Charity is an essential part of Islam. But only a few of us realize the benefits of giving, both in this life and in the Hereafter. Just as the Prophet as said ”Charity doesn’t decrease wealth” Click here to find out 4 benefits of giving charity!
- aboutislam.net
According to Psychology Today, emotional intelligence is the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others.
It is generally said to include three skills: emotional awareness; the ability to harness emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving; and the ability to manage emotions, which includes regulating your own emotions and cheering up or calming down other people.
Emotional intelligence is the “something” in each of us that is a bit intangible.
It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities, and make personal decisions to achieve positive results.
All people experience emotions, but few can accurately identify them as they occur.
Ask yourself if these qualities of emotionally intelligent people apply to you:
1. You Can Master Your Emotions
While many people might describe themselves as simply feeling “bad,” emotionally intelligent people can pinpoint whether they feel “irritable,” “frustrated,” “downtrodden,” or “anxious.”
The more specific your word choice, the better insight you have into exactly how you are feeling, what caused it, and what you should do about it.
2. You Care About Others
Emotionally intelligent people are curious about everyone around them.
This curiosity is the product of empathy, one of the most significant gateways to high EQ.
The more you care about other people and what they’re going through, the more curiosity you’re going to have about them.
3. You Embrace Change
Emotionally intelligent people are flexible and constantly adapting.
They know that change is the norm in this life and that fear of change is a major threat to their success and happiness.
4. You Have Self-Awareness
In other words, you know your strengths and weaknesses.
You know:
– What you’re good at and what you’re bad at.
– Who pushes your buttons and what excites you.
– Where to start and how to succeed.
5. You Are Not Easily Offended
Emotionally intelligent people are self-confident and open-minded, which creates a pretty thick skin.
You may even poke fun at yourself or let other people make jokes about you because you are able to mentally draw the line between humor and degradation.
6. You Know How to Say No
“No” is a powerful word that you should not be afraid to say.
When it’s time to say no, emotionally intelligent people avoid phrases such as, “I don’t think I can” or “I’m not certain.”
Saying no to a new commitment honors your existing commitments and gives you the opportunity to successfully fulfill them.
7. You Let Go of Mistakes
Emotionally intelligent people distance themselves from their mistakes, but do so without forgetting them.
By keeping their mistakes at a safe distance, yet still handy enough to refer to, they are able to adapt and adjust for future success.
8. You Don’t Seek Perfection
Emotionally intelligent people won’t set perfection as their target because they know that it doesn’t exist.
Human beings, by our very nature, are fallible.
When perfection is your goal, you’re always left with a nagging sense of failure that makes you want to give up or reduce your effort.
Emotionally intelligent people set realistic goals and expectations for themselves and others.
9. You Appreciate What You Have
Taking time to contemplate what you’re grateful for isn’t merely the right thing to do; it also improves your mood because it reduces the stress hormone cortisol by 23%.
Research conducted at the University of California, Davis, found that people who worked daily to cultivate an attitude of gratitude experienced improved mood, energy, and physical well-being.
It’s likely that lower levels of cortisol played a major role in this.
10. You Are a Good Listener
Emotionally intelligent people know that “hearing” and “listening” are two different things.
They re-phrase a person’s statements in the form of a question to make sure nothing got lost in translation.
Finally, we, as Muslims, must learn from our beloved prophet (PBUH), whom Allah Almighty sent to mankind and taught him to be the best in ethics and manners so that we would find the most complete and best example in him.
In modeling our lives after the Prophet (PBUH), we should show love and mercy, seek peace and show forgiveness, lead by example, be the best we can be to our family, and finally, live by the Quran.
In his seerah (PBUH), we will find the greatest lessons of intelligence, wisdom, and virtue.
***
- aboutislam.net
Allah tells us to be conscious of Him while trying to get the things we love. If we do that we will be in contentment and in the Hereafter we will be granted Paradise.
If you try and get the things you love through means that are unacceptable, then you will plunge yourself in destruction. You will not be happy and there will be a crisis.
Allah tells us when we are trying to achieve the things we love we must always be conscious of Allah. We must make sure we follow the rules and the regulations that Allah has set us. These rules are not there to distress us rather they are there to govern our life. - aboutislam.net
Can nikah take place virtually? Can the groom be sitting somewhere and the bride be sitting somewhere else and the nikah is taking place via video conferencing call or any mechanism?
