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Throughout the period of his mission, Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings be upon him) experienced all manners of difficulty.
Deniers and polytheists from among his own people insulted him most
terribly, even calling him a magician or a madman. Others wanted to kill
him and even schemed to do so. Despite all that, the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) tried to teach people of all backgrounds and
cultures about the Qur'an, and therefore about proper morality and good
behavior.
As Allah revealed in the verses of the Qur'an, some people
had not the slightest idea of the basics of good manners, for which reason
it never entered their minds that they might appall someone who possessed
superior morality. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) displayed
the greatest patience in these circumstances, turning to Allah and asking
for His help in all situations and encouraging the believers toward
patience and submission.
In many verses in the Qur'an, Allah advises the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) to be patient despite the words of
unbelievers:
[So be
patient in the face of what they say and glorify your Lord with praise
before the rising of the sun and before it sets.]
(Qaf 50:39)
[Do not be
grieved by what they say. All might belongs to Allah. He is the
All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.]
(Yunus 10:65)
[We know
that your breast is constricted by what they say.]
(Al-Hijr 15:97)
[Perhaps
you are leaving aside part of what has been revealed to you and your
breast is constricted by this because they say, "Why has treasure
not been sent down to him or an angel not accompanied him?" You are
only a warner and Allah is Guardian over all things.]
(Hud 11:12)
Believers must remember the kind of things Allah's
Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was patient for, and take him
as a model when dealing with their own difficulties. Those who despair at
the slightest problem, who are unable to bear the smallest objection, who
stop preaching the religion of Allah, or who lose hope when their business
dealings go wrong, must be aware that such behavior is incompatible with
Allah's Book and the sayings and deeds of the Prophet (peace and blessings
be upon him). Believers must always be patient, take Allah as their helper
and give thanks to Him, adopt the superior morality of the Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him), and hope for the mercy, compassion and
Paradise of our Lord.
There were people with varying characters and ideas that
surrounded the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) throughout his
life; however, he showed an interest in each and every one, warned them
about their mistakes and failings, and tried to educate them in all
matters, from cleanliness to matters of faith. That compassionate,
tolerant, understanding, and patient attitude of his was the means by
which many peoples' hearts warmed to Islam and developed a genuine love
for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah describes this
pleasing attitude adopted by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
toward those around him in the Qur'an:
[It is a
mercy from Allah that you were gentle with them. If you had been rough
or hard of heart, they would have scattered from around you. So pardon
them and ask forgiveness for them.]
(Aal `Imran 3:159)
In another verse, Allah tells the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) how he should behave towards those around him:
[We know
best what they say. You are not a dictator over them. So remind, with
the Qur'an, whoever fears My Threat.]
(Qaf 50:45)
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never
pressured those around him to accept the religion, nor imposed conditions
on them. Instead he always used the pleasantest ways to tell them about
it.
He always supported the community of the faithful with his
strong conscience and was a benefactor to them at all times. On account of
these traits, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is described
in many verses as "your companion" (Saba' 34:46; An-Najm 53:2;
At-Takwir 81:22).
Those believers who were able to comprehend the
conscientiousness of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
regarded him as closer to them than all others, and humbled themselves
towards him. In one verse, Allah states the following:
[The
Prophet has closer ties to the believers than their own selves, and his
wives are their mothers.]
(Al-Ahzab 33:6)
Imam Al-Ghazali summed up the Prophet's treatment of those
around him:
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Everyone thought that the Prophet honored him more.
Whoever came to him could see his face.
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He used to call his Companions by their surnames
(epithets) with honor and he used to give a surname to one who had
none.
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He was very affectionate and kind in dealing with the
people.
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Nobody could speak loudly in his assembly.
The Prophet's human love, kind thought, and compassion —
which turned those around him to true religion and warmed their hearts to
faith — formed that superior morality which all Muslims should seek to
reproduce.
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