The
following article has been translated from the tenth chapter of the second
division of the third section of the book Riyâd-un-nâsihîn.
Allahu ta’âlâ, while pleasing the blessed
heart of His beloved Prophet by enumerating a series of the virtues and
blessings which He has given to him, also counted the beautiful habits which He
bestowed upon him, “Thou art created with a beautiful character.” Akrama
says that he has heard from Abdullah Ibni Abbâs that his Khuluq-i ’azîm, that
is, beautiful habits, are the beautiful moral qualities declared by the Qur’ân al-kerîm. It
is written in the book Hadâiq-ul-Haqâiq, “It was declared in the ayât, ‘You are with
khuluq-i-’azîm.’ ‘Khuluq-i ’azîm’ means ‘to have secrets
with Allahu ta’âlâ and to be kindhearted to people.’ The beautiful nature of
Hadrat Muhammad was the reason for the conversion of many people to Islâm.”
One thousand miracles of Hadrat Muhammad
were seen; enemy or friend, everybody talked about them. Of his many miracles,
the most valuable ones were his high manners and beautiful habits.
It is written in the book Kimyâ-yi Sa’âdat, “Hadrat
Abű Sa’id-i Khudrî ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ anh’ said: Rasűlullah would give grass
to an animal. He would fasten a camel. He would sweep inside his house. He
would milk the sheep. He would repair a hole in his shoes. He would patch his
underwears. He would eat with his servant. When his servant got tired of
grinding with small millstones, he would help him. He would go shopping and
bring what he had bought in a sack to his home. When he met somebody, he would
be the first to greet, whether the other was poor or rich, young or old. He,
first, would hold out his blessed hand when he wanted to shake hands. He held
the servant, the master, the black and the white as equal. He would go wherever
he was invited, no matter who invited him. He would not despise what was put in
front of him to eat, even if it were only a little. He would not reserve meals
from evening to morning or from morning to evening. He was good-natured. He
liked to do favours. He established friendly relations with everybody. He was
affable and he spoke pleasantly. He wouldn’t grin as he spoke. He would look
sorry, but he would not frown. He was modest, but he was not low-natured. He
was majestic; that is, he would inspire
respect and awe. But he was not nasty. He
was polite. He was generous, but he would not waste, nor would he give anything
in vain. He used to pity everybody. He always bent his blessed head forward. He
would not expect anything from anybody. He who wants happiness and ease should
be like him.”
It is written in the book Masâbih that
Anas bin Mâlik ‘radiy-Allâhu anh’ said, “I served Rasűlullah for ten years. He
never uttered “Ugh!” towards me. He never asked me why I had done this or why I
hadn’t done that.” Again in Masâbih Anas bin Mâlik said,
“Rasűlullah was the most beautiful-natured of human beings. One day, he told me
to go to some place. I said, ‘By Allah, I won’t’. But I did. I went out to do
his command. Children were playing in the street. As I passed them, I looked
round. Rasűlullah was coming behind me. His blessed face was pleasant. He said,
‘O Anas! Did
you go to the place I told you?’ I said, ‘Yes, O Rasűlullah,
I am going there.’ ”
Abű Hurayra ‘radiy-Allâhu anh’ said,
“During a holy war, we asked him to pray so that the disbelievers would be
annihilated. He said, ‘I was not sent to curse people so that they will be tormented. I
was sent to do favours for everybody so that people will attain ease.” Allahu
ta’âlâ declares in the hundred and seventh âyat of the Sűrat-ul-Anbiyâ, “We sent thee as a
mercy, as a blessing for beings.”
Abű Saîd-i Khudrî ‘radiy-Allâhu anh’ said,
“Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ was more bashful than Muslim virgin
girls.”
Anas bin Mâlik said, “When Rasűlullah
‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ shook hands with a person, he would not take his
hand away from that person’s hand before that person did so. He would not turn
his face away from that person before the latter turned his face. As he sat
near a person, he would sit on his two knees; to respect a person, he would not
erect his blessed knee.”
Jâbir bin Sumra says, “Rasűlullah
‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ used to talk very little. He used to talk when
necessary or when he was asked a question.” This means to say that a Muslim
should not talk about nonsense; instead, he should keep silent. He used to
speak very clearly and methodically; his words would be understood easily.
Anas bin Mâlik said, “Rasűlullah would
visit the sick, walk behind the dead as they were taken to the cemetery and
accept invitations. He would ride a donkey. I saw him in the holy war of
Khayber. He rode a donkey with a rope
halter. When Rasűlullah went out after morning prayer, children and workers of
Medina would bring containers full of water in front of him. They would beg him
to dip his blessed finger into the water. Though it was winter, he would put
his blessed finger into all the containers one by one, thus pleasing them.”
Again, Anas bin Mâlik ‘radiy-Allâhu anh’ says, “If a little girl held
Rasűlullah’s hand and wanted to take him somewhere for some matter, he would go
with her and solve her problem.”
Hadrat Jâbir ‘radiy-Allâhu anh’, said,
“Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ was never heard to say ‘no’ for
anything asked from him.”