Whether it’s zoom? Whether it’s Facetime. Or whatever it is. Or even via phone call. Is it possible or not?
Now I am aware that there are opinions out there. But again this is the rapid fire so we’re going to be doing one opinion only.
It is insha allah permissible to engage in a nikah online or via social media apps or via telephone with the condition that there are enough circumstantial evidences to basically identify with certainty the bride and the groom. As well as the witnesses and the wali.
So the problem that some ‘ulamaa raise is that how do we know if it is actually some type of fraud or something of this nature. And of course I mean that might be valid.
But if the entire families are involved. For example everybody’s looking forward to that day and the bride’s parents and the groom’s parents and you know everybody’s knowing that it’s taking place then the chances of fraud are basically eliminated to the degree as if it was in one room.
Therefore as long as the identities are in some fashion guaranteed. And as I said this doesn’t have to be it is circumstantial evidence the context is good enough. So if both families are involved and again you know the bride’s getting ready in her household the groom’s getting ready and the wali is known everybody can. have the nikah online.
It is not a condition of nikah that the husband and wife to be are in the same vicinity. You can conduct the nikah in different places with the wali of course. The actual nikah contract should be between the wali and between the groom. That can be done online. That can be done via any type of social media platform in which immediate back and forth can take place and as long as the identities are vetted and confirmed.
The only case again would be problematic if for example the two individuals were corresponding online had never met and you notice there’s a visa issue because there are cases where there’s visa fraud or somebody pretends to be somebody else and just to get the money or the visa.
That’s where I can understand some of our scholars are hesitant that you don’t want to do a nikah and you don’t even know that that other person is real; the identity is real.
So that’s why in such circumstances I can definitely say that reasonable precautions should be taken. Somebody from whichever side is doubtful, should send an actual physical person in that city to make sure the family, the wali, whoever is basically living flesh and blood they are who they say they are and everything is legit.
Otherwise in shaa Allah it is completely permissible and Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala knows best.
- aboutislam.net
Insulting Allah, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), or Islam is a grievous act. It can result in a person leaving the fold of Islam.
However, before calling someone a disbeliever, we should give allowance for factors like ignorance, coercion, or mistakes. Not everyone who commits such acts can be treated as a disbeliever.
However, mocking or insulting Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him), or Islam is considered disbelief by Islamic scholars, even if done in jest. The Quran states, {And if you ask them, they will surely say, ‘We were only conversing and playing.’ Say, ‘Is it Allah, His verses, and His Messenger that you were mocking?’ Do not apologize. You have disbelieved after your faith.} (At-Tawbah 65–66). Scholars like Al-Qadi `Iyad view such acts as grave sins.
Yet, for an act to be deemed intentional disbelief, it must be deliberate and done knowingly. Those who are ignorant should first learn about the seriousness of their actions. Many often utter curses of Allah or Islam out of anger or frustration, often without being aware of the consequences of their words.
While these acts are grave sins, they don’t automatically make someone a disbeliever. Here, repentance and seeking forgiveness are essential. As Allah says, {Say, ‘O My servants who have wronged themselves, do not despair of Allah’s mercy. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful.’} (Az-Zumar 39:53)
In conclusion, insulting Allah, the Prophet (peace be upon him), or Islam is a severe act of disbelief. However, when ignorance or coercion is involved, it remains a grave sin but does not necessarily mean someone is a disbeliever.
Sincere repentance and turning back to Allah are crucial. Therefore, you need to repent sincerely and resolve never to repeat this mistake. I also urge you to renew your Shahadah lest your faith is compromised. Additionally, consider therapy for anger management. Anger can lead us away from Islam, as Imam Al-Ghazali reminds us.
Regarding the issue of Kaffarah, it’s best to make amends by giving to charity, like feeding the poor.
Almighty Allah knows best.
- aboutislam.net
As I sit in yet another restaurant waiting for my main course, I dip pieces of the freshly baked gourmet bread into a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This Italian tradition from one of my favorite countries reminds me of the Qur’anic verse encouraging travel around the world.
Wandering through the Doges Palace some years ago, I came across a Muslim flag which was on display from the last major historic naval battle with rowing boats only, in 1571, a campaign between the Holy League – a Christian coalition – and the Ottoman Empire. The Battle of Lepanto.
Deborah Howard, author of ‘Venice and the East’ points out that the Doges Palace itself was designed with Islamic architectural influences: the arch styles heightened domes, relief works on walls, staircase patterns, all taken directly from the Muslim world, which Venice would trade with.
