Part of Al-Shama'il Al-Muhammadiyah (the series is completed)
· Lesson 32 of 40
Al-Shamail Al-Muhammadiya | Episode (32) | Chapter on what was mentioned about the character of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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With pens of longing and the ink of love,
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we record lines more precious than gold,
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in describing the Master of Creation, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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The Prophetic characteristics (Shama'il).
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Chapter: What has been narrated regarding the physical creation of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
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It is narrated from 'Amr ibn al-'As, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said:
0:41
The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would turn his face and his conversation toward the most wicked person among the people,
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in order to win his heart thereby.
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He would turn his face and his conversation toward me,
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until I thought that I was the best of the people.
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So I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
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am I better, or is Abu Bakr?"
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He replied, "Abu Bakr."
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I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
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am I better, or is 'Umar?"
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He replied, "'Umar."
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I said, "O Messenger of Allah,
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am I better, or is 'Uthman?"
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He replied, "'Uthman."
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When I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and he confirmed the truth to me,
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I wished that I had not asked him.
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In this hadith,
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it is shown that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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whenever someone harsh or rude came to his gathering,
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known for poor conduct and character,
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he would meet him, peace be upon him, with a cheerful face and kind treatment.
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He would turn his face, peace be upon him, toward him,
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and engage him in conversation.
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This is from the perfection of his wisdom, the nobility of his character, and the excellence of his companionship.
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His statement,
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"He would often turn his face and his conversation toward me,"
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"until I thought that I was the best of the people,"
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means that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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would meet him with cheerfulness,
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and engage him in conversation,
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until he thought he was the best of the Companions,
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due to the frequency of his turning toward him.
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His statement,
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"I said, 'O Messenger of Allah,
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am I better, or is Abu Bakr?'"
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then he asked him about 'Umar,
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and then about 'Uthman.
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In this is an indication that it was established in the hearts of all the Companions
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that the best of them absolutely was Abu Bakr,
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then 'Umar,
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then 'Uthman,
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may Allah be pleased with them all.
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That is why he singled them out for mention,
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beginning with the best, then the next best.
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His statement,
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"When I asked the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and he confirmed the truth to me,"
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means he answered my question with a truthful answer and a word of reality,
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without flattery or compromising his principles.
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This is one of the methods of treating the diseases of the soul before they take hold,
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and curing the ailments of the heart before they worsen,
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by keeping the soul within its limits,
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and making it aware of its true standing.
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His statement,
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"I wished that I had not asked him,"
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means I loved and wished that I had not asked him, out of shyness before him,
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because of the error of my assumption
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that I was the most beloved of people to him.
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This hadith is narrated in a summarized form in the two Sahih collections.
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The wording is:
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From 'Amr ibn al-'As, may Allah be pleased with him,
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that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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sent him on the expedition of Dhat al-Salasil.
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He said:
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"I came to him and said,
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'Which of the people is most beloved to you?'
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He said, 'A'ishah.'
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I said, 'From the men?'
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He said, 'Her father.'
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I said, 'Then who?'
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He said,
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'Then 'Umar ibn al-Khattab,'
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and he counted other men."
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From Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
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"I served the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, for ten years,
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and he never once said 'Uff' to me.
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He never said to me regarding something I did, 'Why did you do it?'
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nor regarding something I left, 'Why did you leave it?'
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The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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was the best of people in character.
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I have never touched silk or brocade,
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nor anything softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.
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And I have never smelled musk or perfume
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that was sweeter than the sweat of the Prophet, peace be upon him."
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In this hadith,
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Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, informs us
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that he served the Prophet, peace be upon him, for ten years.
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This is a preface to what he is about to say,
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because ten years of service clearly reveals to the servant
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the character of the one he serves.
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His statement,
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"He never once said 'Uff' to me,"
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even though shortcomings and mistakes are inevitable,
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especially over such a long period.
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Yet,
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the Prophet, peace be upon him, never said 'Uff' to him once.
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"He never said to me regarding something I did, 'Why did you do it?'
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nor regarding something I left, 'Why did you leave it?'"
