The Character of the Prophet Muhammad

Muhammad's character was the Qur'an. Whatever he said was always explicit and in plain terms and his speech was never long-winded.

He was kindhearted and soft-spoken and was never harsh in his behavior. He never humiliated anyone nor did he like himself to be treated with disrespect. He was predisposed to refrain from unseemly language, curses, reviling and deeds shameful. He was not given to idle talk; he spoke only when he was concerned and comforted the people instead of giving them a scare through his speech. His laughter was but a smile, and when he laughed, his teeth used to appear white as hailstones. He was very joyful and pleasant in the midst of his weighty task of a messenger. His company was always interested in what he had to say and he often used humor and lightheartedness with them. His humor covered the young, the adult and the old. If a man of rank or nobility called upon him from another tribe, he showed him due honor and appointed him to some respectable post. He kept his companions always posted with the events and happenings and used to ask them about their affairs.

Those who saw him for the first time were overawed, but when they kept his company and came to know him intimately, they became attached to him like an inseparable companion.

The Prophet Muhammad was always very kind to children. He used to kiss children and he loved them very much. Many of his companions would bring their newborn to him for his blessing; he would suggest a name, put the baby in his lap, pat him/her on the head and pray for the baby. He cared for babies and their mothers. "When I begin the prayer, I intend to make it long, but I hear a baby crying and shorten the prayer, being aware of the mother's emotion because of the crying." When Muhammad used to pass by young children, they would gather round to greet him. The prophet would pass his hand over the cheek of every child making sure not to exclude any of them. This pattern of communication toward children made them love him, to learn his teachings and later to be great teachers themselves. They spread the teachings of the prophet to the following generations. So many of the aspects of nurturing children found in good parenting books today are embedded in the skills of Muhammad himself. The prophet also invested in and trusted the youth among his followers in a unique way. He sent them as emissaries to various places entrusting them with the representation of Islam. He entrusted four youth with the preservation and teaching of the Qur'an and called the entire community to learn from them. He put them at the leadership of expeditions under whom were many elders. He nurtured in them spirituality and the good usage of their time.

The Qur'an teaches that animals are nations like us. Prophet Muhammad said, "God has prescribed kindness upon everything,... If you slaughter an animal, slaughter it gently. If anyone of you has to slay an animal, he should sharpen the blade first and relieve the animal." Upon seeing a man sharpening his knife in front of an animal to be slaughtered, the prophet said, "Do you want to kill it twice? Why did you not sharpen the knife before throwing it on the ground?" He forbade his companions to incur unnecessary pain to animals or keep them hungry or thirsty, disturbing or overburdening them. He commanded that kindness and putting them at ease were meritorious acts bringing a person nearer to God. His companions asked, "0 messenger of God, is there recompense in the matter of beasts and wild animals also?" The prophet replied, "There I recompense in regard to every creature that has a living heart." Once, he came across a camel so famished that its belly had shrinked to its back. He said, "Fear God in the matter of these creatures. If you ride them, ride when they are healthy and if you eat them, eat them when they are in a good condition." He also said, "When you travel in a fertile country do not deny the camels their due from the ground, and when you travel in a land barren and dry, cover it with speed. When you encamp at night, keep away from the roads, for they are where the beasts pass and are the resorts of the insects at night." He forbade his followers from taking animals as shooting targets or to engage animals in fighting for entertainment.

Prophet Muhammad put forward the first rule known to history for isolation of cases and contacts during epidemics. "If you hear of an epidemic of plague in a country, do not go into that country. And if the plague breaks out in a country where you are, do not leave it to free from the plague."

He prohibited alcohol and extra-marital relationships and emphasized the role of clean homes, "God is pure and He love purity. He is clean and He loves cleanliness. He is bountiful and He loves bountifulness. He is Generous and He loves Generosity. So clean your courts and courtyards."

He emphasized the role of clean neighborhoods, "Guard against three things which produce cursing; relieving one-self in watering places, in the middle of the road, and in shades." He also said, "No one should urinate where he bathes and then wash in it or perform ablution with it." He also forbade urinating in either running or stagnant water