Down below are fifty of the
beautiful moral qualities and habits of the Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’:
1- Resűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ was superior to all the other Prophets in knowledge,
in irfân (enlightenment, culture), in fehm (comprehension, intellect,
understanding), in yaqîn (certitude, positive knowledge), in wisdom, in mental
capacity, in generosity, in modesty, in hilm (tenderness, mildness,
moderation), in compassionateness, in patience, in enthusiasm, in patriotism,
in faithfulness, in trustworthiness, in courage, in grandeur, in bravery, in
eloquence, in rhetoric, in intrepidity, in beauty, in vara’ (avoiding worldly
pleasures about which one is doubtful whether they are permitted by Islam), in
chastity, in kindness, in fairness, in hayâ (bashfulness, sense of shame), in
zuhd (the highest degree of avoiding worldly pleasures), and in taqwâ (avoiding
acts that are forbidden). He would forgive other people for their malevolent
behaviours against him, friend and foe alike. He would never retaliate against
them. When they caused his blessed cheek to bleed and broke his blessed tooth
during the Holy War of Uhud, he pronounced the following benediction about the
people who gave thim those harms: “Yâ Rabbî! Forgive them! Pardon them for their
ignorance.”
2- He was extremely
compassionate. He would water the animals. He would hold the water container
with his hand until the animals became satiated. He would wipe the dirt off the
horse he rode.
3- When people called him,
whosoever they were, he would reply, “Labbayk (Yes, sir).” He would never
stretch his legs when in company. He would sit on his knees. Whenever he saw a
pedestrian as he was riding an animal, he would let that person sit behind him
on the animal.
4- He would not look down on
anybody. During an expedition, one of his companions undertook the killing of
the sheep they were going to eat, another one took the skinning on himself, and
another one said he would do the cooking. When
Rasűlullah said he would supply the firewood, they said, “O The
Messenger of Allah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’! Please do sit and
rest! We’ll get the firewood, too.” Upon this the blessed Prophet stated, “Yes, you will! I know
that you will do all the work. But I would not like to keep myself apart and
sit while others are working. Allâhu ta’âlâ dislikes a person who
sits aloof from his companions.” He stood up
and walked away to find firewood.
5- Whenever he joined a group of
his Sahâba ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum ajma’în’ sitting together, he would never occupy the most
striking seat. He would seat himself on the first unoccupied place he noticed.
One day he went out with his walking stick in his hand. People who saw him
stood up. He warned them, “Do not stand up for me like some people who stand at
attention for one another! I am human, like you. I eat, like any other person.
And I sit when I am tired.”
6- He would mostly sit on his
knees. He is also reported to have been seen to squat with his arms around his
knees. He would not exclude his servants from his daily activities such as
eating, attirement, etc. He would help them with the work. He was never seen to
beat anyone or to swear at anyone. Enes bin Mâlik, who was continuously in his
service, states, “I served the Messenger of Allah for fourteen years. The service
he did to me was more than the service I did to him. I never saw him cross with
me or rebuke me.”
7- He would patch and mend his clothes, milk
his sheep, and feed his animals. He would carry his shopping home. When on a
voyage, he would feed his animals. Sometimes he would even curry them.
Sometimes he would do these services by himself, and sometimes he would help
his servants do them.
8- When some people sent their
servants for him, he would go with the servants, walking hand in hand, as it
was customary in Medina.
9- He would pay visits to people
taken ill and attend at funerals. In order to appease disbelievers and
hypocrites, he would visit their bedstricken relatives, too.
10- After conducting the morning
prayer (in the mosque), he would ask, “Do we have any brothers ill at home? (If there are any,) let us visit them.” When there was no one ill, he would ask, “Is there any family (who need help) with their funeral? Let us go
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and help them.” If there was a funeral, he would help with the washing and
shrouding of the corpse, conduct the (special prayer performed before the
burial of a Muslim and which is called the) namâz of janâza, and walk with the
procession to the grave. When there was not a funeral to be attented, he would
state, “If
you have a dream to be interpreted, I will. Let me listen to it and interpret
it!”
