CHAPTER FOUR
Islamic Morality

God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, says: “I have been sent only to perfect good character (or morality).” Thus perfection (i.e., perfected morality or character) is the fruit and evidence of Islamic teachings and life, and signifies that one is moving from the status of being a potential human being to that of being a true human being. For this reason, both the Qur’an and the Messenger attach great importance to morality.

When asked about the Messenger’s morality or character, his wife ‘A’isha answered that it was the Qur’an. The Messenger embodied the Qur’an or was a moving Qur’an. So, we will follow the Islamic morality from his virtues as described in Prophet Muhammad: Aspects of His Life, by M. Fethullah Gülen. [1]

The Prophet of Universal Mercy

The beginning of existence was an act of mercy and compassion without which the universe would be in chaos. Everything came into existence through compassion, and by compassion it continues to exist in harmony. Muslim sages say that the universe is the All-Compassionate One’s breath. In other words, the universe was created to manifest the Divine Name the All-Compassionate. Its subsistence depends upon the same Name. This Name manifests itself first as the All-Provider, so that all living creatures can survive.

Life is God Almighty’s foremost and most manifest blessing, and the true and everlasting life is that of the Hereafter. Since we can deserve this life by pleasing God, He sent Prophets and revealed Scriptures out of His compassion for humanity. For this reason, while mentioning His blessings upon humanity in Surat al-Rahman (the All-Merciful), He begins: Al-Rahman. He taught the Qur’an, created humanity, and taught it speech (55:1-4).

All aspects of this life are a rehearsal for the afterlife, and every creature is engaged in action toward this end. Order is evident in every effort, and compassion resides in every achievement. Some “natural” events or social convulsions may seem disagreeable at first, but we should not regard them as incompatible with compassion. They are like dark clouds or lightning and thunder that, although frightening, nevertheless bring us good tidings of rain. Thus the whole universe praises the All-Compassionate.

Prophet Muhammad is like a spring of pure water in the heart of a desert, a source of light in an all-enveloping darkness. Whoever appeals to this spring can take as much water as needed to quench their thirst, to become purified of all their sins, and to become illumined with the light of belief. Mercy was like a magic key in his hands, for with it he opened hearts that were so hardened and rusty that no one thought they could be opened. But he did even more: he lit a torch of belief in them.

The Messenger preached Islam, the religion of universal mercy. His compassion encompassed every creature. He desired, of course, that everyone be guided. In fact, this was his greatest concern: Yet it may be, if they believe not in this Message, you will consume yourself, following after them, with grief (18:6). But how should he deal with those who persisted in unbelief and fought him to destroy both him and his Message? He had to fight such people. But when they wounded him severely at Uhud, he raised his hands and prayed: “O God, forgive my people, for they don’t know” (Bukhari, “Anbiya’,” 54; Muslim, “Jihad,” 104).

The Makkans, his own people, inflicted so much suffering on him that he finally emigrated to Madina. Even after that, the next 5 years were far from peaceful. However, when he conquered Makka without bloodshed in the twenty-first year of his Prophethood, he asked the Makkan unbelievers: “How do you expect me to treat you?” They responded unanimously: “You are a noble one, the son of a noble one.” He then told them his decision: “You may leave, for no reproach this day shall be on you. May God forgive you. He is the Most Compassionate of the Compassionate” (Ibn Hisham, Sira, 4:55; Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidaya, 4:344). Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror said the same thing to the defeated Byzantines after conquering Istanbul 825 years later. Such is the universal compassion of Islam.

The Messenger displayed the highest degree of compassion toward the believers:

There has come to you a Messenger from among yourselves; grievous to him is your suffering; anxious is he over you, full of concern for you, for the believers full of pity, compassionate. (9:128)

He lowered unto believers his wing of tenderness through mercy (15:88), and was the guardian of believers and nearer to them than their selves (33:6). When a Companion died, he asked those at the funeral if the deceased had left any debts. On learning that he had, the Prophet mentioned the above verse and announced that the creditors should come to him for repayment (Muslim, “Fara’iz,’ 14; Bukhari, “Istiqraz,” 11).

God did not send a collective destruction upon the unbelievers during his time, although He had eradicated many such people in the past: But God would never chastise them while you were among them; God would never chastise them as they begged forgiveness (8:33). This verse refers to unbelievers of whatever time. God will not destroy peoples altogether as long as those who follow the Messenger are alive. Besides, He has left the door of repentance open until the Last Day. Anyone can accept Islam or ask God’s forgiveness, regardless of how sinful they consider themselves to be.

