Since Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) looked at creation from the point of its Creator, he naturally loved and valued it. Our Prophet (pbuh) prayed day and night for the guidance of the disbelievers, just as he prayed for his followers. Even the Lord Almighty warned him from time to time:
“Perhaps you will kill yourself with grief because they do not believe.” (al-Shuara 26; 3)
The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would esteem his audience, be they male or female, young or old. He addressed them with spiritually comforting sermons that increased their self confidence. Respect for the audience is the first step to winning their hearts.
As it was reported by Anas (r.a.), when Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) met someone, he would chat with them and would not turn his face from that person till they left. When he shook someone’s hand, he would not release his hand till that person released their’s first. When he sat with his friends, his knees would be in line with his friends’ knees. (Ibn Majah, Adab, 21)
Abdullah b. ‘Amr (r.a.) narrated that when the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) was circumambulating the Ka’bah, he addressed the Ka’bah and said with regards to the believer’s value in the presence of Allah:
“How pure you are! How nice your scent is! How exalted and respected you are! By Allah in Whose hand Muhammad’s souls is, a believer’s value in the presence of Allah is greater than yours. The honor of a believer’s property and blood is also like this. We would only have a good opinion about a believer.” (Ibn Majah, Fitan, 2)
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) never addressed a believer with an insulting or belittling word. For him, a believer was estimable under any circumstances. A wonderful example of this approach is the following incident that happened to Abu Hurairah (r.a.):
“One day, Abu Huraira (r.a.) met the Apostle of Allah (pbuh) on one of the streets of Medina. As he was in a state of sexual defilement, he hid himself from the Messenger of Allah, slipped away and took a bath. The Apostle of Allah (pbuh) looked for him and when he came back, the Prophet (pbuh) asked him:
“O Abu Huraira, where were you?” He replied:
“O Messenger of Allah, when we met, I was sexually impure and I did not like to sit in your company before taking a bath.” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
سُبْحَانَ الله إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ لاَ يَنْجُسُ
“Hallowed be Allah, verily a believer is never defiled.” (Bukhari, Gusl, 23; Muslim, Hayd, 115)
Therefore, a believer should know that his value would not decrease even when he was sexually impure.
Another manifestation of showing respect to his audience was that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) would give them a chance to express themselves and allow them to speak about the truth. According to the Ibn Abbas’ (r. anhuma) report, a person came to Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! Last night I had a dream in which there was something resembling a cloud from which butter and honey were trickling and I also saw people trying to collect this rain in the palms of their hands. Some of them got more, and some of them got less. Then I saw a rope connecting the earth with the sky. You grabbed the rope and rose towards the heaven; then another person after you grabbed it and rose towards (Heaven); then another person grabbed it, but it broke then when it was reattached for him and he, too, climbed up.” Abu Bakr moved forward and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! May my father be sacrificed for you, by Allah, allow me to interpret this dream.” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) told him:
“Well, tell us its interpretation.” Thereupon Abu Bakr said:
“The cloud signifies the canopy of Islam and that what it trickles out of it in the form of butter and honey is the sweetness (like honey) and softness (like butter) of the Holy Qur’an and what the people caught of it in their palms implies getting more or less benefit from the Qur’an. So far as the rope joining the sky with the earth is concerned, it is the Truth by which you stood (in the worldly life) and by which Allah raises you to Heaven. Then the person after you would take hold of it and he would also climb up with the help of it. Then another person would take hold of it and climb up with the help of it. Then another person would take hold of it and it became broken; then it was reattached for him and he would climb up supported by it . O Allah’s Messenger! May my father be be sacrificed for you, tell me whether I have interpreted it correctly or I have made an error. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:
“You have interpreted part of it correctly and you have erred in interpreting another part of it.” (Bukhari, Ta’bir, 47; Muslim, Ru’ya, 17)
As in this report, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) let Abu Bakr (r.a.) give his opinion, listen to him, and finally made the necessary remarks at the end.