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This means that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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would not reproach him for something he did,
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nor for something he was commanded to do but left undone.
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This relates to service and etiquette,
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not to the religious obligations.
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In this, there is also praise for Anas, may Allah be pleased with him,
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for he did not commit anything that would warrant an objection
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from the Prophet, peace be upon him, throughout that long period.
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His statement,
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"The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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was the best of people in character,"
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is a summary after a detailed account.
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He, peace be upon him, was the best of people in character
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in his words, actions, manners, and dealings.
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His statement,
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"I have never touched silk or brocade, nor anything
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softer than the palm of the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,"
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Khazz (silk/brocade) is a type of fabric
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made of silk and other materials.
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His palm, peace be upon him, was soft,
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indeed, it was softer than silk and brocade.
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And every soft thing that Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, touched.
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His statement,
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"that was sweeter than the sweat of the Prophet, peace be upon him,"
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for he, peace be upon him, was sweet-scented.
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This is among the things with which Allah, the Almighty, honored him.
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From Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him,
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from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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that there was a man with him who had traces of yellow (saffron) on him.
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He said: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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would rarely confront anyone with something they disliked.
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When he stood up, he said to the people,
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"If you were to tell him to remove this yellow color."
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In this hadith, the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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saw a man who had traces of yellow on him.
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This yellow color might have been from saffron or something else,
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applied to clothing for adornment.
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His statement, "The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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would rarely confront anyone with something they disliked,"
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is from the perfection of his noble character, peace be upon him.
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He would command, forbid, advise, and teach,
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without confronting anyone with something they disliked,
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unless the interest of the situation required it.
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His statement, "When he stood up,"
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he said to the people,
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meaning the Prophet, peace be upon him, said
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to his Companions present in the gathering,
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"If you were to tell him to remove this yellow color,"
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meaning to leave it off.
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He did not confront him with that, peace be upon him,
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but rather ordered some of the people to alert him.
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This hadith is weak,
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but its meaning is correct.
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For in the Sunan of Abu Dawud,
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from 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, she said:
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The Prophet, peace be upon him,
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when something reached him about a man,
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he would not say, "What is the matter with so-and-so that he says..."
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But he would say, peace be upon him,
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"What is the matter with some people that they say such-and-such?"
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Meaning he would not explicitly name him,
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but would say,
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"What is the matter with some people that they say such-and-such?"
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as a precaution against confrontation with something disliked,
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while achieving the intended purpose without it.
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From 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said:
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The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,
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was neither foul-mouthed nor prone to foul language,
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nor was he loud in the marketplaces,
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nor did he repay evil with evil,
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but he would pardon and forgive.
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"Fuhsh" (foulness)
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is everything that exceeds its proper measure
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until it becomes reprehensible.
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The "mutafahish" is one who intentionally does that,
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does it frequently, and affects it.
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In this hadith,
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'A'ishah negated from the Prophet, peace be upon him,
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the possession of foulness,
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and the uttering of it, whether by nature or by affectation.
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Her statement,
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"nor was he loud in the marketplaces,"
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meaning shouting and clamoring.
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The "sakhab" is one who raises his voice,
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and it is blameworthy,
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especially in the marketplaces,
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which are gathering places for people of every kind.
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Her statement,
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"nor did he repay evil with evil,"
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means if someone did him wrong,
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he would not counter his evil
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with a similar evil,
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even though that is permissible,
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according to the saying of the Almighty:
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“The guerdon of an ill-deed is an ill the like thereof. But whosoever pardoneth and amendeth, his wage is the affair of Allah. Lo! He loveth not wrong-doers.” (42:40)
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Her statement,
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Rather, he pardons and overlooks.
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This means he acts in the best and most perfect manner,
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which is pardoning and overlooking.
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Pardoning (al-'afw) is to overlook the one who has erred
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and to refrain from punishing them.
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Overlooking (al-safh) is to cease all reproach,
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and it is more profound than mere pardoning.
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A person may pardon someone yet not overlook their fault.
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Allah the Almighty said:
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"So pardon them and overlook [their faults]."
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"Indeed, Allah loves the doers of good."
