Some Muslims brought some captives of war to the Noble Prophet(s). Among the captives was a woman with breasts full of milk and whenever a child among the captives cried she would carry them and nurse them. The Noble Prophet asked, ‘Do you think this woman has cast her own child in the fire?’ The Prophet’s Companions answered, ‘No, and she is able to not do it.’ The Noble Prophet(s) said, ‘God is more kind to his creatures than this woman is to her child.’ (Muslim vol. 4, p. 2109, hadith no. 22; al-Mujam al-saghir, vol., p. 98).
After the battle of Uhud the angles descended on the Noble Prophet(s) with the message that if he so wished they could curse his enemies. The Noble Prophet(s) said, ‘No, (I do not wish to cures them). I only desire that God should raise from among their progeny people who will worship none other than God the Almighty and who will not as-sociate anyone (or anything) with Him.’ (sharh al-sunnah al-Baghawi, vol.13, p. 214-333).
The Prophet of God said, ‘While a dog was dying of unbearable thirst, one of the Children of Israel felt pity for it and gave it water and thus eared God’s forgiveness.’ (Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 1279, hadith no. 52; Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1761. hadith no. 155).
Osama ibn Zayd has narrated, ‘The Noble Prophet (s) used to take me in his hands and make me sit on his legs, and he would take Hasan and Hussein and put them on his other leg. He would then bring both legs close together and say, “O my Lord! Be kind to them since I too am showing the kindness. “(Bukhari, vol. 5, p. 2236; Shaykh Saduq, p. 34, hadith no. 153).
The Noble Prophet(s) performed the funeral rites and prayers over the body of a deceased individual and [then] said, “O God! Forgive him and be kind to him.’ (Muslim, vol. 2, p. 662, hadith no. 85; Fiqh al-Rida, p. 19; Awali al- Li ali, vol. 2).
The Noble Prophet(s) says, ‘I, Muhammad, Ahmad, .... am the gatherer and the prophet of repentance and mercy.’ (Muslim, vol. 4, p. 1828, hadith 126; ‘Ilal al-Sharai, vol. 1 p. 128, hadith no. 2; Majlisi, vol. 103, p. 104).
The Prophet of God (s) has likewise said, ‘May God have mercy on one who is just in business transactions and judgement.’ (Bukhari, vol, 2 p.730, hadith no. 1970).
The Noble Prophet(s) also used to say, ‘God does not forgive a person who does not forgive other people.’ (Bayhaqi, vol. 9, p. 41, Ray Shahri, vol. 4, p. 1416).
Some people said to the Noble Prophet (s), ‘O Prophet of God! Curse the polytheists.’ He answered,’ I have not been raised to Prophethood to be a curser [of people]. On the contrary, I am a mercy for all in habitants of the earth.’ (Muslim, vol.4, p. 2006, hadith no. 87; Ray Shahri, vol. 9, p. 3684, hadith no. 18234).
Islamic mercy and kindness, therefore, embraces all creation and even the whole order of existence, and this is the point that can be inferred from the expression Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim (in the Name of Allah, the All-beneficent, the All-merciful) in the Glorious Quran and from the tradition which says that everything begins in the Name of God Who has been described as the All-beneficent, the All-merciful. This mercy and kindness encompasses aggressive unbelievers; it embraces all Islamic social relations between the believers; it also applies to children and even animals; in general, it envelops all things. In reality, a knowledgeable Muslim is an individual who is merciful and kind vis-a-vis to all people and all things.
Two: Benevolence and Altruism are Manifestations of Mercy
A look at the normative precedents and conduct of the Noble Prophet (s) clearly shows that benevolence and altruism are as universal as mercy and kindness. Attention to the following set of traditions clarifies this matter further:
Acting humanely to every man and being good to any living animal earns divine reward. (Ibn Hanbal, vol. 2, p. 735; Bayhaqi, vol. 4, p. 186 and vol. 8 p. 14; Sadr, p. 160).
By citing this same tradition, Imam Zayn al-Abidin (a), considered it permissible to give food to the Kharijites- the fiercest enemies of the Ahl al-Bayt (a).
Every good deed is [an act of] charity. (Muslim, vol. 2, p. 697, hadith no. 52; Mustadrak al-wasail., vol. 12, p. 342, hadith no. 20).
Do not undervalue any good deed, even if [it means meeting your brother with a happy face. (Muslim, vol. 4, p. 2026, hadith no. 144; Thawab al-a’mal vol. 2, p. 1240, hadith no. 7)
Muslims are brothers to each other; no Muslim oppresses or abandons a fellow Muslim, and God obviates the needs of anyone who tries to obviate needs of their brother. On the Day or Resurrection God will solve the problems of whoever solves the problems of a fellow Muslim, and on the Day, He will clothe whoever clothed a Muslim. (Muslim vol. 4, p. 1996, vol. 58).
A believer is a mirror of another believer, and a believer is a brother of another believer, he takes care of his brother and defends him in his absence. (Abu Dawud, vol. 4, p. 280, hadith no 4918; Ahwazi, p. 41).
Whenever the Ash’arites becomes widowed or whenever the food for their families diminishes, they shear whatever they have equally among themselves; they are from me and I am from them. (Muslim, vol. 4, P.1944, ch. 39).
Food for two people is sufficient for three people and food for three people is sufficient for four people. (Bukhari, vol. 5, p. 2061, hadith no. 5077; Du’a’im al-Islam, vol. 2, p. 16).
There are forty virtues, the best of which is donating a goat to be used for the provision of milk. God will take into paradise whoever harbours hope of attainting the reward for one of those virtues. (Bukhari, vol. 2, p. 927. Hadith no. 2488; Saduq, al-Khisal, vol. 2, p. 1543, hadith no. 1).
Those who attend to the needs and widows and poor are like those who fight in the way of God. (Bukhari, vol. 5, p. 3048, hadith no. 5037; Muslim, vol. 1).
Your slaves are your brothers. (Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 20, hadith no. 30; Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1382, hadith no. 28; Tanbih al-khawatir, vol. 1, p. 57).
Whoever Wishes that God solves their problems on the Day of Resurrection should solves other people’s problems [in this world]. Muslim, vol. 3, p. 1196, hadith no. 32; Thawab al-a mal, vol. 1, p. 179, hadith no. 1).
Thus, a Muslim who fellows the Noble Prophet (s) is transformed into a beneficent man who acts humanely towards other human beings and does good-no matter how small it may look-to any living animal. Such a Muslim also shares in the joys and sorrows of his brother and considers him to be his own mirror, and, like the Ash’arites, he shares his bread with other people and helps widows and the poor.
Three: Some Attributes of the Noble Prophet(s)-Veneration, Generosity, Good Speech, Tolerance, and Trust
All these are indication of the Noble Prophet’s emotion, love and affection, and the following traditions bespeak this:
It has been reported from Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah (a) that at ‘Arafa the Noble Prophet said in a sermon, “Your blood and wealth is as inviolable (haram) as the inviolability of this day, this month and this place”. (Muslim, vol. 2, p. 889, hadith no. 147, Du’a’im al-islam, vol 2, p. 413, hadith no. 410; Mustadrak al-wasa’il, vol. 18, p. 206).
Fear God with respect to your woman whom you have taken under the protection of God and who have become permissible to you by the Name of God. (Du’a’im a - islam, vol. 2, p. 214, hadith no. 789).
Advise (men) to be good to women. (Bukhari, vol. 3, p. 1212, hadith no. 3154) ...
To be continued