How is it then that businessmen, friends, partners, and traders, could move from mutually beneficial relationships, such that even architectural designs were shared, to a situation where doubt, uncertainty, fear, and lack of trust became the norm, eventually leading to war?
Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, was born in Arabia over 1,400 years ago. A predominantly pagan-idol worshiping community, leading tribes held sway over local economics and politics.
As the historian Ibn Ishaq observed, the tribes kept a fragile peace in the area, enriching themselves as pilgrims made their way to worship the idols.
First as a shepherd, then a trader, Prophet Muhammad’s life revolved around the company of non-Muslims, and even after Islam, he lived amongst and engaged with non-Muslims.
For example, sometimes he would buy his animals from a pagan, he would eat food from Christians and Jews, his abusive neighbors with whom he was patient with were non-Muslims, he even had to chastise Muslims when they behaved immorally towards non-Muslims.
Eventually, as hostilities arose, Prophet Muhammad and Abu Bakr escaped Makkah with the help of a pagan guide from the tribe of Bani al-Dayl. Despite being a pagan, he was a man they both trusted with their life. Together they made their way to the city of Yathrib.
At first, the city was home to the Yemeni tribes of Aus and Khazraj, and later, as Bernard Lewis observed, it became a Jewish settlement whose tribes included the Kunaika, Quraiza, and Nadir; accounting for half the settlements of the area.
With time, Yathrib was renamed Madinah, meaning, the City of the Prophet. A rich, multi-faith environment in which Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said that if anyone harms a non-Muslim unjustly, then he will defend the non-Muslim, setting the foundations of a unique city where tribal allegiances were replaced by rights and justice for all.
Islam flourished not just only because of the message of peace brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the Qur’an, but also because of the support of non-Muslims – even pagans – who supported, empowered, and lived with Muslims, enabling Muslims and non-Muslims to live in peace.
This happened during the Prophet’s time as well as through different periods of history. Yes, there are issues today in many parts of the world, but generally, we in the Western world are living with the same freedom of religion taught by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.
What better way to remember Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) than to understand how he lived his life, the company he kept, the challenges he overcame, and that he didn’t live in a ‘Muslim bubble’ as so many would like us to think.
And while the Prophet (PBUH) preached and taught the values of the belief in One God, without partner, as he lived in a multi-faith society, and many of his and his companions relatives were not Muslim, he encouraged everyone, even his wives to visit, support, love, and even exchange gifts with their non-Muslim – sometimes pagan – relatives.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) did not just ‘tolerate’ non-Muslims, he lived happily and freely in a society of non-Muslims, engaging, interacting, and being involved with their lives too. In one hadith narrated by Bukhari, Prophet Muhammad said that if a person makes their neighbor feel unsafe, they are not a believer.
In his Book of Finances, the Muslim historian Abu Ubayd observed that “…some of his neighbors were non-Muslim and he made a habit of being generous to them: he would give them gifts and accept their gifts in return. He would visit them when they were ill, give them charity, and trust them with commercial transactions. There was a family of Jewish people to whom he would regularly give charity.”
This is the Prophet’s message of togetherness.
Today, as technology and communication allow us to travel faster and interact in real-time better, we as humanity are increasingly closer to each other than before.
Our faith and spiritual relationship with God is not weakened by the different religions around us, rather, our faith flourishes when, as the Qur’an says, there is no compulsion in religion, and people are free to think, to question, to ponder, to compare, to understand, to build, and grow their relationship with their Creator.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) grew up in the same house as his aunt Safiya. When he died, Safiya recited the following:
“O God’s Messenger, you were our hope
Today every mourner should weep for you
Alas! Had God kept you amongst us
How fortunate we would have been
But the command of God is not to be said again”
At his death humanity lost a kind, compassionate, merciful man, who did his best to deliver a message from God. Like his companions, he was a human being who smiled, laughed, joked, even raced with his wife Aishah; and when he lost it didn’t deflate his ego, he simply loved her even more.
If we cannot remember the Prophet’s spirit of togetherness, where irrespective of faith we live alongside one another, respect one another, engage with one another, share gifts with one another, do things that everyday people do with one another, with decency and dignity, then relationships will fail. Society will fall. Tensions will rise. And injustice may occur, to the point of fighting one another in wars.
The Muslim flag on the wall of the Doges Palace, lost in a war, is a reminder of a time when the wisdom of Prophet Muhammad’s diversity and inclusivity was forgotten.
