Section 15 – The Prophet being sent as a mercy, his gentleness and compassion

Section 15 – The Prophet being sent as a mercy, his gentleness and compassion

Allah says, “Indeed, there has come to you a Messenger from your own, he grieves for your suffering, and is anxious about you, and is gentle, merciful to the believers.” 9:128 and speaks of Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, saying, “We have not sent you except as a mercy to all the worlds.” 21:107.

His gentle disposition, concern and mercy encompassed every sector of creation. Part of his excellence is that Allah adorned him with two of His Names when He said, “and is gentle, merciful.”

Shehab’s son reported that after Hunain, the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, gifted Safwan, Umayyah’s son one hundred camels to which he added a further hundred. He also reported that Safwan, who had hated the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, more than anyone else was given so much by the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, that his heart turned to him and he swore by Allah that the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, had become more beloved to him than anyone else.

Abu Hurayrah tells us of the occasion when a Bedouin went to the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and asked him to give him something and was given a gift. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, asked, “Have I been good to you?” The Bedouin was ungratefully dissatisfied and replied, “No, you have not, you have not done well!!” Upon hearing this impertinent remark the Companions became angry and were about to rise up against him but the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, indicated that they should not do so and

went into his home to fetch another gift and gave it to the Bedouin. He then inquired, “Have I been good to you?” The Bedouin replied, “Yes, may Allah repay

you and your family well.” In a gentle manner the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, told him, “What you said made my Companions angry, if you like, repeat what you have just said to them so that what they harbor in their chest against you will be removed.” They returned to the Companions and the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said, “This Bedouin said what he said and then we gave him more and claims to be content.” Then he turned to the Bedouin and

asked, “Isn’t this so?” The Bedouin replied, “Yes, may Allah repay you well in your family and tribe.” Thereafter the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, told his Companions, “The example of that man and myself is like a man who has a she-camel that bolts away from him, the people chase it but they only make it bolt still further. The owner of the camel tells the people to leave him and his camel alone and says to them, “I am more gentle and better to it than you.” Then he goes in front of it and takes some clods of earth and drives it back until it comes and kneels, whereupon he saddles and mounts. If I had given you leave when the man said what he said, you would have killed him and he would have entered the Fire.”

The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, said, “None of you should report anything to me about my Companions. I do not want to go out to you except with heart.”

Upon reflection one sees that amongst his merciful way of dealing with his community was that he made things easy for them. There were things that he disliked to do as he feared they might become obligatory for them. For example, he said, “If I had not been merciful to my nation, I would have ordered them to use a tooth brush (siwak) each time they made ablution.” What is meant by ‘my nation’ refers to everyone who came after the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, up until the Last Day.

His mercy and concern for his nation is further demonstrated in narrations that speak of the amount of time to be spent during the night in prayer and the forbidding of continuous fasting. The reason he disliked entering inside the

room within the Ka’ba was the fear that it might become obligatory upon his nation.

If he heard a child cry during the prayer, the Prophet’s tender loving care was evident. He would shorten his recitation and reduce the prayer essentials to the minimum.

His tender mercy is seen when he supplicated to Allah saying, “Should I ever curse a man, or supplicate against him, let it be for him charity, mercy, supplication, purification, and a coming closer by which he will come closer to You on the Day of Resurrection.”

Even when his people rejected him, his mercy prevailed. We recall the time when the Archangel Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him saying, “Allah has heard what your nation say and their rejection of you. He has ordered the Angel of the Mountains to obey whatever you tell them to do.” Thereafter, the Angel of the Mountains called him and greeted him saying, “Send me to do whatsoever you wish. If you wish I will crush them between the two mountains of Mecca.” In his tender, caring mercy, the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, replied, “No, rather it is my hope that Allah will bring forth from their loins those who will worship Allah alone and not associate anything with Him.”

Lady Ayesha, Mother of Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, confirmed that whenever the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, was given the choice between two matters he always chose the easier of the two.

Masood’s son commented, “The Messenger of Allah was careful when he warned us because he feared it might tire us.”

There was an occasion when Lady Ayesha, peace be upon her, rode an obstinate camel and started to slap it as is usual. When the Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, saw her doing this he told her, he spoke gently saying, “You must have mercy.”