A Mercy For All Creatures

Mercy for Orphans

Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) was kind to all people and asked his
followers to be the same. He was especially kind to orphans and asked his
companions to be kind to them. Thauban reported Allah's Messenger as saying,
"Only supplication averts the decree (of fate), only kindness prolongs life,
and a man is deprived of provision for a fault he has committed."

Ibn Omar reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "A Muslim is a Muslim's
brother; he does not wrong him. If anyone cares for his brother's need,
Allah will take care of his need; if anyone relieves his brother's anxiety,
Allah will remove from him one of his anxieties on the Day of Resurrection;
and if anyone conceals a Muslim's secrets, Allah will conceal his secrets on
the Day of Resurrection."

Abu Hurairah reported Allah's Messenger as saying, ‘The best house among the
Muslims is one where an orphan is well treated, and the worst house among
the Muslims is one where an orphan is badly treated."

Abu Omamah reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "If anyone caresses an
orphan by moving his fingers in his hair, doing so only for God's sake, he
will have blessings for every hair over which his hand passes and if anyone
treats well ail orphan girl or boy under his care, he and I shall be like
these two in Paradise," putting two of his fingers together.

Abu Hurairah reported Allah's Messenger as saying, He who strives to serve a
widow and a poor person is like the one who strives in Allah's way." He also
reported that when a man complained to the Messenger of Allah of being
hardhearted he said, "Show affection to the orphans and feed the poor."

Mercy for Enemies & Unbelievers

Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) treated everybody, friend or foe, with
kindness and taught his companions to do likewise. It is reported by Abu
Basra Ghifari that when he was a non-believer he came to Madinah and stayed
as a guest of the Messenger of Allah. He drank milk from all his
goats at night but the Prophet did not say a word. That night he and all his
family slept hungry.

A similar incident is reported by Abu Hurairah. One night a non-believer
stayed as a guest of the Noble Prophet. One by one, he drank milk of all the
seven goats, but the Prophet did not show any sign of anger or dislike
towards him. Perhaps due to the Prophet's behaviour, next morning, the man
embraced Islam and was satisfied with the milk of only one goat.

Abu Hurairah's mother, who lived with him in Madinah was a non-believer. She
used to abuse the Noble Prophet, about which Abu Hurairah complained to him,
but he prayed for her. Bilal was very close to Prophet Muhammad and managed
his household. One day an unbeliever called him a Negro and said that he
would not rest until he had made him tend his goats for him. Prophet
Muhammad heard this conversation but did not say anything to the unbeliever.

The problem of hypocrites in Madinah was a great test for the Prophet and
his companions, but he always treated them kindly and with great
consideration. Abdullah Ibn Obayy and his followers embraced Islam, but at
heart they were unbelievers and never really accepted Islam. Their behaviour
at the time of the Battle of Uhud and on many other occasions was damaging
to the cause of Islam, but Prophet Muhammad always treated them with
kindness. When Abdullah Ibn Obayy died, Prophet Muhammad gave his cloak for
his shroud.

Jews were extremely hostile to Prophet Muhammad and his mission, but he was
always kind to them. Once he went to the house of a Jew to visit his sick
son. He invited the boy to Islam but the boy looked towards his father for
his permission. His father gave him permission and the boy embraced Islam.
Once when the funeral of a Jew was passing, the Prophet stood up as a mark
of respect for the dead. Once a Jew complained to him that a Muslim had
slapped him. He called that Muslim at once and reprimanded him.

In the valley of Hudaibiyah while Prophet Muhammad was saying the morning
prayer with his companions, seventy or eighty unbelievers came down quietly
from the mountain of Taneem in order to kill the Muslims during prayer. They
were caught and brought before him. He treated them well and released them
all.

In fact, he treated all people with kindness under all circumstances and
never showed any ill-will towards anyone or ill-treated anyone. Makhul
reported Allah's Messenger as saying, "The believers are gentle and kind
like a pliant camel which, when guided, lets itself be guided and when made
to sit, even on stones, does so." Mu’aadh said, "The last injunction Allah's
Messenger gave him when he put his foot in the stirrup was. "Treat people
well, O Muadh."


And Those who strive in Our ( Cause ) - We will certainly guide them to Our
PATHS: For verily Allah is with those who do right. (Qur'an 29:69)

"Oh Allah, I seek refuge in You lest I misguide others, or I am misguided by
others, lest I cause others to err or I am caused to err, lest I abuse
others or be abused, and lest I behave foolishly or meet with the
foolishness of others". (Abu-Dawud, Ibn Majah, Nasa'i, At-Termithi see also
Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/152 and Sahih Ibn Majah 2/336)