
unusual testimonials of respect were shown to him. If he
aimed at universal dominion, it was the dominion of faith;
as to the temporal rule which grew up in his hands, as he
used it without ostentation, so he took no step to
perpetuate it in his family."
Mahomet and his
successors, Washington Irving, pp. 332-334, 343
"His readiness to
undergo persecution for his beliefs, the high moral
character of the men who believed in him and looked up to
him as a leader, and the greatness of his ultimate
achievement - all argue his fundamental integrity. To
suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it
solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is
so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad … Thus,
not merely must we credit Muhammad with essential honesty
and integrity of purpose, if we are to understand him at
all; if we are to correct the errors we have inherited
from the past, we must not forget that conclusive proof is
a much stricter requirement than a show of plausibility,
and in a matter such as this only to be attained with
difficulty."
Muhammad at Macca, W.
Montgomery Watt, Oxford press, p. 53
"It is impossible
for anyone who studies the life and character of the great
prophet of Arabia, who knew how he taught and how he
lived, to feel anything but the reverence for that mighty
Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And
although in what I put to you I shall say many things
which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel, whenever
I reread them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of
reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher."
The Life and Teachings of
Muhammad, Annie Besant, p. 4
"Four years after
the death of Justinian, C.E. 569, was born in Mecca, in
Arabia, the man who, of all men, has exercised the
greatest influence upon the human race … To be the
religious head of many empires, to guide the daily life of
one third of the human race, may perhaps justify the title
of a Messenger of God."
History of Intellectual
Development of Europe, William Draper, MD., LL.D., Vol. I,
p. 329-330
For more on this topic
please read the book "Prophet Muhammad and His
Western Critics," by Zafar Ali Qureshi, Idara Ma'arif
Islami, Mansoora, Lahore, Pakistan.
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