The Messenger of Allah’s ﷺ Conduct Towards Those Who Served Him (Final Part)

The Messenger of Allah’s صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم conduct towards those who served him

(2nd and final part)

Mawlana Nasir Jamal Attari Madani

…continued

(3) It is common for people in our society to adopt a harsh attitude towards domestic helpers, such that these poor people consider themselves lucky if they can escape and go somewhere far. The beloved Prophetصَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم treated those who served him in such a good manner that they considered it an honour to draw closer to him and sacrifice their life for him. An example can be seen in the form of Sayyidunā Zayd b. Ḥārithah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ. At the age of eight, he was captured by the enemies and sold at the market, where he was purchased by Sayyidunā Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, who then gifted him to his paternal aunt: Sayyidatunā Khadījah al-Kubrā رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا.

After Sayyidatunā Khadījah al-Kubrā رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا married the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, she appointed Sayyidunā Zayd رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ to serve the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. When Sayyidunā Jabalah b. Ḥāritha رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ came to know that his younger brother is a servant in the Prophetic court, he came to take him and said, “O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, send my brother Zayd with me!”

The Greatest and Final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied, “He is here. If he wishes to go with you, I will not stop him.”

Hearing this, Sayyidunā Zayd رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ declared, “O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, I will not give preference to anyone else over you.”

Sayyidunā Jabalah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ mentions, “I considered the opinion of my brother better than mine [because I advised him to leave the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, but he sought to remain close to him. Thus, his opinion was better than mine as he chose the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم.”[1]

(4) People desire for their servants to fulfil their needs without them having to say anything. On the other hand, they do not want to have anything to do with fulfilling even the most urgent needs of their servants. The way of the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم was to be mindful of the needs of his servants. He صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would ask them if they needed anything.

Once, a servant said, “O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, I need something!”

He صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked, “What do you need?”

The servant responded, “That you intercede for me on the Day of Judgement.”

He صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Who guided you about this matter?”

“My Lord”, replied the man.

So, the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم stated, “Of course! So, help me by prostrating a lot.”[2]

(5) The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would also make duꜤāˈ for his servants. On one such occasion, Sayyidatunā Umm Sulaym رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا requested, “O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, Anas (رَضِىَ اللهُ عَـنْهُ) serves you. So, make duꜤāˈ for him.”

Thus, the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم made duꜤāˈ, “O Allah Almighty, increase him in his wealth and offspring, and grant him blessings in what You have granted him.”[3]

Sayyidunā RabīꜤah رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ mentions:

I would serve the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, and my entire day would be spent in fulfilling his needs to the point that he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would offer Ꜥishāˈ salah. After Ꜥishāˈ salah, he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم would go to his home, and I would sit at his door, thinking that perhaps he might need something. I would listen to his voice for some time and hear him saying, “سُبْحَانَ اللّٰہ، سُبْحَانَ اللّٰہ،سُبْحَانَ اللّٰہ وَبِحَمْدِہِ.” This would continue until I became tired and returned, or I was overcome with sleep.[4]

Sayyidunā RabīꜤah Aslamī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ, as per his routine, came to the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم at night with water for wudu. The Prophetic mercy was at its peak, and so the Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم declared, “Ask!” Because RabīꜤah Aslamī رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ was a Companion, he would witness the greatness of the Prophet’s authority with his own eyes, and he knew that this is where no plea is rejected and where no conditions are placed. Thus, he رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ said, “I ask you for your companionship in Paradise.”

The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم asked, “Is there anything else?”

“Just this,” he replied.

So, the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم instructed him, “Help me in your matter through prostrating abundantly.”[5]

(6) Another aspect of the Holy Prophet’s صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم beautiful conduct towards those who served him was that he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم visited them when they fell ill. There was a Jewish boy who used to serve the Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم. The boy once fell ill, so the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم went to visit him. Sitting by his head, the Greatest and Final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم advised him to accept Islam.

The boy looked towards his father, who said, “Accept whatever Abū al-Qāsim صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is saying.”

Thus, the boy accepted Islam. When the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم left and came outside, he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Praise be to Allah, the One who saved the boy from Hell.”[6]

Just as the Greatest and Final Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم practically taught us how to treat this often-marginalised section of society, he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم also mentioned their rights through his blessed words. Here are some narrations in this regard:

1. Emphasising the importance of paying wages quickly, the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said, “Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries.”[7]

2. The Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم warned against not paying wages or not paying them in full. He صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said that Allah Almighty states: “There are three types of people whom I will advocate against on the Day of Judgement: (1) The one who took an oath in My name and then broke it. (2) The one who sold a free person and ate his price. (3) The one who employed someone and made him do the full job but did not pay him.”[8]

3. The Greatest Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم encouraged overlooking mistakes, even if they are made repeatedly. Someone once asked the Holy Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, “O Messenger of Allah صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم, how many times should I forgive my servant?”

“Seventy times every day,” he صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم replied.[9]

4. The Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم referred to servants as our brothers and strongly advised that we treat them well. He صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم said:

Your servants are your brothers, and Allah Almighty has placed them under your supervision. So, the one who has a brother (servant) under his supervision, he should feed him from his own food and clothe him from his own clothes, and he should not burden him with a responsibility that will render him incapable. And if he gives him the responsibility of doing something that makes him incapable, he should help him.[10]

The fourth Caliph of Islam, Sayyidunā ꜤAlī b. Abī Ṭālib رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُ states, “The final words of Allah’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم were ‘salah, salah [i.e. remain mindful of it]; fear Allah Almighty regarding those [slaves] who are in your ownership.’”[11]

May Allah Almighty grant us a share of the Beloved Prophet’s صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم beautiful character.

اٰمِیْنْ بِجَاہِ خاتَمِ النَّبِیّٖن صلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہ ِوَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّمَ