nobody ever experienced the amount of hardship, trials, difficulties and crises that the prophet,
sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, experienced throughout his mission. however, he confronted all
such strains with the ultimate perseverance and steadfastness.
he was patient when he was an orphan, when he was poor, hungry and needy. he was described
as a liar, a poet, a soothsayer, a sorcerer, and insane, yet he was patient. he was harmed,
wronged, cursed and insulted, yet he was patient.
his uncle abu taalib died, and he remained patient. his wife died, and he remained patient.
people drove him out and fought him, and he remained patient. his uncle hamzah was killed,
and he remained patient. his son died, and he remained patient. false accusations were made
against his chaste noble wife, yet he was patient and forbearing.
his relatives were killed, his companions were murdered, his followers were driven out of their
homes, his enemies gathered against him to fight him, yet he was patient and forbearing.
he had a great deal of patience with those who attacked and insulted him, with those who
gathered together to fight him, with the aggression of those who denied the truth and the power
of falsehood.
he had a great deal of patience in the face of the adornments and beautifications of the worldly
life, and was attached to none of it.
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was the ideal example of ultimate perseverance and
steadfastness in all his life affairs. in fact, patience was his armour, shield, friend and ally.
whenever he was disturbed by the malicious words of his enemies, he would remember the verse
in which allaah the almighty says (what means): {so be patient over what they say.} [quran
20:130]
whenever he feared the power of his enemies or when the disbelievers harmed him, he would
remember the verse in which allaah the almighty says (what means): {so be patient, [o
muhammad], as were those of determination among the messengers and do not be impatient
for them.} [quran 46:35]
would patience be learned from other than him? would other than him be the ideal example of
ultimate perseverance, steadfastness and thankfulness? [sheikh ‘aa’idh al-qarni in muhammad
ka’annaka taraahu]
furthermore, the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was the ideal example of
patience in the field of calling people to islam till allaah the almighty disseminate d his
religion all over the world.
it was narrated that the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “i was harmed for the sake
of allaah like no one else, and i was frightened in the sake of allaah like no one else, and
thirty days and nights would pass while my family and i had no edible thing except what
bilaal could hide under his armpit.” [ahmad, at-tirmithi and ibn maajah; al-albaani: saheeh
(authentic)]
it was narrated that ‘urwah ibn az-zubayr, may allaah have mercy upon him, said, “i asked
‘abdullaah ibn ‘amr, ‘what was the worst thing the polytheists did to the messenger of allaah,
sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam?’ he said, ‘i saw ‘uqbah ibn abi mu‘ayt coming to the prophet,
sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, while he was praying. ‘uqbah put his garment round the
prophet's neck and squeezed it tight until abu bakr came and pulled ‘uqbah away from the
prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said, ‘do you intend to kill a man just because he
says: 'my lord is allaah the almighty?’” [al-bukhaari]
it was also narrated that the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was once offering prayers at
the ka‘bah and abu jahl was sitting with some of his companions. one of them said to the
others, "who among you will bring the abdominal contents (intestines, and so on.) of the camel
of the banu so and so and put it on the back of muhammad when he prostrates?" the most evil
of them got up and brought it. he waited till the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,
prostrated and then placed it on his back between his shoulders. ‘abdullaah ibn mas‘ood said, “i
was watching but i could not do anything. i wish i had some people to support me against them.”
they started laughing and falling over one another. the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi
wa sallam, was in prostration and he did not lift his head up till faatimah (his daughter) came
and threw away what was on his back. he raised his head and said thrice: "o allaah, punish the
quraysh." [al-bukhaari and muslim]
it was narrated that anas, may allaah be pleased with him, said, “people beat the messenger of
allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, till he fainted. abu bakr, may allaah be pleased with him,
shouted saying, ‘woe to you, do you intend to kill a man just because he says that my lord is
allaah the almighty?’ people asked, ‘who is this?’ others replied, ‘this is ibn abi quhaafah,
the madman.’” [al-haakim in al-mustadrak]
this was how the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, suffered from the harm,
cruelty and violence of his people, and yet he was patient and forbearing. then, he went to taa’if
hoping for the support of the people there. however, their response was even more bitter and
painful for the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. this incident deeply wounded his soul: it
was narrated that ‘aa’ishah, may allaah be pleased with her, said,
i asked the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, “did you ever encounter a day that
was tougher than the day of the battle of uhud?" the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam, replied: "i have seen what i have seen from your people, and the worst trouble
was the trouble on the day of ‘aqabah when i presented myself to ibn ‘abd yaaleel ibn
‘abd kulaal and he did not respond to my call. so i departed, overwhelmed with
excessive sorrow, and proceeded on aimlessly, and i was not aware of my whereabouts
till i found myself at qarn ath-tha‘aalib where i lifted my head towards the sky to see
a cloud shading me unexpectedly. i looked up and saw jibreel (gabriel) in it. he called
me saying, ‘allaah has heard your people's words to you, and what they have
responded to you with. allaah has sent the angel of the mountains to you so that you
may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.' the angel of the mountains
called and greeted me, and then said, ‘o muhammad, order what you wish. if you like,
i will let al-akhshabayn (the two mountains surrounding makkah) collapse over
them.’ (the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said): no. rather, i hope that
allaah will let them beget children who will worship allaah alone and worship none
beside him." [al-bukhaari and muslim]
there is no doubt that the example of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in patience,
forbearing and self-denial for the sake of calling people to the religion of allaah should be
followed and adopted.