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On the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, she said:
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"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, never struck
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anything with his hand ever,
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except when striving in the cause of Allah."
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"He never struck a servant nor a woman."
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In this hadith,
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the Mother of the Believers, 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, says:
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"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, never struck
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anything with his hand ever,"
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meaning neither a human being nor anything else,
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"except when striving in the cause of Allah."
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This does not refer only to military expeditions against the disbelievers,
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but it also includes the implementation of legal punishments (hudud), disciplinary measures (ta'azir), and other such matters.
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As for her statement,
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"nor did he strike a servant or a woman,"
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this is a specification after a generalization,
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because they are already included in what preceded it.
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However, the servant and the woman were singled out for mention
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out of concern for their status,
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or because they are the ones most commonly subjected to striking in general practice.
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Thus, it is recommended to pardon them,
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acting against one's own ego and suppressing rage.
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On the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, she said:
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"I never saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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take revenge for a wrong done to him ever,
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as long as the sacred limits of Allah were not violated.
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But if the sacred limits of Allah the Almighty were violated,
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he would be among the most furious of people regarding that.
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And he was never given a choice between two matters
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but that he chose the easier of the two,
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as long as it was not a sin."
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In this hadith,
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the Mother of the Believers, 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, says:
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"I never saw the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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taking revenge,"
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meaning retaliating,
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"for a wrong done to him ever."
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For the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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would not become angry for his own sake, nor would he seek revenge for himself.
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Her statement,
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"as long as the sacred limits of Allah the Almighty were not violated,"
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means as long as nothing that Allah the Almighty has forbidden to His servants was committed.
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"But if the sacred limits of Allah the Almighty were violated,
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he would be among the most furious of people regarding that,"
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meaning he would be the most furious for the sake of Allah the Almighty.
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This indicates that it is obligatory to show zeal, anger, and disapproval
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when the sacred limits of Allah are violated,
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and it is not permissible to remain silent about such things.
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Her statement,
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"he was never given a choice between two matters but that he chose the easier of the two,
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as long as it was not a sin,"
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means that if the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was given a choice between two matters to perform one of them,
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he would choose the easier of the two,
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provided it was not among the matters that lead to sin.
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As for matters that lead to sin,
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the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would avoid them and be wary of them.
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On the authority of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, she said:
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"A man asked for permission to enter upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, while I was with him,
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and he said:
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'What an evil son of the tribe,'
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or 'brother of the tribe.'
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Then he gave him permission.
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When he entered,
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he spoke to him gently.
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When he left,
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I said: 'O Messenger of Allah,
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you said what you said,
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then you spoke to him gently.'
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He replied:
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'O 'A'ishah,
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indeed, among the worst of people
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is the one whom people leave,
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or whom people avoid,
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out of fear of his obscenity.'"
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In this hadith,
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'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, says:
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"A man asked for permission to enter upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, while I was with him."
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It has been said
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that this man was 'Uyaynah Ibn Hisn,
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and he had not yet embraced Islam at that time,
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even though he had outwardly displayed Islam.
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He asked for permission to enter upon the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in his house,
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and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
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"What an evil son of the tribe,"
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or "brother of the tribe."
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This refers to the tribe.
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Meaning: what an evil man from that tribe.
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In this is a warning
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regarding the coarseness this man possessed.
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Then he gave him permission to enter.
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When he entered,
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he spoke to him gently,
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meaning that he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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began to speak to him with soft words,
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to reconcile his heart and the hearts of those like him to Islam.
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Her statement,
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"I said: 'O Messenger of Allah,
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you said what you said,
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then you spoke to him gently,'"
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suggests she was surprised by the state of the man
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whom the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had described,
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yet then spoke to him gently,
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meeting him with cheerfulness,
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an open face,
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and a warm welcome.
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When I asked him about that,
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he said:
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"O 'A'ishah,
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indeed, among the worst of people
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is the one whom people leave,
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or whom people avoid,
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out of fear of his obscenity."
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Meaning: because of his ugly speech and actions.
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So, someone like this,
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if he is met without gentleness,
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great and reprehensible things might result from him.
