The Prophetic Mercy and Compassion

29/03/2010| IslamWeb

The great mercy and compassion of the Prophet, , were always dominant during difficult situations - when suffering reaches its climax, pressing the soul violently to be cruel and the heart to announce apathy. Nevertheless, the great soul and great mercy of the Prophet, , always remained dominant.

In a Hadeeth on the authority of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, she asked the Prophet, ,“Have you lived a day that was harder on you than the day of the Battle of Uhud?”The Prophet, replied:

 

Your people certainly troubled me a lot, but the most difficult day was the day of ‘Aqabah, when I introduced myself to Ibn ‘Abd Yaaleel bin ‘Abd Kulaal and he did not respond to my request, so I departed with overwhelming sorrow. I did not get hold of myself until I reached Qarn Ath-Tha‘aalib where I lifted up my head to the sky to see a cloud shading me. I looked up and saw Jibreel in it. He called me saying, ‘Allah has heard what your people have said to you and what they replied to you. Allah The Almighty has sent the Angel of the Mountains to you so that you may order him to do whatever you wish to these people.’ The Angel of the Mountains called and greeted me, and then said, ‘O Muhammad, order what you wish. If you wish, I will collapse two mountains over them.’ [The Prophet replied]: ‘No. I hope that Allah will enable them to beget children who will worship Him alone and will worship none beside Him.’[Al-Bukhari]

 

The physical injuries that the Prophet, , received on the Day of Uhud were severe, but the psychological wounds that he received on the day of At-Taa’if were far severer. On that day, he faced what caused him to suffer much on the intellectual level, to the extent that he was absorbed in thinking from At-Taa’if to the far away Qarn Ath-Tha‘aalib.

 

This supplication revealed that Tawheed (monotheism) was firmly established in the heart of the Prophet, . It also showed to what extent the Prophet, , was devoted to Allah The Almighty. The pleasure of Allah The Almighty was his supreme objective and the highest end to which all ends should be aimed. Hence, if this affliction was meant to bring about the pleasure of Allah The Almighty and avoid His anger, then affliction was welcome, and would in fact be a blessing.

 

Then, the Prophet, , concluded the supplication he made on that day with the following great words: “And there is no power and no strength save in You‎.” The Prophet, , taught his Companions to say these words when facing any disaster or hardship. They mean that no believer can move from hardship to ease or from fear to the security of being close to Allah The Almighty, without His help and support. They also mean that no one has the ability to endure hardship or face difficulty without the help of Allah The Almighty.

 

Supplication is one of the greatest acts of worship and an effective weapon in defending man and guaranteeing his security. No matter how smart and intelligent the human mind is, it is subject to mistakes and failures. Sometimes a Muslim may find himself completely unable to think or plan. During such times, there is no way out but to resort to Allah The Almighty through supplication to find relief. When the Prophet, , suffered harm, expulsion, mockery and he wandered, he asked for the help of Allah The Almighty through supplication. Once he finished, his supplication was answered by Allah The Almighty who sent him Jibreel, may Allah exalt his mention, and the Angel of the Mountains.