If we as Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad (PBHU) was a mercy to humankind, then let us reflect on how he lived and how he interacted with all during his life.
There is a reason why God empowered a non-Muslim pagan to protect and guide Prophet Muhammad and Abu Bakr towards safety.
It is a reminder that even in our most difficult times, we should never discriminate against another person simply because of their faith, and that help and direction may come from a source that we may not have anticipated: someone who believes in the polar opposite to you, but shares a common decency.
Once when Prophet Muhammad’s companion Jabir was entertaining guests, he served them bread and vinegar, saying, ‘Eat up, for I have heard the Prophet say, vinegar is the best dish.’ Back to my olive oil and balsamic vinegar with bread. The cultures and traditions of the world are rich and beautiful, and sometimes they cross.
Who would have thought that this regular pre-starter ritual at a restaurant was also a tradition from Prophet Muhammad’s Sunnah? Seems as if we aren’t that different from each other after all.
Happy birthday O Prophet from God, may we all find wisdom from your example, amen.
- aboutislam.net
Before I talk about the historical events that accompanied the birth of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), let me highlight that the events of history cannot be taken as authentic as the Sunnah (sayings, deeds and attributes of the Prophet) which has been narrated to us with an unbroken chain of authenticity.
This is simply because the Sunnah has been subject to verification and authentication processes which are not normally applied on historical events.
The Message of Prophet Muhammad
Muslims do not build their love and acceptance of Prophet Muhammad on the miracles that accompanied his blessed birth. Rather, they build that on their faith in him, which stems from the faith in the message he was sent with.
The historical events of the life of any Prophet cannot be taken without undergoing the process of verification and authentication. Therefore, Muslims are not very bothered with the great events that shaped a change in the world celebrating the coming of the final Messenger Muhammad.
Rather, they are more focused on the essence of the message that Prophet Muhammad brought to mankind.
The value of great men is not derived from the events that happen around them; rather, it is driven from the contribution they have made to human race, the amount of goodness they brought with them and the positive change they managed to carry out.
When Prophet Muhammad came, he changed the face of humanity and brought new concepts to people and managed to bring light to their minds and lives.
The Birth of Prophet Muhammad
The very event of his birth was in itself a big addition to mankind.
Regardless of the great signs that accompanied his birth and the attempt of trying to prove that historically, the fact that he was a prophet and a great man is still the same.
To say that the events that accompanied the birth of Prophet Jesus Christ (peace be upon him) are historically proven is something that can be argued by other historians who do not belong to Christianity or can even be dismissed from having any relation with Jesus, by other people who do not see the event from
a pure Christian perspective.
Therefore, history may fail us here and to save time, history may fail in matters of faith, simply because history is very much dependent on human effort while religion is a Divine thing; that is to say, what is human is limited and defective while what is Divine is perfect and unlimited.
If you ask me, do you believe that these strange events happened around the time of the birth of Prophet Muhammad, I will say, yes I do believe that what has been told to us by the Prophet to have happened, must have happened.
And what we are not told about by the Prophet himself must have been communicated down through historians, because there is no smoke without fire. Yet, I do trust what the Prophet told us that it has happened.
In the hadith narrated by At-Tabarani, the Prophet says:
“When my mother was pregnant, she saw as if light has come out of her and extended to lighten the palaces of the Levant.”
Now speaking of history itself, what is history and how did it come to existence?
History is basically the recording, whether in oral or written form, of the life incidents and events since very long ago.
The way history is communicated from a generation to another is normally through word of mouth or written passages, records or books.
When we think of what happened at the time of the birth of Prophet Jesus and how it was communicated to us, we will realize that they have been communicated down to us through word of mouth (narration) which was later on put into a written form (in this case it was in the Gospel).
This is history in its simplest meaning, and by applying the same methodology, we can realize that the same happened with the life events of Prophet Muhammad.
Word of Mouth
Taking into account that Arabs at that time did not have the culture of reading and writing on a large scale, the only way of communicating things or recording them was through word of mouth.
Living in the clear vast desert, Arabs were very well known for their strong memories that enabled them to memorize thousands of lines of poetry and narrate them all over Arabia.
It was with these strong memories that they recorded to us such events including the collapse of some parts of the palace of Khosrau I, the water of the lake of Sawa that disappeared to the ground, the valley of Samawah that was flooded with water and the sacred fire of the Magians that went off after a thousand years of being on.