For this reason, a Muslim’s enmity toward unbelievers is a form of pity. When ‘Umar saw an 80-year-old man, he sat down and sobbed. When asked why he did so, he replied: “God assigned him so long a life span, but he has not been able to find the true path.” ‘Umar was a disciple of the Messenger, who said: “I was not sent to call down curses upon people, but as a mercy” (Muslim, “Birr,” 87) and “I am Muhammad, and Ahmad (praised one), and Muqaffi (the Last Prophet); I am Hashir (the final Prophet in whose presence the dead will be resurrected); the Prophet of repentance (the Prophet for whom the door of repentance will always remain open), and the Prophet of mercy.” (Muslim, “Fada’il,” 126.) When Ma‘iz was punished for fornication, a Companion verbally abused him. The Messenger frowned at him and said: “You have backbitten your friend. His repentance and asking God’s pardon for his sin would be enough to forgive all the sinners in the world” (Muslim, “Hudud,” 17-23; Bukhari, “Hudud,” 28).

The Messenger was particularly compassionate toward children. Whenever he saw a child crying, he sat beside him or her and shared his or her feelings. He felt a mother’s pain for her child more than the mother herself. Once he said: “I stand in prayer and wish to prolong it. However, I hear a child cry and shorten the prayer to lessen the mother’s anxiety” (Bukhari, “Adhan,” 65; Muslim, “Salat,” 192).

He took children in his arms and hugged them. Once when hugging his beloved grandsons Hasan and Husayn, Aqra ibn Habis told him: “I have 10 children, and have never kissed any of them.” The Messenger responded: “One without pity for others is not pitied. What can I do for you if God has removed compassion from you?” (Bukhari, “Adab,” 18). He said: “Pity those on Earth so that those in the Heavens will pity you” (Tirmidhi, “Birr,” 16). When Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubada became ill, the Messenger visited him at home and, seeing his faithful Companion in a pitiful state, began to cry. He said: “God does not punish because of tears or grief, but He punishes because of this,” and he pointed to his tongue (Bukhari, “Jana’iz,” 45; Muslim, “Jana’iz,” 12).

A member of the Banu Muqarrin clan once beat his maidservant. She informed the Messenger, who sent for the master. He said: “You have beaten her without any justifiable right. Free her” (Muslim, “Ayman,” 31, 33; Ibn Hanbal, 3:447). Freeing a slave was far better for the master than being punished in the Hereafter because of that act. The Messenger always protected and supported widows, orphans, the poor and disabled even before announcing his Prophethood. When he returned home in excitement from Mount Hira after the first Revelation, his wife Khadija told him: “I hope you will be the Prophet of this Umma, for you always tell the truth, fulfill your trust, support your relatives, help the poor and weak, and feed guests” (Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat, 1:195).

His compassion encompassed animals. He said: “God guided a prostitute to truth and ultimately to Paradise because she gave water to a dog dying of thirst. Another woman was sent to Hell because she left a cat to die of hunger” (Bukhari, “Anbiya’,” 54; “Musaqat,” 9; Muslim, “Salam,” 153; Ibn Hanbal, 2:507). While returning from a battle, a few Companions removed some young birds from their nest to stroke them. The mother bird came back and, not finding its babies, began to fly around screeching. When told of this, the Messenger became angry and ordered the birds to be put back in the nest (Abu Dawud, “Adab,” 164; “Jihad,” 112; Ibn Hanbal, 1:404). Ibn ‘Abbas reported that when the Messenger saw a man sharpening his knife directly before the sheep to be slaughtered, he asked: “Do you want to kill it many times?” (Hakim, Mustadrak, 4:231, 233).

The Messenger lived for others, and was a mercy for all the worlds, a manifestation of Compassion.

His Mildness and Forbearance

Mildness is another dimension of the Messenger’s character. He was a bright mirror in which God reflected His Mercy. Mildness is a reflection of compassion. God made His Messenger mild and gentle, thereby allowing him to gain many converts to Islam and overcome numerous obstacles.

After the victory of Badr, the Battle of Uhud was a severe trial for the young Muslim community. Although the Messenger wanted to fight on the outskirts of Madina, most Muslims desired to fight on an open battlefield. When the two armies met at the foot of Mount Uhud, the Messenger positioned 50 archers in ‘Aynayn pass and ordered them not to move without his permission, even if they saw that the Muslims had won a decisive victory.

