The Prophet’s Mercy with the Muslim Society Perhaps the most important aspect of mercy a humane shepherd can show to his flock is to teach them how to build the close-knit society of love, mercy and compassion. Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of God be upon him) was trying to do just that when he said: “In their exchange of mutual love, mercy and compassion, the faithful Muslims are like the one body. If any organ suffers an ailment, the whole body responds with care and attention.”1 He used to guide his people to the best way to consolidate this organic community of mercy. “No one (really) believes (in Islam),” the Prophet said, “unless he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”2 A beautiful thing to say, but how would the people concerned put it to practice in the real world? The Prophet (pbuh) himself taught them how to apply it. He said: “No two Muslims meet and shake hands without being forgiven their sins even before they go their separate ways.”3 He also said: “Guard against hell by giving the needy even a single date, he who has it, or by a good word he who doesn’t.”4 He told his people: “You wouldn’t go to Heaven unless you believed in God, and you wouldn’t believe in God unless you loved one another. Shall I tell you about one thing if you do it you’ll love one another? Exchange greetings (and address one another in a friendly and affectionate way).”5 He also said: “Religion is good counsel. To whom, they asked? The Prophet said: To God, His Book, His Prophet, to Muslim elders and to the common people.”6 This way the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) built the society of mercy and love… by spreading the good word, the hearty handshake, the exchange of greetings, the advice and good counsel of one Muslim to another. Could such a society be harsh and cruel? A society built on such foundations, a school teaching such values to its students, could only yield philanthropists and compassionate, merciful and humane people. The duty of the good and merciful shepherd is also to spread peace and security among his people and this is precisely what the Prophet (pbuh) called for when he said: “The best of Muslims is he who spares Muslims the harm of his hand and tongue.”7 “Shall I tell you who the faithful believer is,” the Prophet (pbuh) is reported to have asked? “It is he to whom Muslims can entrust themselves and their possessions; the faithful Muslim is he who spares Muslims the harm of his hand and tongue; the Mujahed [warrior] is he who struggles with himself to obey God; the Muhajer [Emigrant] is he who leaves behind his sins and wrong doing.”8 A Muslim came to the Prophet once and asked him about the best thing that brings him closest to God. The Prophet offered him guidance to some good deeds. And what if I couldn’t do them, the man asked? “Save people from harm, then,” the Prophet (pbuh) said, “for this too is a charity you hand out to yourself.”9 The Prophet always instructed people to spread and proliferate charity in the Islamic society. Why, asked someone, was the Islamic society so impoverished? Hang on, I said. Charity in the Islamic society is more given by the poor to the rich than the other way round. How, he wondered? When the Prophet (pbuh) guided his people to spread charity in the Islamic society, he said: “Each and every Muslim is obliged to give charity. What if he did not have anything to give, they said? Then he must work with his own hands, earn money for himself and give some in charity to others. And what if he couldn’t, they said? Then he must give a helping hand to the one who needs it. And what if he couldn’t? Then he must commend good deeds being done. And if he didn’t? Then he must abstain from doing harm to others, for this is also an act of charity counted for him.”10 With this kind of merciful guidance that makes the good desirable and the bad anathema and loathsome, Muslim subjects were able to conquer evil and spread peace and security in the Islamic society.11 How marvelous it’d be for peace and security to prevail in a society without the need for intelligence services and ministries of the interior. How wonderful it’d be for the good word alone, brimming with kindness and mercy, to be sufficient. Still, this cannot be achieved unless the people themselves are free from the bad elements in society, which is practically impossible. The Prophet’s mercy for his people did not overlook the existence of this bad element. And he frequently dealt with it, saying: “He who eats a meal by cheating another Muslim, God will feed him the same meal in hell; he who wears a dress by swindling another Muslim, God will clothe him the same garment in hell; and he who exposes the faults of another Muslim, God will expose his faults in hell.”12 With such guidance that targets man from within, the bad element was almost conquered. Muhammad had indeed managed to turn the conscience of every Muslim into an alter ego that never stops watching over him! Nor should the good and merciful shepherd ignore the public places and public utilities of his people, especially the roads. And the Prophet (pbuh), did not ignore this aspect in building the Islamic society. His friend Abu Hurairah reported that he once told the Prophet (pbuh): “Teach me something that would be of use to me, Prophet of God. Clear the harm off Muslim ways, said