Part 101

The Prophet (pbuh) set a great example in rearing his children. He treated them kindly and affectionately. ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said,

"Once, a nomad came to the Prophet (pbuh) and

said, "You kiss your children but we do not. The

Prophet (pbuh) said, "What should I do with you if

Allah stripped mercy from your heart!?"

(Reported by Al-Bukhari) Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) also related,

"Once the Prophet (pbuh) kissed al-Hassan Ibn Ali before al-Agra Ibn Habis at-Tamimi. Al-Aqra~ wondered, "I have ten children but I have never kissed any one of them." Then the Prophet (pbuh} looked at him and said, "Whoever does not have mercy on people, Allah does not have mercy on him."

(Reported by Al-Bukhari) Whenever Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) enters the Prophet's room, he used to welcome her tenderly and kiss her.

Such a love is not consecrated for his daughters only but also for his grandsons and the whole Muslim children. Al-Bukhari reported that Usama Ibn Zayd Ibn Haritha related that the Prophet (pbuh) would hold

me and let me sit on one of his knees and al-Hassan on the other. Then he hugged us and said,

"Q Allah may You have mercy on them both because I have mercy on them." (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

Barida (may Allah be pleased with him) related,

€"One day, the Prophet (pbuh) was delivering a speech when al-Hassan and al-Hussain came joggling and falling in their red shirts until the Prophet (pbuh) get off and carried them up. Then he said Allah the Ever Truthful said, (Your riches and your children may be but a trial. , (At-Taghabun: 15)

When I noticed these two boys walking and falling I could not keep patient until I interrupted my speech and carried them up."

Al-Bukhari also reported on the authority of Abu Qutalah that he said,

"Once the Prophet went out carrying Umamah hint Abu al-As on his noble shoulder. Then he started to pray while she was still on his shoulder. When kneeling, he placed her and when raising he hoisted her."

The Prophet (pbuh) would also protrude his tongue to Al-Hassan Ibn Ali who in turn would notice the redness of the Prophet (pbuh) tongue and then hurry to him, When visiting his companions of the

- Helpers, he would be surrounded by children then he would supplicate Allah for them, wipe their heads and greet them.

All of these acts express the prophet's kind treatment and love towards children. Eventually, let us conclude this aspect of the prophet's life by the following astonishing account.

In Sahih Al-Bukhari, it is reported on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that,

"The Prophet (pbuh) entered upon his son, Ibrahim, while he was dying. Thereupon, the eyes of the Prophet (pbuh) started to shed tears. AbdurRahman ibn ‘Awf said to him, "You too, Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet (pbuh) commented, "O ibn ‘Awf, it is a mercy and repeated it twice and said, "The eyes shed tears, the heart is grieved, but we do not say anything except what pleases Allah and

Jor your death we are very sad, O Ibrahim." (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

When having a newborn child, the Prophet set a good example by slaughtering an animal to celebrate his birth. Likewise, he was also an example of patient father when his son died.

The Prophet As A Serious Father

In addition to being kind and affectionate towards his children, he was also a serious one when noticing any mistake or a danger engulfing them, For example, when the Prophet (pbuh) noticed his daughter. Fatima wearing a necklace of gold he got angry and did not greet her as usual. He advised her by saying,

"Would you like to be said that the daughter of Allah's Messenger wore a necklace of gold. Then the Prophet (pbuh) left her and went oul. Accordingly, Fatima sent it to the market to be sold and then bought a slave and freed him. When the Prophet knew that he said, "Praise be to Allah who saved Fatima from the fire.” (Reported by an-Nasai)

In the hadith concerning the Mukhzumi woman who committed a theft, the Prophet had a serious and severe attitude. No intermediary, however noble even if the issue concerns the nearest people to him, can intercede to abolish or relieve a punishment ordained by Allah. The Prophet (pbuh) rebuked the intercessor, Usama [bn Zayd, his beloved

"Do you intercede to vitiate a punishment leglized by Allah. Then he started to deliver a speech. He said, "O people, those who lived before you would only punish the weak when committing a theft and leave the noble. By Allah, had Fatima bint Muhmmad committed a theft, I would have cut off her hand."

Asma’ Bint Abu Bakr

She was the mother of ‘Abdullha ibn az-Zubair and the daughter of the first Muslim man to enter Islam after the Prophet (pbuh), Abu Bakr as-Siddiq. She was also the elder sister of ‘Aisha, the mother of the believers (may Allah be pleased with her). She was the seventeenth person to enter Islam. She gave pledge to the Prophet (pbuh) and firmly believed in him.