11- When he did not see one of
his Sahâba for three days running, he would inquire after him. If the Sahabî
concerned had gone on a journey, he would invoke a blessing on him. If the
Sahabî was said to be in town, he would pay him a visit.
12- When he met a Muslim on his
way, he would anticipate him in the salutation.
13- He would ride a camel, a
horse, a mule, or an ass, and sometimes he would have someone else sit behind him
on the animal.
14- He would serve his guests
and his Sahâba, and would say, “The master and the noblest member of a
community is the one who serves them.”
15- He was never seen in a burst
of laughter. He would only make silent smiles. And when he smiled his blessed
front teeth would be seen.
16- He would always look pensive
and sad, and he would talk little. He would begin to talk with a smile.
17- He would never say anything
unnecessary or useless. He would talk briefly, effectively, clearly, and when
it was necessary. Sometimes he would repeat the same statement three times so
that it should be understood well.
18- He would play jokes on
strangers and acquaintances, on children and old women, and on his blessed
wives. Yet these jokes would never cause him to forget about Allâhu ta’âlâ.
19- He had such an awe-inspiring
appearance that no one dared to look at him on the face. A visitor who looked
at his blessed face would sweat. Thereupon he would say, “Do not feel worried! I
am not a king, and I am not cruel at all. I amthe son of a woman who ate dried
meat.” These words would expel the man’s fears and he would
say what he wished to.
20- He did not have guards or
doormen. Any visitor would
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easily go in and talk with him.
21- He had a powerful sense of
modesty. In fact, he was too bashful to look at a person on the face.
22- He would not fling a
person’s fault in his teeth. He would not complain about anyone or talk behind
a person’s back. When he did not like someone’s behaviour or words, he would
say, “I
wonder why some people do so?”
23- Although he was the darling,
the most beloved one and the chosen Messenger of Allâhu
ta’âlâ, he used to say, “Among you I am the one who knows Allâhu ta’âlâ best and fears Him
most.” Another statement he used to make is:“If you saw what I see,
you would laugh little and cry much.”When he saw
clouds in the sky he used to say, “Yâ Rabbî! Do not send us torment through these
clouds!” Whenever a wind blew, he would
pray, “Yâ
Rabbî! Send us useful winds.” When he
heard a thunder, he would invoke, “Yâ Rabbî! Do not kill us with Thy Wrath, and
do not perish us with Thy Torment, and before this, bless us with good health.”Whenever he performed namâz, sounds of sighing would be heard from
his chest as if there were someone sobbing within. The same sounds would be
heard when he recited the Qur’ân al-kerîm.
24- His heart had an astonishing
degree of fortitude and valour. During the Holy War of Hunayn, the Muslims
dispersed for the purpose of collecting the booties and only three or four
people remained with him. The unbelievers launched a sudden and collective
offensive. The Messenger of Allah stood against them and defeated them. The
same incident took place several times. He never receded.
25- In the second chapter of the third part
of Mawâhib-i-
ladunniyya Abdullah ibni ’Umar is quoted to have said
that he had not seen anyone stronger than the Fakhr-i-kâinât (the Master of
universe). According to a narration conveyed by Ibni Is-haq, there was a famous
wrestler named Rughâna in Mekka. He met the Messenger of Allah somewhere
outside of town. The Messenger asked him, “O Rughâna! Why don’t you convert to
Islam?” “Can you produce a witness to testify to your prophethood,” was
the latter’s question. Upon this the blessed Prophet
defied, “Let
us have a wrestling-match. Will you become a Believer if your back touches the
ground?” “Yes, I will,” was the reply.
The match had hardly begun when Rughâna’s back
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touched the ground. Stupefied, Rughâna said, “It was a mistake.
Let us wrestle again.” So the match was repeated three times, and at each time
Rughâna was flat on his back. The same event is related in the initial pages of
the third chapter of Shawâhid-un-nubuwwa. According to
this narration, Rughâna said after the third match, “I did not intend to
convert to Islam. Yet I never expected to lose. I see with surprise and
admiration that you are stronger than I am.” So he gave half of his flock as a
present to the Messenger of Allah, and left. The Messenger of Allah was herding
the flock towards Mekka, when he came back, running. He said:
- O Muhammad! What will you answer if the
Meccans ask you where you have found the flock?
