ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ETHICS
FROM AN ISLAMIC PERSPECTIVE
موسوعة األخالق
من وجھھ نظر إسالمیة
ALI ZOHERY, Ph. D.
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CONTENTS1. INTRODUCTION2. ETHICS IN QURAN – QUALITATIVE
AND QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS.3. ETHICS IN SUNNAH (PROPHET’S
SAYINGS AND ACTIONS -QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVEANALYSIS.
4. CONCLUSION
1. Greetings
2. Respect for elders
3. Sincerity
4. Modesty
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5. Humility
6. Politeness
7. Gentleness
8. Kindness
9. Trustworthy
10.Truthfulness
11. Virtue
12. Justice and fairness
13. Mercy
14. Forgiveness
15. Generosity
16. Charity
17. Hospitality
18. Love for people in general
19. Welfare of orphans and the poor
20. Peace making
21. Equality of human beings
22. Friendship
23. Affection for children
24. Rights of workers
25. Steadfastness, Patience and Perseverance
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26. Contentment
27. Tolerance
28. Attaining knowledge
29. Courage
30. Wisdom
31. Morality
32. Self disciplinary
33. Control of tongue
34. Prohibition of cheating
35. Mercy for prisoners of war
36. Grace
37. Individual and collective responsibility
38. Forbearance
39. Good character
40. Austerity
41. Moderation
42. Righteousness
43. Good manners toward neighbors
44. Good manners toward women
45. Good manners toward animals
46. Practicality
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47. Cleanliness
48. Sanctity of treaties
49. Courtesy
50. Universal brotherhood (World Community)
51. Supporting the family
52. Harmony
53. Honesty
54. Selfishness
55. To be good to the parents
56. Beaminess of the face
57. Knowing each others
58. Optimism
59. Simplicity
60. Thankfulness
61. High-Spiritedness / Noble-minded
62. Consultation
63. Visiting the relatives
64.Visiting the sick person
65. Ambition
66. Chastity
67. Work
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68. Nobleness
69. Integrity
70. Activeness
Work
1. The prophet said: “Trying to earn a lawful
livelihood is an obligatory duty in addition to
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other obligatory duty.” Bahaqi in Shu’ab al-
Iman.
2. The prophet was asked what type of earning
was best, and he said: “A man’s work with
hands and every business transaction which is
lawful.” (Ahmad)
3. The prophet said: “No one has ever eaten better
food than which one earns as a result of the
labour of one’s hands. Allah’s prophet Dawud
used to eat from which he had worked for with
his hands.” (Bukhari)
4. The prophet said: “A person who earns his
living from a lawful occupation and labour is
dear to Allah. And what higher station could
there be than the station of Allah’s loved one?
The prophet worked hard to earn his living with many
people as a partner, on commission or for wages, and
showed extreme honesty and truthfulness in his business
dealings. No one ever complained about his conduct in
business, but always had a word of praise for him. He
then set a unique example of honest business conduct and
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hard work as a successful and honest businessman.
(Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol.VIII p.
12)
Good Character
The prophet said:
1. “The believers whose faith is most perfect are
those who have the best character.” (Abu Dawud
and Darimi).
2. “Among the best of you are those who have the
best character.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
3. “Among those of you who are dearest to me are
those who have the best character,” (Bukhari)
4. A man reported that Allah’s Messenger was asked
what was the best thing a human being could be
given and he replied: “ A good character.”
(Baihaqi in Shuab al iman and in Sharah as-
Sunnah).
5. “By his good character, a believer will attain the
degree of one who prays during the night and fasts
during the day.” (Abu Dawud).
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6. “Shall I inform you who are the best among you?”
On receiving the reply “Certainly”, he said: “Those
who are best among you are the ones who live
longest and have the best character.” (Ahmad)
Good Manners toward neighbors
1. The prophet said: “I swear by Allah he does not
believe.” The prophet repeated this three times
and was asked who he was talking about. He
said: “The one from whose injurious conduct
his neighbor is not safe.” (Bukhari and
Muslim).
2. He also said: “He from whose injurious conduct
his neighbor is not safe will not enter Paradise.”
(Muslim).
Courtesy
Abd Shuraib al-Adawi reported: My eare
listened and my eye ,lsaw when Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him) spoke
and said: He who believes In Allah and the
eireafter should show respect to the guest
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even with utmost kindness and courtesy.
They said: Messenger of Allah, what is this
utmost kindness and courtesy? He replied: It
is for a day and a night. Hospitality extends
for three days, and what is beyond that is a
Sadaqa for him; and he who believes in
Allah and the Hereafter should say
something good or keep quiet. (Muslim,
Book 018, Number 4286)
Respect for Elders
Islam lays great stress on younger people showing
respect to elders and taking care of them in their old age.
The prophet said: “He is not of us who does not show
respect to our elders.” (Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of
Seerah, Vol.VIII p. 74)
Cleanliness
The Prophet Muhammad was the greatest patron and
promoter of physical cleanliness. He was himself very
conscious of his personal cleanliness and purity and he
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also made it an obligatory duty of his followers to
maintain physical cleanliness to the highest degree in
regard to the body, clothes and places of worship and
residence. This was because physical cleanliness is the
key to cleanliness and purity of mind and soul. The
prophet stressed the importance of cleanliness in these
words: “Being purified is half the Faith” (Muslim)
(Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol.VIII pp.
93-94)
Modesty
The prophet was extremely modest in his conduct with
people and when he was sitting in the company of his
Companions in the mosque, no stranger would have been
able to say which was the prophet. He sat among them as
though he was one of them, and not a messenger of Allah
or a ruler of a state. A stranger coming to see the prophet
in the mosque had to ask someone which he was.
(Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol.VIII p.
135)
About his teachings on Modesty the prophet said:
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1. “Shall I tell you about the inhabitants of Paradise?
They are all modest persons.”
2. “Shall I tell you about the inhabitants of Hell?
They are all ignoble, rude and proud ones.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
3. “He who has in his heart as much pride as a grain
of mustard-seed will not enter paradise.” (Muslim)
4. “Modesty is part of Faith and Faith is in Paradise.”
(Ahmad and Tirmidhi).
5. “Every religion has a character and the character of
Islam is modesty.” (Malik, ibn Majah and Baihaqi
in Shuab al-Iman)
6. “Modesty and Faith are Companions; when one is
taken away, the other is also taken.” In another
version: “Where one of them is taken away, the
other follows it.” (Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-iman)
7. Abu Saeed Khudri said: The prophet was more
modest than a virgin in her apartment, and when he
saw anything of which he disapproved, we could
recognize the fact in his face.” (Bukhari and
Muslim).
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8. A’ishah (the prophet’s wife) said that she never
saw the prophet laugh so immoderately that you
could see inside his mouth; he used only to smile.
(Bukhari)
9. She also said that the prophet was not unseemly or
lewd in his language, nor was he loud-voice in the
streets. (Tirmidhi).
All these Ahadith corroborate the opinion that the
prophet was the most modest of all people. The prophet
always preferred to follow the middle course between
two extremes. (Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah,
Vol.VIII pp. 136-137)
Humility
The prophet was very humble in his dealings with people
and always showed extreme civility, humility and
modesty to all, rich or poor;old or young. He preached
humbleness to his Companions and Demonstrated it by
his actions. The prophet is reported to have said:
1. “Shall I tell you about the inhabitants of Paradise?
They are very meak and humble persons. And
shall I tell you about the inmates of Hell? They are
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very ignoble, uncivil and proud persons.” (Bukhari
and Muslim).
2. “He who has in his heart as much faith as a grain
of mustard-seed will not enter Hell, and he who
has in his heart as much pride as a grain of
mustard-seed will not enter Paradise.” (Muslim).
3. “Allah Most High says: Pride is My cloak and
majesty My lowest garment, and I shall cause him
who vies with Me regarding one of them to enter
Hell.” (Muslim)
4. “Do not praise me (excessively) as the Christans
praised excessively the son of Maryam. I am just
His servant (‘abd), so say, Allah’s servant and
Messenger’.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
The humility and gentleness of the Prophet was quite
natural and free from all pretensions. People normally
show pride and boasting when they gain victories against
their enemies in battle or when they achieve something
really great and glorious. But the prophet behaved
naturally in all circumstances. He was natural and in his
usual form when he was humiliated and beaten by the
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people of Ta’if and when he suffered a setback in the
battle of Uhud. He was the same humble man when he
was entering the city of Makkah as its conqueror at the
head of ten thousand victorious soldiers of Islam. He did
not show any pride in any way. In the words of Sir
William Irving: “His military triumphs awakened no
pride nor vainglory, 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.”(life of Mohamet).
In the words of Stanley Lane-Poole: “Facts are hard
things; and it is a fact that the Day of Muhammad’s
greatest triumph over his enemies was also the Day of his
grandest triumph over himself.” (The Prophet and Islam,
p.31, Lahore).
Politeness
The prophet Muhammad was a most polite, courteous,
refined and well-mannered person. He always treated
people courteously, irrespective of their social status or
religious beliefs, and entertained everyone who came to
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his house and all whom he met in the street with the same
refined manners. In this respect, he never discriminated
between people on the basis of their social status or
beliefs, but treated them all alike with courtesy and
politeness. The Qur’an mentions this quality of the
Prophet in these words: “It is a part of the Mercy of Allah
that you deal politely and gently with them. Were you
severe, uncivil or harsh-hearted, they would have broken
away from you: so pass over their faults, and ask for
Allah’s Forgiveness for them.” (3:159).
It was his gentleness and politeness that endeared him
to all who came into contact with him. There are many
instances in history which reveal the miraculous effect of
his gentle and courteous way of dealing with the
unbelievers. Some who were his deadliest enemies,
determined to destroy him and his Faith, after having
some social contact with him, were completely changed
by his conduct to them into beings who now loved him
more, than anything else in this world (Rahman, 1994,
Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, p. 142)
Thumamah ibn Athal, one of the leaders of the Banu
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Hanifah, was so impressed by the polite and gentle
behavior of the Prophet that he embraced Islam forthwith
and said: “0 Allah’s Messenger! No man was more
detestable and hateful in my eyes than you, but now no
man is more loved in my eyes than you. No religion was
more bad in my eyes as your religion, but now it is the
best of all to me. No town was more disliked by me than
yours, but now the same town is liked by me more than
any other town.” (Seerah Ibn Ishaque).
Hindah, the wife of Abu Sufyan, who, in her anger and
hatred against the Prophet and his Faith, mutilated
Hamzah’s corpse and chewed his liver, when she
embraced Islam and experienced the Prophet’s gentle and
graceful treatment, said to him: “Your tent was the most
hateful tent in my eyes and you were the most hateful
person; now your tent is the most liked tent in my eyes
and you are the most liked person.”
These revolutionary and amazing changes in peoples’
opinion of the Prophet were due to his most courteous
and polite treatment of them. He never used any abusive
language to any one in his life, and never uttered even a
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harsh word to anyone. He even prevented others from
using harsh language. If he ever wanted to warn others,
he would do so in a very mild and affectionate tone. The
Jews addressed him maliciously with the words, A1-
sa’mu-’alaikum (i.e., death on you) instead of As-
salamu‘A/aikum (i.e., peace on you). Hearing this, his
wife, ‘A’ishah, could not restrain herself and burst out
spontaneously: “May Allah bring death on you.” The
Prophet reprimanded her, saying that Allah did not like
harsh words.
The Prophet, as a human being, was sometimes greatly
hurt by people’s ignorance, but he would not utter a
single word of disapproval. The Qur’an refers to this in
these words: “0 you who believe! Enter not the Prophet’s
houses -until permission is given to you -for a meal, (and
then) not so early as to wait for its preparation: but when
you are invited, enter; and when you have taken your
meal, disperse, without stopping to gossip. Such behavior
annoys the Prophet, but he would be ashamed to dismiss
you, but Allah is not ashamed to tell you the
truth.”(33:53).
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When shaking hands with others, he would never be the
first to withdraw his hand. He met everybody with a
smiling face. One of his Companions, Jarir ibn Abd
Allah, said that he never saw the Prophet without a smile
on his face. He would talk freely, never putting on an
artificial reserve to give himself an air of superiority. Nor
would he ever boast. He would take up his friends’
children in his arms like a father. Sometimes they soiled
him, but not a shadow of displeasure would pass over his
face. He would always take the lead in greeting his
friends and shaking hands with them. He would overlook
the shortcomings of others and would not even hint at
them. In his sermons, however, when he was not
addressing anyone directly, he would touch upon how to
remove a particular drawback, so that people could learn
without loss of face.
Of offence to himself, however great, He would take no
notice. At the Battle of Uhud, when the archers
abandoned the position to which he had posted them,
causing the loss of some people near and dear to him and
injury to his own person, he neither court-marshalled nor
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punished them. He did not even rebuke them. To those
who fled from the field, he said no more than that they
had gone a bit too far.
