- How did the Companions describe our Prophet’s (saas) joyful and smiling nature?
- How did our Prophet (saas) joke with those around him?
- What did the Companions say about our Prophet’s (saas) sincerity and gentleness?
Our Prophet (saas) is a most worthy person of deep faith who burns with love and passion for Allah. The depth of our Prophet’s (saas) faith bestowed on him a great acuity, honesty and sincerity. The Prophet Muhammad (saas) was influenced by none and feared Allah alone. He was therefore punctilious over what is lawful and unlawful, and was well acquainted with love, compassion and affection. Since the heart of our Prophet (saas) rejoiced with love of Allah, this bestowed great joy and fervor upon him.
Despite all our Prophet’s (saas) responsibilities and all the difficulties he faced, he was always lively and smiling because of the joy of his faith and his moral values. This behavior of our Prophet (saas), a role model for all Muslims, has come down to us through accounts from our Prophet’s (saas) Companions and wives.
Our Prophet (saas) Was Very Joyful and Smiling
Our Prophet (saas) always spoke to the heart. With his joyful nature and behavior, he told those around him of the love of Allah and the joy of faith. Those who saw him were not only affected by his knowledge; those who were present to hear him speak felt an easing and relaxation in their hearts, and an ineffable joy. Our Prophet’s (saas) joyful and smiling nature produced a delight in and desire to worship in all those who knew and saw him. Our Prophet’s (saas) joyful, smiling face and language and his spiritual depth are described as follows by the Companions:
- Hazrat Ali (r.a): "His smiling face and kind behavior to everyone made him literally a father to the people. Everyone was equal in his sight and presence." (Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Sulayman ar-Rudani, eat Hadith Collection, Jam'ul-fawaid min Jami'il-usul wa Majma'ith-zawaid, Vol. 5, İz Press, p. 33)
- The Messenger of Allah was always smiling of face and pleasant natured... (Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Sulayman ar-Rudani, Great Hadith Collection, Jam'ul-fawaid min Jami'il-usul wa Majma'iz-zawaid, Vol. 5, İz Press, p. 34)
- The Messenger of Allah ... was the most smiling and joyful of people." (Hujjatj'l Islam Imam Gazali, Ihya'u Ulum'id-din, Vol. 2, Trans: Dr. Sıtkı Gülle, Huzur Press, Istanbul 1998, p. 801)
Our Prophet (saas) also advised his people to have smiling faces, and said:
"You cannot make people happy with your possessions, but you can please them with a pleasant face and good nature." (Bezzar, Ebu Yala, Taberani; Huccetu'l Islam Imam Gazali, İhya'u Ulum'id-din, Vol. 3, Trans. Sıtkı Gülle, Huzur Press, Istanbul 1998, p. 111 )
“Almighty Allah loves him who makes things easy and has a smiling face." (Huccetü'l Islam Imam Gazali, İhya'u Ulum'id-din, Vol. 2, Trans: Dr. Sıtkı Gülle, Huzur Press, Istanbul 1998, p. 444)
Our Prophet (saas) Was Very Vivacious and Pleasant-Natured
Our Prophet (saas) had a very special and profound sincerity, honesty and closeness to Allah in his heart. This honesty meant that he treated everyone he met with warmth and sincerity, and that he responded to people’s questions seriously and with close interest.
Hazrat Ali (r.a), one of the people closest to him, described the climate in our Prophet’s (saas) conversations and his relations with the Companions as follows:
- Those who took part in his conversations were hugely affected by his honesty and sincerity.
