It was with mercy and compassion that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was sent, and it was with mercy and compassion that he (pbuh) treated his opponents and companions alike.
It was said to him, “O Messenger of Allah, supplicate against the Mushrikin1.” He (pbuh) replied, “I am not sent as a curser. I am sent as a mercy.”2He (pbuh) used to call people, saying, “O people, truly, I am a bestowed mercy.”3
Tufail bin ‘Amr Ad-Dawsi t and his companions came to the Prophet (pbuh) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, the tribe of Daws has disobeyed and refused (Islam). Supplicate Allah against it.” This made people say, “Daws is ruined.” But he said, “O Allah, guide the people of Daws and bring them (i.e. bring their hearts to Islam).”4
On the Day of Uhud when his people fought him and wounded his face, he (pbuh) could still be heard saying while wiping blood off his face, “O Allah, forgive my people, for they know not.”5
The Quraish continuously slandered the Prophet (pbuh), even distorting his name. Instead of calling him “Muhammad,” literally the praised one, they called him by its antithesis, “Mudhammam” – the dispraised. His sole reaction was to say to his Companions, “Do you not wonder at how Allah averts from me the abuse and cursing of Quraish? They abuse (someone called) Mudhammam and curse Mudhammam, while I am Muhammad.”6
The Prophet (pbuh) always met the harm and ignorance of his people with gracious patience. He (pbuh) never repaid evil with evil; rather, he (pbuh) used to pardon and forgive.
- Plural of Mushrik: One who associates others with Allah in His Divinity or worship.
- Narrated by Abu Hurairah: Sahih Muslim, Book of Al-Birr Waslah Waladab, Hadith no. 4704.
- Narrated by Dhakwan: Sunnan Ad-Darimy, Book of Al-Muqadimah (Beginning), Hadith no. 15.
- Narrated by Abu Hurairah: Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Al-Jihad wa As-Siyar(Striving and Marching Onwards), Hadith no. 2720; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Al-Bukhary (4041, 5918), Muslim (4586), and Ahmad (7014, 9408, 10122).
- Narrated by ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ud: Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Ahadith Al-Anbiya’ (Narratives of the Prophets), Hadith no. 3218; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Al-Bukhary (6417), Muslim (3347), Ibn Majah (4015), and Ahmad (3429, 3851, 3898, 3986, 4103, 4136).
- Narrated by Abu Hurairah: Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Al-Manaqib, Hadith no. 3269; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by An-Nasa’y (3384) and Ahmad (7029, 8469).