TAG: Sunnah
So Kar Uthne Ki Sunnatain
The Purpose Of Our Existence
We know that the One God exists and we know that we are a product of His creation. But we often forget to remember that we were created for a specific purpose. If ten of us try to find out what our purpose is on our own, without considering the Revelation, we might find ten different purposes. However, if we look at the Qur’an, we will find out that the purpose of our lives is clearly defined.
Allah The Most High says, “O Mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (i.e. those who have taqwaa – piety).” Al-Baqarah (2):21
And He said, “And I created not the Jinns and mankind except that they may worship Me (Alone).” Adh-Dhaariyaat (51):56
Allah Ta`aalaa also says in the Qur’an: “Blessed be He in Whose Hand is the dominion, and He is able to do all things. Who has created death and life, that He may test which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving.” Al-Mulk (67):1-2
These verses where revealed to us by Allah in order to inform us of why we are here on the Earth, what we should be doing and where we are heading. Not to benefit Himself, or because He needs our worship. Rather, because we are in need of Him.
Allah Ta`aalaa says, “O mankind! It is you who stand in need (who are poor) of Allah, but Allah is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all praise.” Faatir (35):15
What is meant by “to test which of you is best in deed”? Al-Fudayl Ibn `Iyyaad said, “The best deed is that which is most devoted and most proper.” He was asked, “How should it be most devoted and most proper?”, and he responded, “For if the deed was devoted but was not proper it would not be accepted, and if it was proper but was not devoted it would not be accepted; the devoted is to be for Allah alone, and the proper is to be in compliance with As-Sunnah.”
We were created for this one reason: to worship Allah and to strive to be the best in deed. It is not only a matter of how many deeds we do, it is also a matter of quality. Should we take for granted that our deeds are accepted or should we strive to perfect them and make them pure for Allah’s sake and in accordance to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him)?
Allah Ta`aalaa says in the Qur’an: “Say (O Muhammad): “Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds?” al-Kahf (18):103-104
And He said, “Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are al-Muttaqoon (i.e. those who have taqwaa).” Al-Maa’idah (5):27
A scholar said, “there are those who think that this Universe has founded itself or it came to exist by co-incidence. This necessitates that man “has no goal to fulfill” because he came into being without a defined goal! Consequently, a moral or a value system becomes meaningless. Accordingly, man is just a responding “tool” for “mother nature” which, according to Darwin himself, “acts haphazardly”! This way of thinking is aimlessness, and it occurs when man does not recognize his relation with the One who had created life and death, the Universe, and everything around man, all in due proportion.”
We have to remember that Allah created death and life so that we may worship Him (i.e. obey Allah Ta`aalaa in all which He commands through the tongue of the Messengers, performing all that Allah loves and is Pleased with from statements and actions – both inner and outer), and perform that worship in the best manner. That is what our objective should be. Instead of contradicting the purpose of man’s existence and acting for the sake of perishable worldly interests, we must fulfill its completion. This worship includes all our acts, our sleep, our studies, our recreation and specific forms of worship defined by the Qur?an and Sunnah. Our period here is short and being slave to worldly gains results in corruption of our souls, constant difficulty, worry and poverty.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Allah says: Son of Adam: fill your time with My worship and I will fill your heart with richness, and end off your poverty. But if you do not, I would make your hands fully busy (i.e. in worldly affairs) and I would not end off your poverty.” (At-Tirmidhee, hasan hadeeth)
Moreover, Allah has given us choice and has not forced us to do our acts. He says, “Then whosoever wills let him believe, and whosoever wills let him disbelieve.” al-Kahf (18):29
Clearly, we have been informed of our purpose and were shown the way to achieve it. The choice is ours.
He Who Kneels Before Allah Can Stand Before Anyone
Bismillaahi wa’Alaa barakatillahi (“[I am eating] In the name of Allah (swt) and with the blessings of Allah (swt)”). These words are spoken before taking a meal to express our gratitude for the food on our table.
Food is life, a gift from Allah (swt) given to humans for sustenance. The Qur’an states “O believers, eat the clean things we have provided you, be grateful to Allah if you sincerely want to obey Him” (7:158).
The resources that Allah (swt) has provided to us are His gifts, and by respecting them, we are in turn being grateful to Allah (swt). No human can produce his own sustenance; we are, in essence, living off of the fruits of the earth, which are gifts from Allah. The food which we garner from the earth is our only means of sustenance. Without that food, we cannot survive. Hence, we owe our everyday existence to Allah, for Allah is our Provider and our Sustainer, ar-Razzaq being one of His many names.
According to the Qur’an and Sunnah, Muslims must follow certain etiquette, before, during and after eating, not only to be satiated with what is given to us, but also to be grateful and appreciative of the gifts of food and life that Allah (swt) has blessed us with. During a meal, Muslims have to abide by certain protocol to show their gratitude towards Allah (swt) and respect for His gifts. Prophet Mohammad (saw) said “mention the Name of Allah and eat with your right hand, and eat of the dish which is nearer to you (Bukhari VII; 65:288). In the Qur’an, Allah (swt) says, “Eat and drink but do not waste by excess, for Allah does not love the wasters” (VII: 31). Islamic law emphasizes the importance of remembering and thanking Allah (swt) while eating and only consuming enough food to survive. “A Muslim eats in one intestine (i.e. he is satisfied with a little food) while a Kafir (unbeliever) eats in seven intestines (eats much)” (Bukhari VII, 65:308).
Gluttony is considered wasteful. When one has greater access and availability of food and resources, one should take only what is necessary to sustain oneself without over-consumption. If there is an excess of food, then one must distribute it to the needy instead of hoarding or throwing it away.
