Virtues of ʿA‘isha ra

• She was the dearest wife of the Prophet.
• The Prophet did not marry any other virgin but her.
• He did not marry a woman whose parents were both Muhajireen except her.
• Allaah revealed many verses from the heavens regarding her innocence.
• She always had knowledge on something the Sahabah were unsure of.
• Jibreel brought her portrayal from the heaven in silk and said to the Prophet: “Marry her, she will be your wife.”
• He and her used to bathe from the same vessel, and he did not do that with any of his wives except her.
• The revelation would come to him while he was with her, and it did not come down when he was with any of his wives except her.
• Allaah took his soul while he was against her chest.
• He died on the night when it was her turn.
• He was buried in her room.

Source: Paraphrased from Jalaa Al-Afhaam by Ibn al-Qayyim (v. 1, pp. 237-241)

The Prophet’s Manners

Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah summarized the extent of the Prophet’s noble manners by saying:

The Prophet ﷺ used to greet the children when he passed by them. Sometimes, a little girl would take him by the hand and he would allow her to lead him wherever she wanted. He used to lick his fingers after eating. He would be in the service of his family when at home.

Never would he become angry because of something personal. He used to repair his own sandals and mend his own torn clothes. He would milk his goat himself for his own family. He would feed his own camel. He used to eat with his servants, sit in the company of the poor people, and personally take care of the needs of widows and orphans.

He would be the one to initiate the greeting when meeting people. He would respond to the humblest of invitations.

He lived a very modest lifestyle, a man of soft manners, naturally kind, easy to get along with, having a pleasant smile on his face, gracefully humble, extremely generous but not wasteful. Soft-hearted and gentle in his dealings with each and every Muslim, lowering the wings of humility to the believers, bearing their companionship in such a gentle way.

Reference : Madarij-us-Salikeen

A Day With The Prophet Muhammed ﷺ

FAJR

When the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) woke up, he would pray Fajr with his Companions in the mosque. Then he would sit in the place where he had prayed, remembering Allah until the sun rose, and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would sit with him. Sometimes they would talk and remember things that happened before Islam; they would laugh and he would smile.

DUHA

The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) regularly offered Duha prayer with four or more rak‘ahs. It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to pray Duha with four rak‘ahs or more, as Allah willed. Narrated by Muslim, 719

SERVING HIS FAMILY

In his house, he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would be at the service of his family: he would milk his sheep, patch his garment, serve himself and mend his shoes. When the time for prayer came, he would go out and lead the people in prayer, then he would sit with them, talk with them, teach them, exhort them, remind them, listen to their complaints, and reconcile between them. Then he would go back to his house.

‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was asked: What did the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) do in his house? She said: He was a human being like any other; he would clean his garment, milk his sheep and serve himself. Narrated by Ahmad, 26194; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Saheehah, 671

According to another report also narrated by Ahmad (24903): He used to stitch his garment, mend his shoes and work as other men work in their houses. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘, 4937.

Al-Bukhaari (676) narrated that al-Aswad said: I asked ‘Aa’ishah what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to do in his house. She said: He would serve his family, then when the time for prayer came, he would go out to the prayer.

FOOD

He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) never criticised any food; if he liked it he would eat it, otherwise he would leave it.

Sometimes month after month would go by, and he would not find any food except dates and water.

It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) never criticised any food; if he liked it he would eat it, otherwise he would leave it. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3563; Muslim, 2064

It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: We would look at the new moon, then another new moon, three new moons in two months, and no fire would be lit in the houses of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). I – i.e., ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr – said: O aunt, what did you live on? She said: The two black ones, dates and water. But the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) had some neighbours among the Ansaar who had milch-animals, and they used to give the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) some of their milk, and he gave it to us to drink. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2567; Muslim, 2972.

There are no details in the Sunnah about the meals that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to eat.

It was not the custom of the Muslims in the earliest times to eat three meals every day as people do nowadays. Rather the most they would have would be two meals: one at the beginning of the day and another in the evening.

GATHERING THE PEOPLE FOR A TALK

If he wanted to bring the people together for some important matter, he would instruct someone to bring them together for him or to call out among them “As-salaatu jaami‘ah (prayer is about to begin)”, then he would talk to them about the reason he had brought them together. If he wanted to send a party out on a mission, he would send them; if he wanted to remind them of something, he would remind them; if he wanted to tell them about a new ruling, he would tell them, and so on.

