Beautiful Qualities of Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him)
Mercy to all mankind
Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said: the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was asked to curse the infidels. He said, "I have not been sent to curse people but as a mercy to all mankind." (Muslim)
Mother of faithful believers Hadrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that she once asked the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him): 'Did you face a day severer than the day of the battle of Uhud? 'He answered: 'Yes I have experienced such things at the hands of your people and such a day was the day of Aqabah. On this day I presented myself to Abdi lail bin Abd Kulal and offered him Islam, but he failed to make any responce to what I had offered to him. I therefore, left with a heavy heart and depressed. I felt some relieft only when I reached Qarn Sa'alib. Here I looked up and saw a cloud covering me. In this cloud I saw Angel Jibril (peace be upon him) who called me and said: Allah, the Most High, has heard what your people have said to you and the response to your offer. Allah has now sent the Angel of the Mountains to you to carry out your orders to do what you might like to be done to them. Then the Angel of the Mountains addressed me greeting with Salam and then said: 'Muhammad! Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) has heard what your people have said to you. I am the Angel of the Mountains and my Lord has sent me to you to carry out your orders. What do you want now to be done? If you like I may crush them between the two mountains encircling the city of Makka. The Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) replied: (I do not want their destruction) I am still hopeful that Allah will make some of their children (good Muslims) who would worship Allah, the One, without associating anybody with Him. (Bukhari and Muslim).
His forgiveness
Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a Jewess came to Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) with poisoned mutton and he took of what had been brought to him. (When the effect of his poison were felt by him) he called for her and asked her about that, whereupon she said: I had determined to kill you. Thereupon he said: Allah will never give you the power to do it. He (the narrator) said that they (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: Should we not kill her? Thereupon he said: No. He (Anas) said: I felt (the effects of this poison) on the uvula of Allah's Messenger. (Muslim)
It has been narrated on the authority of Hadrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that eighty persons from the inhabitants of Makka swooped down upon Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) from the mountain of Tan'im. They were armed and wanted to attack the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) and his Companions unawares. He (the Holy Prophet) captured them but spared their lives. So, Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) revealed the verse: "And It is He Who restrained your hands from them and their hands from you in the valley of Makkah after He had given you a victory over them." (48:24) (Muslim)
His trust in Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted)
It has been narrated on the authority of Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that, on the Day of Hunain, Umm Sulaim took out a dagger she had in her possession. Hadrat Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) saw her and said: Messenger of Allah, this is Umm Sulaim. She is holding a dagger. Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) asked (her): What for are you holding that dagger? She said: I took it up so that I may tear open the belly of a polytheist who comes near me. Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) began to smile (at those words). She said: Messenger of Allah, kill all those people-other than us- whom thou hast declared to be free (on the day of the Conquest of Makka). (They embraced Islam because) they were defeated at your hands (and as such their Islam is not dependable). Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said: Umm Sulaim, Allah is sufficient (against the mischief of the polytheists) and He will be kind to us (so you need not carry this dagger). (Muslim)
He fought only for Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted)
Mother of faithful believers, Hadrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) never struck anybody with his hand, neither a servant nor a women, but he did fight (jihad) in the cause of Allah. He never avenged any wrong done to him personally, but he did avenge a wrong violating divine commandments. (Muslim)
Closer to the believers than their ownselves
Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) said that a man who had died in debt would be brought to Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) and he would ask whether he had left anything to discharge his debt. If he was told that he had left enough he would pray, otherwise he would tell the Muslims to pray over their friend. But when Allah (The Glorified and the Exalted) wrought the conquests at his hands he stood up and said, "I am closer to the believers than their own selves,* so if any of the believers dies leaving a debt I shall be responsible for paying it, and if anyone leaves property it goes to his heirs." (Bukhari and Muslim) *(Qur'an, 33:6)
He prayed for the leader of the Munafiqeen (Hypocrites)
Narrated Hadrat Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him): When 'Abdullah bin 'Ubai died, his son 'Abdullah came to Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) and asked him to give him his shirt in order to shroud his father in it. He gave it to him and then 'Abdullah asked the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) to offer the funeral prayer for him (his father). Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) got up to offer the funeral prayer for him, Sayyidina 'Umar got up too and got hold of the garment of Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) and said, "O Allah's Messenger! Will you offer the funeral prayer for him though your Lord has forbidden you to offer the prayer for him?" Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said, "But Allah has given me the choice by saying:-
'Whether you ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them; even if you ask forgiveness for them seventy times....' (9:80)
So I will ask more than seventy times." Sayyidina 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "But he (Abdullah bin 'Ubai) is a hypocrite!" However, Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) did offer the funeral prayer for him whereupon Allah revealed:-
'And never (O Muhammad) pray for anyone of them that dies, nor stand at his grave.' (9:84) * (Bukhari)
*The complete verse is: "And never (O Muhammad) pray for anyone of them that dies nor stand at his grave. Lo! they disbelieved in Allah and His Messenger and they died while they were evil-doers." (9:84)
His gentleness
Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: While we were in the mosque with Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) a desert Arab came and began to pass water in the mosque. The companions of Allah's Messenger said, "Stop! Stop!" but Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said, "Don't interrupt him; leave him alone." They left him alone, and when he had finished, Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) called him and said to him, "These mosques are not suitable places for urine and filth, but are only for remembrance of Allah, prayer and recitation of the Qur'an," or however Allah's Messenger expressed it.* Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he then gave orders to one of the people who brought a bucket and poured water over it. (Bukhari and Muslim)
*Indicating that the transmitter is not sure of the exact words.