- "Rasulullah (saas) was the most generous of men, and had the widest heart and most regular accent, he best discharged any task he undertook and had the gentlest nature and finest conversations. Those who knew him and were present at his conversations approached him with love. One who described him said, ‘I have never seen anyone like him, neither before nor since.’ Whenever he was asked for something, he would always give it." (Tirmidhi; Huccetü'l Islam Imam Gazali, Ihya'u Ulum'id-din, Vol. 2, Trans: Dr. Sıtkı Gülle, Huzur Press, Istanbul 1998, p. 814)
- "... He would speak of things that made people love one another and brought them close together. He would not alarm or put them off. He attached importance to the leader of every tribe; he would offer food and drink..." (Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Süleyman er-Rudani, Great Hadith Collection, Jem'ul-favaid min Jami'il-usul ve Majma'iz-zevaid, Vol. 5, İz Press, p. 33)
His grandson Hazrat Hassan (r.a) said this about our Prophet (saas):
- "His facial expressions were highly significant... He spoke expressively (using few words to impart much meaning) and well. He spoke neither too much, nor too little." (Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Süleyman er-Rudani, Great Hadith Collection, Cem'ul-fevaid min Cami'il-usul ve Mecma'iz-zevaid, Vol. 5, İz Press, p. 32)
- With His Considerate Behavior He Showed an Interest in Everyone and Treated Everyone Equally
- "He took an interest in everyone he sat with, and never gave the impression he treated anyone differently. He was always patient with people sitting with him or keeping him standing to meet their needs, and would never leave that person until they left him." (Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Sulayman er-Rudani, Great Hadith Collection, Jam'ul-fevaid min Jami'il-usul ve Majma'iz-zawaid, Vol. 5, Iz Press, p. 33)
- "He would miss his companions and ask after them [when he could not see them]. He would ask people how they were and how their affairs were going. He would call beautiful things beautiful, and ugly things ugly." (Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Sulayman er-Rudani, Great Hadith Collection, Jem'ul-fawaid min Jami'il-usul ve Majma'iz-zawaid, Vol. 5, İz Press, p. 33)
- "He was always on the side of honest men, and had no dealings with anyone else. They would come to his side for a time and be completely content when they left. They left his side as guides and proofs." (Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Süleyman er-Rudani, Great Hadith Collection, Jam'ul-fawaid min jami'il-usul ve Majma'iz-zawaid, Vol. 5, İz Press, p. 33)
- He met extreme and illogical behavior by foreigners coming to him with great patience. The Companions would sometimes be angry with them, but he would pacify them, saying: , “Enlighten them!" (Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Süleyman er-Rudani, Great Hadith Collection, Jam'ul-fawaid min jami'il-usul ve Majma'iz-zawaid, Vol. 5, İz Press, p. 34)
- "He interrupted nobody, and always waited until they had finished." (Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Sulayman er-Rudani, Great Hadith Collection, Jam'ul-fawaid min Jami'il-usul ve Majma'iz-zavaid, Vol. 5, İz Press, p. 34)
His grandson Hazrat Hassan (r.a) said this about our Prophet (saas):
- He spoke equally to leading members of the community and to ordinary citizens. He concealed nothing from them." (Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Süleyman er-Rudani, Great Hadith Collection, Cem'ul-fevaid min Cami'il-usul ve Mecma'iz-zevaid, Vol. 5, İz Press, p. 32)
Abu Zar (r.a) describes our Prophet’s (saas) loving behavior toward his Companions:
- "I went to our Prophet (saas) one day. He was sitting on a couch. He rose and embraced me. That embrace was genuinely most sincere." (Huccetü'l Islam Imam Gazali, İhya'u Ulum'id-din, Vol. 2, Trans: Dr. Sıtkı Gülle, Huzur Press, Istanbul 1998, p. 459)
Abu Hureyre (r.a) describes how our Prophet (saas) was most considerate toward people and exhibited the finest and most humane behavior:
- "When someone took his hand, the Messenger of Allah would not withdraw his hand until the other person let it go. He would always look in the direction of someone speaking to him and not turn away until the person had finished speaking."( Hujjatu'l Islam Imam Gazali, İhya'u Ulum'id-din, Vol. 2, Trans: Dr. Sıtkı Gülle, Huzur Press, Istanbul 1998, p. 443)
Our Prophet (saas) took a close interest in his Companions’ health. He advised thin people to put on weight and overweight people to diet, and advised them all to eat healthy foods. (Tirmidhi, ibni-maja; Imam Gazali, Hujjaetu'l İslam İmam Gazali, İhya'u Ulum'id-din, Vol. 4, Trans: Dr. Sıtkı Gülle, Huzur Press, Istanbul 1998, p. 570) In the case of some illnesses he would advise the Companions to drink sherbets with honey. (Mehmed Vehbi of Konya, Full Text of the Sahih-i Bukhari, Vol. 4, Üçdal Press, Istanbul 1993, p. 304)
According to Abu Hurayra (r.a), when Abu Hurayra (r.a) fainted one day, our Prophet (saas) personally raised him to his feet, took him home, and realizing he was hungry, first made him drink some milk. (Mehmed Vehbi of Konya, Full Text of the Sahih-i Bukhari, Vol. 4, Üçdal Press, Istanbul 1993, p. 260)
Our Prophet (saas) Was Very Joyful toward Women and Children
As can be seen from the events described by the Companions, our Prophet (saas) frequently joked with his family and with the Companions. He would laugh at their jokes and give them nicknames or other fine names. However, as in all matters, our Prophet (saas) was very considerate when it came to joking, and behaved with great good conscience and understanding.
