THE Prophet (peace be upon him) had both perfection of features and perfection of manners. The impression of them on people can be deduced by the bliss that overwhelmed their hearts and filled them with dignity. Men's respect, devotion and esteem of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) were unique and matchless. No other man in the whole history of mankind has been so honored and beloved. Those who knew him well were fascinated and enchanted by him. They were ready to sacrifice their lives for the sake of saving a fingernail of his from hurt or injury. Being privileged with many areas of excellence that no one else had been endowed with, his Companions found that he was peerless and so they loved him. Perfection of soul, nobility The Prophet (peace be upon him) was noted for superb eloquence and fluency in Arabic. He was remarkable in position and rank. He was an accurate, unpretending straightforward speaker. He was well-versed in Arabic and quite familiar with the dialects and accents of every tribe. He spoke with his guests using their own accents and dialects. He mastered and was quite eloquent in both bedouin and town speech. So, he had the strength and eloquence of bedouin language as well as the clarity and the decorative ornate speech of the townspeople. Above all, there was the help of Allah embodied in the revealed Verses of the Qur'an. His stamina, endurance and forgiveness, while he was in a commanding position; his patience and firmness in unfavorable conditions, were all strengths, attributes and qualities that Allah Himself had given him. Even wise men have their shortcomings, but Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him), was unlike other people, the more he was hurt or injured, the more gentle and patient he became. The more rudeness and ignorance a person showed against him, the more enduring he became. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “Whenever Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was given the opportunity to choose between two matters, he would always choose the easiest and the most convenient. But if it involved sin, he would be as far as he could from it. He never took revenge for himself; but when the bound of Allah were violated, he would not shrink from taking revenge. That would be for Allah's sake, not for himself.” He was the last one to get angry and the first person to be pleased. His hospitality and generosity were matchless. His gifts and endowments reveal a person who does not fear poverty.” Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the most generous. His generosity would be at its extreme during Ramadan when the angel Jibreel (peace be upon him) used to visit him every night of Ramadan and review the Qur'an with him. Verily, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) was more generous at giving in charity than the blowing wind.” Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) would never deny anything he was asked for.” His courage, his bravery and his might were distinct. He was the most courageous among men. He witnessed awkward and difficult times and stood resolute at them. More than once, brave and daring men fled: yet he stood with full composure facing the enemy without turning his back. Every brave man must have deserted or flee from the battlefield once during his career, except the Prophet (peace be upon him). Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “Whenever the fight grew fierce and the eyes of fighters went red, we used to resort to the Prophet (peace be upon him) for help. He was always invariably the closest to the enemy.” Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “One night panic gripped the people of Madina. People went out hurriedly toward the source of sound, but they found the Prophet (peace be upon him) already coming back from there. He was on a horse belonging to Abu Talha which had no saddle over it, and a sword was hanging from his neck, and he said to them: ‘There was nothing to be afraid of.”' He was the most modest, and the first one to cast his eyes down. Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “He was more bashful than a virgin. When he disliked something, we could read it on his face. He did not stare at anybody's face. He would always cast his eyes down. He would look at the ground more than the sky. The most he would look at someone was by glancing. He was willingly and modestly obeyed by everybody. He would never name the person about whom he had heard something he didn't like, instead he would say: ‘Why do certain people do so ....'” A verse of poem by Al-Farazdaq fits him very well and is one of the best to be said of him: “He casts his eyes modestly, but the eyes of others are cast down due to his reverence, and words issue out of their mouths only while he is smiling.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the most just, the most decent, the most truthful at speech, and the most honest of all. Those who have exchanged words with him, and even his enemies, acknowledge his noble qualities. Even before the Prophethood he was nicknamed Al-Ameen (i.e., the truthful, the trustworthy). Even then – in Al-Jahiliyah – they used to turn to him for judgment and consultation. At-Tirmidhi reported Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) saying that he had been told by Abu Jahl that he (Abu Jahl) said to Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) “We do not call you a liar; but we do not have faith in what you have brought.” In His Book, Allah the Exalted said about them: “It is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses (the Qur'an) of Allah that the Zalimun (polytheists and wrongdoers) deny.” [6:33] Even when Heraclius asked Abu Sufyan: “Have you ever accused him of lying before the ministry of Prophethood?” Abu Sufyan said: “No.” He was the most modest person and far from being arrogant or proud. He forbade people to stand up for him as other people usually did for their kings. Visiting the poor, the needy and entertaining them were some of his habits. If a slave invited him, he would accept the invitation. He always sat among his friends as if he were an ordinary person among them. Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said that he himself used to repair his shoes, sew or mend his dress and do what ordinary men did in their homes. After all, he was a human being like others. He used to check his own clothing. Milking the sheep and catering for himself were some of his normal jobs. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was the most truthful to his pledges, and it was one of his qualities to establish good and steady relationship with his relatives. He was the most merciful, gentle and sociable of all people. His way of living was the simplest one. Ill-manners and indecency were two qualities utterly alien to him. He was decent, and did not call anybody names. He was not the sort of person who cursed or made noise in the streets. To be continued n Taken from the writer's The Sealed Nectar __