The Muslim army, having only one-third of the men and equipment of the enemy, almost defeated the Makkan polytheists in the initial stage. Seeing the enemy fleeing, these archers forgot the Prophet’s command and left their post. Khalid ibn Walid, the Makkan cavalry’s commander, saw this and, riding round the mountain, attacked the Muslims from behind. The fleeing enemy soldiers turned back and caught the Muslims in a crossfire. They began to lose, more than 70 were martyred, and the Messenger was wounded.

He might have reproached those who had urged him to pursue their desires as well as the archers who had abandoned their post, but he did not. Instead, he showed leniency:

It was by the mercy of God that you were gentle to them; if you had been harsh and hard of heart, they would have dispersed from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult with them in the affair. And when you are resolved, then put your trust in God; surely God loves those who put their trust (in Him). (3:159)

This verse shows two prerequisites for leadership: mildness and leniency toward those who make well-intentioned mistakes, and the importance of consultation in public administration.

This mildness and forgiveness was a reflection of God’s Names the All-Mild, All-Clement, and All-Forgiving. God does not stop providing for people despite their rebellion or unbelief. While most people disobey Him by indulging in unbelief, by explicitly or implicitly associating partners with Him, or transgressing His Commands, the sun continues to send them its heat and light, clouds full of rain come to their aid, and the soil never stops feeding them with its fruits and plants. God’s Clemency and Forgiveness are reflected through the Messenger’s compassion, mildness, and forgiveness.

The Messenger was never angry with anybody because of what they did to him. When his wife ‘A’isha was slandered, he did not consider punishing the slanderers even after she was cleared by the Qur’an. Bedouins often behaved impolitely with him, but he did not even frown at them. Although extremely sensitive, he always showed forbearance toward both friend and foe.

For example, while he was distributing the spoils of war after the Battle of Hunayn, Dhu al-Huwaysira objected: “Be just, O Muhammad.” This was an unforgivable insult, for the Prophet had been sent to establish justice. Unable to endure such offences, ‘Umar demanded permission to kill “that hypocrite” on the spot. But the Messenger only replied: “Who else will show justice if I am not just? If I don’t show justice, then I am lost and brought to naught” (Muslim, “Zakat,” 142, 148; Bukhari, “Adab,” 95; “Manaqib,” 25).

Once when the Prophet was going home after talking to his Companions in the mosque, a bedouin pulled him by the collar and said rudely: “O Muhammad! Give me my due! Load up my two camels! For you will load them up with neither your own wealth nor that of your father!” Without showing any sign of being offended, he told others: “Give him what he wants” (Abu Dawud, “Adab,” 1; Nasa’i, “Qasama,” 24).

Zayd ibn San’an narrates:

Before I embraced Islam, the Messenger borrowed some money from me. I went to him to collect my debt before its due time, and insulted him: “O you children of ‘Abd al-Muttalib, you are very reluctant to pay your debts!” ‘Umar became very angry with me and shouted: “O enemy of God! Were it not for the treaty between us and the Jewish community, I would cut off your head! Speak to the Messenger politely!” However, the Messenger smiled at me and, turning to ‘Umar, said: “Pay him, and add 20 gallons to it, because you frightened him.”

‘Umar relates the rest of the story:

We went together. On the way, Zayd said unexpectedly: “O ‘Umar, you were angry with me. But I find in him all the features of the Last Prophet recorded in the Torah, the Old Testament. It contains this verse: His mildness surpasses his anger. The severity of impudence to him increases him only in mildness and forbearance. To test his forbearance, I provoked him deliberately. Now I am convinced that he is the Prophet whose coming the Torah predicted. So, I believe and bear witness that he is the Last Prophet.” (Suyuti, Al-Khasa’is, 1:26; Ibn Hajar, Al-Isaba, 1:566.)

This mildness and forbearance was enough for the conversion of Zayd ibn San‘an, a Jewish scholar.

The Messenger’s mildness and forbearance captured hearts and preserved Muslim unity. As stated in the Qur’an (3:159), if he had been harsh and hard-hearted, people would have abandoned him. But those who saw him and listened to him were so endowed with Divine manifestations that they became saints. For example, Khalid ibn Walid was the Qurayshi general who caused the Muslims to experience a reverse at Uhud. However, when he was not included in the army that set out on the day after his conversion, he was so upset that he wept.

Like Khalid, Ikrima and ‘Amr ibn al-‘As were among those who did great harm to the Messenger and the Muslims. After their conversions, each became a sword of Islam drawn against wrongdoing unbelievers. Ibn Hisham, Abu Jahl’s brother, converted to Islam shortly before the Messenger passed away. He was such a sincere Muslim that just before he was martyred at Yarmuk, he did not drink the water that Hudayfa al-‘Adawi offered him. Rather, he asked that it be given to nearby wounded fellow Muslim groaning for water. He died, having preferred a fellow Muslim over himself (Hakim, Mustadrak, 3:242).