I will say, “Rughâna gave them to me as a
present.”
And what will you say if they ask why.
- I will say, “We made a wrestling-match. I
beat him and made his back touch the ground. So he liked my strength and gave
the flock to me.”
Please do not tell them so! I will fall into
disesteem. Tell them that I gave them because I liked the way you spoke.
I have promised to my Rabb (Allah) never to
lie.
Then I will take the flock back.
Well, take them back if you like! I would
sacrifice a thousand flocks to please my Rabb.
Falling in love with this strong
belief and integrity of the Messenger of Allah, Rughâna uttered the (expression
of confirmation called) Kalima-i-shahâdat, (which has
been explained earlier in the text,) and became a Muslim.
There was another wrestler,
named Abul-Aswadil Jumahî.
He would stand on a cattle hide,
ten other strong people would tug at the hide until the hide tore to pieces,
and they would fail to move the wrestler even a bit. One day that person
promised to the Messenger of Allah that he would become a Muslim if he lost in
a wrestling match against him. So they had a match, which ended with the
wrestler lying flat on his back. However, he would not become a Believer.
26- Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu
ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ was extremely generous. He would donate hundreds of
camels and
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sheep without keeping a single head for himself. Many a hard-hearted
unbeliever observed his generous acts of charity with admiration and joined the
Believers.
27- He was never heard to say,
“No,” for something asked from him. If he had what was asked of him, he would
give it. And his silence would signify that he did not have the thing needed.
28- Despite the divine offer
wherein Allâhu ta’âlâ had
promised, “Ask of Me, and I shall give thee,” he would not ask for worldly property. He never ate bread made
from sifted wheat-flour. He always ate bread made from unsifted barley-flour.
He was never seen to eat till he was full. He would eat bread alone, and
sometimes with dates, with vinegar, with fruit, with soup, or by dipping pieces
of bread into olive-oil. He would eat chicken as well as flesh of rabbit,
camel, or antelope, fish, dried meat, and cheese. He liked meat from the
forelegs. He would hold the meat with his hands and eat it by taking bites. It
is permissible as well to use knife (and fork). He would frequently have milk
or eat dates. Sometimes they would not cook anything or make any bread for two
or three months in his home, so he would eat only dates for months. There were
times when he ate nothing for two or three days running. After he passed away,
a Jew was found to be keeping his coat of mail as a pawn for thirty kilograms
of barley which the blessed Prophet owed to him.
29- He was never heard to say
that he did not like a certain kind of food. He would eat what he liked, and he
would only not eat the food he did not like, yet he would say nothing.
30- He had one meal a day.
Sometimes he had his daily meal in the morning, and sometimes he ate in the
evening. When he went home, he would say, “Is there something to eat?” He would fast if the answer was in the negative.
Instead of putting the food on
something like a tablecloth, a tray or a table, he would place it on the floor,
get down to his kneels, and eat without leaning against anything. He would say
the Basmala[1] first and then start eating. He ate with his right hand.
31- Sometimes he laid aside the
amount of barley and dates
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[1] To say the Basmala means to say the
word ‘Bism-Illâh-ir-Rahmân-ir-Rahîm’, which means, “In the name of Allah, who
is Merciful and Compassionate.”
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that would sustain his nine wives and a few servants for one year,
giving some of that amount as alms to the poor.
32- Mutton, broth, pumpkin,
desserts, honey, dates, milk, cream, water melon, melon, grapes, cucumbers, and
cool water were the kinds of food (and drink) he specially liked.
33- When he drank water, he
would say the Basmala, take small swallows slowly, and make two pauses, (thus
dividing an act of drinking into three). He would say, “All-hamdu-lillâh,” after drinking. (Al-hamdu-lillâh means, “May gratitude and praise
be to Allah.”)
34- Like other Prophets, he
would refuse to be given alms or zakât. He would accept presents, mostly giving
much more in return.
