The Character of Patience in the Prophet
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) exhibited remarkable patience in the face of adversity from his people. Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) once asked him, “O Messenger of Allah, has there ever been a day more difficult for you than the day of Uhud?” He replied, “Indeed, I faced severe hardships from your people, and the most difficult day was the day of Aqabah when I presented myself to Ibn Abd Yalil ibn Abd Kulal, but he did not respond to my proposal. I left, feeling deeply troubled, and did not regain my composure until I reached Qarun Tha’alib. I lifted my gaze and saw a cloud that shaded me; therein was Jibril (Gabriel), who called out to me, saying, ‘Indeed, Allah Almighty has heard the words of your people and their rejection. He has sent me as the Angel of the Mountains to obey your command regarding them.’ The Angel of the Mountains greeted me and said, ‘O Muhammad, Allah has heard your people’s words toward you. I am here at your service to fulfill your command, so what do you wish? If you desire, I can crush them between the two mountains.’ The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) replied, ‘Rather, I hope that Allah will bring forth from their loins those who will worship Allah alone, not associating anything with Him.’
The Character of Forbearance in the Prophet
- The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known for his exceptional ethics, including forbearance. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: “I was walking with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), who was wearing a coarse Najrani cloak. An Arab approached and violently pulled his cloak, making me glance at the shoulder of the Prophet (peace be upon him), where the harsh pull had left a mark. The Arab then said, ‘O Muhammad, give me from the wealth of Allah that you possess.’ The Prophet turned to him, smiled, and ordered that he be given a gift.” Here, ‘cloak’ refers to his garment, and ‘violent pull’ indicates the strength of the tug.
- Also, Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) recounted: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was one of the most excellent in character. One day, he sent me on an errand, and I, in my heart, did not want to go. However, I went out and passed by some children playing in the market. Suddenly, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) grabbed me from behind, and when I turned to look, he was laughing, and he said, ‘O Unais, did you go where I commanded you?’ I replied, ‘Yes, I will go, O Messenger of Allah.’
The Character of Forgiveness in the Prophet
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I can see the Prophet (peace be upon him) resembling a Prophet among the Prophets who was beaten by his people until he bled, while he wiped the blood from his face saying, ‘O Allah, forgive my people, for they do not know.’
The Character of Fulfilling Promises in the Prophet
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was extremely diligent in fulfilling his promises. Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that Quraysh agreed to a treaty with the Prophet (peace be upon him), including Suhayl ibn Amr. The Prophet (peace be upon him) instructed Ali to write: ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.’ Suhayl objected, ‘As for ‘In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,’ we do not understand this. Instead, write what we know: ‘In Your name, O Allah.’ The Prophet said, ‘Write: From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah.’ They replied, ‘If we knew you were the Messenger of Allah, we would have followed you. Instead, write your name and your father’s name.’ The Prophet then instructed, ‘Write: From Muhammad ibn Abdullah.’ They stipulated that whoever among them comes to him would not be turned away, and whoever among his companions comes to them would be returned. They asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, should we write this?’ He replied, ‘Yes, for whoever departs from us to them, Allah will keep him away, and whoever comes to us from them, Allah will grant him an escape and relief.’