The Tolerance of the Prophet

The Tolerance of the Prophet
(May Allah’s Salat and Peace Be upon Him!)

Sheikh Dr Maher al-Me’eqli

27/01/1438 (28/10/2016G)

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Khutbah Topic

His Eminence Sheikh Maher ibn Hamad al-Me’eqli –May Allah protect him– delivered this Friday khutbah titled “The Tolerance of the Prophet (May Allah’s Salat and Peace Be upon Him!)” in which he talked about the tolerance of Islam as represented by the Prophet May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him! He mentioned certain situations in which his tolerance ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ manifested itself.

Part One

Praise is due to Allah Who blessed us with Islam and made tolerance therein a way of life to mankind. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah alone with no associate; He honoured us with this religion and decreed that we follow His clear Guidance. I also bear witness that our Prophet, Muhammad, is His Servant and Messenger. He sent him as a Mercy for the Worlds (humans and jinn). May Allah send His Salat and Peace upon him, his family ‒the first as well as the later generations‒ his magnanimous and auspicious Companions and upon all those who follow in their footsteps until the Day of Judgement!

Now then, O you believers!

I do exhort you as well as myself to observe taqwa (fear) of Allah ‒to Whom belong Might and Majesty.

O Muslim Ummah!

In today’s world, we are witnessing attempts to smear Islam and Muslims and pin false accusations thereon, branding Muslims as bigoted, sectarian, violent and tenacious although Islam is free from all of these. Islam is the religion of mercy, justice, tolerance and love. Ibn Abbas –May Allah be pleased with him and his father– narrated that the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– was asked: “Which religion is dearest to Allah, the Almighty?”

“Al-Haneefiyah Al-Samha,”1 he answered. [Narrated by Imam Ahmad with a good chain of narration] It is Haneefiyah in monotheism, tolerant in practice.

When the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– dispatched Mu’ath and Abu Mousa to Yemen, he told them: “Adopt the easy way, and not the hard way! Be bearers 1 ‘Al-Haneefiyah Al-Samha’ means upright, true, monotheistic, and tolerant religion. In Islamic history, the term often refers to the beliefs of the pre-Islamic believers in monotheism in Arabia. There are many verses in the Holy Qur’an which describe Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham ‒Peace be upon him) as being “Haneef”.

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of good tidings, and do not scare people away! Show agreement with each other, and not differences.” [An agreed-upon hadith]

Allah, the Almighty, told us the truth when he said:

Allâh does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify you, and to complete His Favour on you that you may be thankful [Al-Ma’idah: 6]

Ibn Katheer –May Allah bless his soul– said:

“That is to say: ‘that you may be thankful’ to Him for His Graces: the flexibility, leniency, compassion, easing and tolerance which He has prescribed to you.”

Here is the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– urging people to be tolerant in their dealings (with people), adopt sublime ethical standards, and shun dispute and supplicating Allah to bestow mercy upon those who heed his counsel. In his Sahih (Book of hadith), Al-Bukhari, quoting Jabir –May Allah be pleased with them– narrated that the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– said: “May Allah have mercy upon the one who is magnanimous when he sells, buys or litigates.”

Whenever the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– was given a choice between two things, he would, unless it was sinful, choose the easier one. Jabir ‒May Allah be pleased with him and his father‒ said: “The Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– was a man with a docile temperament.”

Commenting on Jabir’s statement, Al-Nawawi –May Allah bless his soul– said:
“That means he was agreeable, with high moral standards, kind, pliable.” Allah, the Almighty, addressed him thus: And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are on an exalted standard of character. [Al-Qalam: 4]

This magnanimity and this mercy ‒O servants of Allah‒ are embodied in various facets of the Prophet’s life: in his religious observances and dealings (with people), in his behavior and morality with his relatives and Companions, and with his friends and enemies. The Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– was a Mercy for all mankind regardless of their race or religion.