In his dealings with others, he never placed himself on
a pedestal. He would conduct himself as a man like
others,
Once when he was out in the woods with his friends,
the time came to prepare the food. Everyone was allotted
a task. He himself offered to go out and collect fuel. He
did not at all mind doing his share of the work like an
ordinary man. In his treatment of his servants, he
observed the same principle of courtesy and civility. His
servant Anas reported that during the ten years that he
was in the service of the Prophet, he was not once
rebuked by him. The Prophet, in fact, never rebuked any
of his servants for their mistakes.
He would show consideration to both old and young. He
would rise at the arrival of his foster-mother and foster-
sister and spread his own mantle for them to sit on.
(Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, p.
143)
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There are many Ahadith of the Prophet which bear
witness to his most courteous and polite conduct in social
relationships:
1. Anas said that a woman whose mind was affected once
came to the Prophet and said: “Allah’s Messenger! I
want something from you.” He replied:
“Mother of so-and-so, take me where you live so that I
may accomplish what you want.” He then went along
with her to her home and helped her with some jobs.
(Muslim).
2. Anas reported: “I served Allah’s Messenger for ten
years from the time I was eight years old and he never
blamed me for anything which was destroyed by any
hand. If any member of his family blamed me, he said:
‘Leave him alone, for if anything is decreed it will
happen’.” (AI-Masabih).
3. ‘Ali said that Allah’s Messenger owed some dinars to
a Jewish doctor, and he demanded payment from the
Prophet. When he told him that he had nothing to pay
him with, the Jew replied: “1 will not leave you,
Muhammad, until you pay me.” Allah’s Messenger said:
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“1 shall sit with you, then,” and did so. Allah’s
Messenger offered the noon, afternoon, sunset and night
prayers and the next day’s morning prayers. The
Companions were threatening and menacing the Jew.
Allah’s Messenger being aware of what they were doing.
Then they said:
“Messenger of Allah! Is the Jew keeping you in
restraint?” to which he replied:
“My Lord has prevented me from wronging one with
whom a covenant has been made or anyone else.” Then,
when the day was advanced, the Jew said:” I testify that
there is no God but Allah, and I testify that you are
Allah’s Messenger. Then he said that half of his property
would he devoted to Allah’s Way, and added: “I swear
by Allah that my only purpose in treating you as I have
done was that I might know the description of you given
in the Torah: ‘Muhammad ibn Abdullah, whose
birthplace is in Makkah, whose place of emigration is in
Taiba, and whose kingdom is in Syria; he is not harsh or
rough or loud-voiced in the streets, and he is not
characterized by coarseness of lewd speech’. I testify that
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there is no God but Allah, and I testify that you are
Allah’s Messenger. Give a decision about this property
of mine according to what Allah has shown you.”
(Baihaqi).
He would never interrupt when others were talking. He
would never point out the weaknesses of others by name
but would express his dislike in a general way. He
always spoke politely and courteously to all people,
whether low or high, rich or poor.
“All his actions and movements were characterized by
simplicity. Anything savoring of artificiality was
repugnant to his nature. When mounted, he would not
mind seating another, even a slave, behind him.
In brief, civility and good and refined manners,
courtesy, mildness, pleasant speech and fortitude, were
the main features of the dealings of the Prophet
Muhammad’s with the people. (Rahman, 1994,
Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, p. 145)
Moderation
The Prophet was the most moderate person of all. ‘He
always avoided the extremes in life and followed the
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middle of the road. He was temperate in conduct and
expression, following the Golden Mean between the two
extremes, neither tending to this way nor to that way but
maintaining a moderate course of action under all
circumstances.
The Prophet taught moderation to his people, both in
deeds and words. It is reported that the Prophet said: “A
good manner of conduct, deliberation and moderation are
a twenty-fourth part of Prophethood.” (Tirmidhi). Ibn
‘Umar reported that the Prophet said:
“Moderation in expenditure is half one’s livelihood.”
(Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman).
1. The Prophet said: “Those people who went to
extremes (in practicing their religion) were destroyed.”
(Muslim).
2. “The practicing of their religion is easy and nobody
indulges in extremes in matters of faith who is not
overpowered by the same. Therefore be moderate and
practice in proportion to your capacity.” (Bukhari).
3. Once three persons came to enquire from the
household of the Prophet about his prayer. When they
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were told about it, they felt that it was insufficient as far
as they were concerned. They said that there was no
comparison between the Prophet and themselves. He had
been forgiven by Allah for all his omissions and
shortcomings, past and present. One of them said: “1
shall continuously fast without interruption.” Another
said: “I shall, in future, spend the whole night in
praying.” And the third one said: “I shall abstain from
women and shall never marry.” Later, the Prophet came
and asked them about what they had said. He said:
“Listen, I fear Allah more than all of you do, and l am
more conscious of my duties to Him than all of you are. I
observe a fast, but then I break it. I offer prayers at night,
but sleep as well, and I marry women. This is my way of
living. One who turns away from my practice (Sunnah)
does not belong to me.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
4. The Prophet also said: “Be moderate. Practice religion
commensurate with your physical strength. Offer prayers
in the morning and evening and in some parts of the
evening and in some parts of the night. Follow the
middle course; you will reach the goal.” (Bukhari).
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5. “No doubt you have a duty to your Lord; likewise you
owe a duty to yourself, and a duty to your family. You
should discharge your duty to everybody.” (Bukhari).
It is reported that the Prophet was very moderate in all
his actions. Both his prayers and sermons were of
moderate duration. (Muslim). In fact, the whole of his
life was an example of perfect moderation. The basic
principle of the ‘Golden Mean’ was seen in its perfection
in the life of the Prophet, in word and deed. The Prophet
stressed the great merit and importance of a balanced life
on the basis of the ‘Golden Mean’ between the two
extreme ways of life in these words: “Do not impose
austerities on yourselves so that Allah might impose
austerities on you; for people have imposed austerities on
themselves and Allah has also imposed austerities on
them. Their survivors are to be found in cells and
monasteries.” (Abu Dawud).
The Qur’an explicitly states: But monasticism, which
they invented for themselves, We did not prescribe for
them.” (57:27).
It is true that Allah certainly desires that people should
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not indulge in idle pleasures and the vain glories of this
world, and that they should follow a decent life of
goodness. piety and justice to win the Pleasure of their
Lord. But He does not want them to lead gloomy lives,
nor engage in perpetual worship in isolation. He requires
them to lead normal lives in a family relationship on a
social level, practicing goodness and righteousness in
their affairs, private. public, national and international.
(Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, p.
149)
Gentleness
The Prophet Muhammad was the most gentle of all
people in both word and action. He was tender-hearted
and treated all with tenderness and gentleness. The
Qur’an refers to this quality of the Prophet in these
words:
“It is part of the Mercy of Allah that you deal gently with
them. Were you severe or harsh-hearted, they would have
broken away from about you.” (3:159).
It was this quality of the Prophet that “endeared him to
all, and it is reckoned as one of the mercies of Allah. . .
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At no time was this gentleness. . . more valuable than
after a disaster like that at Uhud. It is a God-like quality,
which then, as always, bound and binds the souls of
countless men (and women) to him.” (A. Yusuf ‘Au, The
Holy Qur’an, p.164. note 471).
There are many sayings of the Prophet regarding
gentleness. Following are just few:
I. “Allah is gentle and likes gentleness. He gives for
gentleness what He does not give for harshness and what
He does not give for anything else.”(Muslim).
2. Another version of this relates: “Keep to gentleness
and avoid harshness and coarseness. Gentleness is not
found in anything without adorning it, and is not
withdrawn from anything without diminishing it.’’
(Muslim).
3. “He who is deprived of gentleness is deprived of
good.” (Muslim).
4. “He who is given his share of gentleness is given his
share of good in this world and the next, and whoever is
deprived of his share of gentleness is deprived of his
share of good in this world and the next.” (Sharh as-
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Sunnah).
5. “Shall I tell you who is kept away from Hell and from
whom Hell is kept away? From everyone who is gentle
and kindly, approachable and of an easy disposition.”
(Ahmad and Tirmidhi).
6. “The believers are gentle and kindly, like a tractable
camel which, when guided, lets itself be guided, and
when ordered to sit, even on stones, does so.” (Tirmidhi).
7. It is an undeniable fact of history that the Prophet was
extremely gentle and tender-hearted. “Never in his life
did abusive language escape his lips. He never uttered
even a harsh word.
“Anas said that Allah’s Messenger was not unseemly in
his language, or given to cursing or reviling. All he said,
when reproaching someone, was ‘What is the matter with
him? May his forehead cleave to the dust!’” (Bukhari).
“It is reported that he would prevent others also from
using harsh language. If he wanted to warn others, he
would do so in a very mild, gentle and affectionate tone.”
(Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, p.
150)
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Kindness
The Prophet Muhammad taught love, kindness and
compassion to his people, and was himself seen to be the
most loving, kind and compassionate of all of them. The
Qur’an mentions his kind and gentle behavior in these
words: “O Messenger of Allah! It is a great Mercy of
Allah that you are gentle and kind towards them; for, had
you been harsh and hardhearted, they would all have
broken away from you.” (3:159). There are many
instances which show his kindness and gentleness,
especially to the weak and the poor. Anas, his famous
servant, said: “I served Allah’s Messenger for ten years
and he never said to me, ‘Shame’ or ‘Why did you do
such-and-such a thing?’ or ‘Why did you not do such-
and-such a thing?’”
Once he said to his wife: “0 ‘A’ishah! Never turn away
any needy man from your door empty-handed. 0
‘A’ishah! Love the poor; bring them near to you and
Allah will bring you near to Him on the Day of
Resurrection,” He also said: “Seek me among your weak
ones, for you are given provision, or you are given help
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only by reason of the presence of your weak ones.”
His love and kindness was not confined to Muslims
alone, but was shown to all. Once Abu Mas’ud Ansari
was beating his slave when he heard a voice behind him
saying: “Abu Mas’ud! Allah has more power and control
over you than you have over this slave.” Abu Mas’ud
turned and saw that it was Allah’s Messenger. He said:
“0 Allah’s Messenger! I free this slave for the Pleasure of
Allah.” The Prophet replied: “If you had not done so, the
fire of Hell would have touched you.”
Allah Almighty is Kind, and the Prophet imitated Allah’s
Example in its perfection by showing kindness to His
servants and all creatures without any regard for their
beliefs, color or nationality. The prophet said: “Allah is
kind and likes kindness in all things.” (Bukhari and
Muslim).
He was equally kind to the Muslims and the non-
Muslims, and to all animals, birds and insects. He even
instructed his Companions not to cut or harm trees or
other vegetation, especially fruit trees. He encouraged
people to look after trees and also to grow more trees.
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He was the Messenger of Allah and, as such, the
Attributes of Allah were found in him in their perfection.
Allah’s Kindness and Love overflows and covers all
things and there is nothing in the universe which does not
benefit from the All-Embracing Kindness and Love of
Allah. Allah’s Messenger, in emulating His Example,
showed kindness to all His creatures, great or small,
human, or animal, and even to inanimate objects.
He was very affectionate towards his family and loved all
children dearly. He even stopped them in the street and
patted their heads with great affection and also
sometimes joined them in their innocent games. His love
and kindness knew no bounds. He had a large heart.
overflowing with the sweetness of human kindness and
love, especially towards the weak, destitute and the
oppressed. According to his servant, Anas: “No one was
more kindly towards children than Allah’s Messenger.”
(Muslim).
He was truly very loving and kind to all. He never struck
anyone with his own hand (Muslim), with the exception
of one instance, when he was challenged by a Quraishi in
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the Battle of Uhud. He was wounded and his enemy
came rushing towards him with a spear. He snatched that
spear from him and struck him with it, which left a
scratch on his face. of which he later died.
He never used any harsh words towards anyone. The
worst expression he ever used in his conversation was:
“What has come over him? May his forehead become
darkened with mud.” He was even most kind to his
deadly enemies. The Prophet was extremely kind, tender-
hearted and affectionate. His heart ached within him at
the corrupt state of his fellow-beings. The Holy Qur’an
testifies to it in these words: “0 Muhammad, you will,
perhaps, consume yourself with grief because the people
do not believe.” (26:3). In Surah Kahf, we read: “Well, 0
Muhammad, it may be that you will kill yourself for their
sake out of sorrow if they do not believe in this
Message.” (18:6). And Surah Fatir says: “So let not your
life be consumed in grief for their sake.” (35:8).
He took a great interest in the welfare of all people and
had great compassion for people in trouble. When the
daughter of Hatim Ta’i was taken prisoner, along with
34
other people of her tribe, the Prophet felt great
compassion for her and said that the daughter of such a
generous man should not remain a prisoner and therefore
all the prisoners were released for her sake.
