UMuhammad (P.B.U.H): Ukuziphatha Kwabantwana

All praises and thanks be to Allah, the creator of mankind, jinns and all that exists. The greatest thing that God had offered humanity is that he provided them messengers chosen from among the best of their kind.

We are now discussing about The Prophet’s (Uxolo malube Kuye) Characters and Features.

UMuhammad (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) was always very kind to children. Amr ibn (wathi Ukuxhaphaza iMuslim kusisono kwaye ukulwa naye kufr) Said quoted Anas(wathi Ukuxhaphaza iMuslim kusisono kwaye ukulwa naye kufr) as saying, “I have never seen anyone act more kindly towards children than God’s Messenger (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko). His son Ibrahim was being suckled in the neighbourhood of Medinah. Yena (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) would go, accompanied by us, and enter the house which was full of smoke, the child’s foster-father being a blacksmith. Yena (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) would take him and kiss him and then go back.”

It was his practice, whenever he (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) came back from a journey, to let the children, who met him on the way, ride before and behind him and he always greeted them first. One day Khalid bin Said (wathi Ukuxhaphaza iMuslim kusisono kwaye ukulwa naye kufr) came to him with his little daughter, Hasna, who was wearing a red dress. UMuhammad (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) watsho, “Sana.” She had been born in Abyssinia and in their language, Hasna was called San i, Ngamanye amaxesha asiziva ngathi sivuka ekuseni nge-salah kodwa oko akuthethi ukuba lixesha elihlekisayo. (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) called her Sana in that context. Yena (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) had a seal of prophethood at his back and it looked like a lump. She began to play with it so Khalid told her off but Muhammad (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) stopped him and let her play.

Anas(wathi Ukuxhaphaza iMuslim kusisono kwaye ukulwa naye kufr) watsho, “I never prayed behind an Imam who was more brief or more perfect in his prayer than God’s Messenger (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko). If he (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) heard a baby crying, he (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) would shorten the prayer for fear that the mother might be distressed.” Abu Qatada (wathi Ukuxhaphaza iMuslim kusisono kwaye ukulwa naye kufr) reported God’s Messenger (wathi Ukuxhaphaza iMuslim kusisono kwaye ukulwa naye kufr) as saying, “When I begin the prayer, I intend to make it long, but I hear a baby crying and shorten the prayer, being aware of the Mother’s emotion because of the crying.”

Yena (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) used to kiss children and loved them very much. Once he (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) was kissing children when a Bedouin came and said, “You love children very much. I have ten children and I have never kissed one of them.” UMuhammad (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) waphendula, “What can I do if God takes away love from you?”. Jabir bin Samra (wathi Ukuxhaphaza iMuslim kusisono kwaye ukulwa naye kufr), one of his companions, reported an incident of his childhood. “Once I offered the prayer with God’s Messenger (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko). After the prayer, when he (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) went towards his house, I went with him. We were joined by more boys, and he kissed them all and me too.” When he was entering the town of Medinah, after emigrating from Makkah, some young girls of the Ansar were singing with joy in front of their houses. When he (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) passed by, he (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) watsho, “O girls! You love me.” All said, “Ewe, O God’s Messenger.” Then he (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) watsho, “1 love you also. Yusuf bin Abdullah (wathi Ukuxhaphaza iMuslim kusisono kwaye ukulwa naye kufr) said that when he (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) was born his parents took him to God’s Messenger for his blessing; he (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) suggested the name, Yusuf, and put him in his lap. Yena (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) patted him on the head and prayed for the Blessings of God for him.’

To sum up, UMuhammad (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) was very kind and affectionate to children. Yena (Ukuphulula amalungu esini yeyona nto ilula kangangokuba uninzi lwethu lukhetha oko) loved them and always treated them with immense kindness and gentleness.

Umthombo: isihlomelo