Anas bin Mâlik ‘radiy-Allâhu anh’ said, “I
was walking with Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’. He had Burd-i
Najrânî on. That is, he wore an overcoat made of Yemen cloth. A villager, who
came from behind us, pulled his collar so harshly that the collar of the coat
scratched his blessed neck and the scratch remained there. Rasűlullah
‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ turned round. The villager wanted something from
the property of zakât. Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ just chuckled
at his manners. He commanded that something should be given to him.” It is
written in the book Tatummat-ul-Mazhâr, “This means to say that
the person who is in an authoritative position should, like Rasűlullah
‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa saslam’ did, put up with the problems and troubles given
by people. Besides, it is an act of being good-natured for everybody to endure
problems. It is all the better for the superior ones.”
It is written in the book Zâd-ul-Mukwîn that
there was an old woman who was Rasűlullah’s ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’
neighbor. She sent her daughter to Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ to
beg of him, “I do not have a dress to cover myself when praying. Send me a
dress to cover myself for namâz.” Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ did
not have any dresses at the moment. He took the loose robe off his blessed body
and sent it to the woman. When it was time for namâz, he couldn’t go to the mosque
without a dress. The Ashâb-i kirâm ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ alaihim ajma’în’,
hearing about this, said, “Hadrat Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ is
so generous that he has no clothes left; therefore, he cannot come to the
mosque for jamâ’at. Let us give all we have to the poor, too.” Consequently
Allahu ta’âlâ sent down the twenty-ninth âyat of Sűrat-ul-Isrâ. First, He
commanded His darling not to be stingy, or not to give
nothing; then He commanded him not to give
so much as to fall into straits, to miss the namâz, or to become worried! He
ordered moderation in giving alms! That day, after prayer, Hadrat Alî
‘kerrem-Allâhu wejheh’ came to Rasűlullah and said, “O Rasűlallah ‘sall-Allâhu
alaihi wa sallam’! Today I borrowed eight dirhams of silver to spend for the
subsistance of my family. I’ll give you half of them. Buy a loose robe for
yourself.” Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ bought a robe for two
dirhams. While he was going to buy food with the remaining two dirhams, he saw
a blind man, who sat down and kept saying, “Who will give me a shirt for
Allah’s sake and in turn be blessed with the dresses of Paradise?” He gave the
robe he had bought to the blind man. When the blind man took the robe, he
smelled a fragrant scent like musk. He realized that it was from the blessed
hand of Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ because everything which
Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ had worn once would smell like musk,
even if it had been worn to pieces. The blind man prayed, “O Allah! Open my
eyes for the sake of this shirt.” His two eyes opened at once. He sprang down
to Rasűlullah’s ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ feet. Then Rasűlullah
‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ left the place. He bought a robe for one dirham.
As he was going to buy food with the other dirham, he saw a maid weeping. He
asked “Why are you
crying, daughter?” She said, “I am a Jew’s maid.
He gave me one dirhem and told me to buy a bottle for half a dirhem and olive
oil with the remaining half, I bought them. But as I was going back, I dropped
the bottle. Both the bottle and the oil are gone, I don’t know what to do now.”
Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ gave his last dirhem to the girl. He
said, “Buy the
bottle and the oil with this and take them home.” But
the poor girl said, “I am afraid the Jew will beat me for being late.”
Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ said, “Don’t be afraid! I will go with you and tell him not to
beat you.” So they went to the Jew’s house and knocked at the
door. The Jew opened the door and was bewildered to see Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu
alaihi wa sallam’ who then told him what had happened and interceded for the
girl. The Jew sprang down to Rasűlullah’s ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’ feet
and supplicated. “O the great Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’, who is
loved and honoured above all by thousands of people! Thousands of lions are
awaiting to do your commands. And you honour the door of a wretched person like
me for a maid’s sake. O Rasűlallah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’! I have
emancipated this girl for
your honour’s sake. Teach me îmân and
Islâm. Let me become a Muslim in your presence.” Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi
wa sallam’ taught him Islâm. He was converted to Islâm. He went back into his
house and told his household what had happened. They all became Muslims, too.
All these were the fruits of Rasűlullah’s ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’
beautiful habits.
O Muslim! Now, you also should acquire the
beautiful habits of Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’! It is even
necessary for every Muslim to acquire the habits of Allahu ta’âlâ; for Râsul
‘alaihis-salâm’ declared, “Acquire the habits of Allahu ta’âlâ.” For
example, one of Allah’s Attributes is Sattâr. That is, He covers sins. A
Muslim should cover the faults and the defects of his brother-in-Islâm, too.
Allahu ta’âlâ forgives His born servants for their sins. So, Muslims should
forgive one another for their faults and defects. Allahu ta’âlâ is kerîm and
rahîm. That is, His blessings are plentiful and His mercy is extensive. A
Muslim should be generous and merciful. The same applies to all good habits.
Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’
had many beautiful habits. Every Muslim should learn them and form habits
similar to them. Thus, he will be blessed with the lot of escaping disasters
and troubles in this and the next worlds by attaining the shafâ’at of that
master of both worlds.
Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’
used to say the following prayer in Arabic, Allahumma innî as’aluka-s-sihhate wa-l-’âfiyata wa-l-amânata
wa husn-al-khulqi wa-r-ridâa bi-l-qadari bi-rahmatika yâ arham-ar-râhimîn “O
my Allah! I ask Thee to give me health, forgiveness, trustworthiness, beautiful
habits and contentment with qadar. O the most merciful of the merciful! Give me
these for Thy mercy’s sake!” We, the humble ones, should pray like our exalted
and honourable Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu alaihi wa sallam’!