the polytheists did not stop at this or realize his patience or appreciate his forgiveness in return
for their aggression; instead, they plotted against him and conspired to kill him. when they were
determined to do that, allaah the almighty allowed him to emigrate.
thus, he went to madeenah only to find a more severe type of affliction and difficulty from the
jews and the hypocrites. they hatched plots against him, sought out the faults of muslims,
helped the pagans to defeat them, and harbored malicious envy for him and the muslims.
however, he confronted all these trials with great patience.
then, he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, moved to another kind of patience in confronting the
disbelievers: patience on the battlefield, patience in the face of swords, spears and arrow heads.
this is the patience of those who have determination among the messengers. the prophet,
sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, persisted in his patience and he never yielded. he went on
perfecting his mission, from one battle to another and from one hardship to another.
on the day of the battle of uhud, one of his incisors was broken and he sustained many wounds
on his face and body - may my father, mother, myself and my child be sacrificed for him, and yet
he was patient and forbearing. it was narrated that ibn mas‘ood, may allaah be pleased with
him, said, “it is as if i can see the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, telling us the story of
one of the prophets whose people beat him and made him bleed, and he was wiping the blood
from his face and saying: ‘o allaah, forgive my people for they do not know.’” [al-bukhaari
and muslim]
allaah the almighty, the most truthful says (what means) describing him: {and indeed, you
are of a great moral character.} [quran 68:4]
the mercy of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was universal and encompassed both
jinn and humans. everyone had a share of the kindness and mercy of the prophet, sallallaahu
‘alayhi wa sallam. he guided the believer, guarded the hypocrite from death, delayed the
punishment of the disbeliever, and honored the covenants with non-muslims.
in fact, all creation, including animals, birds, insects and inanimate objects, benefited from the
mercy of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
consequently, there is no doubt that he is the prophet of mercy. allaah the almighty says (what
means): {and we have not sent you, [o muhammad], except as a mercy to the worlds.} [quran
21:107]
assuredly, he deserved that allaah the almighty granted him two of his own unique names
unlike all other prophets before him. allaah the almighty says (what means) describing him:
{and to the believers is kind and merciful} [quran 9:128] and he the almighty says (what
means) describing himself: {indeed allaah, to the people, is kind and merciful.} [quran 22:65]
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, had both attributes as allaah the almighty
described him. as a matter of fact, all those who dealt with him realized both attributes in his
character. maalik ibn al-huwayrith, may allaah be pleased with him, said, “i came to the
prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, with a group of my clan and stayed with him for twenty
nights. he was kindhearted and merciful. when he noticed that we missed our families, he said:
‘return to your families and teach them (religious knowledge).’” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
there are countless evidences that testify to the mercy of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa
sallam, for it was a natural attribute in his character. it filled his speech, actions, motions and
even his times of rest. in this regard, the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,
said: “o people! i am not but a given mercy.” [ad-daarimi and al-haakim; al-albaani:
hasan]
the mercy and the kindness of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, with children surprised the people in his community for they were not accustomed to such mercy towards children. it was narrated that ‘aa’ishah, may allaah be pleased with her, said, “a group of bedouins came to the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and said, ‘you (people) kiss your boys!’ he said: ‘yes.’ they said, ‘but we do not kiss them.’ the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: ‘i cannot put mercy in your heart after allaah has taken it away from it.’” [al- bukhaari and muslim]
it was also narrated that when al-aqra‘ ibn haabis, may allaah be pleased with him, saw the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, kissing al-hasan, he (al-aqra‘) said, "i have ten children and i have never kissed anyone of them." the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “whoever is not merciful to others will not be treated mercifully.” [al- bukhaari and muslim]
it was also narrated that shaddaad ibn al-haad, may allaah be pleased with him, said, “the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, came out to lead us in either the maghrib or ‘ishaa’ prayer one night, and he was carrying al-hasan or al-husayn (his grandson). the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, came forward and put (the child) down, then he said takbeer (i.e., ‘allaahu akbar’) and started to pray. during the prayer, he prostrated and made his prostration long. i raised my head and i saw the child on the back of the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, whilst he was prostrating, so i returned to my prostration.’ when the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, finished praying, the people said, ‘o messenger of allaah, during your prayer you prostrated for so long that we thought something had happened or that you were receiving revelation.’ he said: ‘none of that happened; rather, my son was riding on my back and i disliked to rush him until he had had enough.’” [an-nasaa’i, ahmad and al-haakim; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)]
what great mercy and perfect kindness! “i disliked to rush him until he had had enough.”
