Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
Humility is to show kindness in treatment and interaction, and also to refrain from false pride and arrogance. The humility of the Prophet (peace be upon him) manifested in his mannerisms, character and dealings with people as will be explained in this chapter.
330. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘Do not over praise me as the Christians over praised Īsa ibn Maryam for I am just a slave of Allāh, so call me the slave of Allāh and His Messenger.’” [382]
Ibn Shamah said,
Apart from the fact that the Mawlid is an innovation, it often includes other wrongdoings such as mixing between men and women, songs, musical instruments, liquor and drugs. However, what is even worse is the major shirk committed when they go to extremes towards the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) or any awliyā’ by seeking his or their help and believing he knows the future and such similar acts of disbelief that people do when they celebrate the birthday of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They do such acts even though they have been ordered not to go to extremes in praise for him (peace be upon him) as reported in the hadīth.
The irony is that many people are enthusiastic, energetic and keen to attend these innovated celebrations whilst you will find them too slack and lazy to attend that which Allāh has dictated for them to attend such as the congregational and Friday prayers and still they do not find their slackness as a serious issue. Evidently, this is due to their weak imān, poor insight of their hearts and the many sins that cover their hearts. We ask Allāh to protect us from all of that, for us and all Muslims.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalānī said,
The admonished over praise that is mentioned in this hadīth refers to that which is false praise. This is similar to how the Christians praise Jesus with false praise when they claim that he is the son of God.
331. Anas ibn Mālik reported: “A woman came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said, ‘I wish to speak to you in private.’ He replied, ‘Choose any street of Madīnah and I will come there and listen to you.’” [383]
Al-Nawawī said,
This hadīth shows the closeness of the Prophet (peace be upon him) to his people and his desire to help people have their rights fulfilled and guide those who need guidance, so that people can see his actions and follow his example. This hadīth does not condone sitting with women in privacy as [the Prophet (peace be upon him) made it a point to meet her in public]. They met on the road and though people were passing by, no one could hear her question as she wanted to ask it in private.
332. Anas ibn Mālik related: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) would visit the sick, attend funerals, ride donkeys and accept the invitations of slaves. On the day of the battle of Banu Quraydhah, he rode upon a donkey, the reigns of which were made of date palm leaves, and the saddle was also made of date palm leaves.” [384]
‘Abdullāh ibn Sa’īd said,
Some people preferred solitude and that made them lose the immense reward of these good deeds despite the fact that their solitude brought forth great benefit to them.
The guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when visiting the sick is to sit near his head and then inquire about the condition of the person’s health.
He used to attend the janazah and witness the burial of the deceased. The way of the Prophet (peace be upon him) when walking in funerals was that his sadness would manifest upon him, he would speak little and he would be engaged in contemplation of the event.
333. Anas ibn Mālik narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) accepted and attended invitations to places where bread made of barley and days old stale fat was served. The armour he possessed had been pawned to a Jew. [He passed away] without possessing a sufficient amount to release it.’” [385]
‘Abdullāh ibn Sa’īd said,
This shows that it is allowed to eat old food so long as it does not cause harm. The story of the armour is that he (peace be upon him) pawned it for thirty sā’ of barley as stated in Sahīh al-Bukharī, and the name of the armour was “Dhāt al-Fudūl” as stated by Ibn al-Qayyim. The reason he (peace be upon him) went to the Jewish man instead of his companions was to show that dealing with Jews and pawnbrokers is permissible and because the companions would not agree to take money from him (peace be upon him) or accept it as a pawn type agreement. The armour was released by Abū Bakr [after the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) death] and handed to Alī ibn Abī Tālib. The hadīth also shows the rigorous self-discipline employed by the Prophet (peace be upon him).
334. Anas ibn Mālik narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) performed Hajj upon an old and worn saddle. On it was a piece of cloth, the value of which did not equate to four Dirhams. He (peace be upon him) supplicated, ‘O Allāh! Make this Hajj one that has no element of showing off or seeking fame.’” [386]
Al-Zarqanī said,
Despite the infallibility of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the impossibility that he would do an act for fame or showing off, he asked Allāh to make his Hajj free from these two traits due to his great humility and his consideration of himself as just a normal person. This is because ostentation and seeking fame can easily creep upon someone mounting a fancy ride and wearing fancy garments.
‘Abdullāh ibn Sa’īd said,
Given that Hajj entails detachment from all worldly pleasures, it befitted the most that he (peace be upon him) manifested the highest level of humility in this event.