His concern for the people
Hadrat Abu Qatadah Haris Ibn Rib'i (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said: I stand up for Prayer [Salat] intending to prolong it. In the meantime I hear the wailing of a baby and I have to shorten my prayer, being apprehensive lest my recitation of a long verse may tell upon the baby's mother. (Bukhari)
He established rights for animals
Narrated Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him): The Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said, "One of the rights is that she camels should be milked at places of water." (Bukhari)
His tender heart
Nazrat Abdallah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reports as follows:- Once the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) asked me to recite the Qur'an to him. I said: "O Messenger of Allah! The Holy Qur'an has been revealed to you and you ask me to recite it to you!" "It is my wish, " he said, "that I hear it from some other person". So I began to recite, beginning from the Sura an-Nisa, and when I reached this verse: "But how (will it be with them) when, We bring of every people a witness, and We bring thee (O Muhammad) a witness against these," (4:41). I chanced to glance at his auspicious face and saw that tears were rolling down from his eyes. (Tirmidhi)
He was the bravest of men
Hadrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was the sublimest among people (in character) and the most generous amongst them and he was the bravest of men. One night people of Madina felt disturbed and set forth in the direction of a sound when Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) met them on his way back as he had gone towards that sound ahead of them. He was on the horse of Hadrat Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with him) which had no sadle over it, and a sword was slung round his neck, and he was saying: There was nothing to be afraid of, and he also said: We found it (this horse) like a torrent of water (indicating its swiftfootedness), whereas the horse had been slow before that time. (Muslim)
His generosity
Hadrat Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was the most generous of people in charity, but he was generous to the utmost in the month of Ramadan. Hazat Jibril (peace be upon him) would meet him every year during the month of Ramadan until it ended, and Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) recited to him the Qur'an; and when Jibril (peace be upon him) met him, Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was most generous in giving charity like the blowing wind. (Muslim)
Hadrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a person requested Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) to give him a very large flock (of sheep) and he gave that to him. He came to his tribe and said: O people, embrace Islam. By Allah, Muhammad donates so much as if he did not fear want. Hadrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said that the person embraced Islam for the sake of the world but later he became Muslim until Islam became dearer to him than the world and what it contains. (Muslim)
He did not take sadaqah
Hadrat Buraidah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that when the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) emigrated to Madina, Hadrat Salman Farsi (may Allah be pleased with him) brought a tray full of fresh dates and offered it to him. He asked , "What is this?" Hadrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "It is a sacrifice (sadaqah) for you and your Companions." He said: "We do not eat sadaqah". On the second day too Hadrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) came with a tray of dates and said: "These dates are a gift." Then the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) and the Companions ate of those dates. Thereafter Hadrat Salman (may Allah be pleased with him) saw the Seal of Prophethood (in between his shoulders) and embraced Islam. (Tirmidhi)
His true nature
Hadrat Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was presented two cups at Bayt al-Maqdis on the night of the Heavenly Journey, one containing wine and the other containing milk. He looked at both of them, and he took the one containing milk, whereupon Hadrat Jibril (peace be upon him) said: Praise is due to Allah Who guided you to the true nature; had you taken the one containing wine, your Umma would have gone astray. (Muslim)
He did not speak to please but always said the truth
Hadrat 'Amr ibn al-Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that the Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) in his special talk, used to pay attention even to the worst man in the community with a view to win his heart. "Towards me also," states Hadrat 'Amr (may Allah be pleased with him), "he used to pay much attention, addressing me more than he did others, wherefore I began to think that I was the best man in the community. So under this impression, one day I asked him: "Am I superior or Hadrat Umar?" He said, 'Umar'. Again I asked him clearly, he told me correctly, without fear or favour, and later on I thought I should not have asked him such things." (Tirmidhi)
His manners
Hadrat Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "The Holy Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) had the best manners among all the human beings" (Bukhari and Muslim)
He would take permission from a small boy
Hadrat Sahl bin Sa'd Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that milk was brought to the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him). He drank it. On his right was a boy and on the left elderly persons. He said to the boy: If you permit, I shall give first to these (on the left). The boy said: No, by Lord, Messenger of Allah, I do not want to let anyone have my share of what is left from your lips. Allah's Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) then gave it first to him. (Malik)
His left over food a healing
Hadrat Abu Omamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reports that a woman used to rattle on ceaselessly and unrestrained. She came to the Holy Prophet's (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) presence. He was eating mutton at that time and so he gave her a piece of it. The woman asked him to give her that piece which was in his auspicious mouth. So he took it out and gave it to her. She ate it up, whereby she became alright, her tongue became controllable and she ceased to run off at the mouth and lather. (Tirmidhi)
His saliva a healing
Narrated Yazid bin Abi 'Ubaid: I saw the trace of a wound in Hadrat Salama's (may Allah be pleased with him) leg. I said to him, O Abu Muslim! What is this wound?" He said, "This was inflicted on me on the day of Khaibar and the people said, "Salama has been wounded.' Then I went to the Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) and he puffed his saliva in it (i.e. the wound) thrice, and since then I have not had any pain in it till this hour." (Bukhari)
Satan cannot imitate him
Hadrat Abdallah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reports the Prophetic statement that,"He who saw me in dream, he saw me really, for Satan cannot make his face like mine." (Tirmidhi)
His exalted position
Narrated Hadrat Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): On the Day of Resurrection the people will fall on their knees and every nation will follow their prophet and they will say, "O so-and-so! Intercede (for us with Allah), "till (the right) intercession is given to Prophet Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) and that will be the day when Allah will raise him to a station of praise and glory (i.e. Al-Maqam -al-Mahmud). (Bukhari)
The merit of his Ziyara
Hadrat Abdullah Ibn Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) relates that Rasulullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) said: Whoever visits my grave, my intercession becomes obligatory for him." (Dar-Qutni)
