The Prophet of Mercy

The Prophet of Islam has been described in the Quran (21:107) as Rahmatul-lil-Aalameen (mercy to all mankind). In another verse, the Quran says: You have indeed in the Prophet of God a good example. (33:21) From this, we understand that the Prophet of Islam was not only a mercy in his own self but also the best example of merciful and kind behaviour.

He gave us a guide of mercy through the Quran and Hadith. Along with that, he also showed the best practical example by living a life full of mercy. In his words, he was the Prophet of Mercy, and in his actions, too, he was the Prophet of Mercy.

There are two levels of mercy and kindness. One is to show kindness in normal and peaceful situations. The second is to remain kind even in difficult and harsh situations. Being merciful in such tough conditions means that even when others treat him badly, you still behave well with them. You stay firm on your positive conduct without reacting negatively.

The Prophet of Islam demonstrated both kinds of mercy in the best possible way. People experienced kindness from him in ordinary situations, and also in times of difficulty. Here, we will mention some examples of both kinds of behaviour.

Anas was the servant of the Prophet. He served him for ten years. He says that during all that time, he never scolded him, nor asked why he had not done something. (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2309)

When he advised people, his manner of speaking was so gentle that no one would feel hurt. Aisha says that if he came to know someone had done something wrong, he wouldn’t name them. Instead, he would say: “What has happened to the people that they say or do such things?” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 4788) He would correct the wrong but never mention the person’s name.

Abdullah ibn Umar says that once a man from the village came to the Prophet and asked, “How many times in a day should I forgive my servant? How many times should I overlook his mistakes?” He replied, “Forgive him seventy times.” (Sunan Abi Dawud, Hadith No. 5164)

Similarly, he said: “O people, pay the wages of a labourer before his sweat dries.” (Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No. 2443)

His quality of mercy was deep and consistent. His gentle and kind behaviour remained the same even when others behaved harshly. He had risen far above the mindset of reacting with anger.

Anas bin Malik says that once he was walking with the Prophet, who was wearing a rough cloak with thick edges. On the way, he met a man from the village. He was needy, but instead of asking politely, he acted rudely. He pulled his cloak so hard that it left marks on his neck. Then he said, “O Muhammad, give me some of the wealth of God that you have.” He didn’t scold him. He smiled and instructed that he be given something. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 3149)

The Prophet had once taken a loan from a Jewish trader. One day, that Jew came and very rudely demanded his money. Not only did he speak harshly, but he also even said, “The people of Abdul Muttalib’s family are all like this—they don’t return loans.” Umar Farooq was present and became angry. He began scolding the man. But the Prophet stopped him and said, “O Umar, both I and this man deserved better behaviour from you. You should have advised me to repay gently and told him to ask politely.” (Mustadrak al-Hakim, Hadith No. 6547)

Even though three days were still left before the loan was due, he said to Umar, “Go and pay his debt.”

Once, the Prophet was sitting with his Companion in the Masjid-e-Nabawi, the mosque of Madinah. A villager came and stood in a corner of the mosque and began urinating. The Companion became angry and rushed to stop him, but the Prophet stopped them. He said, “He is an ignorant man who does not understand the respect due to the mosque. Leave him be. Simply pour water over the spot where he urinated to clean it.” Then he advised his companion, “Your role is to make things easier for people, not to create difficulties or hardships for them.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 6128)

The entire life of the Prophet shows that even when people wished him harm, he always wished them well. His patience was always stronger than his anger. Even in the face of the worst provocation, he never became angry. When people spoke harshly, he replied with kind and soft words. People would throw thorns in his path, but he always prayed good for them.

Jarir says that he heard the Prophet say: “Whoever is deprived of gentleness is deprived of all good.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2592)

In another narration, he said: “God has revealed to me that you should all become humble. No one should feel proud over another, and no one should treat others unfairly.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith No. 2865)

Jarir bin Abdullah also reports that the Prophet said:

“Those who have no mercy in their hearts for others will be deprived of God’s mercy.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 7376)

The Prophet’s example of kindness and gentle behaviour is not a fabricated story. It is a well-documented and verified part of history. This aspect of his life has elevated his Uswah-e-Hasanah (the best example) to a level unmatched in human history. He is the ideal model of noble character—and the ultimate example to follow.

All India Radio, New Delhi, 11 September 1994.