The Prophet Muhammad imitated the Attributes of Allah
par excellence and translated them into practice in the
highest form possible for man. Kindness is an Attribute
of Allah which has no limits. It is extensive and
encompasses all things and all beings without
discrimination. Likewise was the kindness of the
Prophet. He extended it to all beings, both animate and
inanimate and benefited all without measure. The
Quranic words for the Prophet’s kindness, ra’ufun rahirn
(9:128) are very intensive and comprehensive in meaning
and convey the true nature and extent of the Prophet’s
kindness to people. (Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of
Seerah, Vol. VIII, pp. 150-154)
The prophet said:
1. “One of the finest acts of kindness is for a man to
treat his fathers’ friends in a kindly way after he has
departed.” (Muslim).
35
2. “He who wishes to have his provision enlarged and
his term of life prolonged should treat his relatives well.”
(Bukhari and Muslim).
3. “Only kindness prolongs life, and a person is deprived
of provisions for the faults he commits.” (Ibn Majah).
4. Bahz b. Hakim, on his father’s authority, said that his
grandfather told him that he had asked Allah’s
Messenger to whom he should show kindness and that
the Prophet had replied: “Your mother.” He asked who
came next and he replied: “Your mother.” He asked who
came next and he replied for the third time: “Your
mother.” He again asked who came next and he replied:
“Your father, then your relatives in order of
relationship.” (Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud).
5. “No dutiful son gives his parents a kind look
without Allah recording to his credit an approved
pilgrimage for every look.” (Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman).
6. “The best house among the Muslims is one which
contains an orphan who is well treated, and the worst
house among the Muslims is one which contains an
orphan who is badly treated.” (Ibn Majah).
36
7. “The best companion in Allah’s estimation is the one
who is best to his companions, and the best neighbor in
Allah’s estimation is the one who is best to his
neighbors.” (Tirmidhi and Darimi).
8. “All creatures are Allah’s dependants, and those
dearest to Allah are the ones who treat His dependants
kindly.” (Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-iman).
9. “Treat women kindly, since they are your helpers; . . .
you have your rights upon your wives and they have their
rights upon you. Your right is that they shall not allow
anyone you dislike to enter your bed or your home, and
their right is that you should treat them well.” (The
Farewell Sermon of the Prophet).
10.“The best among you are those who behave best
towards their wives.” (Tirmidhi).
11. Once a number of women complained to the
Prophet’s wives about their ill-treatment by their
husbands. On hearing of this, the Prophet said: “Such
persons among you are not good persons.” (Abu Dawud).
12. “He who believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment
must speak politely.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
37
13. “One who believes in Allah and the Last Day should
be kind to his neighbors.” (Muslim)
14. A man said to the Prophet: “0 Messenger of Allah!
My relatives are such that although I cooperate with
them, they cut me off; I am kind to them but they ill treat
me.” The Prophet said: “So long as you continue as you
are, Allah will always help you and He will protect you
against their mischief.” (Muslim).
15. Once Asma bint Abu Bakr’s mother, who was still an
unbeliever, came to see her in Madinah. She told this to
the Prophet and said: “My mother has come to see me
and she is expecting something from me. May I oblige
her?” The Prophet said: “Yes, be kind to your mother.”
(Bukhari and Muslim).
16. Once Zainab as-Saqafia, the wife of Abdullah ibn
Mas’ud and an Ansari woman went to see the Prophet
and enquired whether it would be a charity if they spent
something on their husbands and on the orphans under
their care. The Prophet said: “They will get a two-fold
reward, one for kindness towards their relatives and the
other for charity.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
38
17. “You will shortly conquer Egypt. Treat its people
kindly, for there are ties of kinship and we have a
responsibility towards them.” (Muslim).
18. Once Zainab’s son was seriously ill. The Prophet
went to see him. He took the boy onto his lap and began
to shed tears. When asked about this, he said: “Allah is
kind to those who are kind to others.
19. “Allah does not wish to show kindness to a family
without giving them benefit, and He does not deprive
them of it without injuring them.’’ (Baihaqi in .Shuab
al—Iman).
20. There are many Ahadith concerning his kindness to
animals, birds and insects: “Allah prescribed kindness
towards everything; so when you slaughter any animal,
slaughter it well; when you sacrifice, make your sacrifice
good. And let everyone sharpen his weapon and make it
easy for his sacrificed animal.” (Muslim).
Once the Prophet was traveling from Madinah to Makkah
during the month of Ramadan and, naturally, was
observing the fast. It was very hot and his Companions
were feeling great strain and hardship. So the Prophet
39
asked for water and broke his fast to release the strain
and pressure on his Companions. (Bukhari).
With regard to the prayer of Tarawih during the month of
Ramadan, the Prophet offered it with the Companions for
two nights but did not go to the Mosque on the third
night. Later, he explained that the only thing that
prevented him from coming to join them was the idea
that it might be made compulsory, which would be a
cause of great strain and hardship for them. (Bukhari and
Muslim).
It is reported that once Anas joined the Prophet in
Tahajjud prayer. When the Prophet became aware of his
presence, he made the prayer shorter. (Muslim).
It is reported in Bukhari that the Prophet refrained from
doing many actions which he liked, merely because he
thought that they might he taken as an example of what
was right and thus become compulsory.
These instances clearly indicate that the Prophet was very
concerned about the conven- eniences and comforts of
the people and did not do anything which was likely to
cause great distress and hardship to them, as shown by
40
the words of the Qur’an, “azizun alaihi ma aniuum (he is
grieved and worried about your distress and suffering).”
(9:128).
He felt just as concerned about his enemies. It is reported
that when the Prophet migrated to Madinah, the Makkans
experienced an unprecedented drought which caused a
famine. Abu Sufyan Umri, a renowned enemy of the
Prophet, begged him to be kind enough to pray to Allah
to relieve the Makkans of this distress. The Prophet,
hearing of the sufferings of the people of Makkah, asked
Thumamah ihn Uthal. chief of the Najd. to send grain
there immediately. Thumamah had a great stock of grain,
but had held it back previously because of the Makkans’
anti-Islamic activities against the Prophet. Now, on the
instructions of the Prophet, he sent a huge stock of grain
to the Makkans without delay.
Likewise, when the Prophet came to know that the
people of Ta’if, who had barricaded themselves in the
fort at the time of the siege of the town, were in great
distress and suffering, he ordered the siege to be lifted.
This again is another example of the Prophet’s concern
41
for the people, irrespective of their attitude to him and
Islam. These incidents show the level of his generosity
and the degree of his kindness and tender-heartedness to
all people. (Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah,
Vol. VIII, pp. 154-156)
Truthfulness
The Prophet was the most truthful and honest among his
people. This was fully recognized, even by the Quraish
of Makkah, his worst enemies, who called him by the
name of as-Sadiq (the truthful) and al-Amin (the
trustworthy) long before his Prophethood because of his
honest and truthful dealings as a trader. But the titles al-
Amin and as-Sadiq do not simply imply honesty in
money matters alone; they are comprehensive and cover
righteousness in every form. Whoever happened to have
any dealings with him at this early period never ceased to
praise him all his life.
The consistency of his honest and truthful conduct is
proven by the fact that he began his Mission of
Prophethood with the words: La ilaha illa ‘Llah (there is
no deity but Allah) and ended his Mission with the same
42
thought when he said, on his death bed:
“Lord! Blessed Companion on High.” Having sincerely
and faithfully rendered his obligations towards Allah’s
creatures, he then returned to the loving bosom of Allah
and His Companionship on High.
His integrity, his truthfulness and his righteousness won
him universal fame. Even his arch-enemies when they
said that they did not regard his Message as true, had to
admit that they were not saying that he was a liar. One of
his enemies, Nadr ihn Harith, testified to his
righteousness in the presence of his own people:
“Muhammad was a boy amongst you, the most truthful
and the most honest. Now that he has grown up and
brought you a Message, you call him a sorcerer. By
Allah, he is not a sorcerer.”
He loved truth intensely, adhered to truth and preached
Truth all his life. He never uttered a single lie all his life,
either before or after his Prophethood. In the battle of
Hunain. when the fighting became rough and fierce, and
the Muslim warriors were in disarray, and running in all
directions, and when defeat seemed certain, the Prophet
43
was not in the least in doubt about his Mission. He
declared openly: “I am the Messenger of Allah; there is
no untruth in this.”
When the Quraish were plotting against his life, one of
their chiefs attested to his righteousness in these words:
“Muhammad is the most truthful and trustworthy among
you, but he abuses our idols.”
It is because of his universal reputation for honesty and
integrity that the Qur’an says: “0 Muhammad! We know
that what they say grieves you, but it is not you whom
they charge with falsehood; these wicked people are, in
fact, denying the Revelations of Allah.”(6:33).
“It is a fact that all the people of his tribe regarded the
Prophet truthful and honest up to the time he had not
begun to recite the Revelations of Allah before them.
They falsified him only when he began to deliver to them
the Message of Allah. Even then, there was none who
dared charge Muhammad, the Man, with falsehood; nay,
even his bitterest enemies never accused him of having
ever told a lie concerning any worldly matter. It was
Muhammad, the Prophet, whom they charged with
44
falsehood. So much so that even Ahu Jahl, who was the
bitterest of the enemies of the Prophet, never accused
him of falsehood. According to a tradition related by Ali,
Abu Jahl declared during a conversation with the
Prophet, “We do not call you a liar; but regard as false
what you are presenting’. On the occasion of the Battle
of Badr, Akhnas b. Shariq asked Abu Jahl in private,
‘There is no third person here besides us two. Tell me the
truth whether you regard Muhammad to be a truthful
man or a liar’. He answered, ‘By God, Muhammad is a
truthful person and has never told a lie in his whole life,
but if Bani Qusayy, who have already the privilege of
being the bearers of the national flag and the providers of
water to the pilgrims and the keepers of the keys of the
Ka’bah, should also be acknowledged as the recipients of
Prophethood, what would then be left for the rest of the
Quraish?’ For this very reason Allah is comforting His
Prophet, saying: ‘It is not you whom they are rejecting as
impostor but it is Our Message which they are rejecting:
when We are forbearing everything and giving them
respite after respite, why should you show any kind of
45
anxiety?” (Abu’l-A’la Maududi, The Meaning of the
Qur’an, Vol. 1, p.107).
The Prophet spoke the truth and always taught his people
to be truthful and honest in word and deed, never to lie
and never to support falsehood.
1. Abu Sufyan, as part of his statement before the
Emperor Heraclius about the person of the Prophet
Muhammad, said: “He tells us: ‘Worship Allah alone and
do not associate anything with Him, and discard all that
your ancestors said’. And he Commands us to observe
prayer, to tell the truth, to be chaste and to strengthen the
ties of kinship by helping those who are related to them.”
(Bukhari and Muslim).
2. The Prophet said: “A true action leads to the path of
virtue, and virtue paves the way of a person to Paradise,
and this person continues to speak the truth until, in the
Sight of Allah, he is named as-S’iddiq (the Truthful).
Lying, on the other hand, leads to vice, and vice leads to
indecent acts and a person goes on lying until, in the
Sight of Allah, he is called a liar.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
3. “Leave alone that which involves you in doubt and
46
adhere to that which is free from doubt, for truth is
comforting and falsehood is disturbing.’’ (Tirmidhi).
This shows that truth brings peace of mind, but falsehood
disturbs the mind.
4. “A sale agreement is revocable until the buyer and
seller part company. If they tell the truth and disclose
everything relevant to the transaction, it becomes full of
blessings for both of them; hut if they speak falsely and
conceal that which should be disclosed, the blessing of
the transaction is wiped out.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
5. Once a man asked the Prophet: “Who is the best type
of person?” He said: “The one with a sincere and pure
heart and a truthful tongue.”
6. He also said: “Speak the Truth, though it may be
hitter.”
7. The Prophet said: ‘‘ Four characteristics belong to a
believer: when he speaks, he speaks the truth: when he is
trusted, he fulfils his trust; when he makes a promise, he
abides by his promise; and when he is in dispute with
anyone, he does not use obscene words (but sticks to the
truth).” (Bukhari and Muslim).
47
8. He also said: “Four characteristics constitute a
hypocrite: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a
promise, be breaks his promise; when he is trusted, he
betrays his trust; and when he quarrels, he deviates from
the truth.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
9. The Prophet said: “Assure me of six things and I will
assure you of Paradise.” (Three of these were): “Speak
the truth when you speak; fulfill your promise when you
make one; and honor your trust when you are trusted.”
(Bukhari and Muslim).
These sayings clearly show that according to the Prophet,
a truthful and righteous person is one who is truthful in
words, in intentions, in motives and in actions.