It is possible to make the following classification about the principles of the Prophet (pbuh) in addressing people:
a. Paying an Interest and Paying Complements
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) would treat and compliment his audience in accordance with their state and abilities. His special treatment had a very important effect upon leading his Companions and moulding their religious personality. It was narrated by ‘Amr bin Taghlib:
“Some war booty was brought to Allah’s Apostle and he immediately distributed it. He gave it to some of his Companions and ignored the others. Later, he received news that those whom he had ignored were gossiping about him. So he glorified and praised Allah and said,
“By Allah, I may give to a man and ignore another, although the one whom I ignore is more beloved to me than the one to whom I give. But I give to some people as I feel that they have no patience and no contentment in their hearts and I leave those who are patient and self-contented with the goodness and wealth which Allah has put into their hearts and ‘Amr bin Taghlib is one of them.” Amr added:
“By Allah! I was happier to hear those words of Allah’s Apostle than to possess the best red camels.” (Bukhari, Jum’a, 29)
Once, just like ‘Amr b. Taghlib’s compliment, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) complimented the entire people of Ansar. Anas b. Malik (r.a.) narrated:
“The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) had much war booty on the day of Hunain. He distributed these among Muhajirun and Tulaqa (or Meccans who had been forgiven and left free after the conquest of Mecca). The ansar began to complain:
“When there is a problem, we are the ones called; but the booty gets distributed amongst others.” Upon which the Prophet (pbuh) gathered the Ansar and said:
“Aren’t you pleased that the people take the worldly things and you take Allah’s Apostle with you?” They said, “Yes.” The Prophet said,
“If the people made their way through a valley or mountain pass and the ansar took another valley, I would make my way through the Ansar’s valley or mountain pass.” (Bukhari, Maghazi, 56; Muslim, Zakat, 135)
Our beloved Prophet (pbuh) would compliment someone and win his heart by mentioning his good attributes. Thus, that person would either embrace Islam or hear about the beauties of Islam. He valued and showed his appreciation differently to those Companions who successfully fulfilled his orders.
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) appointed Zaid b. Haritha (r.a.) as the commander of troop sent to Bani Fazarah. When the expedition was successfully completed and the troop returned to Medina, Zaid went to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) welcomed and hugged Zaid and kissed his forehead; then asked what he had done. Zaid told the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) about the victory bestowed by Allah the Almighty. (Ibn Sa’d, II, 91; Waqidi, II, 565)
According to another report, when Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) was performing the minor pilgrimage with his Companions, Abdullah b. Rawaha (r.a.) began to recite a poem. Umar (r.a.) told him:
“Will you keep reciting this poetry in the presence of Allah’s Messenger and in this sacred place of Allah?” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said to Umar:
“Do not stop him. By Allah in Whose hand is my soul, his words are more effective upon Quraish than showering arrows upon them. O Ibn Rawaha! Keep reciting.” Then he told Abdullah b. Rawaha (r.a.):
“Say: There is no god but Allah. He is the One. He fulfills His promises. He is the One Who helps this servant. He is the One Who strengthens His soldiers. He is the only One Who defeats the gathered tribes.”
Then when Abdullah b. Rawaha said these words, believers began to repeat them with him. (Waqidi, II, 736; Ibn Sa’d, II, 122-123)
In this report, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) softly warned his Companions about being polite in their relations. He also showed his approval towards Abdullah b. Rawaha with a nice compliment and won his heart.
By showing special care and interest, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) sometimes aimed to guide a certain tribe to the truth. For instance, such an incident occurred when representatives of the people of Hamdan came to Medina to embrace Islam. One of them, Malik b. Namat, who was a poet, stood up and said:
“O Messenger of Allah! These men salute you. They are the nobles of the tribe of Hamdan. They accepted the invitation of the Messenger of Allah and left the idols before which sacrifices were slaughtered. They will not break their promise as long as the mountains stay firm and gazelle young keep wandering around the site of Sal’” and then they all embraced Islam together.
Thereupon the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said:
“What a wonderful tribe Hamdan is so long as they run for help and endure the hardships! Amongst them are also the righteous and pious believers of Islam.” (Ibn Hisham, IV, 268-69; Ibn Sa’d, I, 341) Thus, he encouraged those men to help the needy and be patient in the face of their problems.
