How Did Prophet Muhammad Show Mercy to His Ummah?
Allah, the Exalted, bestowed countless
blessings upon this last Ummah unlike any other, as He chose it above the rest
and made it a middle nation so that it may be witnesses over mankind on
the Day of Judgment. He placed moderation in all its affairs, so its
obligations are neither unbearable nor insignificant. He multiplied its rewards
for deeds and morals many times over, lightened its burdens and hardships, and
opened before it the doors of repentance and forgiveness. Indeed, no scale can
weigh its attributes, nor any measure contain its merits. And all these
blessings would not exist were it not for the greatest blessing which is the
very source of them: the Messenger of Allah Muhammad peace be
upon him.
Prophet’s Mercy
and Tenderness Toward His Ummah
Although the Prophet (peace be
upon him) was the reason for the existence of this
world, elevated with Allah’s love, under whose authority all prophets and
messengers were gathered, and whose mission abrogated all previous laws,
scriptures, and books—he was to his Ummah like a tender mother to her infant,
never placing him on the ground lest ants harm him, nor lifting him upon her
head lest lice crawl upon him.
Prophet’s Unmatched Compassion for
His Ummah
Indeed, the Prophet (peace be
upon him) considered his Ummah with a compassion no
prophet ever showed to his people. Allah Almighty pointed to this in the Qur’an
when He said: “There has certainly come to you a
Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is]
concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful.” (At-Tawbah 128)
Ibn Kathir explained that “grievous to him is
what you suffer” means it pains
him when hardship afflicts his Ummah. (1) Out of his immense love
and tenderness, the Prophet (peace be upon him) feared for them from trials and
was distressed by what befell them of hardships and punishments.
Were it not for this regard, we would not
have reached such comfort and reassurance. Were it not for his noble,
compassionate concern, we would not have advanced this far in life. Were it not
for his merciful heart, we would not have been guided to this religion accepted
by Allah. Were it not for his gentle touch, we would not have been preserved
until the Hour is established.
Easing Burdens of the Ummah
The Prophet (peace be upon him) would seek
every path before Allah Almighty to lift hardship from his Ummah. He never
wished that even the smallest thorn be under their feet. This is evident in his
hadith: “Were it not that it would be too difficult for my Ummah, I would have
commanded them to use the Siwak at (the time of) every Salah.” (2)
Likewise, he said: “Were it not for causing distress to my people, I would
command them to postpone the night prayer till a third or a half of the night
had passed.” (3). These and similar narrations point to
his mercy and compassion for his Ummah.
His Stance with the People of Ta’if
Turning the pages of his noble Sirah,
one finds countless examples of his mercy. Among the greatest was when the
Angel of the Mountains sought his permission to crush the people of Ta’if—who
had mocked, rejected, and harmed him, wounding his feet with stones and
spilling his blood when he came to them as a messenger of Islam, having fled
from Quraysh’s harm. The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied: “No but I hope
that Allah will let them beget children who will worship Allah Alone, and will
worship None besides Him.” (4).
Mercy in Al-Isra’ wAl-Mi’raj
In the Year of Sorrow, weighed by the pain
of losing his wife and his uncle, Allah commanded His Prophet (peace be upon
him) to journey by night from Al-Masjid Al-Haram to Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa, and then
ascend beyond the heavens as a solace.
Allah granted him the honor of divine
communion and bestowed upon his Ummah the gift of fifty daily prayers. On his
return, Musa (peace be upon him) advised him: “Your
Ummah will not be able to bear that, go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce
it.”
The Prophet ( peace be upon him) returned
time after time, until they were reduced to five daily prayers. Though Musa (peace be
upon him) urged further reduction, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) said: “By Allah, I am too shy before my Lord.”
Despite being capable of fifty prayers himself, he considered the weakness of
his Ummah—this being one of the clearest signs of his love and mercy for them.
Prophet’s Secret Migration
When Quraysh’s oppression intensified
against the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions, he permitted
migration. Some migrated openly, like ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab, while the Prophet
(peace be upon him) migrated secretly.
One may ask: why would the Prophet (peace
be upon him) migrate secretly though he was stronger and more steadfast than `Umar?
The answer lies in wisdom: to avoid
imposing public migration as a binding law upon those who would come after him.
Prophet’s Supplication for His Ummah
The Prophet (peace be upon him) frequently
prayed and sought forgiveness for his Ummah. ‘A’ishah narrated: when she once
saw him in good spirits, she asked him to supplicate for her. He said: “O Allah,
forgive A'ishah of her past sins and her future sins, the hidden of them and
the apparent.” She laughed so much that her head fell into her
lap. He peace be
upon him said: “Does this supplication make you happy?” She
replied: “Why would it not please me?” He said: “By Allah, I
make this du'a for every single person in my ummah in every prayer.” (5).
He would also weep while reciting the prayers of previous prophets for their
nations, saying: “O Allah, my people, my people.”
Greatest Intercession on the Day of Judgment
On the Day of Reckoning, a scene more
beautiful than any worldly sight will unfold, showing the Prophet’s peace be
upon him utmost love and mercy. He will fall in prostration
before Allah, imploring Him on behalf of his Ummah in particular and all
nations in general. He peace be upon him said: “For every
Prophet there is one invocation which is definitely fulfilled by Allah, and I
wish, if Allah will, to keep my that (special) invocation as to be the
intercession for my followers on the Day of Judgment.” (6).
How great is our fortune to belong to this
final Ummah of the noble Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him —who guided us to the
path of safety, happiness, guidance, and success.
A Call to Gratitude
So, O you who take pride in bearing his
name—what do we offer him in return for all these sacrifices, the veins drained
from his blessed body, the wounds and tears upon his noble cheeks? What have we
prepared in hope of attaining his intercession? Then hasten! Strive and do not
delay, for every deed done for his sake, however small, is with Allah an
immense matter.
Read Also:
- What is Islam?
- Do You Know the Prophet of Islam? Who is Muhammad?
- The Prophet (PBUH) Mends People's Hearts
- Who are Muslims?
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1.
Tafsir Al-Qur’an Al-Karim by Ibn Kathir (920).
2.
Reported by Al-Bukhari,
Book of Jumu`ah, Chapter: The Use of Siwak on Friday (887); and Muslim, Book of
Purification, Chapter: The Siwak (252).
3.
Reported by At-Tirmidhi
(167, his wording), An-Nasa’i (534) with similar wording, Ibn Majah (691) with
slight variation, and Ahmad (7412) in a longer version.
4.
Sahih Al-Bukhari
(3231).
5.
Reported by Al-Bazzar
as cited in Kashf Al-Astar by Al-Haythami (2658), Ibn Hibban (7111) with
slight variation, and al-Hakim (6748).
6.
Sahih Muslim (198).