She was of a deep-rooted faith that she refused to receive her atheist mother, Qateelah or to accept her gift. Al-Bukhari and Muslim reported,

“Asma' bint Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) once asked the Prophet (pbuh), "My mother came to me while she was an atheist during the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh) I asked him about her. I said, "Vy mother came willingly to me. Would I keep good ties with her? He replied, "Yes, keep good ties with your mother." (Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim)

She (may Allah be pleased with her) was called the possessor of the two scarves because she split her scarf into two parts in order to deliver food and water to the Prophet (pbuh) and her father, Abu Bakr in the Thawr cave when immigrating to Madina.

When the Prophet (pbuh) set out for Madina accompanied by Asma's father, the latter took all what he had of property and left

nothing to his family.

Then Abu Quhafa, her grandfather came to her and said, "this man put you in adversity. He deprived you of himself and property. Asma’ bravely replied, "No, he he left so much to us." She covered some stones and brought them to her blind grand father and said, "This is

what he left. Thereby, the old man sald, "There is no blame if left that." By such device she reassured the old man.

Before the Prophet (pbuh) immigrated to Madina, the enemies had plotted for his life. He had already sent his followers to Madina. Ali Ibn Abu Talib had volunteered to face his enemies in his house. His single companion, as we know, was Abu Bakr. They two concealed themselves in the cave of Thawr three miles from Makka, for three nights, with the enemy prowling around in great numbers in fruitless search of them. Asma', the daughter of Abu Bakr provided them with food and water during their stay there.

Abu Jahl came furious and enraged with anger to enforce Asma’ to tell him the hidden place of her father. But she kept silent and faced him bravely.

Failing to make her confess, he slapped her so violently that her necklace fell down. Then he had nothing to do but to leave enraged with anger.

Asma' soon joined the Muslim community at Madina. No sooner did she arrive there than she gave birth to her son, Abullah, the first

At the beginning of her marital life she was so poor that she had to serve her husband, Az-Zubair ibn al-Awwam, bake the bread, clean the home and feed the horse.

Narrated Asma’ bint Abu Bakr (may Allah with her):

When Az-Zubair married me, he had not real Property or anything else except a camel, which drew water from the well, and his horse. I used to Jeed his horse with fodder and drew water and sew the bucket for drawing it, and prepare the dough, but I did not know how to bake bread. So our Ansari neighbouress used to bake bread for me, and they were honorable ladies. I used to carry the date stones on my head from Zubair's land to him by Alla's Messenger and this land was two third

Farsakh (about two miles) from my house. One day, while I was coming with the date stones on my head, I met Allah's Messenger along with some Ansari people. He called me and then, (directing his camel to kneel down) said, "Ikh! Ikh!" so as to make me ride behind him (on his camel). I felt siny to travel with the men and remembered Az-Zubair and his sense of Ghira, for he had the greatest sense of Ghira of all the people. Allah's Messenger (pbuh) noticed that I felt shy, so he proceeded. I came to Az-Zubair and said, "I met Allah's Messenger (pbuh) while I was carrying a load of date stones on my, and he had some companions with him. He made his camel kneel down so that I might ride, but I felt shy in his presence and remembered your sense of Ghira on that Az-Zubair said, "By Allah, your carrying the date-stones (and you being seen by the Prophet (pbuh) in such a state) is more shameful to me than your riding with him." (I continued serving in this way) untill Abu Bakr sent me a srevant to look after the horse, whereupon I felt as if he had set me free."

Later on Za-Zubayr became a wealthy man. His property was sold

after his death for about forty million dirhams. She was so generous that when felling ill she would wait until she recovered and then free her

She took part in the battle of Yarmuk and fought bravely. She also kept a dagger to defend herself when thieves appeared in Madina at the time of Sa'id Ibn AlAs.

As for her fortitude, it can be represented in her words to her son, ‘Abdullah when consulting her about Al-Hajjaj siege to Makka. She was a hundred years old and was blind by then. “Abdullah addressed her saying, "O mother, the people abandoned me; only a few of them

who still support me. However, they could no longer fight than an hour on my part.”

The other party offers to give me whatever I ask of worldly benefits. What do you see, mother? She replied, "You know yourself best. If you realized that you are right and calling for the truth, you would better go on. It is the issue for which your fellows passed away. Do not surrender your neck to Banu Umayyah to play it. But if you just wanted a worldly benefit you would be the worst man who demolished himself and his fellows. ‘Abdullah said, "By Allah, this is also my opinion, mother." But I fear to suffer crucifixion after death." She replied, "Skinning a slaughtered goat does not bring it pain." Off you go and seek Allah's help."