335. Anas ibn Mālik narrated: “There was no individual more beloved to the companions than the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him). When they saw him they would not stand up as they knew that he disliked it.” [387]
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalānī said,
Al-Nawawī said that the reason he (peace be upon him) disliked them standing up for him is he feared that this would lead to them over glorifying him just as he stated, “Do not over praise me.” However, he did not dislike that they stand up for each other because he stood up for some of his companions and they stood up for other people in his presence and he did not object to this. The other reason is that the level of love and bond between him and his companions was perfect to the extent that standing up would not have manifested more love or honouring.
336. Al-Hasan ibn ‘Alī reported: “I asked my maternal uncle, Hind ibn Abī Hālah, who was known for his skill of describing, about the awe-inspiring characteristics and features of the Prophet (peace be upon him), whilst hoping he could describe to me some of his features to be well acquainted with his description. My maternal uncle described the Prophet (peace be upon him) by saying, ‘His qualities and attributes were the acme of beauty, and his companions and whoever saw him held him in high esteem. His face used to shine like the full moon… [To the end of the hadith].’
I withheld this information from al-Hussain but when I shared it with him I realised that he had inquired about it before me and I found out that he had asked our father about the interaction of the Prophet (peace be upon him) both outside and within his house and his features, leaving nothing to inquire about.”
Al-Hussain ibn Alī ibn Abī Tālib narrated: “I asked my father about what the Prophet (peace be upon him) did when he was at home. He said: “He (peace be upon him) distributed his time into three portions; one portion for Allāh, another portion for his family and a portion for himself. Then, he distributed his personal portion in two, one for himself and one for the people; in such a manner that he communicated knowledge to the masses through his close companions when they visited him and he did not conceal anything from them. During the portion he dedicated for people, he gave preference to the people of greater piety and status to enter upon him and he distributed this time according to their level of piety. From among those who visited him, some had one need, some had two needs, and some had many needs. He (peace be upon him) sacrificed the time to fulfil all their requirements and busied them in things that would rectify them and the entire nation. When they inquired on matters related to religion, he replied to them in a manner that benefited them and he used to say, ‘Those that are present, should convey to those that are absent regarding these beneficial matters.’ He also used to say, ‘Those people who for some reason cannot bring forth their needs, you should inform me about them. This is because the person who conveys to a ruler the need of another, who is unable to do so himself, Allāh will keep that person firm on the Day of Judgment.’ No issues besides those of importance and benefit were presented to him in his gatherings and he did not accept listening except to that which was beneficial and lawful. The companions came to his assemblies for their religious and lawful needs and they did not depart without enjoying the taste of his knowledge, and they left with guidance for the people.’
I then asked him about his interaction with people outside his house. He replied, ‘The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) controlled his tongue, only speaking regarding that which concerned him. He brought unity amongst the people and did not alienate them. He honoured the esteemed ones of every group and made them the leaders of their groups. He warned the people and was cautious when dealing with people to preserve his status among them but he never lacked courtesy towards others.
He inquired about his companions if one of them was absent and he made himself aware about the affairs and conditions of people. He praised good deeds and encouraged them and admonished the misdeeds and discouraged them. He was moderate and consistent in all matters. He did not neglect guiding the people out of fear that they become either heedless or inclined to the worldly pleasures. He was prepared for every scenario, and he established the rights of others in all matters, and did not exceed the limits in this.
Those who were close to him were the best of people, the best of whom in his eyes were the ones who wished everybody well, and the ones with the highest status in his eyes were the ones with the most compassion, who aided the creation the most.’
I then asked my father regarding the gatherings of the Messenger (peace be upon him). He replied, ‘The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) began and ended all of his sittings with the remembrance of Allāh. When he came to a gathering, he sat where there was space available, and instructed the people to do the same. He gave every attendee his due respect and rights to a degree that led every individual present to think that he (peace be upon him) was honouring him the most. When an individual came to sit with him or came regarding some issue, he (peace be upon him) would remain seated until that person began to rise. Whenever he was asked for something, he would fulfil that request, and did not refuse it; [if he did not possess that which was required] he would advise the person with soft and kind words. His affection and good manners were for all and not restricted to certain people. He was like a father to them and he was just and fair with each one of them.
His gatherings were the gatherings of knowledge, humility, patience and trustworthiness. In his gatherings, voices were not raised and vile and unlawful topics were refrained from. If anyone committed a fault, it was not publicised. All were regarded as equals amongst themselves and superiority was according to the piety possessed. Therein the old were respected, the young were loved, the needy were given preference, and strangers and travellers were cared for and his gems were observed attentively and memorised.’” [388]
‘Abdullāh ibn Sa’īd said,
The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not talk unless there was a need, be it related to religion or worldly affairs, following the guidance of the ayah: {And they who turn away from idle speech}[389] and he would repeat his speech twice or thrice to ensure the listeners understood and memorised his statements.