AFTERNOON NAP

He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would take a nap at midday, so that this siesta would give him strength to pray qiyaam al-layl (voluntary prayers at night). He would say: “Take a nap at midday, for the Shaytaan does not take a nap at midday.” Narrated by at-Tabaraani in al-Awsat, 28; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in as-Saheehah, 1647.

VISITING PEOPLE

He (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would check on people in their daily lives and interactions, and in their marketplaces; he would go and see them in the places where they gathered; he would visit their sick and accept their invitations; and he would attend to the needs of the weak and poor. Thus he spent most of his day dealing with that which concerned him of matters of religion and the people’s affairs, such as calling people to Allah, advising them, reminding them, introducing rulings, striving in jihad, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, helping the needy, and so on.

Muslim (102) narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) passed by a pile of foodstuff; he put his hand in it and found that it had gotten wet. He said, “What is this, O seller of the foodstuff?” He said: It got rained on, O Messenger of Allaah. He said: “Why don’t you put it on top of the food so that people can see it? Whoever deceives (people) does not belong to me.”

VISITING THE SICK

Al-Bayhaqi (20851) narrated that Jaabir said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Let us go to al-Baseer who is in Banu Waaqif and visit him (as he is sick).” He was a blind man. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Saheehah, 521

DHIKR AND DISCUSSING MATTERS WITH THE MUSLIMS

An-Nasaa’i (1414) narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to recite words of dhikr a great deal and rarely engaged in idle talk. He would make his prayer lengthy and his speeches short; he was not too proud to walk with widows and the needy in order to meet their needs. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh an-Nasaa’i

When night came and he had led the people in praying ‘Isha’, if there was some matter on his mind concerning the Muslims’ affairs, he would discuss it with his senior companions; otherwise he would stay up with his family for a little while.

Imam Ahmad (178) and at-Tirmidhi (169 – and he classed it as hasan) narrated that ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to stay up at night with Abu Bakr, discussing some of the Muslims’ affairs, and I would be with him. Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh at-Tirmidhi

Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It was part of his character that he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) treated people kindly and was always cheerful. He would joke with his family and be gentle with them; he will spend generously on them and joke with his wives … His wives would gather every night in the house of the one with whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was staying that night, and sometimes he would eat supper with them, then each of them would go to her own house and he would sleep with the wife (in whose house he was staying the night) under one blanket; he would take off his upper garment and sleep in his lower garment. When he had prayed ‘Isha’, he would go into his house and stay up for a little while with his family before sleeping, to cheer them up; (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). End quote from Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/242

SLEEP, TAHAJJUD AND FAJR

Then he would sleep at the beginning of the night, then get up to pray qiyaam al-layl, and he would pray as much as Allah willed that he should pray. Then when Bilaal gave the call for Fajr prayer, he would pray two rak‘ahs, then go out to the prayer.

Abu Dawood (56) narrated from ‘Aa’ishah that water for wudoo’ and his siwaak would be set out for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and when he woke up at night he would relieve himself, then clean his teeth with the siwaak.

It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I stayed overnight with my maternal aunt Maymoonah. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) conversed with his family for a while, then he went to sleep. Then when the last third of the night came, he sat up and looked at the sky and said: “Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are indeed signs for men of understanding” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:190]. Then he got up and did wudoo’ and cleaned his teeth, and prayed eleven rak‘ahs. Then Bilaal gave the call to prayer, so he prayed two rak‘ahs, then he went out (to the mosque) and prayed Fajr. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4569; Muslim, 763.

CONCLUSION

The life of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was not a strict routine, as may be understood from these words. Rather it was purposeful and blessed work, as his Lord instructed him: “Say (O Muhammad SAW): ‘Verily, my Salat (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)’” [al-An ‘aam 6:162].

His practice was to interpret in a realistic manner the commands and laws of Allah, as the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said.

Muslim narrated in his Saheeh (746) that Sa‘d ibn Hishaam ibn ‘Aamir said to the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her): O Mother of the believers, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). She said: Do you not read the Qur’an? I said: Of course. She said: The character of the Prophet of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was the Qur’an.