10. Using Gestures and Facial Expressions While Talking

Our beloved Prophet (pbuh) sometimes would use gestures and facial expressions in order to make his point more comprehensible. Abu Musa al-Asha’ri (r.a.) narrated:

The Prophet said,

“A believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts enforce each other.” While saying that, the Prophet then clasped his hands by interlacing his fingers. (Bukhari, Mazalim, 5)

Here, the Prophet’s interlaced fingers represent the strong relationship and support among the believers.

As it is stated by Sahl b. Sa’d (r.a.), Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said,

“I and the person who looks after an orphan and provides for him, will be in Paradise like this,” and he put his index and middle fingers together. (Bukhari, Adab, 24)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) exhorted his followers to take care of orphans and the needy not only by his words but also by his finger motions; and expressed that he and those who follow this advice will be together with him in Paradise. His motion made closeness to the Prophet in the Paradise more tangible.

Another interesting example in this context was reported by Jabir b. Abdullah.

“Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said that:

“In case we get wealth from Bahrain, I would give you so much and so much” and three times he indicated it with both his hands.

Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) died before the war spoils from Bahrain came, and it was instead received by Abu Bakr (r.a.). He commanded the announcer to make an announcement to the effect that he to whom Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) had promised or to whom he had owed any debt should come forward. I came and said:

“Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) had said to me:

“In case there comes to us the wealth of Bahrain I shall give you so much, and so much.” Abu Bakr took a handful (of the coins) and gave that to me once and asked me to count them I counted them as five hundred dinars and he said:

“Here is the double for you.” (Bukhari, Hiba, 18; Kafalah, 3; Muslim, Fada’il, 60/2314)

In the same regard Ibn Mas’ud (r.a.) narrated the following incident:

“Along with eighty men from Quraish, we were with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). There was not anybody else other than the people from Quraish. By Allah, I have never seen such beautiful faces before. They started conversing about women, then Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) joined in their conversation. When I approached him, he pronounced the formula of shahadah and then said:

“O people of Quraish! As long as you do not rebel against Allah the Almighty, you are the experts (who administer the people.) If you disobey Allah, He will bring you someone who will peel you like peeling this branch (he was showing the branch in his hand.)”

Then the Prophet (pbuh) peeled the bark of the stick in his hand until it became completely white. (Ibn Hanbal, I, 458)

Jabir’s (r.a.) following report about the nearness of the Hereafter is very important in this regard:

When Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) delivered a sermon, his eyes became red, his voice rose, and his anger increased so that he was like a commander warning against the enemy and saying “The enemy has made a morning attack on you and in the evening too.” He would also say:

“The last Hour and I have been sent like these two” and he would join his forefinger and middle finger.” (Muslim, Jumu’a, 43)

It was narrated by Abu Sa’id al-Khudri (r.a.):

“I was sitting in the company of the poor members of the emigrants. Some of them were sitting together because of a lack of clothing while a reader was reciting to us. All of a sudden the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) came along and stood beside us. When the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) stood, the reader stopped and greeted him.

He asked:

“What were you doing?” We replied:

“O Apostle of Allah! We had a reader who was reciting to us and we were listening to the Book of Allah, the Exalted.”

The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) then said:

“Praise be to Allah Who has created my people, those with whom I have been ordered to stay and be patient.”[1] The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) then sat among us so as to be like one of us, and then he drew a circle with his hand and said:

“Make a circle like this” And the congregation sat in a circle with their faces turned towards him. The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) then said:

“Rejoice, O group of poor emigrants, in the announcement that you will have perfect light on the Day of Resurrection. You will enter Paradise half a day before the rich, and that is five hundred years.” (Abu Dawud, ‘Ilm, 13)

Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) would sometimes pick something up in order to teach an issue. Ubada b. Samit (r.a.) narrated that the Prophet (pbuh) plucked some hair from the booty camels and showed it to the people who were present:

“I have as much as right as you do to this booty. Never take anything unjustly from the war booty, because it will be a disgrace for the one who took it. Give (do not hide) a thread, needle, and even the most worthless things…” (Ibn Hanbal, V, 330)

Here, our Prophet (pbuh) advised causion with regards to people’s rights and prohibited the slightest injustices in this matter. He explained his point tangibly with a camel’s hair.

The Companions could understand the feelings and thoughts of the Prophet (pbuh) from his gestures and facial expressions. Abu Said al-Khudri (r.a.) said:

“The Prophet was shyer than a virgin in her separate room. And if he saw a thing which he disliked, we would recognize that (feeling) in his face.” (Bukhari, Adab, 77; Manaqib, 23; Muslim, Fada’il, 67)

Therefore, it is very important to use gestures and facial expressions in education. This helps others to easily understand the issues, to keep them in mind and not to forget them.