The Prophet was an embodiment of truth, honesty and
righteousness. He did not speak anything but truth all his
life; did not preach anything but truth and did not
practice anything but truth. He presented the Word of
Truth from his Lord to mankind and stuck to it under all
circumstances — in victory and defeat; in weakness and
strength; and in poverty and richness. He never felt
doubtful, weak or disappointed, for he had full trust in his
48
Lord that Truth must prevail over falsehood in the final
analysis: “Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, and
it knocks out its brain, and behold, falsehood perishes!
Ah! woe be to you for the (false) things you ascribe (to
Us).” (2 1:18).
Thomas Carlyle very forcefully comments on the truthful
and honest nature of the Prophet Muhammad in these
words: “A man of truth and fidelity; true in what he did,
in what he spoke and thought... through life, we find him
to have been regarded as an altogether solid, brotherly,
genuine man... A silent, great soul; he was one of those
who cannot but be in earnest; whom Nature Herself has
appointed to be sincere. . . such sincerity, as we named it,
has in very truth something of the Divine. The word of
such a man is a Voice direct from Nature’s own Heart.”
(Thomas Carlyle, 1908, On heroes, Hero- Worship and
the Heroic in History, London, pp.287—288).
It is an undeniable fact that truthfulness is an
indispensable quality of a Prophet. And this quality was
found in absolute perfection in the person of the Prophet
The Prophet loved truth and righteousness and never
49
spoke a lie throughout his life. And even his opponents
recognized this great quality of the Prophet.
When the Prophet gathered together all his relatives near
Mount Safa to convey his Message to them, he asked
them whether they had ever heard him tell a lie. They all
replied that they never had.
When the Roman Emperor received the letter of the
Prophet inviting him to the Faith of Islam, he called for
the Arab traders who were then visiting his country. Abu
Sufyan was one of them. Emperor Heraclius questioned
Abu Sufyan about the Prophet’s conduct and asked him
whether he had ever told a lie. Abu Sufyan replied:
“Never in his life has he told a lie.”
Once a group of the chiefs of the Quraish went to the
Prophet and repeated the offer previously made by
Utbah. The Prophet replied in these words: “. .. My
object is quite different from what you have said. I have
not come to you with my call for the purpose of amassing
wealth, or to secure leadership of the clan or to become
your king. In fact God has sent me to you as His
Messenger and has revealed to me the Law and has
50
ordered me to warn you and to give glad tidings. So I
have conveyed to you the injunctions of God and have
done my responsibility for your welfare. Now if you
accept what I have conveyed to you it will be good for
you here and Hereafter. But if you reject it, I will
patiently wait for the Divine dispensation when God shall
decide between you and me.” (Naeem Siddiqi,
Muhammad, The Benefactor of Mankind, p.70, Lahore,
1979).
This reply of the Prophet showed his determination to
fight for the Truth, which he held to be dearer than life.
His prayer after returning from Ta’if, where he was
abused, ridiculed, stoned and left bleeding from wounds,
showed the depth and height of his love for Truth and his
sincerity in being willing to suffer anything for it. Weary
and wounded, he prayed to his Lord in these most
passionate and honest words: “0 Lord! To You alone I
make complaint of my helplessness, the paucity of
resources and my insignificance before mankind. You are
the most Merciful of the mercifuls. You are the Lord of
the helpless and the weak, 0 Lord of Mine! Into whose
51
hands would You abandon me, into the hands of an
unsympathic foe who would sullenly frown at me, or the
enemy who has been given control over my affairs? But
if Your Wrath does not fall upon me, there is nothing for
me to worry about. . . I seek protection in the light of
Your Countenance, Which illuminates the heavens and
dispels every darkness, and Which controls all affairs in
this world as well as in the hereafter. May it never be that
I should incur Your Wrath, or that You should be
wrathful to me. And there is no power nor resource, but
Yours alone.” (Hafiz Ibn Qayyim in Za’d a!-Ma’adfi-
Hadyi Khair-al-Ibad, Vol. 11, p.124).
There is no doubt that this prayer confirms his extreme
love for the Truth and belief in the Majesty and Grandeur
of Allah: “This prayer also affords an insight into the
working of the Prophet’s mind and reflects the loftiness
of his thinking, the purity of his spirit and the nobility of
his feelings. . . It was a spontaneous expression of his
deep love for God, his implicit faith in His Mercy and
Help, and his cheerful resignation to the Will of the One
Who dwells in Majesty over all the creation in invisible,
52
inseparable Omnipotence, for above the humanly
conceivable — the eternal Cause of all effects.” (Points
taken from The Life of Muhammad by Abdul Hameed
Siddiqui, Lahore, 1969, pp.91-92).
Thomas Carlyle, writing about the Prophet, remarks:
“That Muhammad’s whole soul set aflame with this
Grand truth vouchsafed him, should feel as if it were
important and the only important thing, was very natural.
That Providence had unspeakably honored him by
revealing it, saving him from death and darkness; that he
therefore was bound to make known the same to all
creatures. . . is the way with Nature. The genuine essence
of Truth never dies. That it be genuine, a voice from the
great Deep of Nature, there is the point at Nature’s
judgement-seat. . . He is in harmony with the Decrees of
the Author of this World; cooperating with them, not
vainly withstanding them; I know, to this day, no better
definition of Duty than that. All that is Right includes
itself in this — cooperating with the Real Tendency of
the World; you succeed by this, you are good, and in the
right course there; it was a Reality, direct from the great
53
Heart of Nature once more.” (On Heroes, heroWorship
and the Heroic in history, pp.292-308).
Sir William Muir writes: “There is something lofty and
heroic in the journey of Muhammad to Ta’if; a solitary
man, despised and rejected by his own people, going
boldly forth in the name of God like Jonah to Nineveh,
and summoning an idolatrous city to repent and support
his mission. It sheds a strong light on the intensity of his
belief in the Divine Origin of his calling.” (The Life of
Muhammad, p.109).
It is reported that the Prophet once defined a truthful and
righteous man in these words: “He who is truthful in
words, in motives, in intentions, in determination, in
obedience, in actions and in religious duties.” (Rahman,
1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, pp. 156-162)
Justice
The Prophet was the most fair and just of all people. He
was scrupulously fair to all and all people were treated
alike by him, Muslims or non-Muslims, friends or foes,
relatives or strangers. This quality of fairness and
impartiality had always been freely demonstrated by him,
54
even before he received the Call of Prophethood. His
fairness and integrity, even in his youth, was well-known
to all the people of Makkah and people would often bring
their disputes to him to decide.
When he came to Madinah, all the people, including
unbelievers and Jews. accepted him as their arbitrator in
all their disputes. In spite of the malice and animosity of
the Jews against the Prophet and his Faith, they often
brought to the Prophet both their own disputes and
disputes between themselves and the Muslims. Once a
case between a Jew and a Muslim was brought before
him. After hearing all the evidence, he decreed in favor
of the Jew, without caring about the reaction of his Tribe,
for they could have become hostile to Islam.
He was the true embodiment of the Commandment of the
Qur’an: “0 you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allah,
as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred and
enmity of others make you swerve to wrong and depart
from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear
Allah.” (5:9).
He did not even discriminate between a near relative and
55
a stranger in these matters; if the stranger was in the
right, he decreed against his relative and in favor of the
stranger. Once a noble woman of the Quraish committed
theft and her relatives tried to intercede on her behalf.
The Prophet called the people and addressed them in
these words: “What destroyed your predecessors was just
that when a person of rank among them committed a
theft (or any crime), they left him alone, but when a weak
one of their number committed a theft (or any crime),
they inflicted the prescribed punishment on him. I swear
by Allah that if Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad, should
steal. I would have her hand cut off.” (Bukhari and
Muslim).
This strict fairness of the Prophet in matters of disputes
and crimes was in line with the Commandment of the
Qur’an not to distinguish between a relative and a
stranger in matters of justice: “Whenever you speak,
speak justly and fairly, even if a near relative is
concerned; and fulfill the Covenant of Allah. Thus does
Allah Command you that you may remember and heed.”
(6: 152). And again, in Surah Nisa’ we read: “() you who
56
believe! Stand out firmly for justice as witnesses to
Allah, even as against yourselves, or your
parents, or your near relatives, and whether it be against
rich or poor. For Allah can best protect both. Follow not
the lusts (of your hearts), lest you swerve (from doing
justice), and if you distort (justice) or decline to do
justice. surely Allah is well-acquainted with all that you
do.” (4:135)
Justice and fair conduct attained its perfection at the hand
of the Prophet Muhammad, and rightly so, because he
was the Last of the Messengers of Allah on earth. If he
would not offer fair and just treatment to people and
would not decide people’s disputes with absolute justice
and fairness, then who could be expected to follow him?
He had to establish the rule of justice and fair play in this
world so that people could live in peace and tranquility.
In fact, it is the maintenance of justice and balance in
human affairs and disputes that keeps peace in the
heavens and the earth.
The Prophet firmly established the rule of justice among
his people by his own example and practice. When he
57
was on his deathbed, just a few moments before he
breathed his last breath, he had it publicly announced:
“Is there anyone among you whom I have stricken? Here
is my back, let him strike me in return. Is there anyone
whose character I have defamed or insulted? Let him
now cast reproach upon mc. Is there anyone from whom
I have taken anything unjustly? Let him now come
forward and be indemnified.’’ Upon this, a man among
the crowd reminded the Prophet of a debt of three dinars
of silver. He was instantly paid that sum. The Prophet
then said, “Much easier is it to bear punishment in this
world than throughout eternity.” (Washington Irving,
1985, Mahmet And His Successors, London, Vol. 1, pp.
322-323).
Such was his consciousness and understanding of the
rights of other people, and of the need to dispense them
with absolute fairness and justice, that he did not forget
it, even at the time of his last breath. This is an ever-
living reminder to the Muslims of the great importance of
fairness and justice. It is an obligation of the Muslims
first to Allah, who gave them a perfect Code of Law
58
concerning the determining of the rights of the people
with full justice, and second to the Prophet, who, by his
strict adherence to the rule of law, firmly established this
principle among them and warned them never to relax its
enforcement.
Even his enemies and critics testify to his fair and just
treatment to all: ~‘In his private dealings, he was just. He
treated friends and strangers, the rich and the poor, the
powerful and the weak, with equity, and he was beloved
by the common people for the affability with which he
received them and listened to their complaints.”
(Mahomet and His Successors, p.334).
In the words of his bitterest critic, Sir William Muir: “In
the exercise at home of a power absolutely dictatorial,
Mahomet was just and temperate.” (The Life of
Mahomet, p.526, London, 1878).
Undoubtedly, he was a very fair and just man and
succeeded not only in establishing a very high standard
of justice but also in setting a code of law which helped
to establish and strengthen the rule of law in a country
wherein, before, there had been neither any rule of law
59
nor any respect for law or justice. He so firmly
established a system of justice in the country and so
firmly and deeply engraved it in the hearts of his people
that they truly became the messengers of justice for the
oppressed and down-trodden people of the world. Their
quality of fairness and goodness is mentioned by the
Qur’an in these words: “You are the best of peoples,
raised for mankind, enjoining what is right and fair,
forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah”
(3:110).
The standard of the Prophet’s concept of justice was so
exalted that he could not tolerate any kind of
discrimination between man and man on the basis of
color, creed, race, nationality, language, birth or status
where it came to judging disputes between them. It was a
universal code of law which outstripped the barriers of
time and space and applied equally to all races and all
nations, With the passage of time, this Code of Law was
embraced by all the people of the world, though
apparently without recognizing its source. However, all
the credit must go to the Prophet, who was so fair and
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impartial in practice that his standard of justice
eventually became acceptable to all mankind.
In fact, the concept of the rule of law in its new
dimensions, as presented by the Prophet, had never been
known to man before him. It was he who actually
established the practice of the rule of law in the country
by his own example. He taught by his teaching and
practice that in the sight of the law all were equal, no
matter what their status in society. All were the progeny
of Adam, who was created of dust, and, therefore, they
were all equal in honor and human rights and no one
could claim superiority over others in this respect. The
Qur’an laid the fundamental basis of human honor and
status in these words: “0 mankind! We created you from
a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into
nations and tribes, that you may know each other (not
that you may despise each other). Surely the most
honored of you in the Sight of Allah is (he who is) the
most righteous of you.” (49:13).
1. The Prophet once said: “No judge should give
judgement between two people when he is angry.”
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(Bukhari and Muslim).
2. “If anyone seeks the office of judge among the
Muslims and when he gets it and if his justice prevails
over his tyranny, he will go to Paradise; but the man
whose tyranny prevails over his justice will go to Hell.”
(Abu Dawud).
