The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) used the best methods of invitation and guidance to lead society, and that method was winning hearts. In his individual and social behaviors, he was a messenger of peace and harmony, and he approached the hearts of people. Indeed, this peaceful and compassionate behavior was one of the Prophet’s most successful strategies in attracting people and conquering their hearts.
Historians and biographers have narrated that a Bedouin Arab came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and asked for financial help. The Prophet gave him some money and then asked, “Did I do you a favor?” The man replied, “No, you did not do me a favor, nor did you do any good!”
The Muslims became angry and wanted to punish the man. However, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) indicated that they should let him go and not follow him. Then the Prophet rose, went to his house, and sent someone to find the Bedouin. When the man arrived, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) gave him more money and asked again, “Did I do you a favor?” The Bedouin replied, “Yes! May God reward you with goodness.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) then said, “Earlier, you spoke those offensive words in front of my companions, and they became upset and angry. Now, if you wish, you can go and say the same words you just said to me in front of them so that their discomfort is alleviated.” The Bedouin agreed.
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) then turned to his companions and said, “This Arab man said those words, and I gave him even more charity. Now he is satisfied and pleased with me.” Then, addressing the man, he asked, “Is that not the case?” The man replied, “Yes! May God reward you with goodness.”
The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) then said, “The situation with this man is like that of a person whose camel has run away. The people were chasing the camel to catch it, but the more they chased it, the more it ran away. The owner of the camel shouted, ‘Stay away, and leave me and my camel alone, for I am more merciful to it and more knowledgeable of its condition than you.’ When the people left the camel alone, the man came, took some feed, and fed the camel, thereby calming it down…
If I had let you deal with this Arab when he spoke harshly and said those words, you might have killed him, and he would have been cast into the fire of Hell.”[1]
This example, along with many others from the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), shows that the fascination of people’s hearts toward his character and conduct was one of the key factors in attracting people to Islam and spreading it. Therefore, in the Qur’an, God describes one of his important qualities as mercy and kindness, saying: “It is by the mercy of God that you [O Prophet] were gentle with them. Had you been rude and harsh-hearted, they would have dispersed from around you.”[2]
(Excerpted from the book A Brief Overview of the Life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family), by Ayatollah Karimi Jahromi (with some additions))
Footnotes:
[1] Al-Mahajjat al-Bayda, Vol. 4, p. 149
[2] (Surah Al-Imran, verse 159)