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Therefore, it is better
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to meet him with kindness,
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repelling [evil] with that which is better,
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and protecting oneself from his evil.
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On the authority of Muhammad Ibn al-Munkadir, he said:
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"I heard Jabir Ibn 'Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with them both, saying:
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'The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was never asked for anything
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and said no.'"
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In this hadith,
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there is a demonstration of the generosity of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
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For he was never asked for anything
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and said no,
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meaning "I will not give it."
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Rather,
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he would either give,
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or apologize and pray for them,
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or promise them what they wished for.
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On the authority of Anas Ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, he said:
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"The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was merciful,
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and no one would come to him
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but that he would promise them and fulfill it if he had the means.
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Once, the prayer was called,
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and a Bedouin came to him,
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took hold of his garment,
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and said:
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'I still have a small need remaining,
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and I fear I will forget it.'
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So he stood with him
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until he finished his need,
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then he came and prayed."
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On the authority of Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, he said:
18:13
"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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was the most generous of people in doing good,
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and he was at his most generous during the month of Ramadan,
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when he would meet Jibril.
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Jibril would come to him
18:26
and review the Qur'an with him.
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When Jibril met him,
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the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
18:34
was more generous in doing good than the sent-forth wind."
18:38
In this hadith,
18:41
there is a description of the generosity of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
18:44
and his giving and spending.
18:46
For he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
18:49
was the most generous of people in doing good,
18:51
meaning the most generous and giving of people in goodness.
18:55
His statement,
18:56
"and he was at his most generous during the month of Ramadan,"
19:00
means he was more generous and giving in Ramadan
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than in other months and days,
19:07
due to the excellence of that time.
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His statement,
19:11
"Jibril would come to him and review the Qur'an with him,"
19:15
means Jibril, peace be upon him,
19:17
would come in Ramadan,
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and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would recite the Qur'an to him.
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The "review" (al-'ard) is recitation from memory.
19:27
This would be repeated every Ramadan.
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This shows the importance of a memorizer reviewing their memorization with others to solidify it,
19:36
especially in Ramadan, the month of the Qur'an.
19:39
In another narration, "he would study the Qur'an with him."
19:43
"Studying" (al-mudarasah) implies a mutual action from both sides.
19:47
This indicates that each of them would sometimes recite and the other would listen.
19:52
His statement,
19:54
"When Jibril met him,
19:56
the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
19:59
was more generous in doing good than the sent-forth wind."
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The wind can be sent with good,
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and it can be sent with punishment.
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The intent by "the wind" here
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is that which Allah the Almighty sent with good,
20:13
It is like the rain.
20:15
When the wind carries it, goodness spreads everywhere.
20:18
The intended meaning here
20:20
is that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was swifter in his generosity than that wind.
20:25
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:
20:30
The Prophet, peace be upon him, would not store anything for the morrow.
20:36
In this hadith,
20:40
it is noted that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
20:43
would not store anything for his own sake,
20:46
owing to his immense generosity and his reliance upon his Lord.
20:49
However, he would set aside provisions for his family and children.
20:53
It has been narrated from him, peace be upon him,
20:56
that which indicates he would store a year’s worth of provisions for his family.
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For it is narrated from ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,
21:04
that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
21:07
would sell the dates of the Banu al-Nadir,
21:09
and reserve the provisions for his family for the year.
21:13
And on the authority of ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her:
21:17
The Prophet, peace be upon him,
21:20
would accept gifts,
21:22
and would reward the giver in return.
21:24
In this hadith,
21:28
there is an explanation that the Prophet, peace be upon him,
21:32
would accept a gift and would not turn it away.
21:35
His acceptance of a gift is a form of generosity,
21:38
and a facet of noble character,
21:41
through which hearts are won over.
21:43
As for her statement, "and would reward the giver in return,"
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it means he would give the person who presented the gift something in exchange.
21:49
The intent behind "reward" here is recompense.
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The minimum of which is something equal in value to the gift.
21:58
The hadith continues, if Allah wills.
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And Allah knows best.
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May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
22:06
and upon all his family and companions.