The incident related to the poet Labid had the same objective. Labid b. Rabia was among the delegation of Bani Kilab which came to Medina to embrace Islam. He was one of the prominent poets of the Arabs. Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) complimented him saying:
“The truest words of the poets are those of Labid: “Certainly everything other than Allah is false and useless.” Labid had quit reciting poems after his conversion to Islam. One day when Umar (r.a.) told him:
“O Abu Aqil! Recite me something from your poems” he replied:
“After Allah taught me chapters of Baqara and Al-i Imran, I would never recite a poem. Allah has changed me through this Qur’an.” (Ibn Sa’d, VI, 33; Ibn Athir, Ud al-Ghabah, IV, 516)
Sometimes Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) would ask his Companions questions in order to test their intelligence and knowledge. When they gave the correct answers, he would praise and pay his compliments to them. One such incident was reported by Ubayy b. Ka’b:
“One day Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said to me:
“O Abu’l Mundhir! Do you know the verse from the Book of Allah which, according to you, is the greatest?” I said:
“Allah and His Apostle (pbuh) know best.” Once again he said:
“Abu’l Mundhir, do you know the verse from the Book of Allah which, according to you, is the greatest?” I said:
“Allah is He besides Whom there is no god, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting by Whom all subsist.” (al-Baqara 2; 255) After which he struck me on my chest and said:
“May knowledge be blessed for you, O Abu’l Mundhir!” (Muslim, Musafirun, 258)
For the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) everybody was equal in terms of their humanity. This is why everybody received a certain level of respect from him. He treated human beings as a trust from Allah the Almighty. Thus, he valued the inner qualities more than people’s outer appearances.
Those who are occupied in education and training should take the Prophet’s method as a guidance for themselves. They should pay attention to those who need special treatment. Sometimes people who are disciplined by exclusive care may serve more effectively than thousands of people. So a qualified student should be seen like a special class; and he should be raised with individual attention. However, at the same time we should not forget to show our respect to others and be cautious not to cause jealousy.
b. Paying Attention to the Level of the Audience
Allah the Almighty created human beings with different skin colours and speaking different languages, likewise he created them with different characteristics and abilities. No two people can be found in this world who are completely identical. In other words, people’s level of intellect, cognizance, and sensitivity manifests great differences.
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh), who advised his followers to pay attention to people’s differences in their education, told Ibn Abbas (r.anhuma):
“O Ibn Abbas! Do not speak to people with words they do not understand; for this may cause mischief among them.” (Dailami, V, 359)
This is why Ali (r.a.) said:
“Tell people what they can comprehend (and leave what they cannot). Would you like Allah and His Messenger (pbuh) to be denied?” (Bukhari, ‘Ilm, 49)
Miqdam b. Ma’dikarb said that:
“When you talk to people about their Lord, do not tell them incomprehensible and difficult things.” (Baihaqi, Shu’ab al-Iman, II, 281)
According to a narration reported by Ibn Abbas (r. anhuma), the Companions of the Prophet (pbuh) asked:
“O Messenger of Allah! Should we convey to people everything we heard from you?”
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) replied:
“Yes, you should tell them everything except the things that are beyond their comprehension; because, this causes mischief among some people.”
Following this advice, when Ibn Abbas (r. anhuma) explained an issue to people, he explained some parts of it through implication. (Ali al-Muttaqi, X, 307)
Ibn Mulaika said that:
“I wrote a letter to Ibn Abbas asking about some matters. He responded to me hiding some parts of his answer. Then I heard that he said about me:
“Since he is a sincere young man, I choose to explain many things and hid some of them from him.” (Muslim, Muqaddima, 7)
We have several examples sowing that the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) applied this principle most effectively in his educational activities. When speaking and giving sermons, he (pbuh) paid the utmost attention to the level of his audience. He would speak in accordance with everybody’s level of comprehension. He would take those who just began to learn Islam into consideration; he would not teach them such things that he taught to those advanced in Islamic knowledge. He would respond to people’s requests to the extent of their need and interest.
Abdullah b. ‘Amr (r. anhuma) reported that:
“A person came to Allah’s Apostle (pbuh) and said:
“I pledge allegiance to you after migrating and striving for the sake of Allah.” The Holy Prophet (pbuh) said:
“Is any one of your parents living?” The man replied:
“Yes, of course, both are alive.” He then asked:
“You want to seek reward from Allah, don’t you?” He said:
“Yes, I do.” Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:
“Go back to your parents and treat them well.” (Bukhari, Jihad, 138; Muslim, Birr, 6)
Even though the Prophet (pbuh) valued and encouraged his followers to migrate and engage in jihad a lot, he took the questioner’s personal state into consideration and told him that being in the service of his parents would be more beneficial for him.
According to a report by Abu Huraira (r.a.), a man came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and said:
“Give me some advice.” Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) said:
“Do not become angry.” The man repeated his question three times, and the Prophet (pbuh) gave him the same advice each time. (Bukhari, Adab, 76)
Most likely that person was known for his tendency to become anger and so the Prophet (pbuh) wanted to discipline that side of him.
