23 May Characteristic Of Prophet SAW

The Prophet of Islam is most renowned in the annals of history for the greatest revolution in religious thinking and practice, which he set in motion in the seventh century A D throughout a major part of the civilized world. But what is perhaps lost sight of is that it was not only the strength of his religious conviction, but also his great personal charisma, in a situation fraught with all kinds of adversity, which brought adherents to his side, first of all with painful slowness, then with a heartening acceleration of pace.

The most tolerant of all men, he was very gracious, kind-hearted, and invariably polite and considerate of the well-being of others. He claimed no right to take precedence over his fellow men, walking behind his Companions generally with his eyes cast down, refusing to take a position of prominence at gatherings and always greeting others first. He treated everyone equally, making no distinction between rich and poor, would gladly accept the invitation of slaves and servants, and when mixing with them, would exhibit no pride whatsoever. He never affected the airs of a great man. He would put people from all walks of life at their ease, whether joining in their celebrations or caring for the sick and needy. No one was ever made by him to feel disheartened or despairing.

Whenever anyone came to consult him about anything, he would give him a patient hearing and wait respectfully until he had had his say. In fact, he always used to behave so open-heartedly that each person he encountered left him feeling that he (the Prophet) loved him best of all. A person in need was always given something by him, and if he had nothing to give at that particular time, he would always promise to give something later. In fact, he was never known to have acted in a miserly way. In company, his manners were perfect, particularly in the way he sat and ate. He would never eat on a full stomach and avoided over-rich, spicy food. He would never complain that something tasted or smelt bad. He would simply not eat it and at the most would refrain from praising it. When it was his turn to play the host, he would entertain his guests to the best of his ability, speaking light-heartedly, and modestly, and occupying any place which he was given. He would smile but he would not laugh loudly. He always spoke softly, for he disliked any noise or fighting or disorder, and would even address his enemy gently. Always at pains to maintain harmony in all his relationships, he took good care never to malign anyone, even in the face of blatant misconduct.

One thing he could never condone was cruelty and he kept his distance from those who were callous in their behaviour to others. He himself never mistreated anyone, never even slapped an erring slave or servant, and certainly never hit a woman. He could not bring himself even to beat an animal. He refrained from finding fault with things and people, showing forgiveness even to those who treated him badly -even if it meant suffering losses or damage to property. As Hazrat Anas explained, “I served the Prophet for ten years, but whatever I did during that long period, he never asked me why I had done this or why I had done that.” There was not the least trace of vengefulness in his nature; he never used to lose his temper with people in personal and domestic matters, and never stooped to the use of coarse language. His treatment of relatives, friends and neighbours was exemplary. But nothing would contain his anger if he felt that disrespect was being shown to the Shariah. Then he would either point out to the detractors the error of their ways, or he would just depart. Often he would simply turn his face away, so as not to display his displeasure. Whatever he chose to do, it befitted the gravity of the situation . He himself went in fear of the The Almighty, and treated every small boon as a great blessing fromThe Almighty. Never did he disparage any of Allah’s bounty to man. All of his life was spent —— “whether sitting or standing ” — in remembrance of his Creator. He performed the Nafil prayer so sedulously that his feet would become swollen, and during the recitation of the Quran , he would weep out of love and fear of his Maker. His reverence for Allah was such that he always spoke quietly and never in excess of what the situation warranted. He was outspoken in his abhorrence of falsehood, and not even a thoughtless word ever passed his own lips. Praise of himself was also something which he disapproved of and he did not even like the Companions praising each other.

His conduct towards others was consistently humble and gentle. In particular, he never liked to create problems for his Companions, explaining everything to them slowly and clearly, so that they should never become confused as to the true meanings of the divine revealations which formed the bedrock of his sacred prophetic mission. And if he avoided exaggeration, he also avoided excessive brevity. Even in everyday matters, he would take care not to disturb them in any way. For example, if he had to go outside late at night, he would be careful to make no noise putting on his shoes or in opening and closing doors, so that no one should lose their sleep. This absence of pride was also apparent in his home, where he did not shirk domestic chores, working methodically and doing everything with his own hands.

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