The Prophet (saw) - The Man and His Manners

As Salamu alaikum wa rahmatuallahi wa barakatuhu

PROPHET Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a very simple person all his life. He was very informal in his habits and did not believe in protocol.

Even when he was the ruler of a state, he ate whatever he was given, wore coarse cloth, and sat on the floor, bare ground or a mat without any hesitation, alone or in the company of others.

He ate bread made from coarse flour and even spent days living only on dates. He wore simple clothes and did not like display or show. He liked simplicity and informality in everything.

Worldly things meant little to the Prophet (peace be upon him).

Ibn Mas ud said that Allah s Messenger (peace be upon him) slept on a straw mat and got up with the mark of it on his body. He said: O Allah s Messenger! I wish you would order us to spread something out for you and make something. The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: What have I to do with the world? I am like a traveler who rests for a while under the shade of a tree, then goes off and leaves it.

Ubaydullah Ibn Muhsin reported Allah s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying, If anyone among you is secure in mind (also, among his family or in his house) in the morning, healthy in body, and has food for the day, it is as though the whole world has been placed into his possession.

Abu Hurayrah reported Allah s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying, Look at those who are inferior to you and do not look at those who are superior to you, for that is more likely to keep you from despising Allah s Favor on you.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) abstained from ostentatious living. He often wore rough clothes. His bed was sometimes made of a rough blanket, sometimes of animal s skin filled with palm fiber, and sometimes of ordinary coarse cloth. In the ninth year of Hijrah, when the Islamic state had extended from Yemen to Syria, its ruler had only one bed and one dry water-skin. Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported that when he (the Prophet, peace be upon him) died, there was nothing in the house to eat except some barley.

Once Caliph Umar (Allah be pleased with him) entered Prophet s (peace be upon him) house and noticed its stark austerity. The Prophet (peace be upon him) had only one sheet of cloth round him to cover the lower part of his body. There was one simple bed with one pillow filled with nut fiber. On one side of the room was some barley and in one corner near his feet was an animal skin. There were some water-skins hanging beside his bed. Umar said that on seeing this tears filled his eyes. Allah s Messenger (peace be upon him) asked the reason for the tears. He replied: O Allah s Messenger! Why shouldn t I cry! The strings of the bed have left marks on your body. This is a small room with all your furniture, I can see what there is. The Byzantine and Persian emperors enjoy luxurious living while you, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Chosen One, live like this. He (the Prophet, peace be upon him) said: Ibn Al-Khattab! Don t you like that they choose this world and we choose the Hereafter?

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lived and liked a simple living. He taught his Companions, through his personal example, not to be ostentatious and luxury-loving.

Modesty

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a perfect model of modesty and humbleness. He never spoke loudly or in an unseemly manner. In the market, he always passed by the people quietly with a smile. Whenever he heard anything undesirable in an assembly, he did not say anything out of deference for the people, but the expressions on his face showed his feelings and the Companions would become cautious. Ayesha (Allah be pleased with her) said that she never saw Allah s Messenger (peace be upon him) laughing so heartily as to show his molar teeth, for he only used to smile.

Ibn Umar reported that a man from the Ansar (the Muslims of Madinah) was giving his brother a warning abolut modesty when the Prophet (peace be upon him) came along and said, Leave him alone, modesty is a part of faith.

Abdullah Ibn Maslamah reported Allah s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying: Modesty is a part of the teachings of the previous prophets and anyone who lacks it is most prone to do whatever he likes.

Zayd Ibn Talha reported Allah s Messenger (peace be upon him) as saying, Every religion has a character and the character of Islam is modesty.

He lived a simple and modest life, both in Makkah as a trader and the Messenger of Allah, and in Madinah as the head of the state and Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The change in his social status from that of a trader in Makkah to the head of the state in Madinah did not bring any change in his modest living. Umar (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying, Do not exalt me as the Christians have exalted Jesus son of Mary. I am just His servant, so call me Allah s Servant and Messenger.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not behave toward others as if he was better than them, nor did he spurn manual work. Abdullah Ibn Abi Awfa reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) never disdained to go with a slave or a widow to do her chores. Others reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to tidy up his house, tether the camels, feed the animals, dine with his servants, and help them in kneading dough and bringing provisions from the market. Anas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) used to visit the sick, attend funerals, ride a donkey and accept a slave s invitation for a meal. Jabir stated that the Prophet (peace be upon him)  used to slow down his pace for the sake of the weak and also prayed for them. 

When Adi Ibn Hatim came to see the Prophet (peace be upon him), he called him inside his house. A maidservant brought a cushion to rest on, but the Prophet (peace be upon him) placed it between him and Adi and sat down on the floor.

Adi later said that he had then immediately realized that the Prophet (peace be upon him) was not a king. A similar incident was reported by Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn Al-Aas, who said: Once when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came to my house, I gave him a cushion filled with bark of a tree, but he sat down on the floor placing the cushion between me and him.

In all matters Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was humble. Anas (Allah be pleased with him) said that he would accept an invitation even if he (the Prophet, peace be upon him) was presented barley bread and soup whose taste had changed. He also reported the Prophet (peace be upon him) as saying, I am Allah s servant, I eat like a servant and sit like a servant.

from:www.islamonline.net