These were kept in the memories of generations, until it was written down later on in the books that speak about this stage of human history.
- aboutislam.net
Observing voluntary fasting is a commendable act of worship. It is not restricted to specific times or occasions. However, there are some days on which fasting is haram (prohibited) such as the days of the Eids (1 Shawwal and 10 Dhul-Hijjah); the days of tashreeq (11th, 12th, and 13th of Dhul-Hijjah); and the day of doubt (the last day of Shaban), though this latter is controversial among scholars.
There are also some days on which fasting is makruh (disliked) such as fasting Friday alone or Saturday alone.
Moreover, there are some specific days on which fasting is commendable. These are the days of Muharram, days of the four sacred months (Muharram, Rajab, Dul-Qi`dah and Dhul-Hijjah), the day of Arafah (9 Dhul-Hijjah), the day of Ashurah (10 Muharram), Monday and Thursday every week, three days (13, 14 and 15) of every lunar month, the six commendable days of Shawwal, and most days of Sha`ban, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to do so.
Fasting on the Prophet’s birthday: Allowed?
That is to say, the Prophet’s birthday on 12 Rabi` Awwal, as people used to celebrate it, is not among the days on which fasting is commendable (nor among the days on which fasting is forbidden).
Nevertheless, it is by no means commendable to fast on 12 Rabi` Awwal in celebration of the Prophet’s birthday. This is because it is not completely agreed that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was born on that day. Rather, some people say that he (peace and blessings be upon him) was born on 9 Rabi` Awwal, and there are still different views in this regard.
On the other hand, fasting on the Prophet’s birthday is rendered blameworthy if it occurs on a day such as Friday because it is blameworthy to intend to fast on Friday only.
It is reported in Al-Bukhari and Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade fasting on Friday alone; he said: “None of you should fast on Friday unless he fasts a day before or after it.”
Did the Prophet fast on his birthday?
This is the ruling of fasting on the Prophet’s birthday every year. However, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast on Monday weekly. He was so keen on it for two reasons. The first reason is that people’s account of deeds are submitted to Allah Almighty on Mondays and Thursdays.
So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) preferred that his fasting on those days be included in his account of deeds when offered before Allah (as reported and verified by At-Tirmidhi).
The second reason for the Prophet’s keenness on fasting on Mondays is that Monday was the day on which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was born and also the day on which he was sent as a Messenger to the worlds (as reported by Muslim).
So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to fast on that day to express gratitude to Allah Almighty for giving him life and selecting him as a Prophet.
Hence, if Muslims would like to show gratitude to Allah Almighty for the Prophet’s birth and for sending him to guide them to the straight path, then they can perform any voluntary acts of worship such as prayer, charity, fasting or whatsoever.
So, there is no specific time to offer supererogatory acts of worship. However, fasting on Mondays is preferable, following in the Prophet’s footsteps.
Are there special acts of worship on Prophet’s birthday?
In conclusion, there are no special acts of worship to be observed on 12 Rabi` Awwal particularly, and fasting on that day has no extra virtue than fasting on any other day. Generally, the best way to worship Allah, attain His pleasure, and show love and adherence to His Message is to follow in the Prophet’s footsteps.
It is reported in Al-Bukhari and Muslim that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “He who does not follow my tradition (in religion), is not from me (not one of my followers).” It is also reported in Al-Bukhari on the authority of Abu Ya`la that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Whoever loves me should follow my tradition.”
Allah Almighty knows best.
- aboutislam.net
God has always chosen prophets with the best of characters, morals and spirits.
Since God is All-Knowing, All-Wise, and has ordained human’s destiny before their birth, it is feasible to think that He has already chosen His Prophets before even their entrance to the world.
Prophet Muhammad was not an exception. God bestowed on him the best of characters, one of which was his exceptional tolerance which is manifested in his life and teachings:
And verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted (standard of) character. (Quran 68: 4)
We will examine some examples of his tolerance at the advent of Islam and during its expansion process. In the next article, we will examine his treatment of non-Muslims.
During the first thirteen years of his life in Makkah, he and his followers faced much persecution. Muslims were not ordered by God to fight back due to the fact that they had no military strength yet due to the small following which gradually increased.
It was only in Madinah when his following and military power rapidly grew that fighting to protect themselves and the new religion was allowed.