The Messenger brought up the Companions. Their greatness is shown in the fact that despite their small numbers, they successfully conveyed Islam to the furthest reaches of Asia and Africa within a few decades. In those areas, Islam became so deeply rooted that despite the concerted efforts by the superpowers of each era to extinguish Islam, it continues to gain new momentum and represents the only realistic alternative for human salvation. The Companions were transformed from their wretched pre-Islamic state to being guides and teachers of a considerable part of humanity until the Last Day, the vanguard of the most magnificent civilization in history.

In addition, the Messenger was absolutely balanced. His universal compassion did not prevent him from executing Divine justice, and his mildness and forbearance kept him from breaching any Islamic rule or humiliating himself. For example, during a military campaign Usama ibn Zayd threw an enemy soldier to the ground. When he was about to kill him, the man declared his belief in Islam. Judging this to be the result of a fear of imminent death, Usama killed him. When told of the incident, the Messenger reprimanded Usama severely: “Did you cleave his heart open and see (if what you suspected is true)?” He repeated this so many times that Usama said later: “I wished I had not yet become a Muslim on the day I was scolded so severely” (Muslim, “Iman,” 158; Ibn Maja, “Fitan,” 1).

Likewise, once Abu Dharr got so angry with Bilal that he insulted him: “You son of a black woman!” Bilal came to the Messenger and reported the incident in tears. The Messenger reproached Abu Dharr: “Do you still have a sign of Jahiliya?” Full of repentance, Abu Dharr lay on the ground and said: “I won’t raise my head (meaning he wouldn’t get up) unless Bilal put his foot on it to pass over it.” Bilal forgave him, and they were reconciled (Bukhari, “Iman,” 22). Such was the brotherhood and humanity Islam created between once-savage people.

His Generosity

The Messenger is the most polished mirror in which God’s Names and Attributes are reflected to the highest degree. As the perfect manifestation of these Names and Attributes, an embodiment of the Qur’an and Islam, he is the greatest and most decisive and comprehensive proof of God’s Existence and Unity, and of the truth of Islam and the Qur’an. Those who saw him remembered God automatically. Each of his virtues reflected a Name or Attribute of God, and is a proof of his Prophethood. Like his mildness and forbearance, his generosity is another dimension of his excellent, matchless personality, a reflection and proof of his Prophethood.

The people of Arabia were renowned for their generosity even in pre-Islamic times. When we look at that era’s poetry, we see that the Arabs were proud of their generosity. However, their generosity was not for the sake of God or for an altruistic motive; rather, it was the cause of self-pride. But the Messenger’s generosity was purely for God’s sake. He never mentioned it, and did not like to have it mentioned. When a poet praised him for his generosity, he attributed whatever good he had or did to God. He never attributed his virtues and good deeds to himself.

The Messenger liked to distribute whatever he had. He engaged in trade until his Prophethood, and had considerable wealth. Afterwards, he and his wealthy wife Khadija spent everything in the way of God. When Khadija died, there was no money for her burial shroud. The Messenger had to borrow money to bury his own wife, the first person to embrace Islam and its first supporter (Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidaya, 3:158-59).

If the Messenger had desired, he could have been the richest man in Makka. But he rejected such offers without a second thought. Although God mandated that one-fifth of all war spoils should be at the Messenger’s free disposal, he never spent it on himself or his family. He and his family lived austerely and survived on scanty provisions, for he always gave preference to others.

The Messenger regarded himself a traveler in this world. Once he said: “What connection do I have with this world? I am like a traveler who takes shade under a tree and then continues on his way” (Bukhari, “Riqaq,” 3). According to him, the world is like a tree under which people are shaded. No one can live forever, so people must prepare here for the second part of the journey, which will end either in Paradise or Hell.

The Messenger was sent to guide people to truth, and so spent his life and possessions to this end. Once ‘Umar saw him lying on a rough mat and wept. When the Messenger asked him why he was weeping, ‘Umar replied: “O Messenger of God, while kings sleep in soft feather beds, you lie on a rough mat. You are the Messenger of God, and as such deserve an easy life more than anyone else.” He answered: “Don’t you agree that the luxuries of the world should be theirs, and that those of the Hereafter should be ours?” (Bukhari, “Tafsir,” 2; Muslim, “Talaq,” 31).

