THE SUBLIME CHARACTER OF THE PROPHET

Numerous incidents attest to his consistency in practising what he preached. Once, while at home with his wife Umm Salamah, he called a maidservant for an errand. She delayed in coming, and signs of displeasure appeared on his face. Umm Salamah went to see her and found her playing outside. When she returned, the Prophet, holding a tooth-stick, remarked to the girl, “If I did not fear the retribution of Judgement Day, I would have struck you with this.” On another occasion, a woman of Madinah who cleaned the mosque passed away. She was of African descent and mentally unstable, and few attended her funeral. The Prophet was not informed at the time, but when he later learned of her death, he instructed that he be informed of the passing of any Muslim, regardless of status, and he subsequently performed her funeral prayer. At the Battle of Uhud, the Prophet was struck in the face by a stone, breaking his teeth and causing blood to flow. Some Companions urged him to curse the enemy responsible. Among those killed in the battle was his own uncle, Hamzah. Yet the Prophet replied, “I have not been sent as a curse. I have been sent as a proclaimer of Truth and the bearer of God’s mercy.” According to Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet never criticised food. If he liked it, he ate it; if not, he simply left it. Anas ibn Malik recounted that while walking with the Prophet, a man of rustic appearance seized his thick-bordered Abyssinian shawl, pulling it so roughly that marks appeared on his neck. The man demanded, “O Muhammad, give me some of God’s wealth that you hold.” The Prophet, unaffected by the rudeness, smiled and ordered that the man be given provisions from the treasury. The Prophet also advised that the life of the God-fearing should include moments of communion with God, moments of selfassessment, moments of reflection on the mysteries of creation, and moments devoted to the acquisition of life’s necessities. Voltaire once remarked, “No one is a hero to his valet,” meaning that close familiarity often reveals flaws that diminish admiration. However, this was not true of the Prophet of Islam. The closer one came to him, the more his fine qualities became evident.