contemplate this: the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, disliked to disturb or bother the child when he was on his back, until the child had had enough even though he was leading the people in prayer. where are those who love the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and take him as an example of mercy in regard to this?
when the companions of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, realized his overwhelming compassion and kindness towards children, they would bring their children to him to invoke allaah the almighty to bless them and wipe some dates inside their mouths after chewing them and mixing them with his saliva. they did that without any shyness because of the kindness they witnessed from the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
it was narrated that ‘aa’ishah, may allaah be pleased with her, said, “the boys would be brought to the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he would invoke the blessings of allaah upon them. once, a baby boy was brought to him and the baby urinated on his clothes.
he asked for water and poured it over the place of the urine but did not wash his clothes.” [al- bukhaari and muslim]
it was also narrated that umm qays bint mihsan, may allaah be pleased with her, went to the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, with one of her sons who had not yet eaten any solid food and the boy passed urine on him whereupon he asked for some water and sprinkled it over the place of the urine. [al-bukhaari and muslim]
the boy urinating in his lap did not annoy the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he did not complain or scorn the one who brought the boy to him.
it was narrated that usaamah ibn zayd, may allaah be pleased with him, said, “the messenger of allaah would put me on his thigh and put al-hasan ibn ‘ali on his other thigh, and then embrace us and say: ‘o allaah, bemerciful to them as i am merciful to them.’” [al-bukhaari]
this was the extent of the kindness and compassion of the prophet of mercy with children and there was much more in addition to this.
he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, dealt with the weak in the most merciful and compassionate way.
it was narrated that anas ibn maalik, may allaah be pleased with him, said, “when the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, had completed his dawn prayer, the servants of madeenah came to him with vessels of water, and he would dip his hand in each one of them; and sometimes they came at he cold dawn (and he did not feel reluctant to accede to their request even in the cold weather) and dipped his hand in them.” [muslim] they did this to get blessings from the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and this was a special privilege of his only.
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did such things out of his perfect mercy and sublime kindness in order to please them in spite of the suffering he experienced because of the severe coldness of madeenah. this mercy and compassion were not unnatural attributes that the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, pretended to have during their lifetimes only, but they persisted after their deaths as well:
it was narrated that abu hurayrah, may allaah be pleased with him, said, “a black person, a male or a female, would sweep the mosque. later, he died and the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not know about it. one day, the prophet remembered him and said: ‘what happened to that person?’ people replied, ‘o messenger of allaah, he died’ he said: ‘why did you not inform me?’ they said, ‘his story was such and such (i.e. they regarded him as insignificant).’ he said: ‘show me his grave.’ he then went to his grave and offered the funeral prayer there.” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
another aspect of his mercy with the weak people is that he would give up a good deed out of his mercy for them as we have mentioned previously such as giving up going out behind every sariyyah (army unit). [al-bukhaari and muslim]
furthermore, the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not disdain to walk with a widow
and needy people so as to fulfill their needs.” [an-nasaa’i; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)]
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would go to the weak muslims, visit the their sick and attend their funerals.” [al-haakim; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)] and many other examples as we mentioned in the chapter on the humility of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, dealt with the weak in the most merciful and compassionate way.
it was narrated that anas ibn maalik, may allaah be pleased with him, said, “when the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, had completed his dawn prayer, the servants of madeenah came to him with vessels of water, and he would dip his hand in each one of them; and sometimes they came at he cold dawn (and he did not feel reluctant to accede to their request even in the cold weather) and dipped his hand in them.” [muslim] they did this to get blessings from the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and this was a special privilege of his only.
