The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was an ocean of love, mercy and compassion. He was such a personality that he consisted of total mercy for humanity. Allah the Almighty highlights His Messenger’s mercy and compassion as follows:
“Now has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that you should perish: ardently anxious is he over you: to the Believers is he most kind and merciful.” (al-Tawba 9; 128)
Our Prophet (pbuh) was a sociable person and had the ability to recognize people’s states. Adra al-Sulami (r.a.) reported the following emotional narration:
“One night I had come to keep guard for the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). Just then a man appeared reciting the Qur’an loudly. After a while Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) approached and I told him:
“O Messenger of Allah! This man is a hypocrite.”
Then the man passed away in Medina. The Companions carried out the funeral preparations. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) told us:
“Treat him gently; Allah the Almighty treated him gently, since he loved Allah and His Messenger.” Then he ordered his Companions to dig the man’s grave and said:
“Keep his grave wide, for Allah has bestowed His blessings upon him bountifully.”
One of the Companions said:
“O Messenger of Allah! You have become very sad for this man’s death.” Upon this the Prophet (pbuh) told him:
“Yes, I have. Because he loved Allah and His Messenger.” (Ibn Majah, Janaiz, 41)
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) loved all of his Companions and abstained from acts which might incite their jealousy. His love was so vast that everybody thought that the Prophet (pbuh) loved him more than anybody else. He connected people with each other through love and created a strong balance among them. Qa’b b. Ujrah (r.a.) narrated the following exemplary incident:
“One day we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) in the mosque. There were groups of people from the ansar, muhajir, and Hashim clan. We laid a wager about whom the Prophet (pbuh) loved the most.
We, the ansar, said:
“We have believed in the Messenger of Allah, followed him, and fought with him against his enemies. Thus, he loves us the most.”
Then our muhajir brothers said:
“We migrated for the sake of Allah and His Messenger. We left our property and children behind just for this. We, too, joined the battles that you fought in. This is why Allah’s Messenger loves us the most.”
The members of the Hashim clan stated:
“We are the relatives of the Prophet. We were in all the places you had been. So the Prophet (pbuh) loves us the most.”
The the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) came to us and asked:
“What were you talking about?” So we repeated what we (the ansar) had said.Thereupon he said:
“You are telling the truth. Who could claim the otherwise?” Then we let him know what the muhajirs had said. He said:
“You are telling the truth. Who could claim the otherwise?” Finally we informed him about the words of Hashim clan. After he had said:
“You are telling the truth. Who could claim the otherwise?” He asked:
“Would you like me to be a judge among you?” We all replied:
“Of course, O Messenger of Allah! May our fathers and mothers be sacrificed for you.” Then he said:
“O people of Ansar! I am your brother.” Ansar said:
“Allah is the Greatest! By the Lord of Ka’bah, we won him.” The the Messenger of Allah said:
“O people of muhajirs! I am one of you.” Upon this Muhajirs said:
“Allah is the Greatest! By the Lord of Ka’bah, we won him.” The Prophet (pbuh) said:
“O sons of Hashim! You are from me and you have come to me.” The members of Hashim clan stated:
“Allah is the Greatest! By the Lord of Ka’bah, we won him.” All of us were pleased. Each group was touched by Prophet’s courtesy. (Haythami, X, 14)