During the grand Battle of Badr, Abu Al-‘As ibn Al-Rabi’ –the Prophet’s son-in-law, his daughter Zainab’s husband– was taken prisoner with other polytheist prisoners. When the Makkans sent to negotiate the release of their prisoners, Zainab sent ransom money in exchange for her husband Abu Al-‘As. She sent a necklace which was offered to her by her mother Khadijah as a wedding gift. When the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– saw it, he felt much pity for her, prayed Allah to have Mercy upon Khadijah, and said to his Sheikh Dr Maher al-Me’eqli 27/01/1438 (28/10/2016G)

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Companions:
“If only you could set her prisoner free and give her back what is hers?” “O yes, Messenger of Allah,” they replied. [Narrated by Abu Dawood with a good chain of narration, from a hadith reported by Aisha –May Allah please her and be pleased with her!] In the two Sahihs (collections of hadith: one by Imam Al-Bukhari and the other by Imam Muslim) and in the Musnad (a collection of hadith) of Imam Ahmad, Jabir –May Allah be pleased him and his father– is reported as saying: “We were with the Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– at Thaat Al-Riqaa’ and whenever we found a shadowy tree, we would leave it to the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– A polytheist man surreptitiously sneaked on the Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– and, brandishing his sword, he asked him: ‘Who can protect you from me?’ ‘Allah,’ he replied. The sword fell from the man’s hand, and the Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– picked it up and asked him: ‘Who can protect you from me?’ ‘Be like the best of takers,’ the man answered. ‘Will you bear witness that there is no deity except Allah?’ he asked the man. ‘No,’ the man replied, ‘but I give you my word not to fight against you and not to be with those who fight against you,’ the man added. The Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– then let him go.” Jabir continued: “When the man went back to his folks, he said: ‘I was with the most honourable of mankind.’”

The Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– did not force the man to embrace Islam, nor did he punish him for what he did. Thus, faith got into his heart and when he went back to his folks, many people were guided to Islam through him.

Another feature of the Prophet’s great sense of tolerance is his supplication to Allah to guide the hearts of the mushrikeen (polytheists) to Islam. In the two Sahihs on the basis of a hadith reported by Abu Huraira –May Allah be pleased with him: “Al-Tufail and his friends came to the Prophet and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Daus (a tribe) have rejected faith and adhered to kufr (unbelief), so would you invoke Allah’s wrath to fall upon them? It was said: “Daus are doomed! Daus are doomed!” The Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– said: “O Allah! Guide Daus and bring them over! O Allah! Guide Daus and bring them over!”

The Jews paid attention to this fact, so they would fake sneezing in the company of the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– hoping that he would invoke Allah to grant them mercy. The Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– did not deprive  them from his supplication to Allah to lead them to guidance and righteousness. In the Sunan (a collection of hadith) of Al-Tirmidhi, with a sound chain of narration, Abu Mousa Al-Ash’ari –May Allah be pleased with him– is reported to have said: “The Jews used to fake sneezing in the company of the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– in the hope that he would say to them: “Yarhamukum Allah!” (May Allah have mercy Sheikh Dr Maher al-Me’eqli 27/01/1438 (28/10/2016G)

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upon you!).” However, the Prophet would say: “May Allah guide you and set your thoughts right!”

Allah has told the Truth when He said:

And We have sent you (O Muhammad SAW) not but as a mercy for the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists) [Al-Anbiya’: 107]

The Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– was the best in moral character, broadmindedness, truthfulness, leniency, and companionship. He had a smiling face; he was kind and was always keeping in touch with his relations. He was keen on peace and on spreading the greeting of peace; he did not like it for anyone to give up his place for him (out of respect) but would take the closest place available. He would socialise with people to guide them to observe honesty and forbid them from cheating and treachery. He was very friendly and always ready to forgive other people’s faults and accept their apologies. If he was told of somebody’s misdemeanour, he would not retort with abomination, but would say: “Why is it that some people do this and that?”

The Messenger of Allah was friendly to those around him to the extent that each one of them would think that he was the dearest to him. He would consult people of good sense and judgement amongst them, though he was distinguished by the support of the Divine Revelation.

He would take part in whatever his Companions do and endure whatever of hardships they endure. The rightly-guided Caliph, Othman ‒May Allah please him and be pleased with him‒ summarised the magnanimity of the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ in the following terms: “I swear to Allah that we have accompanied the Messenger of Allah ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ while journeying or residing. He would visit the sick amongst us, follow our funerals, join us in conquests, and console us as much as he could in all sad occasions.” [This hadith was narrated by Imam Ahmad through a good chain of narrators]