What are the characteristics of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?
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The questioner : What are the characteristics of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him)?
The Shaykh : The characteristics of the Messenger from which we benefit are that he (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was of a great character, that he was the most generous of people in giving of his person and his wealth, that he was the bravest of people (peace and blessings be upon him), and that he was the softest of people in heart and the kindest to the weak. Indeed, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would be affectionate with the children and joke with them and give them what they desired. One day, he was prostrating while praying when his son al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him), the son of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, came to him while he was prostrating and rode on him. Al-Hasan rode on his grandfather Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), so he prolonged the prostration and said to the people: He (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) would also carry his granddaughter, who was Ummah bint Zaynab bint Rasool Allah (peace and blessings be upon him); he was her grandfather on her mother's side. He would carry her while leading the people in prayer; when he stood, he would carry her, and when he prostrated, he would put her down. There was a small boy with him who had a small bird called al-Naghayr. The boy would play with it and be happy with it, as is the custom of boys. This bird died, so the boy was sad. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) would joke with him, saying: Sunan Abi Dawud 4969Sahih (Al-Albani) meaning, what did it do? Where did it go? This is the character of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): the character of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was to consider his companions and not burden them. He was never given a choice between two things except that he would choose the easier of them, as long as it was not a sin.
And listen to a strange story: Abu Barzah al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) was on one of the battlefronts, and he had a horse with him which he was holding by the reins. The horse was struggling with him, wanting to run off, while he was in his prayer. He would walk with it, overpowering it at times, and at other times it would overpower him. A Khariji from the Khawarij saw Abu Barzah doing this while he was praying, so he started saying, "Look at this old man, what is he doing! May Allah do such and such to him," cursing him. When Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) finished his prayer, he said, "I heard what you said. I have fought with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in six, seven, or eight battles, and I saw of his ease (peace and blessings be upon him)—he makes things easy. I was afraid that this horse would run off to its accustomed place, meaning the place it is accustomed to, whether in the pasture or at the post. If it had done so, it would have been difficult for me to reach my family. So my action was easier than the hardship I would face afterwards." The point of this hadith is his statement: "and I saw of his ease" He (peace and blessings be upon him) had many instances in this matter, meaning in making things easy, until he would forbid his companions from continuous fasting, meaning not breaking the fast between two days, to prevent hardship for them. They said, "You fast continuously." He said: So his prohibition of continuous fasting was to make things easy for the Ummah (peace and blessings be upon him). This is the most prominent of what we discuss regarding his character (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for bravery, he is the paragon; no one equals him on any day or any night. They heard a shout in the city and thought it was an enemy, so they went out, and there was the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) meeting them, returning from the place of the sound, having investigated it (peace and blessings be upon him). He said: What strange bravery! And in the Battle of Hunayn, when the people fled, he was riding his mule toward the enemy and saying: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1688Sahih (Darussalam) He is the paragon in bravery, generosity, kindness, and other noble morals. And this is what concerns us regarding the character of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).
As for worship, speak and there is no harm. He (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand in the night until his feet swelled; the foot swells from standing for a long time. One night, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) stood with him, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began to recite in al-Baqarah. Hudhayfah said, "He proceeded to a hundred verses," and he reached a hundred verses and continued to the end of al-Baqarah, to the entire Surah al-Nisa, to the entire Surah Aal 'Imran—three surahs, estimated at five parts and a quarter of a part—in one standing. On another night, 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was with him, and he was a young man. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood to pray, and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud stood with him. He prolonged the standing. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: "until I was on the verge of doing something bad" They asked, "What were you on the verge of doing, O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman?" He said: "I was on the verge of sitting down and leaving him" This is in worship. However, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would consider the better of the two, and sometimes he would leave the better for the lesser for the benefit and interest that resulted from it. For example, he encouraged following funeral processions. Sometimes a funeral procession would pass by him and his companions, and he would not follow it because he was occupied with teaching and guidance, which is better than following funeral processions, and so on.
