Courage is one of the noblest characteristics of men. It is the sign of strength, and the dignity of the Ummah (Muslim nation) depends on it. For this reason, the strong believer is better and more loved by Allah The Almighty than the weak one. Courage is the quality of those who are strong and not intimidated by fear, and are not weak or feeble.
The Prophet, , was the most courageous of men as the armies of his enemies and the leaders of the disbelievers fled when they had to face him in many decisive confrontations. He, , would face difficult situations and hardship with a steadfast heart and strong faith. Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, confirmed the bravery of the Prophet, , with an incident that happened to the people of Madeenah. One night, they were terrified when they heard a loud noise, so they set out to know the cause of it. On their way, they were met by the Prophet, , who was riding a horse, carrying his sword, ready to defend the people against any intruders. He, , comforted the people of Madeenah, saying: “Don't be afraid, don't be afraid.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This shows how courageous the Prophet, , was as he went out before the people did so as to know what had happened in order to reassure and calm them.
Another incident that proves the courage of the Prophet, , was when the disbelievers conspired to kill him. They prepared their men, and so about fifty of them surrounded his house, but the Prophet, , was steadfast and was not at all afraid. He slept and did not worry about them. Then, at midnight, he went out courageously, and threw dust in their faces. He set out and left ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, in his place.
In addition, the Prophet, , comforted Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, in the cave while the disbelievers were surrounding it, by saying courageously to him while being confident of the protection of Allah The Almighty: “Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.”
Once, the Prophet, , was wrestling with Rukaanah, a man known for his strength and skill. The Prophet, , wrestled and defeated him. This shows how courageous and strong the Prophet, , was.
On another occasion, the Prophet, , sought shade under a tree to take a nap as he was tired because of a battle he had fought in, and so he hung his sword on a branch of the tree. While he was in this state, one of the disbelievers approached him, took his sword, and then said, “Who can save you from me?” The Prophet, , replied like a hero without any fear, saying: “Allah.” The man dropped his sword in terror, and so he, got up, took his sword courageously and said to him: “[Now] who can save you from me?” The man replied, “Be a better taker.”
The Prophet, , was very courageous in battles and wars, to the extent that the Companions would seek the protection of the Prophet, , when the fighting became fierce. ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “When the fighting became fierce and the two armies met, we used to seek the protection of the Prophet to the extent that he would be the nearest to the enemy.”[Ahmad]
On the day of Hunayn, the Companions were afflicted by harm and defeat and some of them fled from the battlefield. However, the Prophet, , did not flee. He was on his mule and Sufyaan ibn Al-Haarith, may Allah be pleased with him, was holding the rein while the Prophet, , was calling out: “I am truly the Prophet. I am the son of ‘Abdul-Muttalib.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
On the day of Uhud, when the archers disobeyed the Prophet, , and the disbelievers took control of the situation, the Prophet, , did not flee. He stood as a strong and courageous leader, even though the Companions were falling as martyrs around him and he was besieged by the disbelievers. There were only a few believers defending the Prophet, ;Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas, may Allah be pleased with him, was one of them as he came forward when the Prophet, , called him. Then, the Prophet, , saw the arrows and told him: “Throw, Sa‘d! May my mother and father be your sacrifice!” [Al-Bukhari]
The strength of the Prophet, was never misused, as ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said, “The Prophet never beatanything with his hand, not a woman nor a servant, except if he was fighting in the cause of Allah The Almighty. He also never took revenge from anyone who harmed him, but if the limits of Allah The Almighty were transgressed he would then take revenge for His sake, The Exalted and Glorious.’’[Muslim]
The Prophet, , set a great example as his actions were appropriate to each situation. He was courageous, strong, merciful and compassionate at the times when courage, strength, mercy or compassion were called for.
Finally, we say that it is sufficient honor for a courageous believer to be loved by Allah The Almighty, for Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, , said: “The strong believer is better and more loved by Allah The Almighty than the weak one and there is good in both.” [Muslim]
It is also enough humiliation for a coward that the Prophet, , used to seek refuge in Allah The Almighty from this quality. The Prophet, , would continuously repeat invocations such as: “O Allah! I seek refuge in You from worry and grief, from incapacity and laziness, from cowardice and miserliness, from being heavily in debt and from being overpowered by [other] men.” [Al-Bukhari]