The following incident which occurred between a bedouin and the Messenger of Allah is also a very good example of this context. It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira (r.a.) that a bedouin came to the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) and asked:
“O Messenger of Allah! Advise me of a deed by which I may be entitled to enter Paradise.” To this he (the Holy Prophet) replied:
“Worship Allah and never associate anything with Him, establish the obligatory prayer, and pay the Zakat which is incumbent upon you, and observe the fast of Ramadan.” The bedouin said:
“By Him in Whose hand is my life, I will never add anything to it, nor will I extract anything from it.” When he (the bedouin) turned his back, the Prophet (pbuh) said:
“He who would be pleased to see a man from the dwellers of Paradise should catch a glimpse of him.” (Bukhari, Zakat, 1; Muslim, Iman, 15)
Here the Prophet’s approach to the bedouin and his method of education is very remarkable. He (pbuh) could have answered the bedouin’s question by saying “this is a religious matter, so you cannot say I will do this and this and will not do this and this. You should be more careful.” But instead Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) took the man’s level of understanding into account and even heralded him with the glad tidings of Paradise if he fulfills what he was told.
Uqba b. Amir (r.a.) asked the Messenger of Allah (pbuh):
“O Messenger of Allah! Where is salvation?” The Holy Prophet (pbuh) told him (considering his psychological state and needs):
“Watch your tongue, take refuge in your home (when chaos/unrest spreads) and shed tears for your sins.” (Tirmidhi, Zuhd, 61)
In close related to the questioners’ levels and state did the Prophet (pbuh) gave various answers to the very same question asked by different people. He told his inquirer only as much as he needed, wanted, or could handle, and sometimes he responded in accordance with the prevalent circumstances. By his prophetic sagacity and perception he could immediately and easily recognize what and how much was needed and who needed it and then treated them accordingly.
c. Being Beneficent and Doing Good
Human beings are naturally prone to seeking their personal benefit, by considering their own interests first when they attempt to do something. They are always attempting to fulfill their essential and nonessential needs, and therefore greedily hold on to the things from which they expect to benefit and pursue them until they get tired. Our Lord the Almighty states this human psychological state as follows:
إِنَّ اْلإِنسَانَ خُلِقَ هَلُوعاً. إِذَا مَسَّهُ الشَّرُّ جَزُوعاً. وَإِذَا مَسَّهُ الْخَيْرُ مَنُوعاً
“Truly man was created very impatient; Fretful when evil touches him; And niggardly when good reaches him.” (al-Maarij 70; 19-21)
وَإِنَّهُ لِحُبِّ الْخَيْرِ لَشَدِيدٌ
“And most surely he is tenacious in the love of wealth.” (al-Adiyat 100; 8)
In order to cure such blameworthy characteristics, Allah the Almighty ordered his servants, who are created with this nature, to do good. As the Qur’an states it:
“…but do good; for Allah loves those who do good.” (al-Baqara 2; 195)
Allah’s Messenger (pbuh), who knew this human nature very well, would primarily pay attention to his disciples’ needs and try to take care of them. He helped and showed beneficence as much as he could to those whom he was trying to educate and purify their souls.
Our Prophet (pbuh) paid attention to the various problems of his Companions and he also encouraged those, who had the ability to do the same. Abdurrahman b. Abu Bakr (r. anhuma) narrated:
“The Suffa Companions were poor people and the Prophet once said,
“Whoever has food for two persons should take a third one from them (Suffa Companions). And whosoever has food for four persons should take a fifth or even the sixth one from them” Abu Bakr (r.a.) took three men and the Prophet took ten of them.” (Bukhari, Mawaqit, 41; Muslim, Ashribah, 176, 177)
Knowing the positive effects of beneficence upon human souls, Allah’s Messenger (pbuh) gave his followers the following advice:
“If anyone seeks protection in Allah’s name, grant him protection; if anyone begs in Allah’s name, give him something; if anyone gives you an invitation, accept it; and if anyone does you a kindness, recompense him; but if you have not the means to do so, pray for him until you feel that you have compensated him.” (Nasai, Zakat, 72; Abu Dawud, Zakat, 38)
Being beneficent under all circumstances is both an order of our religion and a moral principle of Allah and His Messenger. When conveying the message of Islam, it is necessary for us to benefit from this principle as much as we can.