The Noble Conduct
of the Prophet
The essence of religion is love—love for God and love for His servants. The highest feeling within a human being is the feeling of love. When a person directs this love toward God on one side and toward people on the other, then this is what is called religion. Love for God appears in the form of worship, and love for people appears in the form of good character and kind treatment.
In Islam, morals are given such great importance that it has been commanded: adopt the best character. In the Quran, this is referred to as “a sublime character” (68:4). This means that one should not behave well with others only when they behave well with you, but your way should be that even if others treat you badly, you rise above and continue your good behaviour.
The Prophet said: “The best among you is the one who is best in character” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 6035) And: “Treat people with good character” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 1987)
A tribe once sent one of their men to Madinah to observe what the new Prophet was teaching. That man came, stayed with the Prophet for a few days, and closely observed him. Then he returned to his tribe and said: “I saw that he teaches people to adopt noble character.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3861)
The first revelation to the Prophet of Islam came in the cave of Hira. When he returned home from there, he was filled with fear due to this new experience and lay down covered in a blanket. At that time, his wife Khadijah said to him: “God will never abandon you, because you help the poor, and you support the orphans and widows.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3) This shows that kind treatment of the weak was already a special part of his personality even before prophethood.
The Prophet of Islam cared so much for the poor and orphans that in his entire life, there was never a time when a poor or needy person came to him, and he did not help them. He would always honour such people by seating them close to him. Sometimes it happened that prayer was about to begin in the mosque, and people were already standing in rows. At that moment, a poor man stepped out of the row and said, “I had some work, and I might forget it. If you allow me, may I go and finish it?” The Prophet stopped the prayer and told him, “Go, finish your work and come back.” When the man returned after completing his task, only then did the Prophet start the prayer.
This gentle attitude has been beautifully described by Altaf Hussain Hali (1837-1914), an Urdu poet and writer, in his Musaddas-e-Hali:
“Woh Nabiyon mein Rahmat laqab paane wala—
Muraadein ghareebon ki bar laane wala”
(The one among Prophets titled ‘Mercy’—the fulfiller of the wishes of the poor)
Toward the weaker sections of society, he was so gentle that he would overlook their rudeness and still treat them with kindness. His Companion Anas bin Malik said that once the Prophet was walking along the road with him. At that time, he was wearing a rough cloak. A poor man came, grabbed one end of the cloak, and pulled it roughly. Then he said, “The wealth you have is not yours. Give me something from it.” This poor man behaved rudely, but the Prophet did not rebuke him. He smiled and ordered that the man’s need be fulfilled. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3149)
The greatest test of sympathy and love is when someone treats you with hostility and causes harm. But in Islam, it is forbidden to treat such people harshly in return. The Quran commands that even enemies should be treated kindly. (Quran, 41:34)
The homeland of the Prophet of Islam was Makkah. The people of Makkah showed such hostility toward him that they forced him to leave. He then settled in Madinah, 300 miles away. But even there, the people of Makkah did not leave him alone. They attacked him and tried to destroy his mission through war. But God helped him, and he became victorious over his enemies.
Then came the moment when the Prophet returned to Makkah as a conqueror. The same people who had once expelled him now stood before him—not just as enemies, but as individuals who could be considered war criminals by the standards of the time. According to common practice, they could have been sentenced to death. However, the Prophet neither arrested nor punished them—not even with harsh words. Instead, he proclaimed: Today is a day of mercy. Today, all of you are safe. (Sirah Ibn Hisham, Vol. 2, p. 412)
In the history of Islam, there is a well-known event called the Battle of Hunain. It occurred when the Prophet was going from Makkah to Ta’if with his Companions. On the way, a tribe suddenly attacked them. The Prophet fought in self-defence and was victorious. Six thousand men from the attacking tribe were captured and brought before him. But the Prophet did not take revenge. Instead, he released all of them with kindness.
In Islam, moral principles are not just philosophical ideas. They are deeply rooted in the faith. Because of this, moral behaviour in Islam is not just about being nice—it becomes a personal responsibility. According to Islam, this world is Dar al-Imtihan (a place of test). A person’s entire life is a life of trial. The greatest test lies in how people deal with one another. That is why it is said: The essence of religion lies in your conduct toward others.
Every person is under the watch of God. He is observing how one person treats another. In this matter, the poor, orphans, and weak people have special importance. A poor person, due to poverty, becomes insignificant in people’s eyes. Society begins to ignore such individuals. So, treating them well requires special effort. That is why such treatment carries great reward.
According to Islam, the real test of a person is how they behave with the poor and the weak. The Prophet set the highest example of this in his life. The poorer and weaker a person was, the more kindness he showed to them.
In the same way, when it comes to enemies, people often feel the urge to take revenge. Treating them kindly becomes extremely difficult. But the Prophet, through both his words and actions, clearly showed that even enemies should be treated like friends. If treating a friend like a friend brings one reward, then treating an enemy like a friend brings a hundred times more.
All India Radio, New Delhi, 28 July 1996.