The Messenger was, in the words of Anas, “the most comely and generous person” (Muslim, “Fada’il,” 48; Bukhari, “Manaqib,” 23). Jabir ibn Samura reports: “Once we were sitting in the mosque, and a full moon was shining above us. The Messenger entered. I looked first at the moon and then at his face. I swear by God that his face was brighter than the moon” (Suyuti, Al-Khasa’is, 1:123; Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, 7:168).

The Messenger never refused anyone and, as Farazdak said, only said “no” when reciting the profession of faith while praying. Once, a bedouin came and asked the Messenger for something. The Messenger complied with his request. The bedouin continued to ask, and the Messenger continued to give until he had nothing left. When the bedouin asked again, he promised that he would give it to him when he had it. Angered by such rudeness, ‘Umar said to the Messenger: “You were asked and you gave. Again you were asked and you gave, until you were asked once more and you promised!” ‘Umar meant that the Messenger should not make things so difficult for himself. The Messenger did not approve of ‘Umar’s words. ‘Abdullah ibn Hudafa al-Sahmi stood up and said: “O Messenger, give without fear that the Owner of the Seat of Honor will make you poor!” Pleased with such words, the Messenger declared: “I was commanded to do so” (Ibn Kathir, 6:63).

He never refused a request, for it was he who said: “The generous are near to God, Paradise, and people, but distant from the Fire. The miserly are distant from God, Paradise, and people, but near to the Fire” (Tirmidhi, “Birr,” 40) and: “O people! Surely God has chosen for you Islam as religion. Improve your practice of it through generosity and good manners” (Hindi, 6:571).

His Modesty

In society, each person has a window (status) through which he or she looks out to see others and be seen. If the window is built higher than their real stature, people try to make themselves appear taller through vanity and assumed airs. If the window is set lower than their real stature, they must bow in humility in order to look out, see, and be seen. Humility is the measure of one’s greatness, just as vanity or conceit is the measure of low character. [2]

The Messenger had a stature so high that it could be said to touch the “roof of the Heavens.” Therefore, he had no need to be seen. Whoever travels in the realm of virtues sees him before every created being, including angels. Since he is the greatest of humanity, he is the greatest in modesty. This follows the well-knowing adage: “The greater one is, the more modest one is.”

He never regarded himself as greater than anybody else. Only his radiant face and attractive person distinguished him from his Companions. He lived and dressed like the poorest people and sat and ate with them, just as he did with slaves and servants. Once a woman saw him eating and remarked: “He eats like a slave.” The Messenger replied: “Could there be a better slave than me? I am a slave of God” (Haythami, Majma‘, 9:21).

One time when he was serving his friends, a bedouin came in and shouted: “Who is the master of this people?” The Messenger answered in such a way that he introduced himself while expressing a substantial principle of Islamic leadership and public administration: “The people’s master is the one who serves them.” Ali says that among people the Messenger was one of them. While the Muslims were building their mosque in Madina, the Prophet carried two sun-dried bricks; everyone else carried one (Bukhari, 1:111; Muslim, 2:65; Ibn Sa‘d, Tabaqat, 1: 240).

While digging the trench to defend Madina, the Companions bound a stone around their stomachs to quell their hunger; the Messenger bound two (Tirmidhi, “Zuhd,” 39). When a man seeing him for the first time began trembling out of fear, because he found the Prophet’s appearance so awe-inspiring, the Messenger calmed him: “Brother, don’t be afraid. I am a man, like you, whose mother used to eat dry bread” (Ibn Maja, “At'ima,” 30; Haythami, 9:20). Another time, an insane woman pulled him by the hand and said: “Come with me and do my housework.” He did so (Qadi ‘Iyad, Al-Shifa’, 1:131, 133). ‘A’isha reported that the Messenger patched his clothes, repaired his shoes, and helped his wives with the housework (Tirmidhi, Shama’il, 78; Ibn Hanbal, 6:256).

Although his modesty elevated him to the highest rank, he saw himself as an ordinary servant of God: “No one enters Paradise because of his or her deeds.” When asked if this was true for him as well, he said that he could enter Paradise only through the Mercy of God (Bukhari, “Riqaq,” 18). Humility is the most important aspect of the Messenger’s servanthood. He declared: “God exalts the humble and abases the haughty” (Hindi, Kanz al-‘Ummal, 3:113; Haythami, 10:325). ‘Ali describes the Messenger as:

He was the most generous person in giving, and the mildest and the foremost in patience and perseverance. He was the most truthful in speech, the most amiable and congenial in companionship, and the noblest of them in family. Whoever sees him first is stricken by awe, but whoever knows him closely is deeply attracted to him. Whoever attempts to describe him says: “I have never seen the like of him.” (Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 3880.)