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did such things out of his perfect mercy and sublime kindness in order to please them in spite of the suffering he experienced because of the severe coldness of madeenah. this mercy and compassion were not unnatural attributes that the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, pretended to have during their lifetimes only, but they persisted after their deaths as well:
it was narrated that abu hurayrah, may allaah be pleased with him, said, “a black person, a male or a female, would sweep the mosque. later, he died and the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not know about it. one day, the prophet remembered him and said: ‘what happened to that person?’ people replied, ‘o messenger of allaah, he died’ he said: ‘why did you not inform me?’ they said, ‘his story was such and such (i.e. they regarded him as insignificant).’ he said: ‘show me his grave.’ he then went to his grave and offered the funeral prayer there.” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
another aspect of his mercy with the weak people is that he would give up a good deed out of his mercy for them as we have mentioned previously such as giving up going out behind every sariyyah (army unit). [al-bukhaari and muslim]
furthermore, the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not disdain to walk with a widow and needy people so as to fulfill their needs.” [an-nasaa’i; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)]
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would go to the weak muslims, visit the their sick and attend their funerals.” [al-haakim; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)] and many other examples as we mentioned in the chapter on the humility of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.
the mercy of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, even encompassed birds and animals.
he ordered people to treat them kindly and warned those who tortured them or detained them until death of torture and fire in the hereafter.
furthermore, the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, forbade making birds and other things that have life as a target for training with arrows or other weapons. it was narrated that the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “do not make anything that has life a target.” [muslim]
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also forbade tying up animals or other creatures while they are still alive in order to kill them. [al-bukhaari and muslim]
he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, also warned against harming weak animals saying: “a woman entered the (hell) fire because of a cat which she had tied, neither giving it food nor setting it free to eat from the vermin of the earth." [al-bukhaari and muslim]
the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, came upon an emaciated camel and said: “fear allaah regarding these mute animals. they should be healthy if ridden or eaten.”
[abu daawood; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)]
moreover, the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, made treating animals kindly a cause of the forgiviness of great sins. in this regard, the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:
“while a dog was going round a well and was about to die of thirst, a prostitute from the children of israel saw it and took off her shoe (and filled it with water) and gave water to the dog. allaah forgave her because of that good deed.” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
another aspect of the kindness of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, with these weak creatures is evident in a hadeeth narrated by ‘abdullaah ibn ‘umar, may allaah be pleased with him and his father, in which he said, “we were with the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, on a journey, and he went to relieve himself. we saw a bird with two chicks and we took away her chicks, so the bird started flapping her wings (in distress). the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, came and said: ‘who distressed this bird by taking her young?
give her chicks back to her!’” [abu daawood and al-haakim; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)]
therefore, there is no wonder that we find an animal crying before the prophet of mercy, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and complaining about the harsh treatment of its owner. it was narrated that ‘abdullah ibn ja‘far, may allaah be pleased with them, said, the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, made me ride behind him one day. then he entered an orchard belonging to an ansaari (helper in madeenah) and saw a camel therein. when it saw him, it began to groan and its eyes shed tears. the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, approached and patted its head until it was pacified. then he asked: “who is the owner of this camel? to whom does it belong?” a young ansaari man stepped forward and said, “it is mine, o messenger of allaah.” the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to him: “do you not fear allaah in relation to this animal which allaah has placed in your possession? this camel is complaining to me that you starve it and put it to toil." [abu daawood and ahmad; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)]
what vast mercy! what a great noble trait!
what is more amazing than that is that the mercy of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam,extended to encompass inanimate objects as well:
it was narrated that anas, may allaah be pleased with him, said, “the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would deliver his sermons while standing beside the trunk of a date-palm.
when he had the pulpit made, he used it instead. the trunk bean to groan and the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, went to it and embraced it, then it became quiet. the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then said: ‘had i not embraced it, it would have moaned to the day of resurrection.’” [al-bukhaari]
o allaah! a piece of wood moans for missing the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he embraces it kindly and mercifully.
how far are those who raise the banner of human rights and the organizations of animal protection from such noble and sublime feelings and values!
those who have hard hearts cannot realize the meaning of the ultimate and comprehensive mercy. rather, they have no place in their hearts for such emotions. they are like mute stones, totally devoid of giving and taking and totally stringent with regards to the most delicate human feelings and emotions.
