Prophet Muhammad's kindness

Prophet Muhammad

Towards children

He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) was especially fond of children and used to get into the spirit of childish games in their company. He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) would have fun with the children who had come back from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and tried to speak in Abyssinian with them. It was his practice to give lifts on his camel to children when he returned from journeys. [Al-Bukhari]

He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) would pick up children in his arms, play with them, and kiss them. A companion, recalling his childhood, said: "In my childhood I used to fell dates by throwing stones at palm trees. Somebody took me to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) who advised me to pick up the dates lying on the ground but not to fell them with stones. He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) then patted me and blessed me." [Abu Dawood]

Towards the poor

The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) enjoined upon Muslims to treat the poor kindly and to help them with alms, zakat, and in other ways. He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: "He is not a perfect Muslim who eats his fill and lets his neighbor go hungry."

He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) asked: "Do you love your Creator? Then love your fellow beings first."

Monopoly is unlawful in Islam and he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) preached that: "It is difficult for a man laden with riches to climb the steep path that leads to bliss."

He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) did not prohibit or discourage the acquisition of wealth but insisted that it be lawfully acquired by honest means and that a portion of it would go to the poor. He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) advised his followers: "To give the laborer his wages before his perspiration dried up."

He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) did not encourage beggary either and stated that: "Allah is gracious to him who earns his living by his own labor, and that if a man begs to increase his property, Allah will diminish it and whoever has food for the day, it is prohibited for him to beg."

To his wife he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: "O 'Aa'ishah, love the poor and let them come to you and Allah will draw you near to Himself." [Al-Bukhari]

One or two instances of the Prophet's  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) concern for the poor may be given here. A man from Madeenah, Ibad Ibn Sharjil, was once starving. He entered an orchard and picked some fruit. The owner of the orchard gave him a sound beating and stripped off his clothes. The poor man appealed to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) who remonstrated the owner thus: "This man was ignorant, you should have dispelled his ignorance; he was hungry, you should have fed him."

His clothes were restored and, in addition, some grain was given to him. [Abu Dawood]

A debtor, Jabir Ibn Abdullah  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  him was being harassed by his creditor as he could not clear his debt owing to the failure of his date crop. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) went with Jabir  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  him to the house of the creditor and pleaded with him to give Jabir  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  him some more time but the creditor was not prepared to oblige. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) then went to the oasis and having seen for himself that the crop was really poor, he again approached the creditor with no better result. He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) then rested for some time and approached the creditor for a third time but the latter was adamant. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) went again to the orchard and asked Jabir  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  him to pluck the dates. As Allah would have it, the collection not only sufficed to clear the dues but left something to spare. [Al-Bukhari]

His love for the poor was so deep that he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) used to pray: "O Allah, keep me poor in my life and at my death and raise me at resurrection among those who are poor." [An-Nasa'ee]

Towards animals

The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) not only preached to the people to show kindness to each other but also to all living souls. He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) forbade the practice of cutting tails and manes of horses, of branding animals at any soft spot, and of keeping horses saddled unnecessarily. [Muslim]

If he saw any animal over-loaded or ill-fed he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) would pull up the owner and say: "Fear Allah in your treatment of animals." [Abu Dawood]

A companion came to him  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) with the young ones of a bird in his sheet and said that the mother bird had hovered over them all along. He was directed by the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) to replace her offspring in the same bush. [Abu Dawood]

During a journey, somebody picked up some birds eggs. The bird's painful note and fluttering attracted the attention of the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) who asked the man to replace the eggs. [Al-Bukhari]

As his army marched towards Makkah to conquer it, they passed a female dog with puppies. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) not only gave orders that they should not be disturbed, but posted a man to see that this was done.

He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) stated: "Verily, there is heavenly reward for every act of kindness done to a living animal."

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