The Life of Mohammad, the Prophet of AllahDinet, Etienne
Religion
The Life of Mohammad, the Prophet of Allah
Dinet, Etienne
Muhammad, Prophet, -632
He interested himself in the doings of all, whether slaves or nobles,
and followed the funeral of the most humble Believer. He flew one day
into a most violent passion because, through negligence, he had not
been apprised of the death of a poor negro who swept out the Mosque.
He insisted on being told where the grave was situated and went to
pray over it.
When an applicant tried to get close to the Prophet's ear so as not to
be overheard, he would bend his head until the man had finished
speaking. When a visitor took the hand of Mohammad, he was never the
first to withdraw it, but waited until the other chose to relax his
grasp. The Prophet often said: 'To be a good Mussulman, we must wish
for others that which we wish for ourselves.'
Never did he let his blessed hand fall on a woman, nor on one of his
slaves. Quoth Anas, who was seven years in his service: "'He never
scolded me; he never even asked me: 'Hast done this?' or: 'Why didst
thou not do that'" Abu Dharr heard the Prophet declare: 'These
servants are your brothers, placed under your authority by Allah.
Whoso is master over his brother must give him the same food as he
eateth and the same apparel as he weareth.'
An Arab who bore arms at the battle of Hunain, tells the following
story: "My feet were shod with heavy sandals and in the thick of the
fight, I accidentally trod on the Prophet's foot. He struck me with
the whip he held in his hand and cried out: 'By Allah! thou hast hurt
me!' And all night long, I reproached myself for having inflicted pain
on Allah's Messenger. Next day, early in the morning, he sent for me.
I went into his presence. I was trembling with fright. 'Thou art the
man,' said he, 'who crushed my foot yesterday under thy thick sole and
whom I lashed with my whip? Well then, here are eighty lambs. I give
them to thee. Take them away.' And ever since that incident, the
Prophet's patience got the best of his anger."
Of a loving disposition, he suffered at having been deprived at an
early age of maternal affection, which led him always to busy himself
about the way mothers and children got on together. His ideas in this
connection were summed up in this sentence: 'A son gains Paradise at
his mother's feet.' While saying prayers, if he heard a child cry, he
would hasten to conclude, so as to allow the mother to go and console
her offspring, for he knew how mothers suffer when they hear their
children cry.
His marvellous insight into mortals' souls and the depths of all
things, causing him to be the most prodigious psychologist ever known,
did not prevent him from consulting his companions for the least
thing. Ayishah tells us: 'I never knew anybody ask for advice and
listen to different opinions so carefully as the Prophet.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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