The Prophet’s smile
Prophet Muhammad smiled, often and with real joy. In fact he smiled so regularly that his smile and kind demeanor are mentioned time and time again in stories from his traditions.
Abdullah ibn Harith (may God be pleased with him) said, “I never came across a person who smiled as much as Prophet Muhammad . Prophet Muhammad regarded smiling to a brother as an act of charity.” (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi). Jarir ibn Abdullah (may God be pleased with him) said, “The Messenger of God never refused me permission to see him since I embraced Islam and never looked at me except with a smile (on his face).” (Narrated by Muslim).
When one of Prophet Muhammad’s companions was asked if he sat with the Prophet he replied, “Yes, very often. He (the Prophet) used to sit at the place where he observed the morning or dawn prayer till the sun rose or when it had risen; he would stand, and they (his companions) would talk about matters (pertaining to the days) of ignorance, and they would laugh (about these matters) while (the Prophet) only smiled.” (Narrated by Muslim).
One of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad talks about his relationship with the Prophet when he (the companion) was a young boy. Anas (may God be pleased with him) said, “The Messenger of God was one of the best men in character. One day he sent me to do something and I said that I swear by God that I will not go. But in my heart I felt that I should go to do what the Messenger of God had commanded me; so I went out and came upon boys playing in the street. All of a sudden the Messenger of God, who had come from behind, caught me by the back of the neck and when I looked at him he was laughing.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud).
The Prophet Muhammad had a kind and gentle nature. His beloved wife Aisha (may God be pleased with her) described his character as the Koran, meaning that the Prophet lived by the teachings of the Koran. Thus the behavior and personality of the Prophet Muhammad are the best examples for us to follow in our own lives. A companion who spent more than 10 years with the Prophet said, “Throughout my stay with him I never heard an indecent word from his lips and never found him rude to anyone. He spoke very politely. He was kind to everyone.” The Prophet’s natural disposition led him to smile and laugh along with the people around him.