3. “Judges are of three types, one of which will go to
Paradise and two to Hell. The type that will go to
Paradise is the man who knows what is the right (verdict)
and gives judgment accordingly. But a man who knows
what is the right (verdict) but acts tyrannically (i.e.,
unjustly) in his judgments, will go to Hell; and the man
who gives judgments when he is Gracious Conduct and
Charming Manners ignorant of the facts will go to Hell.”
(Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah).
4. “Allah is with the judge as long as he is not tyrannical,
but when he is tyrannical, Allah departs from him and the
devil attaches himself to him.” (Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah).
The seriousness of the functions of a judge and
wrongness of submitting false evidence is shown by the
following Iladiih of the Prophet.
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5. It is reported that two men brought a dispute before the
Prophet about inheritance, but neither of them had any
proof beyond their claim. The Prophet, while giving
judgment in this case, said:
“If 1 give a judgment in favor of one respecting what is
rightly his brother’s, I am allotting him only a portion of
Hell.” Thereupon, both the persons said: “Messenger of
Allah, this right of mine may go to my brother” but he
replied: “No, rather go and divide it up, aiming at what is
right; then draw lots, and let each of you consider the
other to have what is legitimately his.”
6.“1 am only a human being and you bring your disputes
to me, sonic perhaps being more eloquent in their
arguments than others, so that I may give judgment on
their behalf It according to what I hear from them.
Therefore. whatever I decide for anyone which by right
belongs to his brother, he must not take it, for I am
granting him only a portion of Hell.” ( Bukhai and
Muslim).
the Qur’an refers to bringing false evidence before the
judge in these words: “Do not usurp one another’s
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property by unjust means, nor offer it to the judges, so
that you may devour, knowingly and unjustly, a portion
of the goods of others.” (2:188).
In Surah Baqarah, we read: “As for those who sell the
faith they owe to Allah and their own pledged word for a
small price, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter.”
(3:77).
It was by means of these severe restrictions and warnings
of the Qur’an regarding false evidence and bribery and
the very clear, fair and just treatment of the Prophet that
the people came to respect the law of Islam.
His benevolent, kind and compassionate conduct towards
the people helped in their better understanding and
acceptance of the basic code of law. Thus, gradually, this
law of justice of the Qur’an gained a firm and strong
footing in Islamic society and then in the course of time
was adopted by other nations and peoples. And now it
has become a distinguishing mark of a cultured and
civilized society.
Instances of the Justice of The Prophet
1. It is reported that one of the Ansari was killed at
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Khaibar. His relatives went to the Prophet who asked
them to produce witnesses to testify to who the
murderers were. As they could not bring witnesses, nor
did they accept the offer of the Prophet that the Jews
would take an oath, Allah’s Messenger paid his blood-
money to the relatives of the deceased. (Abu Dawud).
2. Once a man killed an Ansari. The relatives of the
killed Ansari demanded from the Prophet that the son of
the murderer he given to them in return.
The Prophet refused, saying: “A son is not guilty of the
crime of his father.”
3. It was customary with the Prophet to judge each case
according to the law of the complainant’s religion. Once
a Christian was killed by a Christian. He therefore
enforced the law of the Bible— a life for a life.
4. The chief of a tribe of Ta’if had unlawfully detained a
woman. I-let nephew, Mughirah, an unbeliever,
complained to the Prophet about the unlawful detention
of his aunt. The Prophet immediately ordered the chief to
hand back Mughirah’s aunt to him.
The Prophet always decided each case on the basis of the
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evidence, or, in the absence of evidence, the parties were
asked to take an oath. Then he gave his judgment
according to the Commandment of Allah in that respect.
(Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, pp.
163-167)
Mercy
Muhammad’s mercy knew no bounds. He was a symbol
of love and mercy. The Qur’an says: “We sent you not
hut as a Mercy for all creatures.’’ (21:107). The most
important feature of his mercy was that it was universal
and not confined to the Muslims or to the Arabs. His
mercy covered all members of humanity. Once he was
asked to invoke a curse upon the non-believers. But he
replied, in anger: “I was not sent on the earth to curse; I
was sent only as a Mercy.” He also said: “1 am just a
mercy which has been bestowed.’’ (Darimi and Baihaqi
in Shu’ab al-Iman).
The prophet Muhammad was extremely merciful to all,
including his enemies and the unbelievers. Many sayings
about incidents of his mercy towards men, women,
children and animals are recorded in the pages of history.
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I. He said: “Allah will not show mercy to him who does
not show mercy to others.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
2. A nomadic Arab came to the Prophet and asked him:
“Do you kiss children? We do not kiss them.” The
Prophet replied: “I cannot help you, since Allah has
withdrawn mercy from your heart.” (Bukhari and
Muslim).
3.“Mercy is taken away only from him who is
miserable.” (Ahmad and Tirmidhi).
4. “He does not belong to us who does not show mercy to
our young ones or respect our old ones, and who does not
recommend what is right and reputable and prohibit what
is wrong and disreputable.” (Tirmidhi).
5. “If anyone strokes an orphan’s head, doing so only for
Allah’s Sake, he will have blessings for every hair over
which his hand passes; and if onyone treats well an
orphan girl or boy under his care, he and I will he like
this in paradise.” Putting two of his fingers together.
(Ahmad and Tirmidhi).
In fact, his unbounded mercy was overflowing and was
visible in his kind, loving, compassionate and forgiving
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conduct towards all creatures of Allah.
The abounding Mercy of the Prophet won him very
many friends and supporters of the Faith among the
Arabs and brought them very close to him. The Qur’an
mentions his kindness and mercy in these words: “He is
most kind and merciful to the believers.” (9:128). And
Surah Anbiya’ refers to this great and noble quality of the
Prophet in these words: “We have not sent you but as a
mercy for all creatures.” (21:107).
The Arabic word rahmah has a very wide and
comprehensive meaning and became well-established in
the lifetime of the Prophet. It means mercy, compassion,
kindness, sympathy, etc.
There are many Ahadith of the Prophet which show the
divine aspects of mercy in Islam:
“The believers are like a single man; if his eye is
affected, he is all affected, and if his head is affected, he
is all affected.” (Muslim).
“Believers are to one another like a building whose parts
support one another.” He (the Prophet) then interlaced
his fingers as a demonstration. (Bukhari and Muslim).
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“By Him in Whose Hand is my soul, a man does not
believe until he likes for his brother what he likes for
himself.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
“He who strives on behalf of a widow and a poor person
is like one who strives in Allah’s Way.” (Bukhari and
Muslim).
“I and the one who takes responsibility for an orphan,
whether his Own relation or someone else’s, will be
together in Paradise,” and he held up his forefinger and
middle finger with a slight space between them. (
Bukhari). (Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol.
VIII, pp. 167-177)
Forgiveness
The Prophet was most forgiving and he never took
revenge for any personal injury to himself. (Bukhari and
Muslim).
He did not take revenge even on his deadly enemies and
when they were all standing before him defeated and at
his mercy after the victory of Makkah, he forgave them
all.
He was a true reflection of the Quranic verse: “Let them
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forgive and overlook. Do you not wish that Allah should
forgive you? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
(24:22).
Surah Ma’idah has these words: ‘But forgive and
overlook, and cover up
(their faults), indeed Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful.” (64:14).
The Prophet Muhammad was truly the most loving, kind,
merciful, compassionate and forgiving person.
It is said that the Prophet’s mercy was seen in its most
glorious and most magnanimous form in his forgiveness
of his staunch enemies at the height of his power and
glory, when he had the power to take full revenge on
them and would have been fully justified in doing so. But
he forgave all his enemies and did not take revenge on
any of them. His most admirable and praiseworthy act,
and it is without parallel in human history, is that he
never took revenge on anyone for personal injuries to
himself. It was reported by ‘A’ishah that the Prophet
never took revenge on anyone, on his own behalf, for
anything. (Bukhari and Muslim).
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When he entered Makkah as the victorious commander
of ten thousand soldiers, he did not take revenge even on
the staunchest of his enemies and the enemies of Islam,
who had done everything they could to kill him and to
destroy his Faith and had waged wars against him. He
demonstrated a spirit of magnanimity in victory such as
has had no parallel in history. It is easy to teach high
morals and lofty principles of love and mercy but quite
another thing to practice them. The most distinctive
quality of the Prophet was that he not only taught high
principles to his people but also practiced them at a time
when, as mentioned above, he was at the height of his
power, something no man had ever done before him.
He forgave those who had injured him, beaten him,
abused him and done everything to destroy him and his
Faith. He even forgave the man who had injured his
daughter, Zainab when she was leaving Makkah, an
injury from which she later died. All his deadly enemies,
including Abu Sufyan, lkramah (son of Abu Jahi) and
many other chiefs of Makkah, were among those who
benefitted from his forgiveness.
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According to some, ‘forgiveness was the greatest jewel
in the Prophet’s ideal character. So broad was his heart
that the spirit of revenge was absolutely absent from it.
No wrong could take permanent root in his soft heart. He
reached the highest limit in the attribute of forgiveness
and thereby gained perfection therein up to the limit
which has been destined for mankind. As the Almighty
pardons His servants, so His Messenger pardons his
enemies, showing very greatly a (level) of magnanimity
of heart unparalleled in the history of man.
“Man sometimes denies His existence or takes objects of
worship other than Him, or disobeys His Injunctions and
Revelations, yet He supplies them with food and clothing
and pardons their faults if they penitently turn to Him. in
following this Attribute of Allah, the Prophet extended
his pardon to his bitterest enemies, who tried to expel
him and his Companions not only from his native land,
but also from his last resort, Madinah. This ability of the
Prophet to pardon is vividly illustrated in his precepts
and principles. He said: ‘Moses, son of Imran, once
asked: “0 my Lord! Who is the most honorable of your
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servants to You?” He said: ‘He who pardons when he
becomes powerful’.” (Fazlul Karim, The Ideal World
Prophet, Lahore, 1935).
Prophet Muhammad’s Teachings and Practice on
Forgiveness
1. The Prophet practiced in his ordinary daily life what
he taught to his people. According to ‘A’ishah, the
Prophet never returned evil for evil, but would forgive
and pardon. (Tirmidhi).
2. Regarding the words of Allah Most High: “Repel evil
with what is better.” (4 1:34), Ibn Abbas said that they
meant showing patience when angry and forgiveness
when badly treated, for when people acted in this way
Allah protected them and their enemy became as
submissive to them as though he were a close friend
(Bukhari).
3. Ibn Mas’ud said: “I heard the Prophet narrating the
account of one of the Prophets of Allah who was
assaulted and wounded by his people; while wiping the
blood from the face, he prayed: ‘0 Allah! Forgive my
people because they do not know what they are doing’.”
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(Bukhari and Muslim).
4. The Prophet said: “The strong one is not he who
knocks out his adversary; the strong one is he who keeps
control of his temper (and forgives his enemy).” (Bukhari
and Muslim).
5. “He who, in spite of having the capacity to avenge (a
wrong), controls his anger (and forgives), will be singled
out and called by Allah, the Holy, the Exalted, over and
above the multitude, on the Day of Judgement, and given
a beautiful Reward.” (Abu Dawud and Tirmidhi).
6. “No one has done anything more excellent in the Sight
of Allah, Who is Great and Glorious, than he who has
restrained his anger (and forgive), seeking the Pleasure of
Allah Most High.” (Ahmad).
7. “If one guards his tongue, Allah will conceal his
secrets; if one restrains his anger (and forgives), Allah
will keep his Punishment from him on the Day of
Resurrection.” (Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman).
8. The Prophet’s generosity towards his enemies stands
unique in the annals of the world. Abd Allah ibn Ubayy
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was a sworn enemy of the Prophet and his Faith; his days
and nights were spent in plotting mischief against Islam,
even instigating the Quraish and the Jews to crush the
Muslims and Islam. Yet at his death, the Prophet prayed
for his forgiveness; he even offered his own shirt to
enshroud his body.
9. Wahshi, a slave hired by Zubair ibn Mutin, killed
Hamzah, uncle of the Prophet, in the Battle of Uhud. He
was running for his life from place to place until the
Prophet pardoned him.
10. Safwan ibn Umayyah was one of the bitterest
enemies of the Prophet and his Faith. After the conquest
of Makkah, he ran away and went to Jeddah. The Prophet
was informed of his plight by ‘Umar ibn Wahb. The
Prophet gave ‘Umar his turban as a proof of identity and
‘Umar went to him and brought him hack to the Prophet.
He was forgiven all his previous crimes.
11. Labid ibn Aslam was a Jew who lived in Madinah.
He worked some kind of magic upon the Prophet which
caused him a severe headache. The Prophet came to
know of his foul play but did not say anything to him and
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pardoned him.
12. Ferat ibn Hayan, a spy of Abu Sufyan, was once
caught in the act of spying. He was found guilty and
sentenced to death. But the Prophet pardoned him and
cancelled his death sentence when he accepted Islam.