When the Prophet’s opponents greatly increased their persecution, his companions asked him to curse them. At this, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) replied:
I have not been sent to lay a curse upon men but to be a blessing to them.” (Muslim)
His opponents continued to treat him and his companions unjustly and cruelly, but he always prayed for them.
He once decided to personally visit the village of Ta’if, to the east of Makkah, to invite its inhabitants to Islam. The people rejected him, stoned him, ejected him, and made him to bleed. Angel Gabriel came to him and said:
“Allah has heard what your people say to you and how they reject you. He has ordered the angels of the mountains to obey whatever you tell them to do.”
The angel of the mountains called him, greeted him and said:
“Send me to do what you wish. If you wish, I will crush them between the two mountains of Makkah.”
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
Rather, I hope that Allah will bring forth from their loins those who will worship Allah alone and not associate anything with Him.” (Al-Bukhari)
In the early Makkan period when the enemies of the new religion far exceeded the Prophet’s companions in number, it often happened that when the Prophet would stand to pray, his foes would come near him and whistle and clap in order to disturb him, but the Prophet would not even once show his anger at such acts. He always opted for the policy of tolerance and avoidance of confrontation.
In one instance when the Prophet was praying at the Ka’bah while his enemies were watching his every move and action, one of his adversaries put on his back the intestine of a slaughtered camel during his prostration. The Prophet Muhammad did not react and stayed in that position. His daughter, Fatimah, rushed to take the filth off his back and cleaned him up.
Later, when Prophet Muhammad and many of his companions migrated to Madinah, again his great character in dealing with his companions and enemies was further manifested.
In Madinah, the Muslims were in the process of establishing the new Islamic state. Yet, their enemies in Makkah did not spare much time to wage war against them and pursue them even in Madinah.
In the battle of Uhud, when his Makkan enemies attacked the Muslims, Prophet Muhammad suffered head injury and his front teeth got smashed. When the blood started to seep from his head, he swabbed it saying:
“If a drop of my blood fell on the earth, those infidels will be destroyed by Allah.”
Umar told him,
“O Messenger of Allah, Curse them!”
The prophet replied:
I wasn’t sent (by Allah) to curse. I was sent as a mercy.
Then he said:
O Allah, Guide my people! (Authenticated by Al-Albani)
God confirms his blessed character by saying:
And We have not sent you forth but as a mercy to mankind. (Quran 21:107)
The Prophet Muhammad once said:
A true believer is one with whom others feel secure.” (Al-Bukhari)
He manifested these words with action and was not fast to revenge or rebuke a wrong doer.
A Bedouin once entered the mosque and started to urinate in it. Mosques at that time had no walls and carpeted floors and the ceilings were palm leaves held up by palm stems. The people ran to (prevent and restrain) him. The Prophet Muhammad said:
Do not interrupt his urination (i.e. let him finish). Then the Prophet asked for a pitcher of water to be poured over the place of urine. (Al-Bukhari)
One of Jesus’ famous saying is:
Love your neighbor like yourself.”
Prophet Muhammad complimented this by saying:
By God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer, by God, he is not a believer, with whom his neighbors are not secure.” (Al-Bukhari)
This includes tolerance for actions they may do that is not pleasing to one.
It is reported that one of the Prophet’s neighbors was a Jew who hated the Prophet. Each day he would throw trash on his way. The prophet Muhammad never rebuked him.
One day, the Jew did not show up. The Prophet asked about him, and was told that he was sick. So, he went to visit him and inquire about his health with kindness. Upon seeing this, the Jew embraced Islam.
The enmity of his worst enemy toward his most beloved was also met with awesome goodness.
Hamza was among the Prophet’s most beloved uncles. During one of the battles, Hend, the wife of Abu Sufyan, the arch enemy of the Prophet, had ordered her slave to find Hamza and pierce him with his arrow.
Upon seeing him dead, she rushed to his body and cut out his liver and started chewing on it while filled with rage.
Upon the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet did not seek revenge on her and accepted her and her husband as new converts and gave them full protection.
Anas ibn Malik, who served the Prophet for ten years, said that the Prophet never rebuked him:
When I did something, he never questioned my manner of doing it; and when I did not do something, he never questioned my failure to do it. He was the most good-natured of all men.” (Al-Bukhari)
Such manners of tolerance gained him the respect even of his enemies, and his followers stood by him through all kinds of hardship and misfortune.
Although his worse enemies were the Makkan Arabs at the beginning, but in Madinah, the Jews did not spare any effort to conspire against him, even after treaties were signed with them. However, he tried to be as fair with them as possible and only waged war against them when they broke treaties which caused much loss of life of Muslims.