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was the finest among all people, the best to his ummah and the best to his family. how could he not be so when he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “the best of you is the one who is the best towards his wife, and i am the best of you towards my wives.” [at-tirmithi; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)]
in fact, the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was the finest man ever in this respect. he excelled in this matter and realized the criterion properly and according to the noblest moral standards. he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would respect them, treat them kindly, nicely and justly, and joke with them. he was merciful, generous and loyal to them and was much than what marital life requires. he was very compassionate towards them and never missed an opportunity to smile with them.
the respect the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, had for his wives reached an extent that was unprecedented among arabs and non-arabs alike. he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, even sat beside his camel putting up his knee for his wife safiyyah to step on so she could mount the camel. [al-bukhaari and muslim]
moreover, the prophet's respect, love and appreciation of his wives were not accidental nor confined to their lifetimes only. rather, they were deeply-rooted in his character and extended beyond their deaths. he would slaughter a sheep and send it to the female friends of his wife khadeejah, may allaah be pleased with her, and that was after her death. [al-bukhaari and muslim]
he was very tolerant with his wives and would have patience with them when they were jealous.
he would calm the anger of his wife that was treated wrongly and advise the other and remind her about allaah the almighty. it was narrated that anas, may allaah be pleased with him, said, safiyyah was informed that hafsah had called her the daughter of a jew, so she started to cry. the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, then came in and asked her: “why are you crying?” she said, “hafsah called me the daughter of a jew.” to this the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, replied: “indeed, you are the daughter of a prophet, your uncle was also a prophet, and you are the wife of a prophet, so what does she have over you to boast about?” he then turned to hafsah and said: “fear allaah, o hafsah.” [ahmad, at-tirmithi and ibn hibbaan; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)]
he, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would see them with a smile on his face, thus filling their hearts and houses with happiness and cheerfulness.
out of his sublime morality, he would treat them kindly, nicely and joke with them. he would pronounce the name of ‘aa’ishah, may allaah be pleased with her, tunefully such as “o ‘aa’ish” [al-bukhaari] and call her: “o humayraa’” (the one with a ruddy complexion) [an- nasaa’i; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)] also, he would honor her by calling her by the name of her father saying: “o daughter of as-siddeeq” [ahmad, at-tirmithi and ibn maajah; al- albaani: saheeh (authentic)] he did this out of affection for her and out of respect and appreciation for her family.
he would help his wives in their household chores and fulfill their needs. ‘aa’ishah and the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would wash from a single pot of water and he would say to her: “leave some for me,” and she would say the same to him. [al-bukhaari and muslim]
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would call the girls of the ansaar to play with her. it was narrated that ‘aa’ishah, may allaah be pleased with her, said, “i would play with dolls in the presence of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and i had friends who would play with me. when the messenger of allaah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, entered they would hide themselves and he would call them to come out and play with me.” [al-bukhaari and muslim]
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, was a compassionate man, and if she wanted something he would go along with it if it was permissible and would not transgress the religious prescribed limits such as when she asked him to perform ‘umrah (lesser pilgrimage).
also, the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would put his mouth on the place (of the cup) from which she drank and then he would drink. it was narrated that ‘aa’ishah, may allaah be pleased with her, said, “i would drink when i was menstruating, then i would hand it (the vessel) to the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he would put his mouth where mine had been and drink, and i would eat meat from a bone when i was menstruating, then hand it over to the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and he would put his mouth where mine had been.” [muslim]
the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would lean on her lap and recite the quran while she was menstruating. [al-bukhaari and muslim] he also would request that she put on an izaar (a dress worn below the waist) during her menses and would enjoy her without having intercourse.
[al-bukhaari and muslim] also, he would kiss her while he was fasting. [al-bukhaari and muslim]
from the gentle manners of the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is that he would allow her to play as narrated above. it was also narrated that ‘aa’ishah, may allaah be pleased with her, was asked about what the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, would do in his house, she replied, "he would keep himself busy serving his family and when it was the time for prayer he would perform ablution and go out to pray." [al-bukhaari]
it was also narrated that ‘aa’ishah, may allaah be pleased with her, said, “he would stitch his own clothes, mend his own sandals and do whatever ordinary men do in their houses.” [ahmad and ibn hibbaan; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)]
it was also narrated that ‘aa’ishah, may allaah be pleased with her, said, i went out with the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, on a journey. at that time i was a young girl and was quite slender. the prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said to the people: “go on ahead,” so they went ahead. then he said to me; “come, let us have a race.” so i raced with him, and i won. he let the matter rest until i had gained weight. later, i accompanied him on another journey. he told the people: “go on ahead,” so they went ahead. he said to me: “come, let us have a race.” so i raced with him, and he won. he began to laugh, and said: “this is for that.” [ahmad and abu daawood; al-albaani: saheeh (authentic)]
allaah the almighty, the most truthful says (what means) describing him: {and indeed, you are of a great moral character.} [quran 68:4]