13. Hindah, wife of Abu Sufyan, was one of the severest
enemies of the Prophet and his Faith. When Hamzah was
killed in the Battle of Uhud, she chewed his liver out of
revenge. She was pardoned.
14. Habbar ibn Aswad committed many serious crimes
against the Prophet and his Companions. He also dragged
the Prophet’s daughter, Zaniab, who was pregnant, from
her camel, and she lost her baby as a result of this fall.
She later died of this untimely abortion. He came to the
Prophet and admitted his guilt on the Day of the Victory
of Makkah, and was forgiven by him.
15. The Prophet suffered the worst kind of treatment at
the hands of the leaders of Ta’if. He was subject to the
severest punishment at the hands of the scoundrels,
villains and rogues of Ta’if. They hurled stones at him
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from both sides of the road while he was leaving the
town. He was bleeding and his ankles were badly hurt.
Seeing his suffering, the Angel Gabriel came to him and
asked him if he wished the whole town to be destroyed.
But he was very forgiving and replied that perhaps their
descendants might find guidance.
Later, when the leaders of Ta’if came to Madinah, he
forgot all his suffering and pain and offered them all the
hospitality and generosity that he could afford and did
not say a word about their earlier treatment of him.
16. The Makkans left no stone unturned in their ridicule,
torture and persecution of the Prophet and Companions at
Makkah. Later, at Madinah, they massacred the
Companions in particular and the Prophet’s supporters in
general. The Prophet and his Companions suffered
persistent persecution at the hands of the Quraish to an
extent that perhaps few people in human history have
suffered.
How did the Prophet treat these Makkans? Not only did
he declare that “there is no reproach against you today,”
but he also announced a general amnesty for all. All their
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crimes, murder, persecution and bloodshed were
forgiven. He even invoked blessings on them instead of
taking revenge on them.
17. In the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet was wounded and
his face was covered with blood, but he was saying, “0
Allah! Guide my people, for they are ignorant.”
18. Once an unbelieving Arab Bedouin found the Prophet
sleeping alone under a tree. He was holding a sword and
saying to the Prophet: “Who will now save you?” The
Prophet replied smilingly: “Allah, the All-Powerful.”
Suddenly, the sword fell from the Arab’s hand and the
Prophet, taking it in his hand, said to him: “Who will
save you from my hand?” The Bedouin then pleaded for
his life and the Prophet showed his usual magnanimity
and forgave him.
19. Once the Makkans sent a spy to kill the Prophet. He
was caught and brought to the Prophet. He was very
frightened, but the Prophet told him not
to fear saying: “Even if you want to kill me, you will not
be able to.” Then he was pardoned by the Prophet and set
free.
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20. Once a group of about eighty people suddenly came
out of the bushes on a hill and attacked the Prophet, but
they were caught by the Companions. They were all
forgiven by the Prophet and set free.
Thus it is absolutely clear that the Prophet never showed
any grudge or malice against the people who had driven
him away from his native land, fought wars against him,
committed heinous crimes against his Companions, and
butchered and callously murdered some of his preachers.
When he took prisoners in battle, he pardoned them all.
Even William Muir, one of his severest critics, in view of
his benevolent and extraordinay conduct in such
circumstances, is forced to say some words in his praise:
“But Mohamet, excepting a few criminals, granted
general pardon, and, nobly casting into oblivion the
memory of the past, all its mockery, its affronts and
persecutions, he treated even the foremost of his
opponents with a gracious and even friendly
consideration. Not less masked was the forbearance
shown to Abdullah ibn Ubayy and disaffected citizens of
Madinah, who for many years persistently thwarted his
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designs and resisted his authority, nor the clemency with
which he received the submissive advances of tribes that
before had been the most hostile, even in the hour of
victory.” (The Life of Mohamet).
In the highest kind of magnanimity in the hour of his
greatest victory over his life enemies, and in his graceful
forgiveness of his staunch opponents at the height of his
power is an eternal tribute to the overflowing and
unmatched benevolence and kindness of the Prophet
Muhammad. In this unparalleled and unique example of
forgiveness is also a lesson for the dominant nations of
the Western World. It does not reduce their power, nor
lower their status in the eyes of the world, nor does it
minimize their greatness or undermine their authority; on
the contrary, it adds tremendous moral strength to their
action and greatly increases their stature among the
nations of the world.
Learn some lessons from the example and practice of the
Prophet, and see for ourselves that it pays in the lung run.
Justice must be administered equally and fairly between
all, friend or foe. You will see that benevolent and kind
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conduct will win over for You many friends who were
your enemies before, and you will succeed in your efforts
in peace—making in the world but the primary condition
is benevolence and forgiveness to enemies and sincere
advice to friends to stop their aggressiveness and cruelty.
And if a super—power fails to learn lessons from history
and continues to back aggressive iniquitous nations, it
must know that the law of Nature does not distinguish
between colors nor between races, nor between East and
West. But falls mercilessly on alike. (Rahman, 1994,
Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, pp. 177-181)
Generosity
The Prophet was extraordinarily generous and benevolent
to the people and his generosity was not confined to his
own relatives and friends but was bestowed equally even
on strangers and enemies. In fact, his generosity towards
his enemies stands unique in the annals of the world.
Ahdullah ibn Ubayy was his sworn enemy; his days and
nights were spent in plotting mischief against him, even
instigating the Quraish and the Jews to crush the
Muslims and the power of the Prophet Muhammad. Yet
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at his death, the Prophet prayed to the Lord for his
forgiveness: he even offered his shirt for his shroud.
The Quraish had subjected the Prophet and his
Companions to the most barbarous tortures while they
were at Makkah. Even when he left Makkah and moved
to Madinah, they waged wars and instigated attacks
against him by other tribes. The treatment which a typical
worldly conqueror would have meted out to them can
easily he imagined. But the Prophet’s generosity was
unbounded. Thirteen long years of persecution at
Makkah and eight years of continuous wars and
conspiracies at Madinah were all forgotten by the
Prophet. The Quraish were generously treated and there
was neither revenge nor reproach. Even the persons who
had committed serious crimes against the person of the
Prophet, his daughter, his uncle Hamza and his
Companions were treated in the same generous way.
In the Battle of Hunain, 6,000 prisoners-of-war were
caught, and the spoils of war consisted of 4,000 goats,
24.000 camels and 4,000 uqia (tola) of silver. The
Prophet generously released all the prisoners and
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distributed all the spoils among the people.
The Prophet was by nature merciful and compassionate
and did not want any harm to come to any human being.
He would, therefore, generously ignore other people’s
faults, and even enmity, and help them in distress and
need. His wife, ‘A’ishah, said that the Prophet was never
given a choice between two things without taking the
lesser of them, provided it involved no sin. (Bukhari and
Muslim).
When he heard that the Makkans were suffering from
extreme famine, he not only sent funds for their help but
also asked his followers in Najd. who were holding back
supplies of corn from them because of their enmity and
wars with the Prophet, to release the corn supplies to
them. Who else would have shown such generous
goodwill to enemies who had persecuted him and his
Companions for thirteen years and then forced them to
leave their homes and their city of birth, and even then
did not let them live in peace in Madinah, but waged
continuous wars against them? They were in a state of
war when their famine struck them, but he did not do
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what any other enemy would have done-take advantage
of the famine- but generously helped the Makkans in
their relief measures by sending them money and
supplies of food so that they would not suffer.
Who else would have shown such generosity to his
enemies in the state of war in those days when cruelty
reigned among warring tribes everywhere? It was the
way and practice of the Prophet Muhammad, alone of all
the people of the world, past and present, to be generous
to his enemies when they were facing a natural calamity
over which they had no control. It was a gesture of
goodwill from one member of humanity to another
member who was in real trouble. This is what humanity
teaches! And this is what the Messengers of Allah came
to teach people — to be humane, kindly and generous to
other members of the universal Brotherhood of Man,
especially when the latter are suffering from a natural
calamity. If people do not show this regard for their
fellow humans, what is humanity for? What would be the
difference between human beings and animals?
This was one of the major functions and objects of the
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Prophet, as it was with his predecessors: to develop a
sense of higher humanity among the people and to help
them to forget their minor and narrow differences, such
as of race, color and nationality, so that they could rise
higher and reap the fruits of human Brotherhood by
helping each other in all that is for the common good of
humanity.
This was what the Prophet taught and preached and this
was what he practiced towards all. And this is why the
Prophet Muhammad can be called the Crown Jewel in
the treasury of humanity as regards its relationship with
each other.
Charity
The Prophet Muhammad was immensely charitable and
did not like anyone to go away empty-handed. Whoever
came to him asking for food was given it to his full
satisfaction. He would give to the need and the destitute
whatever lie had in his house, so that occasionally the
Prophet was left with
nothing for himself and his family to eat. Sometimes, he
and his family did not get any food for several successive
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days. In such circumstances, the Prophet would consider
himself to be fasting.
It is said that his charity reached its climax during the
month of Ramadan, when it became like an overflowing
stream. The Prophet said that he only maintained and
distributed things; it was Allah Who provided everything.
History has seen no man more generous or more
charitable in practice to other people than the Prophet. It
is reported that he never disappointed anyone in need, but
always gave something, even though it might be a small
thing. Many sayings of the Prophet are recorded asserting
the excellence of charity even though it may be
insignificant in quantity or value.
1. “If anyone gives as charity the equivalent of a date
from something lawfully earned, for Allah accepts only
what is lawful, Allah will accept it with His Right Hand,
then foster it for the one who gave it as one of you fosters
his colt, until it becomes like a mountain.” (Bukhari and
Muslim).
2. “None of you Muslim women must consider even a
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sheep’s foot too insignificant a gift to give to her
neighbor.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
3. “Any Muslim who gives a garment to a Muslim to
wear will be in Allah’s safe-keeping as long as a shred of
it remains on him.” (Ahmad and Tirmidhi).
4. “Send away the beggar with something, even if it is
only a burnt hoof.” (Malik, Nasai, Tirmidhi and Abu
Dawud).
5. “The most excellent charity consists in your satisfying
a hungry stomach.” (Baihaqi in Shuab al—Iman).
6. “When you make soup, remember your neighbor and
put a lot of water in it.” (Muslim).
Islam has greatly widened the scope and dimensions of
charity, in Islam, for every act of kindness and generosity
is considered to he charity. And everything or every word
that benefits human beings, animals or vegetation, is an
act of charity. Once the Prophet said that every Muslim
must give charity. He was asked how this applied to one
who had nothing. He replied that he should work with his
hands, gaining benefit for himself thereby and enough to
give charity. He was then asked what would happen if he
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were unable to do this or did not do it. He replied that he
should help one who was in need and destitute. He was
then asked what should he do if he did not do that. He
replied that he should enjoin what is good and right.
Then he was asked what he should do if he did not do
that. He replied that he should refrain from evil, for that
would be charity for him. (Bukhari and Muslim).
These and other such saying of the Prophet show the real
dimensions of charity in Islam.
1. It is related: “Forgiveness was granted to an unchaste
woman who, coming upon a dog panting and almost dead
with thirst at the mouth of a well, took off her shoe, tied
it with her headcovering, and drew some water for it. On
that account she was forgiven.”
The Prophet was asked whether people received a reward
for what they did to animals, and he replied, “A reward is
given for doing good to every creature.” (Bukhari and
Muslim).
2, It is also related that: “A woman was punished on
account of a cat which she kept shut up and it died of
hunger. She did not feed it or let it out so that it might eat
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things creeping on the earth.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
3. “If a Muslim plants something or sows seeds from
which man, bird or beast eats, it counts as charity for
him.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
4. “A man who came upon a branch of a tree
overhanging a road and decided to remove it from the
way of Muslims to keep it from annoying them was sent
to Paradise.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
5. “A man asked the Prophet to teach him something
from which he would receive benefit. He told him to
remove from the way things which caused discomfort
and harm to the Muslim.” (Muslim).
6. “If you people greet all whom you meet, provide food,
care for the wellbeing of your kindred.., you will enter
Paradise in peace.” (Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah and Darimi).
7. “If you worship the Compassionate One (i.e., Allah),
provide food and greet all whom you meet, you will enter
Paradise in peace.” (Tirmidhi and lhn Majah).
8. “Every act of kindness is charity, and kindness
includes meeting your brother with a cheerful face and
pouring water from your bucket into your brothers’
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vessels.” (Ahmad and Tirmidhi).
9. “When you smile in your brother’s face, or enjoin
what is right and good, or forbid what is wrong and evil,
or direct someone who has lost his way, or help a person
who has had eyesight, or remove a stone, thorns or bones
from the way, or pour water from your bucket into your
brother’s bucket, it counts to you as charity.” (Tirmidhi).