He (peace be upon him) used to bring the hearts of people together and removed all disputes and animosity from their hearts so that they became like one person and he did not do anything that could cause dispute due to his overwhelming compassion and forgiveness.
He (peace be upon him) inquired about the affairs of people to see if there were cases of injustice to be removed, rights to be restored or oppressed people to help. This manner should be followed by the rulers, scholars and pious people and anyone who has followers as they should follow up the news of their followers to avoid neglecting them.
He (peace be upon him) drew close to the best of his people because they would benefit the most from his knowledge and learn it. The teacher should make his best students stay close to him because this will ensure that those who will be entrusted with knowledge are those whose piety is trusted.
Abdul Razzaq al-Badr said,
Al-Hasan did not inform al-Hussain about his inquiry about the description of the Prophet (peace be upon him) but later on he found out that al-Hussain had already enquired about it. So he asked him regarding what he had acquired since al-Hussain had collected more information than him.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) was cautious in his interactions due to the fact that people are of different natures; there are the rude, the aggressive, the kind and the well-mannered etc. Thus, he dealt with each individual in a suitable and appropriate manner to keep everyone close to him.
This hadīth proves that the virtue of the companions differs from one to another. The best of them was Abū Bakr, then ‘Umar, then Uthmān, then Alī, and then the ten companions who were given the glad tidings of Paradise.
Fatherhood is of two types, religious and biological. The former is established for the Prophet (peace be upon him), meaning he is the father of all believers and the latter is negated, as stated in the Qur’ān: {Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and last of the prophets. And ever is Allah, of all things, Knowing.}[390]
337. Anas ibn Mālik reported: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) said, ‘Even if the foot of a goat was gifted to me, I would accept it, and if I was invited to eat from it, I would surely accept that invitation.’” [391]
Ibn Battal said,
Al-Muhallab said, “This hadīth shows that one should show humility, refrain from arrogance and bring the hearts together by accepting the invitation even if it is for something minute and by accepting gifts. This is because these acts confirm the bond between people and invitations for food cannot be given unless this bond of affability pre-exists between people. It is for these reasons that the Messenger (peace be upon him) encouraged accepting the gift (even if it is little) and answering the invitation of people.
338. Jabir narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) came to visit me [while I was sick] and he did not come on the back of a mule or on a Turkish horse.” [392]
Ibn Battal said,
This hadīth teaches us that visiting the sick whether on a ride or by foot is a rewarding deed when the intention is sincerely for the sake of Allāh alone, even if the effort required to reach the sick is minimal.
Badr al-Din al-‘Aynī said,
This hadīth shows the virtue of walking over riding when visiting the sick as it shows more humility.
339. Yūsuf ibn ‘Abdullāh ibn Salām reported: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) named me Yūsuf and he put me on his lap and then wiped his hand over my head.” [393]
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
It is recommended for a person of high esteem, whose example is followed to name the children of his companions and to choose for them good names. This hadīth also shows that the names of the Prophets are good names.
340. Anas ibn Mālik narrated: “The Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) performed Hajj upon an old and worn saddle. Upon it was a piece of cloth, the value of which was less than four dirhams. He (peace be upon him) supplicated, ‘O Allāh! Make this Hajj one that has no element of showing off or seeking fame.’” [394]
341. Anas ibn Mālik reported: “A tailor once invited the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) to his home. Tharīd was served, in which pumpkin was added, and he (peace be upon him) began eating it as he liked the pumpkin.” Anas added, “After that, whenever food was prepared for me, if pumpkin could be added to it, it was added.” [395]
Ibn Hajar al-Haytamī said,
Tharīd is a dish made of pieces of bread in meat broth. This dish may or may not include pieces of meat. This hadīth shows that it is recommended to like all that which the Prophet (peace be upon him) liked.
342. ‘Amrah reported that someone asked Aisha: “What was the normal routine of the Messenger of Allāh (peace be upon him) at home?” She replied: “He was a man from amongst men. He himself removed anything that was attached to his clothing, milked his goats, and did all of his work himself.” [396]
Abū Bakr ibn al-Arabī said,
The best work that a person can do individually without the help of others is the acts of worship so that they are all sincerely for Allāh alone. This includes doing everything that leads to these acts of worship as that will amplify the reward.
Al-Taybī said,
The reason Aisha mentioned first that he (peace be upon him) was a man is because disbelievers believed that it does not befit the status of Prophets to do what normal people do. Their belief was mentioned in the Qur’ān wherein Allāh said: {And they say, “What is this messenger that eats food and walks in the markets?”}[397] And so she wanted to show that he (peace be upon him) was simply a man from the sons of Ādam whom Allāh honoured with Prophethood and the Message. Thus, he was like all other humans and humble in all of his affairs.