Once, when the Prophet was sitting at a place in Madinah, along with his companions, a funeral procession passed by. On seeing this, the Prophet Muhammad stood up. One of his companions remarked that the funeral was that of a Jew. The Prophet replied:
Was he not a human being?” (Muslim)
Since Prophet Muhammad wished to avoid war at all costs, he strove to bring about a peace agreement between him and the Makkans. After great efforts on his part, the non-Muslims agreed to a ten-year peace treaty, which was drafted and signed at Al-Hudaybiyyah, a place outside Makkah.
During this important meeting, the Makkans insisted on a number of extremely provocative acts. For instance, the agreement mentioned the Prophet’s name as “Muhammad the Messenger of Allah.” They insisted to replace by “son of Abdullah.” The Prophet accepted peacefully and deleted the appellation.
Similarly, they made the condition that if they could lay their hands on any Muslim they would make him a hostage, but if the Muslims succeeded in detaining any non-Muslim, they would have to set him free.
The Prophet even relented on this point for establishment of peace in the region. He was clearly setting examples of fairness and tolerance while exposed to injustice and intolerance.
Despite all the concessions Prophet Muhammad made with the Makkans, the later violated the same treaty they signed earlier. It was then that the Prophet finally marched with his huge army to Makkah and without any resistance conquered the city which was once the abode of his worse enemies.
As mentioned earlier, the Prophet and his followers suffered a great deal during their thirteen years of living in Makkah and after their migration to Madinah. His own tribesmen and even family members continue to oppose him in not only in Makkah but rose to fight him in Madinah for over 20 years.
They did not spare any effort to inflict the worse humanly possible hardship on them. In Makkah, it included, torture, sanctions, taking their lives’ belonging, separating family members and slaughtering them where ever they could find them.
With God’s help and his and his companions’ steadfastness in Madinah and upholding the message of Islam, they finally conquered Makkah. Its leaders came to him fearing that he would kill them as all conquerors do. But instead, he said:
Go! You are all free!” (Authenticated by Al-Albani)
Prophet Muhammad’s mercy and tolerance did not exclude his worse enemies. Such tolerance awed his enemies who were now the newly converted Muslims. The end result is a clear history that is registered to this day. Message of Islam spread across the world, to include on fifth of the global population.
These are only a few among many examples of the Prophet’s tolerance and noble character. Aisha, the wife of the Prophet was asked regarding the character of the Prophet (peace be upon him). She said very simply, that:
The character of the Prophet was the Quran.” (Muslim)
Clearly, the Prophet molded his own life in accordance with the ideal pattern of life that he presented to others in the form of the Quran revealed to him by God. He never beat a servant, or a woman, or anyone else. He did, of course, fight for what was right. When he had to choose between two alternatives, he would take the easier course, provided it involved no sin.
No one was more careful to avoid sin than he. He never sought revenge on his own sake for any wrong done to him personally. He was tolerant. Only if God’s commandments had been broken would he meet out retribution for the sake of God. It was such conduct which gained the Prophet universal respect.
Scholars further explain about the Quran being his character:
“What this means is that he followed its etiquette and adopted its attitude. Whatever was praised in the Quran, he was pleased with, and whatever was condemned in the Quran he hated. It says in one report that Aisha said:
His attitude was the Quran, whatever it was pleased with he was pleased with and whatever it hated he hated. (Ibn rajab in Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam (1/148))
One may say, since he was the last Prophet and messenger to mankind, no other can ever be quite like him. This is true because none shall ever have to shoulder a fraction of the responsibilities he had to bear.
However, we, as his followers, have the easy part which is to seek and adopt his gentle qualities and high moral standards into daily practice; for the Prophet’s life was divinely chosen to function as a practical manual of how one should better himself.
Prophet Muhammad’s character and qualities are not only for the Muslims to follow, but the sincere seekers who learn about him, praise his noble character and wish to follow it.
Goethe, a famous German writer, artist, and politician of the 1800s, marveled over the achievements and status of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) saying:
“We Europeans with all our concepts and ideas have not yet attained that which Muhammad attained, and no one will ever surpass him.
I searched in history for the loftiest example for man to follow, and I found it in the Prophet Muhammad. Thus the truth must prevail and become supreme, because Muhammad succeeded in subjugating the whole world by means of the message of Divine Oneness.”
- aboutislam.net
