KHUTAB IV: 12. PROPHET MUHAMMAD S.A.W. AS A MODEL TEACHER

12. PROPHET MUHAMMAD S.A.W.

AS A MODEL TEACHER

(ANUMA 19 MAY 2009)

Brothers in Islam,

          Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was a model in teaching people a about Islam. In dealing with them individually he takes into account his or her character, behavior and background. For example:

1.    To a person who asked advice, he gives different advices based on the individual character. To a person who is easily angry he advised him not to be angry.

حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ يُوسُفَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ هُوَ ابْنُ عَيَّاشٍ عَنْ أَبِي حَصِينٍ

عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ

 عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَوْصِنِي قَالَ لَا تَغْضَبْ فَرَدَّدَ مِرَارًا قَالَ لَا تَغْضَبْ

)صحيح البخاري ج۱۹, ص ٧٤)

….Narrated by Abu Hurayrah r.a. a man

said to the Prophet s.a.w. “Advise me.” He said,

“Do not become angry and furious” and the man asked

(the same) again and again, and the Prophet said in

each case “Do not become angry and furious.”

(Reported by Bukhari)

حَدثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ

 أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ قَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا سُولَ اللَّهِ أَوْصِنِي قَالَ

 لَا تَغْضَبْ قَالَ قَالَ الرَّجُلُ فَفَكَّرْتُ حِينَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

مَا قَالَ فَإِذَا الْغَضَبُ يَجْمَعُ الشَّرَّ كُلَّهُ (مسند أحمد, ج٤۷, ص۱٤۱)

One of the sahabah (companions of the Prophet) reported

 that a man came to the Prophet s.a.w. saying,“O Messenger

 of Allah, advise me.” He said, “Do not become angry and

 furious.” The man said, “When the Prophet said it,it came

 to my mind that anger combines all evilness.”

(Musnad Ahmad, vol. 47, p. 141)

     What he means that when you are angry you cannot control yourself, and therefore you could do anything bad.

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ هَوْذَةَ الْقُرَيْعِيُّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي رَجُلٌ سَمِعَ

جَرْمُوزًا الْهُجَيْمِيَّ قَالَ  قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوْصِنِي قَالَ أُوصِيكَ أَنْ لَا تَكُونَ لَعَّانًا

 (مسند أحمد ج٤۲, ص۱٥۰)

A man heard Jarmūz al-Hujaymī said, “O Messenger of Allah,

 advise me.” He said, “I advise you not to be a curser.”

(Musnad Ahmad, vol. 42, p. 150)

حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ وَعَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ حَبِيبٍ عَنْ مَيْمُونٍ

عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ قَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوْصِنِي قَالَ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ

حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ وَأَتْبِعْ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ

(مسند أحمد ج٤۳, ص٤۰۱)

 … Narrated by Abu Dharr that Abd al-Rahman

said,  “O Messenger of Allah, advise me,” He

 said, “Fear Allah wherever you are, and follow

 bad deed witا a good deed to erase it, and

 treat people with good behavior.”

(Musnad Ahmad, vol. 43, p. 401)

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ شِمْرِ بْنِ عَطِيَّةَ عَنِ أَشْيَاخِهِ عَنْ أَبِي ذَرٍّ

قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوْصِنِي قَالَ إِذَا عَمِلْتَ سَيِّئَةً فَأَتْبِعْهَا حَسَنَةً تَمْحُهَا قَالَ قُلْتُ

 يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَمِنَ الْحَسَنَاتِ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ قَالَ هِيَ أَفْضَلُ الْحَسَنَاتِ

(مسند أحمد ج٤۳, ص٤۷۸)

Abū Dharr said, “O Messenger of Allah, advise me.” He said,

 “If you do a bad deed follow it with a good deed to erase it.”

 I asked, “O Messenger of Allah,  is (saying) ‘there is no god

 but Allah’” one of good deeds?” He said, “It is the best deed.”

(Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 43, p. 478).

