People of the Sunnah, Be Kind With One Another

Author: Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin al-‘Abbaad

Source: Rifqan Ahlis Sunnah Bi Ahlis Sunnah
Translator: Tarik Preston

Published: Wednesday 29th June, 2005



Kindness and Gentleness



Allaah has described His Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) as having a very high standard of character, saying:

“And verily you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted (standard of) character.” [Soorah Al-Qalam: 4]


Allaah has also described Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) as being kind and gentle, saying:

“And by the Mercy of Allaah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you…” [Soorah Al-Imran: 159]


And Allaah has also described Prophet Muhammad (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) as being merciful and compassionate with the believers, saying:

“Verily there has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He is anxious over you; for the believers he is full of pity, kind and merciful.” [Soorah At-Tauba: 128]


Likewise the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) commanded us to be kind and encouraged us to do so, saying:

“Facilitate things for the people (treat the people in the most agreeable way), and do not make things difficult for them, and give them glad tidings, and let them not have aversion (i.e. to make the people hate good deeds)…” [1]


And in another version of the same hadeeth the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

“Give good tidings (to the people); do not create (in their minds) aversion (towards religion); show them leniency and do not be hard upon them.” [2]


And in another hadeeth it is narrated by Imaam Al-Bukhaaree upon the authority of Abu Hurairah (radi-Allaahu ‘anhu) who said that the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said to his Companions in the story of the desert Arab who urinated in the Masjid:

“Leave him and pour a bucket of water or a tumbler of water over the place where he urinated. Verily you have been sent to make things easy and not to make them difficult.” [3]


And in another hadeeth narrated by Imaam Al-Bukhaaree upon the authority of ‘Aa’ishah (radi-Allaahu ‘anhaa) who said that the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

“…O ‘Aishah! Allaah is kind and He loves that one should be kind and lenient in all matters.” [4]


And in another hadeeth narrated by Imaam Muslim upon the authority of ‘Aa’ishah (radi-Allaahu ‘anhaa) who said that the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

“Aa’ishah, verily Allaah is kind and He loves kindness and confers upon kindness that which he does not confer upon severity and does not confer upon anything else besides it (kindness).” [5]


And in another hadeeth narrated by Imaam Muslim upon the authority of ‘Aa’ishah (radi-Allaahu ‘anhaa) who said that the Messenger of Allaah (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

“Kindness is not to be found in anything but that it adds to its beauty and it is not withdrawn from anything but it makes it defective.” [6]


And in another hadeeth it is narrated by Imaam Muslim upon the authority of Jareer (radi-Allaahu ‘anhu) who said that the Prophet (sal-Allaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) said:

“He who is deprived of kindness (tender feelings) is in fact deprived of good.” [7]


And Allaah commanded the two noble Prophets, Moosaa (Moses) and Haaroon (Aaron) (alayhis-salaam), to speak to Fir’awn with kindness and gentleness:

“Go, both of you, to Fir’awn, verily he has transgressed (all bounds in disbelief and disobedience). And speak to him (Fir’awn) mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear (Allaah).” [Soorah Ta-Ha: 44]


And Allaah has described the Noble Companions as being compassionate and merciful to one another, saying:

“Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah. And those who are with him are severe against the disbelievers and merciful amongst themselves.” [Soorah Al-Fath: 29]


Footnotes

[1] Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree (Eng. Trans. Vol. 8, Pg. 92). Saheeh Muslim (Eng. Trans. Vol. 3, Pg. 944) from the hadeeth of Anas.

[2] Saheeh Muslim (Eng. Trans. Vol. 3, Pg. 944).

[3] Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree (Eng. Trans. Vol. 1, Pg. 143).

[4] Saheeh Al-Bukhaaree (Eng. Trans. Vol. 8, Pg. 33).

[5] Saheeh Muslim (Eng. Trans. Vol. 4, Pg. 1370).

[6] Saheeh Muslim (Eng. Trans. Vol. 4, Pg. 1370).

[7] Saheeh Muslim (Eng. Trans. Vol. 4, Pg. 1370).


 

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