Hazrat Anas (r.a):
- "Rasulullah was one of the most prominent people who would joke around with children." (Kutub-i Sitte, Translation and Commentary, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Vol. 15, Akçağ Press, Ankara, p. 209)
- Ya'la Ibnu Murra (r.a) describes our Prophet’s (saas) love of children and how he would joke around with them:
- "A group of Companions were invited to go and dine with Rasulullah (saas). On the way there, they met his grandson Huseyin, who was playing with children.
- "When Rasulullah (saas) saw the child, he passed in front of the community and opened his arms to catch him. The child began running right and left. And Rasulullah (saas) began chasing him right and left and ran around until he caught him. When he caught him he put one of his hands under his chin and the other on the back of his neck and kissed him and said, 'Huseyin is me, and I am Huseyin. May Allah love him who loves Huseyin. Huseyin is a grandson among grandsons,’ he said." (Kutub-i Sitte, Translation and Commentary, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Vol. 15, Akçağ Press, Ankara, p. 519)
Our Prophet’s (saas) Advice to the Companions Regarding Joking
"I will joke, but I speak only the truth "
"It is not lawful for a Muslim to frighten his brother."
"Do not quarrel with your brother, and do not mock him when you joke."
"Shame on he who tells a lie to entertain others."
"A servant is not a good believer until he abandons lies, even in jest, and quarrels, even though he is in the right."
"Do not lie, even in jest."(Kutub-i Sitte, Translation and Commentary, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, Vol. 15, Akçağ Press, Ankara, p. 209)
The Joy, Vivaciousness and Ease of Our Prophet (saas) Will Be Experienced in the Same Way When Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) Appears
Our Prophet (saas) is the messenger of Almighty Allah. Allah stresses the importance of believing in Him and His Messenger, and of supporting and following the Prophet (saas), and imparts the glad tidings that such people will go to paradise:
“so that you might all believe in Allah and His Messenger and honor Him and respect Him and glorify Him in the morning and the evening. (Surat al-Fath, 9)”
“...Those who believe in him and honor him and help him, and follow the Light that has been sent down with him, they are the ones who are successful.” (Surat al-A’raf, 157)
There is no doubt that one of the most important aspects of our Prophet (saas) that we need to emulate is his sincere and joyful behavior which he exhibited with his luminous moral values. As can be seen from examples throughout this piece, the Prophet Muhammad (saas) recommended love, friendship, brotherhood, peace and love to his Companions. And like our Prophet (saas), Hazrat Mahdi (pbuh) who will come as Muslims’ spiritual leader in the End Times ,will first show love and fear of Allah, deep human love, and affection stemming from that love and fear of Allah, to those around him, and subsequently to the whole world. This fervor of Hazrat Mahdi’s (pbuh) that stems from his joy of faith, will spread in a chain reaction to all mankind. People will be so influenced by Hazrat Mahdi’s (pbuh) joy and fervor that they will also become passionate lovers of Allah, and fear will be banished from the world. The only fear left will be that of Allah, and life will be happy and joyful, insha’Allah.
Mr. Adnan Oktar set this truth out in commenting on Surah Yusuf during an interview:
"Go with this shirt of mine and cast it on my father’s face and he will see again. Then come to me with all your families.” (Surah Yusuf, 93)