So, according to this ḥadīth, after doing bad thing we repent and say لاإلهَ إلاَّ الله. This ḥadīth is in line with the Qur’ānic verse dealing with good believers, as follows:  

... وَ الّذِيْنَ إذَا فَعَلُوْا فَاحِشَةً أَوْظَلَمُوْا أَنْفُسَهُمْ ذَكَرُوْا اللهَ وَاسْتَغْفَرُوْا ِلذُنُوْبِهِمْ ...(آل عمران , ١٣٥)

 And those who, when they have committed sins or

wronged themselves  with evil, remembered Allah and

 asked forgoveness for their sin… (Q. 3:135)

2.    The Prophet gives different answers to the same question, based on the condition of the questioner.

حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ الْعَنْبَرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي

حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ الْعَيْزَارِ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا عَمْرٍو الشَّيْبَانِيَّ

قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي صَاحِبُ هَذِهِ الدَّارِ وَأَشَارَ إِلَى دَارِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ

اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّ الْأَعْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ الصَّلَاةُ عَلَى وَقْتِهَا

قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَيٌّ قَالَ ثُمَّ بِرُّ الْوَالِدَيْنِ قُلْتُ ثُمَّ أَيٌّ قَالَ ثُمَّ الْجِهَادُ فِي

سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي بِهِنَّ وَلَوْ اسْتَزَدْتُهُ لَزَادَنِي

(صحيح مسلم ج۱, ص ۲۳٥)

Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd asked the Messenger of Allah s.a.w.

 “Which deed is liked most by Allah?”He answered, “Prayer

on time.” “Then what?” asked Abdullah.“Then honouring

 your parents.” “Then what?” “Jihad in the path of Allah.”

“If I asked more, he would have given me more answers,

” said Abdullah.  (Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 1, p. 235)

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَرْعَرَةَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ  سُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَيُّ الْأَعْمَالِ

أَحَبُّ إِلَى اللَّهِ قَالَ أَدْوَمُهَا وَإِنْ قَلَّ وَقَالَ اكْلَفُوا مِنْ الْأَعْمَالِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ

(صحيح البخاري ج۲۰, ص۱۰۱)

Narrated by ‘Aishah that the Messenger of Allah was

 asked, “Which deed is liked most by Allah,” he answer

“The deed done most continually, even if it is a little.” He

also said, “Be keen to do it as much as you can stand.”

 (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, vol. 20, p. 101)

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْقُرَشِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي

قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بُرْدَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ

عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ  قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَيُّ

الْإِسْلَامِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ

(صحيح البخاري  ج۱ ص۱۷ : و صحيح مسلم ج۱, ص۱٥۰ و

مسند  أحمد ج۱٤, ص ٢)

... Narrated by Abu Musa r.a. that some

people asked the Messenger of Allah s.a.w.

”Whose Islam is the best (i.e., who is a very good

Muslim?). He replied, ‘One who avoids harming

the Muslims with his tongue and hands.’”

 (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, vol. 1, p. 17; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, vol. 1,

p. 150;  and Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 14, p. 2).

This ḥadīth is dealing with negative virtue, namely, not doing bad things. However, there is another hadith narrated by Ibn ‘Umar that a man asked the same question to the Prophet, and the he answered, “To feed people and to say the greetings to whom you know and you do not know." This ḥadīth is dealing with positive virtue, namely, doing good things.

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ دَاوُدَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ عَنْ قَيْصَرَ

التُّجِيبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِي قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ

وَسَلَّمَ فَجَاءَ شَابٌّ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أُقَبِّلُ وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ قَالَ لَا فَجَاءَ شَيْخٌ فَقَالَ

أُقَبِّلُ وَأَنَا صَائِمٌ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَنَظَرَ بَعْضُنَا إِلَى بَعْضٍ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ

عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ عَلِمْتُ لِمَ نَظَرَ بَعْضُكُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ إِنَّ الشَّيْخَ يَمْلِكُ نَفْسَهُ

(مسند أحمد ج۱۳ ص ٤۸۹ ؛ج۱٤ ص ۲۹٥)

Narrated by Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-Ās , “While we

were  with the Prophet a man came to him, ‘O Messenger of

Allah, may I kiss (my wife) while I am fasting?’ and the Prophet

replied, ‘No.’ Then an old man came and asked, ‘May I kiss (my

wife) while fasting?’, and the Prophet replied ‘Yes.’ Then we

looked at each other, and the Prophet said, ‘I know why

you looked at each other; the old man is indeed can

control himself (namely, not to go beyond kissing).”

(Musnad Aḥmad, vol. 13, p. 489 and vol. 14, p. 295).

Here, the ruling can change when the condition also changes.

