Prophet Muhammad: The Ideal Husband – II

Prophet Muhammad: The Ideal Husband – II

The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) would teach his wives to guard their tongues:

Due to the numerous harms of the tongue, the Muslim husband should instruct his wife and teach her how to guard her tongue and use it appropriately. Two of the most destructive diseases of the tongue which a husband should be especially wary of are backbiting and tale-bearing. The Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ), was very keen to protect his wives from any such diseases and would immediately correct them and instruct them in this regard.‘Aa’ishah  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  her said, “I said to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) ‘Such and such a matter of Safiyyah is sufficient for you (meaning that she was a woman of short stature).’ He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: ‘You have uttered a statement that would pollute the (entire) sea if it were mixed in it.’

She  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  her further stated, “I once imitated a person in his presence and he said:‘I would never like to imitate anyone, even (if I was paid) such and such an amount (for doing so).’[Abu Dawood and At-Tirmithi]

The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) would teach his wives to control their tongues, even with their enemies:

`Aa’ishah  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  her said, “A group of non-believers once came to the Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) and said, ‘As-Sam 'Alayk (i.e. death (be) upon you).’ He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) responded, saying: ‘Wa 'Alaykum (i.e. and upon you).’

`Aa’ishah  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  her said, “I said, ‘Death be upon you, and the curse of Allah and His wrath!' He  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said: ‘O `Aa’ishah! Do not use coarse language.’

`Aa’ishah  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  her said, “O Messenger of Allah! Did you not hear what they said?” He,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ), said: ‘Did you not hear me replying to them with the same term? Allah does not like the use of coarse language.’[Al-Bukhari]

In spite of the fact that those disbelievers were his enemies, the Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ), limited his retaliation to the extent to which he was wronged and did not transgress, otherwise, people would become accustomed to using strong language with one another.

How the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) dealt with jealousy:

Jealousy is a natural feeling in women, and the Prophet,  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ), dealt with this in a manner that reflected his wisdom and tolerance. Anas  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  him reported,

“Once the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) was in the room of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased her, when another of his wives sent him a plate of food. This enraged ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased her, who became jealous due to the fact that the food was sent while it was her turn to be with the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ). She, may Allah be pleased her, therefore took hold of the plate and threw it, smashing it to pieces. The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) then gathered the food and the broken pieces of the plate and said (jokingly): ‘Your mother (i.e. the Mother of the believers) has become jealous.’Then she  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  her regretted what she had done and asked him  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) how to expiate for the mistake, so he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) commanded her to replace the broken plate by sending one of her own to the wife whose plate she had broken.” [Al-Bukhari]

The Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) would entertain his wives:

`Aa’ishah  may  Allah  be  pleased  with  her said, “Once I went out with the Messenger of Allah  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) on a journey and after we had travelled for some time, he commanded his Companions to go ahead and leave us behind them. When they were far enough ahead he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said to me: ‘Let us race.’So we raced, and I won. A few years later, and after I had put on some weight, he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) took me along on another journey, and after we had travelled for some time, he commanded his Companions to go ahead and leave us behind them. When they were far enough ahead he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said to me: ‘Let us race.’We raced and this time he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) won, so he  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allah exalt his mention ) said to me:‘This one for that one.’

Prophet Muhammad: The Ideal Husband - I

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