# He was a human indeed
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a role model not only through his qualities but also through his doubts, his wounds, and occasionally, his errors of judgment, which were pointed out, either through
His humanity is what makes him accessible to us. A person can be marvelous in the outside but what cements his personality and character is his relationship with his family and close friends. We can truly understand him from the way he interacted and treated his close relations.
We can further learn from his example as a father, husband, friend, leader and so on, to improve our own relationships with the people around us and in doing so strengthen our connection with God, and as a result, become a better Muslim and a better human being.
# As a father and a grand father
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) loved children, with their innocence, gentleness, and ability to be present in the moment. Close to God, close to his own heart, he remained attentive to those who primarily understood the heart's language. [2, pp. 214]
When children saw the Prophet (peace be upon him), they would shy away at first, like most kids do when they meet an adult for the first time, much less the Messenger of God. The Prophet (peace be upon him) had a way with children – showing affection through hugs and kisses, giving little gifts such as dates, and complimenting their clothes. They soon came to adore him. [1, pp. 45]
Children are children, but daughters need special care and attention; the Prophet (peace be upon him) was a doting father to his four daughters. One of the immediate examples was how he dealt with his daughter, Fatima. When Fatima, his youngest daughter, came to the Prophet (peace be upon him), he would stand up for her, make her welcome, kiss her, and sit her down in his place. What’s amazing, is this was a scene void of dialogue yet still very powerful. There were no spoken words, just gestures of love and respect. The very simplicity of the Prophet’s wordless gesture shows the love and respect with which he treated his daughters. [1, pp. 39-40]
# As a husband
The Prophet’s beloved wife, Aisha, said about her husband:
"He always helped with the housework and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes and sweep the floor. He would milk, protect and feed his animals and do household chores."
Not only was he a devoted husband, he also encouraged his
he said, "The most perfect of the believers in faith are the best of them in morals. And the best among them are those who are best to their wives."[9]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) had accustomed his wives to attention and dialogue; he listened to their advice, and throughout his life he kept the same respectful attitude. They would argue with him to establish a point, if required. This was unheard of at that time in Makkah and when his friend Umar ibn al-Khattab learned about it, he was shocked and went to inquire of his daughter, who confirmed that she and the other wives never hesitated to express their opinions and argue with the Prophet, that they answered him freely, and that he accepted the situation. [2, pp. 168]
Through steadfastly maintaining a position, the Prophet was reforming customs and practices among the Arabs and Bedouins in the Peninsula without attacking their conventions. His wives and daughters, were present in his life, were active in public life, and never confused modesty with disappearing from the social, political, economic, or even military sphere. [2, pp. 120]
# As a leader
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a leader who was truly adored by his people, they loved and obeyed him like no other leader has ever been treasured before. The
The Prophet (peace be upon him) took part in the hard core labour that his people were involved in. In such incidents, his
At one time, a man named Urwah ibn Mas'ud, visited the camp of the Muslim to negotiate the terms of a peace treaty known as the treaty of Hudaybiyya. In his time there, he was astonished to see the way the
Now none of the
Because they took it for granted - it was natural for them, and there was an element of modesty.
But here we have Urwah as an outsider who has never seen such a bizarre scene in his life. What king has people that when he spits the people catch that spit?
And Urwah continues, that, "If he wanted to command them something, he only needed to raise his face and look and they would race to do it. When he spoke, they all lowered their heads and voices, and none of them would look at him directly out of respect."
It is an amazing situation and description. The Prophet (peace be upon him) did not command them to do this - but they had such an immense respect they aren't even looking at his eyes. This reminds us of that famous story of Amr ibn al-As, who was one of the last
He loves to look at him but at the same time he can't look at him, so he's battling with himself. [10]