So, O my brother the questioner and the listener, you must seek out the morals and characteristics of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) from the correct paths, because not everything transmitted about the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is authentic; not everything transmitted about him is true. But seek out the authentic and emulate it, for it is better for you. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Ahzab 33:21] Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you and bless you, O honorable Shaykh. This questioner says.
The Shaykh : The characteristics of the Messenger from which we benefit are that he (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) was of a great character, that he was the most generous of people in giving of his person and his wealth, that he was the bravest of people (peace and blessings be upon him), and that he was the softest of people in heart and the kindest to the weak. Indeed, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would be affectionate with the children and joke with them and give them what they desired. One day, he was prostrating while praying when his son al-Hasan (may Allah be pleased with him), the son of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, came to him while he was prostrating and rode on him. Al-Hasan rode on his grandfather Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), so he prolonged the prostration and said to the people:
My son has ridden on me, and I wanted him to satisfy his desire.
إن ابني ارتحلني، فأردت أن يقضي نهمتهAbu ‘Umair! What has happened to the little sparrow?
يا أبا عمير، ما فعل النغيْرAnd listen to a strange story: Abu Barzah al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) was on one of the battlefronts, and he had a horse with him which he was holding by the reins. The horse was struggling with him, wanting to run off, while he was in his prayer. He would walk with it, overpowering it at times, and at other times it would overpower him. A Khariji from the Khawarij saw Abu Barzah doing this while he was praying, so he started saying, "Look at this old man, what is he doing! May Allah do such and such to him," cursing him. When Abu Barzah (may Allah be pleased with him) finished his prayer, he said, "I heard what you said. I have fought with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in six, seven, or eight battles, and I saw of his ease (peace and blessings be upon him)—he makes things easy. I was afraid that this horse would run off to its accustomed place, meaning the place it is accustomed to, whether in the pasture or at the post. If it had done so, it would have been difficult for me to reach my family. So my action was easier than the hardship I would face afterwards." The point of this hadith is his statement: "and I saw of his ease" He (peace and blessings be upon him) had many instances in this matter, meaning in making things easy, until he would forbid his companions from continuous fasting, meaning not breaking the fast between two days, to prevent hardship for them. They said, "You fast continuously." He said:
Yes, but I am not like you.
نعم، لكن أنا لست كهيئتكمAs for bravery, he is the paragon; no one equals him on any day or any night. They heard a shout in the city and thought it was an enemy, so they went out, and there was the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) meeting them, returning from the place of the sound, having investigated it (peace and blessings be upon him). He said:
Go back, you have not been watched over.
ارجعوا لم تُراعواI am the Prophet without lie, I am the son of 'Abdul-Muttalib.
أنا النبي لا كذب أنا ابن عبد المطلبAs for worship, speak and there is no harm. He (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand in the night until his feet swelled; the foot swells from standing for a long time. One night, Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (may Allah be pleased with him) stood with him, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began to recite in al-Baqarah. Hudhayfah said, "He proceeded to a hundred verses," and he reached a hundred verses and continued to the end of al-Baqarah, to the entire Surah al-Nisa, to the entire Surah Aal 'Imran—three surahs, estimated at five parts and a quarter of a part—in one standing. On another night, 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was with him, and he was a young man. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood to pray, and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud stood with him. He prolonged the standing. 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud said: "until I was on the verge of doing something bad" They asked, "What were you on the verge of doing, O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman?" He said: "I was on the verge of sitting down and leaving him" This is in worship. However, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would consider the better of the two, and sometimes he would leave the better for the lesser for the benefit and interest that resulted from it. For example, he encouraged following funeral processions. Sometimes a funeral procession would pass by him and his companions, and he would not follow it because he was occupied with teaching and guidance, which is better than following funeral processions, and so on.
So, O my brother the questioner and the listener, you must seek out the morals and characteristics of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) from the correct paths, because not everything transmitted about the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is authentic; not everything transmitted about him is true. But seek out the authentic and emulate it, for it is better for you. Allah the Exalted said:
There has certainly been for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day and [who] remembers Allah often.
لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِمَنْ كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الأخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًاThe questioner : May Allah reward you and bless you, O honorable Shaykh. This questioner says.