3.      The difference of attitude and behaviour. The Prophet treated the Bedouins and people coming from villages differently from those of city dwellers and his companions. Even with his companions he treated them differently. When ‘Uthmān came to visit him, he covered his legs and buttoned his shirt, whereas he did not do so, and was more relaxed with Abu Bakr and ‘Umar when they visited him. This behavior was noticed by his wife Ā’ishah r.a., who asked him and said,

يَا رَسُوْلَ اللّه مَا لِيْ لَمْ أرَكَ فَزِعْتَ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ وَ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُمَا

كَمَا فَزِعْتَ لِعُثْمَانَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّهِ ص.م. إِنَّ عُثْمَانَ رَجُلٌ حَيِيٌّ وَ إ ِنِّيْ

خَشِيْتُ إ ِنْ أَذِنْتُ لَهُ عَلَى تِلْكَ الْحَالِ أَنْ لاَ يَبْلُغَ إ ِلَيَّ فِيْ حَاجَتِهِ

(رواه مسلم)

“O Messenger of Allah, why I did not see you give

respect and formality (lit. “be alarmed”) to Abu Bakr

and ‘Umar, like the one you give to ‘Uthman.” The Messenger

of Allah said, “Verily, ‘Uthman is a shy (modest) person,

and I am afraid if  I let my behavior remained as before

 he would not tell me his intention.”

(Reported by Muslim).

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُعْتَمِرٌ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ قَالَ ذُكِرَ لِي أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

قَالَ لِمُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ مَنْ لَقِيَ اللَّهَ لَا يُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ

قَالَ أَلَا أُبَشِّرُ النَّاسَ قَالَ لَا إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يَتَّكِلُوا

(صحيح البخاري ج۱ ص۲۱٦)

Narrated by Anas ibn Malik that the Prophet s.a.w.

said to Mu‘ādh bin Jabal, “Whoever met Allah and did

not associate Him with anything he would enter Paradise.”

Mu‘ādh asked, “Shall I give this good news to people?”

He said, “No, as I am afraid they would depend on it.”

 (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, vol. 1, p. 216).

What the Prophet means is that this information might be misunderstood by people and make them fatalists, and think that they do not have to pray, to fast and pay zakat, etc., as long as they do not associate Allah with anything they will enter Paradise.

4.      The Prophet s.a.w. gives proper duty (assignment) to the proper person among his companions, based on his ability. He assigned Abu Bakr to provide the camel and to accompany him to emigrate to Madinah. He assigned Ali to remain in Madinah and to sleep in his bed. He assigned Khālid ibn al-Walīd and ‘Amr bin ‘Ās. to lead the battle he did not join. He assigned H.assān bin Thābit todefend his reputation and to respond to the accusation of the Quraysh tribe with their poetry. However, he did not give an assignment wished by Abū Dharr, because he knew he was not fit for it. A good leader knows how to appoint a person to a position fit for him. 

 6. The Prophet s.a.w teaches people based on their ability, understanding and intelligence. Otherwise, they would not understand it or would misunderstand it, or become confused.

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ أَعْرَابِيًّا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

فَقَالَ دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ إِذَا عَمِلْتُهُ دَخَلْتُ الْجَنَّةَ قَالَ تَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ لَا تُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا

وَتُقِيمُ الصَّلَاةَ الْمَكْتُوبَةَ وَتُؤَدِّي الزَّكَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ وَتَصُومُ رَمَضَانَ قَالَ

وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَا أَزِيدُ عَلَى هَذَا فَلَمَّا وَلَّى قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ

 عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ سَرَّهُ أَنْ يَنْظُرَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ

فَلْيَنْظُرْ إِلَى هَذَا (رواه البخاري و مسلم و أحمد)

 ….Narrated by Abū Hurayrah that a Bedouin came to

the Prophet s.a.w. and said, “O Messenger of Allah show

me a deed if I do it I shall enter Paradise.” The Prophet said,

“Worship Allah and do not associate Him with anything, pray the

obligatory prayers, pay zakat, and fast in the month of Ramadan.”

The Bedouin said, “By Allah Who sent you in truth, I shall not

add to this.” When he left, the Prophet said, “Whoever wants

to see a man who is entitled to Paradise should see this man.”

(Reported by Bukhārī, Muslim, and Aḥmad).

When the people of Țā’if came to the Prophet and said that they could only pray three times a day, he agreed and accepted it. When one of the ṣaḥābah asked him to do the same, namely, pray three times a day, he told him that it was only because they were new to Islam, and would pray five times a day later when they knew that it has to be five daily obligatory prayers.

          These are some examples of the Prophet’s wisdom in dealing with people, in teaching and educate them to Islam.