The prophet said: “Charity does not diminish wealth;
Allah enhances the honour of one who forgives, and if
one humbles himself for the sake of Allah, Allah exalts
him in rank.’ (Muslim)
Once, after the afternoon prayer, the prophet stood up
and hurriedly went home. People were surprised by his
haste. Later, he explained that: “There was left with me a
piece of silver (or gold) which was meant for charity. I
was disturbed that it should remain with me overnight. I
have now arranged for its distribution.” ( Bukhari).
(Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol.VIII p.
23)
Charity Spent On Relatives
The Prophet greatly praised the giving of charity to near
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relatives and the members of one’s family:
1. The best charity is that which leaves sufficient to live
on; and begins with those for whom you are responsible.”
(Bukhari).
2. “When someone spends on his family, seeking his
Reward for it from
Allah, it counts to him as charity.” (Bukhari and
Muslim).
3. “Of the dinars you spend as a contribution in Allah’s
Way, or to set free a bondman, or as charity given to a
poor man, or in support of your family, the one spent in
support of your family produces the greatest reward.”
(Muslim).
4. “The most excellent dinars a man spends are those he
spends on his companion in Allah’s Way.” (Muslim).
5. A man asked the Prophet what kind of charity was
most excellent and he replied: “What a man with little
property can afford to give; and he begins with those for
whom he is responsible.” (Abu Dawud).
6. “Charity given to a poor man is just charity, but when
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given to a relative it serves a double purpose, being both
charity and a connecting link (sila rahmi).” (Ahmad
Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Majah and Darimi).
7. “Two people’s food is enough for three and three
people’s is enough for four.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
These Ahadith clearly point out the great excellence of
any charity spent on the needs of the members of one’s
family and other relatives.
Examples from the Practice of The Prophet
The prophet was so generous and charitable that his
generosity and benevolence can only be compared, in its
vastness, abundance and excessiveness, to an
overflowing stream. It left no one wanting; no one
thirsty; no one hungry; and no one wishing for more.
Gold, silver and wealth in cattle was being received
every day in huge quantities. But the Prophet saw that
every dirham of gold and silver and every weight of
grain and every head of cattle was distributed among the
people.
Once a needy person came to the Prophet and demanded
something. He asked him to sit and wait for Allah’s
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Benevolence. Eventually, three persons had come and
were waiting. The Prophet had nothing at that time to
meet their demands. In the meantime, a person came and
presented four uqia (tola) of silver to him. He gave them
one uqia each and had one uqia left. That night he went
to bed and put the silver piece under his pillow. His wife,
‘A’ishah, noted that the Prophet was very restless that
night and was unable to sleep. He rose from his bed and
offered a prayer and then tried to sleep again, but in vain.
She asked him why he was unable to sleep. Was he
indisposed? He took out the piece of silver and, showing
it to her, said: “It is this thing that is disturbing my sleep
— I fear lest I die while it is still with me.”
It was his general declaration that if a Muslim died
leaving behind any debt, his debt would be paid by him.
And if any Muslim died leaving behind any asset, it
would go to his heirs. And it is reported that there had
never been any demand put to the Prophet to which he
said: “No”. (Bukhari and Muslim).
At the time of his death, the Prophet did not leave behind
any gold or silver, goats or camels, and did not make a
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will. In fact, his coat of armour, which was all he owned
at the time, was mortgaged with a Jew for a few coins.
This was the way of the Prophet, who was the most
charitable of all people.
All these narrations relate to his practical life while he
was the ruler and head of the state of Madinah. There
was no shortage of wealth, but he had voluntarily taken
on a life of poverty; a life of privation; a life of hunger,
so that millions and millions of poor and destitute
members of humanity could take comfort from his
example of a peaceful, virtuous and contented life in
scarcity and poverty, and forget their pain and suffering
and endeavor to seek comfort and tranquility in rising to
a life of higher humanity in his footprints.
1. “According to ‘A’ishah Siddiqah: “Sometimes a
month would pass in which we did not kindle a fire, and
had only dates and water, unless a little meat was
brought.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
2. “The Prophet’s family did not have a full meal of
wheaten bread for two
successive days, but would have dates on one of
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them.”(Bukhari and Muslim).
3. “Up to the death of Allah’s Messenger, they did not
have a full
cooked meal, only dates and water.” (Bukhari and
Muslim).
4. Nu’man ibn liashir said: “I have seen your Prophet
unable to get enough dates to fill his stomach.” (Muslim).
5. ‘A’ishah Siddiqah said that the Prophet’s family did
not have enough barley bread to satisfy them on two
consecutive days up to the time when Allah’s Messenger
was taken in death. (Bukhari and Muslim).
6. According to Anas, he took some barley bread and
rancid fat to the Prophet, who had given a coat of mail of
his in pledge to a Jew in Madinah and received from him
some barley for his family. The reporter added that he
heard from Anas that the Prophet’s family never had in
the evening a sa (a weight) of wheat or a sa of grain, yet
he had nine wives. (Bukhari).
7. The Prophet said: “0 Allah, grant me life as a poor
man, cause me to die as a poor man, and raise me in the
company of the poor.” (lbn Majah).
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8. The Prophet said: “Seek me among your weak ones,
for you are given provision, or help, only by reason of
the presence of your weak ones.” (Abu Dawud).
9. “If anyone is satisfied with a small provision from
Allah, Allah will be satisfied with a few good deeds from
him.” (Baihaqi in Shuab al-Iman).
More Aliadith on The Prophet’s Teaching and
Practice
1. The Prophet once said to Abu Dharr: “0 Abu Dharr! If
I had gold equivalent to the mountain Uhud, I would not
have wanted anything to be left of it with me except a
few pieces.”
2. It was the normal practice of the Prophet to give away
in charity every evening everything that was left as
surplus in the house. Once, in the middle of his prayer, he
remembered that he had left some coins in his house.
immediately after finishing his prayer and quite against
his usual practice, he suddenly went to his house to the
surprise of all his Companions, took the dinars and
distributed them among the poor, and then came back to
the mosque
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3. The Prophet arranged that his heirs would not inherit
any dinars, for, after the expenses of his wives and the
wages of his laborers, anything left would go to charity.
4. Once, when the revenue from Bahrain was received, it
was spread on the floor of the mosque and was
distributed among his Companions. When the last dirham
was distributed, he got up went to his home, without
having taken anything from it for himself.
5. The Prophet loved his daughter, Fatimah, very much.
Once she asked the Prophet for a maid-servant from the
spoils of war. The Prophet told her that until the needs of
the Companions of Suffah (who were poor Muslims who
lived in the Mosque and devoted their time to learning
and worship) had been met, he could not think of other
needs or the needs of his family.
6. Once Fatimah and the two daughters of Zubair came to
the Prophet and asked for a portion of the spoils of war to
meet their needs. The Prophet said that the families of the
soldiers who had died in the Battle of Badr would be paid
first.
7. Once a woman offered the Prophet a gift of a sheet of
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cloth, which he urgently needed for himself and was
much pleased to receive. But a man begged it for himself,
and the Prophet at once gave it to him. The Companions
knew the urgent need of the Prophet and rebuked the man
for his ungentlemanly behavior.
8. Once a rich Jew gave some gardens to the Prophet and
he used all of them to meet the needs of the poor and the
destitute.
9. A Companion of the Prophet had nothing for his
marriage feast. He came
to the Prophet and was told to take away the basket of
wheat from
‘A’ishah’s house. The Companion took the basket of
wheat, leaving nothing for the Prophets’ family. So that
night, the Prophet and his wife ‘A’ishah, went without
food.
10. It is reported that once a man stayed as a guest with
the Prophet. At that time, the Prophet had only goat’s
milk for his household. The man drank the whole of the
goat’s milk and nothing was left for the Prophet and his
household. Even on the previous night, he had had
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nothing for the evening meal except this goat’s milk.
11. The Prophet had three landed properties. One at
Khaibar, one at Fadak and one at Madinah. Two-thirds of
the Khaibar revenues were reserved for the Muslims and
one-third to meet the annual expenses of his wives. What
was left over from this revenue, he distributed among the
needy and the poor muhajirun (emigrants) of Madinah.
The revenues from Fadak were entirely spent on the
needs of the poor and the destitute. He even refused to
give any of it to his daughter Fatimah. And the revenue
from the property at Madinah was given as a gift to
someone.
It was the normal practice of the Prophet to give
preference to the needs of others over his own and those
of his family. He sacrificed his comforts for the sake of
other people, especially the needs of the poor and
orphans. All his life, he never disappointed any beggar or
anyone in need. No beggar was ever turned empty—
handed from his door. He always gave him something,
no matter how little it was, or how insignificant or
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whether anything was left in the house for the Prophet
and his family. This was all done in obedience to the
Command of Allah: “Therefore, treat not the orphan with
harshness, nor turn away the beggar; but always give
something to Allah’s needy servants from the Bounty He
has bestowed on you.” (93:9—11).
Once the Prophet told ‘A’ishah: “0 ‘A’ishah! Never turn
away any poor beggar from your door. Always try to
give him something, though it may be only a date. 0
‘A’ishah! Love the poor and let them come to you for
help.”
12. The great importance of helping the poor and the
needy in the Islamic context is indicated by the following
Hadith.
“Allah will say to a man on the Day of Resurrection. ‘0
son of Adam! I was hungry, but you did not give me
food’. The man will say: ‘0 my Lord! How could I have
given You food when You are the Lord of the Worlds!’
He will say: ‘Did you not know that such a servant of
Mine asked you for food, but you did not feed him? Did
you not know that had you given him food, you would
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surely have found Me with him?”
“O son of Adam! I was thirsty but you did not give Me a
drink? The man will say: ‘0 my Lord! how could I have
given You drink when You are the Lord of the Worlds’?’
He will say: ‘Such a servant of Mine was thirsty but you
did not give him a drink. Did you not know that if you
had given him a drink, you would have found Me with
him’!’
‘0 son of Adam! I was naked but you did not clothe
Me.’ The man will say:
‘0 my Lord! How could I have clothed You. when You
are the Lord of the Worlds?’ He will say: ‘Such a servant
of Mine was naked but von did not clothe him. Did you
not know that if you had clothed him, you would have
found Me with him’?’.
All these verses of the Qur’an and teachings and the
practice of the Prophet are a testimony to the fact that the
Prophet Muhammad was truly the most charitable of all
people: he never used anything for himself or his family
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when it was needed for the poor or orphans. (Rahman,
1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, pp. 183-184)
Hospitality
The Prophet was the most hospitable of all the people. It
was, of course, a natural and distinguishing quality of the
Prophet Muhammad that he was more hospitable than
other people. He was a Messenger of Allah and, as such,
was responsible for calling people to the Way of Allah,
and, in this capacity he was bound to welcome and
receive people with the overflowing generosity,
boundless benevolence, kind sociability and liberal
hospitality bestowed on him by his Lord, Who is not only
Kind, and Merciful but is also Most Gracious and
Bountiful,
The Prophet was well—known for his hospitality even
before his Prophethood. He entertained poor people and
helped them to the best of his ability. But after he
received the Call to Prophethood, his hospitality knew no
bounds. After the conquest of Makkah, deputations from
all the tribes and clans of Arabia and emissaries and
ambassadors from different states began to pour into
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Madinah. this naturally increased the work of
entertaining immensely. The Prophet received all these
guests himself. His resources were limited and he had
often to borrow funds from other people. Sometimes he
had to pawn things, such as his armour, with the local
Jewish shop-keepers in order to borrow some money for
food. However, in spite of all these difficulties, he tried
to entertain his guests in the best possible manner in the
best traditions of Arab hospitality. In his role as host, he
would never discriminate between a Muslim and a non-
Muslim, but would offer to all the best entertainment
within his means.
It is said that his hospitality had become proverbial in
Arabia and that he came to be known among the people
as the most hospitable of them all. Sometimes he would
pass the night without having had a meal and having
spent whatever he had in entertaining his guests. This did
not happen just occasionally, but often.
It is reported that hospitality reached its highest pitch
with the Prophet. He would take pains to entertain his
guests as best as he could. In person, he would wait upon
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them (even though the Companions would have loved to
do this work for him and asked him to let them, but he
insisted that they were his own guests and he would
entertain them and look after them himself). However,
when the number of guests was too great for him to
accommodate, he would distribute some among his
Companions, who, like the Prophet, would show them
every attention.