the Prophet (pbuh).”13 You see, this merciful shepherd had turned even garbage collecting into a respectable profession that pleads for the binman on the Day of Judgment. It is useful to him in both this life and the afterlife. This was sufficient for all Muslims, common or elite, to get involved in cleaning and removing harm off their streets. As for the bad element here, the Prophet (pbuh) dealt with it, saying: “Whoever harms Muslims in their roads, he deserves their curses.”14 That’s how streets and roads were kept clean and safe with no need for guards and policemen. And who in his right mind would compare guards and policemen to the watchful eye of conscience?! Nor should the good and merciful shepherd overtax his people or burden anyone with what is beyond their powers. The Prophet (pbuh) was always worried about that and he said: “When I tell you to do something, do as much of it as you can.”15 He tried to make things easy to help people and keep them away from difficult and hard tasks, especially when an easier option is at hand. Again, as always, he set himself as an example. It is reported that his wife ‘A’isha said: “Never was the Prophet given the choice between two things but went for the easier option, unless it was a sinful act, in which case he would be farthest from it.”16 Surely, making things easy for people and relieving them from hardship is one of the most important aspects of being merciful with them. Equally importantly, the good and merciful shepherd forgives his people the errors they make, even to his person. Anas bin Malek, the friend and attendant of the Prophet (pbuh), reported: “I was walking with the Prophet (pbuh) and he was wearing some Najrani garment made of rough material. A bedouin caught up with him from behind and gave him such a pull by his dress. I could see the marks the rough garment left on the Prophet’s shoulders [Anas said]. Hey you, Muhammad, the bedouin said: Order some of God’s money in your possession to be given to me. The Prophet (pbuh) turned back and smiled, then ordered some money to be given to him.”17 If Muhammad had retaliated with a similar rough and crude behaviour, wouldn’t that have deterred such a bedouin and taught him to behave and give up such rough and coarse manners? And what would become of all those ‘Quranic verses calling upon the Prophet (pbuh) and on all Muslims to overlook, forgive and forget the offenses and mistakes of others? One such ‘Quranic verse says: “Bear with them (Muhammad), overlook their errors and pardon them, for God loves the kindly and the benevolent.” (Quran, 5:13) Another verse says: “And if you pardon, forgive and forget (other people’s offenses), then God is always the All Forgiving and Most Merciful.” (Quran, 64:14) A third venerable verse says: “Let them forgive and show benevolence. Wouldn’t you like God to forgive you and God is the All Forgiving and Most Merciful”? (Quran, 24:22) Yet another ‘Quranic verse says: “The Hour [Day of Judgment] is surely at hand. So forgive, Muhammad, and show gracious mercy and clemency.” (Quran, 15:85) Had he reciprocated with a similar coarse and crude behaviour, the Prophet (pbuh) wouldn’t have been merciful, and you wouldn’t have seen any Muslim on the face of the earth today. That’s what the ‘Quranic verse says, directly addressing the Prophet (pbuh): “It was God’s mercy (Grace) that you were lenient with them, for had you been harsh and hardhearted they would have broken away from you.” (Quran, 3:159) Islam itself, that is, would have come to an end at its very moment of inception. For Islam cannot be spread among people except by the better ways and means, by the good word and the merciful act. Source: Muhammad Hussam Al-Khateeb, Was Muhammad Merciful?. With a slight modification. —————————— Footnotes: (1) Al-Albani, Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah, cit., Hadeeth no. 73. (2) Ibid., Hadeeth no. 1083. (3) Ibid., Hadeeth no. 525. (4) Al-Iraqi, Takhreej Ahadeeth Al-I’hia’, Hadeeth no. 872. (5) Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth no. 81. (6) Ibid., Hadeeth no. 82. (7) Al-Iraqi, Takhreej Ahadeeth Al-I’hia’, Hadeeth no. 1843. (8) Al-Albani, Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah, Hadeeth no. 549 (9) Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadeeth no. 2334. (10) Ibid., Hadeeth no. 5563; Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth no. 1676. (11) One residual effect of this is the sense of security that allowed shopkeepers and traders in the Islamic society to go home and leave their merchandise exhibited openly all night long without it ever being stolen or in any way damaged. This is still common in some Islamic countries that apply the Islamic Sharia’ Law today. I myself saw it in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (12) Al-Albani, Al-Silsilah Al-Sahiha, Hadeeth no. 934. (13) Al-Iraqi, Takhreej Ahadeeth Al-I’hia’, Hadeeth no. 1846. (14) Al-Albani, Al-Silsilah Al-Sahihah, Hadeeth no. 2294. (15) Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadeeth no. 7288; Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth no. 1337. (16) Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadeeth no. 3296; Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth no. 4294. (17) Sahih Al-Bukhari, Hadeeth no. 5362; Sahih Muslim, Hadeeth no. 1749.
Posted on: Mon, 30 Sep 2013 08:07:19 +0000