35- He would wear whatever he
found of the sorts of garments that were permissible to wear. He used to cover
himself with seamless garments made from thick material, like ihrâm, wrap
waist-cloths around himself, and wear shirts and long and ample robes. These
garments were woven from cotton, wool, or hair. Sometimes he wore a white
garment, and sometimes he was clad in a green one. There were also times when
he wore sewn garments. On Fridays, on special days such as the days of ’Iyd,
during diplomatic receptions, and at times of battle, he wore valuable shirts
and robes. His garments were mostly white. There were also times when he wore
green, red or black garments. He would cover his arms down to the wrists and
his blessed legs down to the mid-shins.
It is stated as follows in the
book Shemâil-i-sherîfa, by Imâm-i-Tirmuzî ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’: “Rasűlullah liked to
wear a shirt (called qamîs). The sleeves of his shirt reached his wrists. There
were no buttons on the sleeves or on the collar. His shoes were of leather, and
each shoe had one strap with two cords going between two toes and connecting
the strap to the front of the shoe. Convention should be observed in wearing
garments and shoes. Defying the convention causes fame. And fame, in its turn,
is something that should be avoided. When he entered Mekka, he was wearing a
black turban wrapped around his blessed head.”
36- He wrapped a strap of mostly
white and sometimes black muslin as a turban around his head, letting a
span-long of its end hang down between his two shoulders. His turban was
neither too big nor too small; it was three and a half meters in length. He
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wore his turban without a skull-cap. However, sometimes he wore a
skull-cap with a cord and without a turban.
37- As it was customary in
Arabia, he would grow his hair as long as it reached the mid-sections of his
ears, having it trimmed when it grew longer. He applied special ointment to his
hair. He took the bottle of ointment with him whenever he went on a voyage.
When he applied the ointment, he would first cover the ointment with a piece of
muslin and then put on his headgear, so that the ointment would not be seen
from without. Sometimes he let his hair grow long and hang before him on both
sides. On the day when he conquered Mekka he had two curls of hair hanging in
this manner.
38- He would put musk and other
sorts of perfume on his hands and head, and incense himself with aloe wood and
camphor.
39- His bed was made of tanned
leather stuffed with date threads. When they offered him a bed stuffed with
wool, he refused it, saying, “O Âisha! I swear in the name of Allah that Allâhu ta’âlâ would keep piles of
gold and silver with meeverywhere if I wished.” Sometimes he slept on felt mats, on wooden beds, on the floor, on
rugs woven with wool, or on dry soil.
[Ibni ’Âbidîn ‘rahima-hullâhu
ta’âlâ’ states in the initial part of the chapter about fasting, “Acts which
Rasűlullah and his four Khalîfas succeeding him did steadily are called sunnat. (With respect to importance, there are two categories of sunnat.)
It is makrűh[1] to omit (an act which is) sunnat-i-hudâ. Yet it is not makrűh to omit (acts that are) sunnat-i-zâida.”
Abdulghanî Nablusî
‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’ [d. 1143 (1731 C.E.), Damascus] says in his book Hadîqa, “Sunnat-i-hudâ is an act of worship
which Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ performed but did not
admonish other Muslims for omitting it. If it is an act of worship which he
performed steadily, it is called sunnat-i-muakkada. Acts which the Messenger of Allah did habitually are called sunnat-i-zâida, or mustahab. An example
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[1] An act, behaviour, a word that the Messenger of Allah avoided although it was not prohibited directly in the Qur’ân al-kerîm is called makrűh. The Messenger not only avoided such behaviour, but also recommended that Muslims should avoid it.
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of these acts is to begin from the right-hand side and to use the
right hand when you are to do something useful, such as building a house,
eating, drinking, sitting down, standing up, [going to bed,] putting on your
clothes, using tools, etc. It is not dalâlat (deviation from Islam) not to
observe this kind of sunnat or to observe acts of custom established in the
course of time after the establishment of Islam and which are termed bid’at in convention, e.g. using new gadgets such as sieves, spoons, etc. Acts of this
sort are not sinful.” Hence, it is permissible to eat meals at a table, to use
forks and spoons, to sleep on comfortable beds, to use radios, television sets,
tape recorders at conferences, in schools, during classes of ethics and
science, to use all sorts of transportation, and to utilize technical
facilities such as spectacles and calculators. These things are within the area
of bid’at in convention. Something that was established afterwards is called bid’at. It is harâm (forbidden) to use things and inventions that are
within the area of bid’at in convention in committing acts that are harâm.