The Prophet’s Teachings on Hospitality
The Prophet said:
1. “He who believes in Allah and the Last Day should
honor his guests. Provisions for the road are whatever
will serve for a day and a night; hospitality extends for
three days; what goes beyond that is charity; and it is not
allowable that a guest should stay until he makes himself
a burden.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
2. A Companion told the Prophet: “You send us out and
we sometimes come to people who do not give us
hospitality. What do you think we should do?” The
Prophet said: “If you come to people who order for you
what is fitting for a guest, accept it; but if they do not,
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take from them what is fitting for them to give to a
guest.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
3. A Companion asked the Prophet, “Messenger of
Allah, tell me: if I come to a man who does not entertain
me or show hospitality and he afterwards comes to me,
should I entertain him or treat him as he treated me?”
The Prophet said: “Entertain him.” (Tirmidhi).
4. “Eat together and not separately, for the blessing is
associated with the company.” (lbn Majah).
5. ‘It is a part of the practice (Sunnah) of the Prophet that
a man should accompany his guest to the door of’ the
house.” (Ibn Majah and Baihaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman).
6. “(Good comes more quickly to the house in which
food is provided (to the guests) than the knife comes to
the camels; hump.’’ (Ibn Majah).
7. “When one of you is invited to a meal, he must accept
it. If he wishes, he may eat, but if he wishes he maY
leave the food alone.” (Muslim).
8. “if anyone rejects an invitation, he has disobeyed
Allah and His Messenger.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
9. The worst kind of food is that at a wedding feast to
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which the rich are invited and from which the poor are
left out.” (Bukhari and Muslim).
10. “When two people issue you an invitation for the
same time, accept that of the one who lives nearer you,
but if one invitation comes before the other, accept the
invitation of the one who comes first.” (Ahrnad and Abu
Dawud).
11. The Prophet forbade people to accept the food of
those who invite people for self—glory and ostentation.
(Ahmad and Abu Dawud).
12. “When one of you visits his brother Muslim, he
should eat his food without asking questions.’ ( Baihaqi
in Shu’ab al-Iman)).
Examples from the Prophet’s Practice
1. A man prepared some food specially for the Prophet
and also invited four other persons with him. But an extra
person who had not been invited also joined them. On
arriving at the door of the host’s house, the Prophet said
to the host: “ This man has accompanied us. If you like,
he will join us, otherwise he will go back.’’ The host
replied: “() Messenger of Allah. I invite him.’’ (Bukhari
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and Muslim).
2. “He who serves drinks should himself be the last
person to drink.’’ (Tirmidhi).
3. Once a deputation from Abyssinia Came to Madinah .
The Prophet entertained them in his house and himself
served food to them.
4. Once a Bedoun unbeliever came to the Prophet and
stayed with him.
The Prophet had seven goats. One by one, the Bedouin
drank the milk of all the seven goats before he was
satisfied. Nothing was left for the Prophet’s family that
night, but the Prophet did not say anything to the
Bedouin.
5. “ When Allah’s Messenger ate with people, he was the
last to finish eating.” (Baihaqi in Shu’ab al- Iman).
(Rahman, 1994, Encyclopaedia of Seerah, Vol. VIII, pp.
190-193)
Values out of Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon
After praising and thanking Allah the Prophet said:
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"O People, lend me an attentive ear, for I know not
whether after this year I shall ever be amongst you again.
Therefore listen to what I am saying very carefully and
take these words to those who could not be present here
today.
O People, just as you regard this month, this day,
this city as Sacred, so regard the life and property of
every Muslim as a sacred trust. Return the goods
entrusted to you to their rightful owners. Hurt no one so
that no one may hurt you. Remember that you will
indeed meet your Lord, and that he will indeed reckon
your deeds. Allah has forbidden you to take usury
(interest), therefore all interest obligations shall
henceforth be waived. Your capital is yours to keep. You
will neither inflict nor suffer any inequity. Allah has
judged that there shall be no interest and that all the
interest due to Abbas ibn 'Abd'al Muttalib [the Prophet's
uncle] be waived. Every right arising out of homicide in
pre-Islamic days is henceforth waived and the first such
right that i waive is that arising from the murder of
Rabiah ibn al Harithibn.
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O People, the unbelievers indulge in tampering
with the /000000000 in order to make permissible that
which Allah forbade, and to forbid that which Allah has
made permissible. With Allah the months are twelve in
number. Four of them are holy, three of these are
successive and one occurs singly between the months of
Jumada and Shaban.
Beware of Satan, for the safety of your religion. He has
lost all hope of that he will be able to lead you astray in
big things, so beware of following him in small things.
O People, it is true that you have certain rights
with regard to your women but they also have rights over
you. Remember that you have taken them as your wives
only under Allah's trust and with His permission. If they
abide by your right, then to them belongs the right to be
fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well
and be kind to them for they are your partners and
committed helpers. And it is your right that they do not
make friends with anyone of whom you do not approve,
as well as never to be unchaste. O People, listen to me in
earnest, worship Allah, say your five daily prayers, fast
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during the month of Ramadhan, and give your wealth in
Zakat. Perform Hajj if you can afford to.
All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has
no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any
superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority
over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white
- except by piety and good action. Learn that every
Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the
Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be
legitimate to a Muslim which belogs to a fellow Muslim
unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefore
do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will
meet Allah and answer your deeds. So beware: do not
stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
O People, no prophet or apostle will come after
me, and no new faith will be born. Reason well,
therefore, O People, and understand my words which I
convey to you.
I leave behind me two things, the Qur'an and my Sunnah
and if you follow these you will never go astray.
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All those who listen to me shall pass on my words
to others and those to others again; and may the last ones
understand my words better than those who listen to me
directly. Be my witness, O Allah, that I have conveyed
Your message to Your people."
In international communication and Globalization,
Oliver Boyd- Barrett stated that cultural studies has a
great deal to offer in the study of how global texts work
at a local level…The prophet Muhammad directed his
last speech to all mankind. He was addressing his speech
to the loving and the sincere Muslims who were with him
at that that time, but he was speaking to all mankind. He
was speaking to all mankind through those Muslims. For
this reason He said to them: O people or O mankind. He
used this terminology eight times in the same speech. He
never used the terminology of: O Muslim! Or even O
Believers! His message was and is still to every person
everywhere in the world irrespective of his religious or
political affiliation.
The universal values of the last sermon of the
prophet Muhammad are:
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Equality of Mankind
The message that the prophet delivered, included a very
important concept, i.e., equality of mankind. People are
equal in the sight of ALLAH and in front of the law. The
prophet stated that “ no Arab has any privilege over a
non-Arab, except that based on piety.”
Declaration of Human Rights
The charter of the UN on Human Rights was written in
the 40’s, but the human rights in Islam were recognized,
declared and excuted for over 1400 years. Every place
one reads in the farewell Sermon of the Prophet
Muhammad, will find clearly the declaration of human
rights. This declaration is summarized as follows:
1. Freedom to all
2. Sanctity of life, wealth and property
3. Equality of all races
4. Justice in front of the law and in front of ALLAH
5. Women’s rights and obligations. They were to be
treated as partners but not as subjects.
6. No exploitation or monopoly. The rich is not to be
richer while the poor is to be poorer.
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7. Rights of others are to be preserved and to be
delivered.
8. People are to take this declaration seriously, they are
to preach it and to practice it too, every where they go
or move.
Sanctity of Life and Property
The sanctity of life and property was pronounced clearly
by the prophet in his farewell speech. People are to be
protected, their lives are to be preserved and their
properties are to be saved.
Abolition of Usury
The concept of economic exploitation is totally
prohibited in Islam. Usury is a form of economic
exploitation, therefore, Islam prohibited this type of
business. Because of such economic monopoly and
exploitation in a capitalistic system, the rich will become
richer and the poor will become poorer.
Rights and Duties of Women
In his farewell speech, the prophet Muhammad spelled
out the best declaration for women’s rights. He
demanded that the husbands should treat the wives with
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kindness and gentleness. Men are to know that their
women are their partners. The prophet recognized the
duties and the responsibilities of both partners and
emphasized that the man is the HEAD, while the women
is the HEART of the family.
The Last Sermon Confirms the Main Points from the
Quran
Shahid Athar compared the last sermon of the prophet to
verses from the Quran.
"Oh Prophet, We have sent you as a witness, news
bearer and a warner and as someone who invites
people to God by His permission and a shining
Lamp" (33:45-46).
Prophet Muhammad who was sent to mankind as a
news bearer and a wamer for he spoke the truth
and did not invent something of his own.
TRUST AND ACCOUNTABILITY
Sermon: "Oh people, just as you regard this month,
this day, this city as sacred, so regard the life and
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property of every Muslim as a sacred trust.
Remember that you will indeed appear before God
and answer for your actions."
Quran: "If anyone killed a person unless it is for a
murder or spreading mischief on earth it would be
as it he killed the whole mankind, and if anyone
who saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life
of whole mankind" (5:32). "Then on that day not a
soul will be wronged in the least and you shall but
be prepaid in the needs of your past deeds"
(36:54).
FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS
Sermon: "Return the things kept with you as trust
(amanah) to their rightful owners."
Quran: "If one of you entrusts (something) the one
who has been entrusted with it should hand over
his security and he should heed God and not hide
any testimony. Anyone who hides it-has a sinfull
heart" (2:283).
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INTEREST (RIBAH)
Sermon: "All dues of interest shall stand cancelled
and you will have only your capital back. Allah
has forbidden interest, and I cancel the dues of
interest payable to may uncle Abbas ibn Abdul
Muttalib."
Quran: "You who believe fear God and write off
anything that remains outstanding from lending at
interest if you are (true) God and His Messenger If
you repent you may retail your principal do not
wrong and you will not be wronged" (2:278).
TREATMENT OF WIFE (SPOUSE)
Sermon: "Oh people, your wives have a certain
right over you and you have a certain right over
them. Treat them well and be kind to them for they
are your committed partners and commited
helpers.
Quran: "Provide for them the rich according to his
income and the poor according to his means, a
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provision according to the custom. This is an
obligation for those who act kindly" (2:236).
"Treat them politely even if you dislike them,.
Perhaps you dislike something in which God has
placed much good" (4:19).
BROTHERHOOD
Sermon: "Oh you people listen carefully. All the
believers are brothers. You are not allowed to the
things belonging to another Muslim unless he give
it to you willingly."
Quran: "Believers are but brothers so set things
right between your brothers and fear God so that
you may find mercy" (49: 1 0).
SUPERIORITY IS ONLY IN PIETY AND
SUBMISSION
Sermon: "Oh people, no one is higher than the
other unless he is higher in obedience to God. No
Arab is superior to a non-Arab except in piety."
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Quran:"The most honored among you in the sight
of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you
and God has full knowledge and is will acquainted
(with all things)" (49:134). "Who can be better in
religion than he who submits his whose self to
God, does good and follows the ways of abraham
for God did take Abraham for a friend" (4:125).
DUTIES REGARDING THOSE WORKING
UNDER US
Sermon: "Oh people, be mindful of those who
work under you. Feed and clothe them as you feed
and clothe yourselves."
Quran: "Act kindly just as God treated you kindly"
(28:77). "God has favored some of you over their
provisions to those whom their right hand controls
so that they become equal (partners) in it. Would
they thus disclaim God's favor" (16:71).
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CONCLUSIONS
Prophet Muhammad unique communication and
leadership style led to the spread of Islam, not only
within Arabia but also outside to the north, south, east,
west and southwest of Arabia. His communication with
his followers surprised his enemy who came to negotiate
a peace treaty with him. As a leader during wartime or as
a leader during peacetime, Prophet Muhammad proved to
master skillful techniques with which he accomplished
his goals in delivering the message of Islam.
The Prophet’s message of Islam was intended for
the Arabs during the seventh century and to all mankind
at all times thereafter. He took advantage of the peace
treaty between him and the Quraish tribe, his main
enemy, and sent ambassadors to the world leaders of his
time. He informed them about the message of Islam.
Most of these leaders responded positively except one.
The prophet Muhammad was supremely successful
on both the religious and secular level. There are sayings
from the prophet related to every activity that a person
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might encounter during the day or during the night. Islam
is a way of life.
The farewell speech of the Prophet Muhammad
was directed to all mankind at all times and for all
generations. He laid down the foundation of morality,
justice, equality, brotherhood, and accountability. He
abolished economic exploitation and human
enslavement.
He demanded that the congregating Muslims
deliver his message to all mankind. Accordingly, they did
deliver the message. For this reason, the message of
Islam has spread through the centuries to every corner of
the world. The globe population of Muslims is now more
than one billion.
In his political leadership communication, the
Prophet’s demonstration of extreme self-control made his
followers to love him and his enemies either to give up
and join his religion or to fear him and stay away. There
was no human being who had his life more scrutinized
and documented than the Prophet Muhammad. His
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behavior toward his companions was perfect and toward
his foes was fair.
Prophet Muhammad’s unique educational
communication and leadership style led to the spread of
Islam. As a leader in war or in peace, Prophet
Muhammad proved to be a master of techniques for
accomplishing his goal of delivering the message of
Islam.