Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) used the best means of preaching to guide the nation, which was attracting the hearts. He was the Messenger of peace and kindness in personal and social activities. He used to target the hearts of people. In fact, his good manners and peaceful treatment with people was among his successful means of attracting the people and conquering their hearts
The historians have narrated that one day a Bedouin Arab man went to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) and asked for some money. The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) gave him some money and then asked the man,” Have I done you a favor?” The man replied,” No! You did not do a favor, neither did you do good”.
The Muslims became angry and decided to punish them man for his rude behavior. However, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) ordered them to leave the man alone. Then, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) got up, went to his house, and sent someone after the Arab man. When the Arab Bedouin got to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP), he gave the man some more money and then said to him,” Did I do you a favor?” The Arab man replied,” Indeed! May Allah reward you”.
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) then said to the man,” You previously said those insulting words to me in front of my companions, so they became angry at you. Now, if you like, come and say the same words you said to me in front of them so that their anger would be removed”. The Arab man accepted to do so.
Then, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) turned to his companions and said, “This Arab man said those words, and I gave him some more money. He is satisfied with me now”. Then, he addressed the man and asked,” Is it not such?” The man replied,” Indeed! May Allah reward you”.
At this point, the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) said,” The story of me and this man is like the man whose camel had stampeded. The people ran after the camel to catch it; however, the more they tried, the farther the camel escaped. The owner of the people shouted,” Go away! Leave me alone with my camel; because I am more kind towards it, and know its condition better than you”. When the people left the camel, the owner grabbed some grass and gave it to the camel, so it became tamed…”
Had I not stopped you when this man insulted me by saying those words, [perhaps] you would have killed him, and he would have gone to Hell” (1).
This incident and many other examples from the life of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP) shows the attraction of people’s hearts towards the good manners and behavior of him was among the major causes of their inclination towards Islam and the propagation of this religion in the world. With the same analogy, Allah (SWT) has considered kindness and compassion as one of the main characteristics of mankind in the Holy Quran where He says,” Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough, hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you”(2).
(The above is a selection taken from,” A brief look into the history of the Messenger of Allah (PBUH&HP)”, by Ayatullah Karimi Jahrumi (with some additions))
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Footnotes:
1. Al-Mahajjah al-Bayda’, vol. 4, p. 149
2-And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about (Surah Al-Imran, verse 159)