There is detailed information in the (Turkish) books Se’âdet-i Ebediyye (Endless Bliss) and Islâm Ahlâký (Ethics of Islam) about using
radios, loud-speakers and tape recorders during prayers of namâz, azân (adhân),
preaches and khutbas. It is a grave sin to invent bid’ats or to make even the
slightest alteration in the acts of worship. Jihâd, Holy War, is an act of
worship. And it is not an act of bid’at to use all sorts of technical
implementations in a war. On the contrary, it brings about many blessings. For
it is a commandment of Islam to use all sorts of scientific media in a war. It
is necessary to invent facilities that will be helpful in performing acts of
worship. Yet it is an act of bid’at to invent facilities that will encourage
forbidden acts or to invent any changes in worships. For instance, it is
necessary to climb the minaret to call the azân (adhân, the call to prayer).
Yet it is an act of bid’at to call the azân through a loud-speaker. For it is
not a commandment (of Islam) to call it through an implementation. The
commandment dictates that human voice should be used in calling it. Moreover,
Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ prohibited to announce the
prayer times or to perform other acts of worship by ringing bells, sounding
horns, or playing musical instruments.]
40- Rasűlullah ‘sall-Allâhu
’alaihi wa sallam’ would not grow his beard longer than one handful. He would
have it shortened when it exceeded that limit. [It is sunnat to keep your beard
one handful long. And it is wâjib to do so in places where it is
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customary for men to have a beard. It is sunnat to shorten it when
it exceeds the limit. It is an act of bid’at to have it shorter than one
handful. It is wâjib to let such beard to grow till it reaches the length of
one handful. It is makrűh to shave your beard. However, it is permissible to
shave it when you have an excuse.]
41- Every night he put kohl (a
certain protective substance) on his eyes.
42- A mirror, a comb, a
container for the substance that he put on his eyes every night, a miswâk,[1] scissors, thread and
needle were never absent among his personal possessions at home. He would take
these things with him when he went on a voyage.
43- He enjoyed beginning
everything from the right hand side and doing everything with his right hand.
The only thing he did with his left hand was cleaning himself in the toilet.
44- With kinds of work done in
numbers, he preferred odd numbers whenever possible.
45- After the night prayer, he
would sleep until midnight, get up and spend the rest of the time worshipping
till morning prayer. He would lie on his right flank, put his right hand under
his cheek, and recite some sűras (chapters of the Qur’ân al-kerîm) until he fell asleep.
46- He preferred tafa’ul, (which
means to draw good omen from things.) In other words, when he saw something for
the first time or all of a sudden, he interpreted it optimistically. He did not
interpret anything as ominous.
47- At times of sorrow, he would
think pensively, holding his beard.
48- Whenever he felt sad, he
would begin performing namâz. The flavour and the pleasure he felt during the
namâz would eliminate his sadness.
49- He would never listen to a
backbiter or a gossipper.
50- Whenever he wanted to look
at something on one side or behind, he would turn with his entire body, instead
of turning only
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[1] A short stick (about 20 centimetres
long and no more than one centimetre thick) cut from a certain shrub called
Erâk (salvadora persica) growing in Arabia. One end of the miswâk is pounded
into fibres and used as a toothbrush.
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ATTENTION: Islamic scholars
‘rahima-humullâhu ta’âlâ’ divided the aforesaid behaviours of our master the Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’
into three categories. The first category consists of behaviours that must be
imitated by Muslims. They are called sunna(t). The
second category contains behaviours that are peculiar only to our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa
sallam’. They are called Khasâis. It is not
permissible to imitate them. In the third category are behaviours integrated to
convention. Every Muslim should imitate them depending on the convention valid
in his country. Imitating them without adapting them to the rules of convention
in your country will cause fitna (instigation). And causing fitna, in its turn,
is harâm.
Worldly property, gold’n silver are no one’s eternally;
Pleasing a broken heart is what will
promote thee.
The earth is ephemeral, it turns continuously;
Mankind is a lantern, which will go out
eventually.
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