Many of us are guilty of leaving food on our plates and trashing leftovers from the refrigerator. The amount of food wasted by well-off people could easily feed the famished stomachs of young children all around the world. Homelessness and starvation could lessen if charity were practiced locally. Major epidemics, famine and hunger could also be reduced if the right steps were taken to distribute food evenly round the world instead of having the wealthy few cache a majority of the resources. If charity were practiced more frequently, and an understanding that food and resources of this world are a blessing and gift from Allah (swt) were more widespread, then may be food shortage and hunger wouldn’t be so widespread today.
As the centuries have passed, people who can afford to, eat more, while those who can’t are left famished and dying. It is important to understand that Allah (swt) is the Sustainer of life and provides many of us with resources so we can preserve our lives. How we use the gifts of Allah (swt) is important. If we throw away these gifts instead of carefully cherishing them and sharing them with the needy, then we are disrespecting Allah’s gifts and being ungracious.
Because food is the key to life, Allah (swt) has outlined rules for us to respect food and treat it as a valuable and important part of our lives. Remembering Allah (swt) for His gift is integral to understanding the value of food. When Muslims are done with their meals, they must say, “Al-hamdu lill’hilladhi at-amana’ wasaq’n’ waja-alana minal muslimin.” (“All praise is due to Allah (swt) who gave us food and drink and made us Muslims”) (Tirmidhi). It is our duty to show our gratitude for our food by sharing it with others, thus showing our thankfulness to Allah for our gift of life.
By Mahruq Siddiqui
SIDDIQUI is a UC Irvine Alumna with a B.S. in Information and Computer Science.
Eating And Drinking With The Right Hand, And The Prohibition Of Eating With The Left Hand
We have hitherto come across the Prophets words to Umar Ibn Abee Salamah (ra), O young boy, mention Allah’s name, eat with your right hand, and eat from what is next to you. In another Hadeeth, Jaabir Ibn Abdullah (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (saas) said:
Do not eat with the left (hand), for indeed Shaitaan eats with the left (hand). 1
And in yet another Hadeeth, Umar (ra) reported that the Messenger of Allah (swt) said,
When one of you eats, then let him eat with his right (hand) and if he drinks, then let him drink with his right (hand), for verily, Shaitaan eats with his left (hand) and drinks with his left (hand)2
Commenting on the ruling expressed in these narrations, Ibn Al-Jawzee said, Since ones left hand is made for Al-Istinjaa (using a rock, or the equivalent today of tissue paper, to clean the affected area after one relieves himself) and for touching impurities, and since ones right hand is for handling food, it is not appropriate for one hand to do the work of the other. By using one hand for a task that is specific to the other hand, one either debases something (the right hand) of high ranking or raises something (the left hand) of low ranking. And whosoever acts contrary to the dictates of (this) wisdom acts in concord with shaitaan.
Even though the above-mentioned Ahadeeth are famous to the degree that almost every single Muslim knows at least one of them – or at least knows its ruling – some Muslims (may Allah guide them) continue to eat with their left hands. And if you were to remind one of them, he might say something along the lines of, Eating with my left hand has become a habit, and I feel that it will be hard to break. Shaitaan makes such reasoning seem pleasing to their hearts, in order to prevent them from following the shariah. That one persists in eating with his left hand even after he is reminded not to proves that Eemaan (faith) in deficient in his heart. Worse and more evil is one who refuses to eat with his right hand not because of the excuse just mentioned, but because of his pride and arrogance. Salamah Ibn Al-Akwa (ra) reported that, in the company of the Messenger of Allah (saas), A man was eating with his left hand, and so the Prophet (saas) said,
Eat with your right (hand).
He said, I am not able to. The prophet (saas) answered,
May you not be ble to. Nothing prevented him other than pride, and so he (never later) lifted it to his mouth (i.e., the mans right hand became paralyzed) 3
And this wording is from Ahmads narration of the Hadeeth: His right hand never thereafter reached his mouth. An-Nawawee said, The Hadeeth shows that it is permissible to supplicate against a person who, without having an excuse, acts contrary to a ruling of the shariah. It also shows that we should order to good and forbid evil in all situations, even when it comes to eating. And finally, we learn from the Hadeeth that it is recommended to teach the manners of eating to a person when he violates one (or more) of them.
Related Issue : If one has a valid excuse – such as sickness, a recent surgery, etc. – for not eating with his right hand, then it is okay for him to eat with his left hand. And Allah (swt) does not charge a person with more than he can bear.
1) Relate by Muslim (2019), Ahmad (14177), Ibn Maajah (3268), and Maalik (1711). And the wording mentioned above is from Muslims narration of the Hadeeth.
2) Related by Muslim (2019), Ahmad (4523), At-Tirmidhee (1800), Abu Daawood (3776), Maalik (1712), and Ad-Daarimee (2030)
3) Related by Muslim (2021) and Ahmad (16064).
Practical Tips For A Fine Hajj
Haj is the ‘ultimate’ journey, the journey of a lifetime. Yet I’ve seen so many people, brothers and sisters, confused, angry, frustrated or just simply ignorant during Haj. So here is a piece of sincere advice for all of my brothers and sisters going for Haj this year.
Educate yourself before you go
This is the most important point. They say “Knowledge is Power,” and it is. I’ve seen people confused, not knowing what to do, looking left and right, bewildered during Haj. In the end, they just follow what the rest of the crowd is doing without knowing if what they are doing is from the Shariah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or not. Indeed, I know people who have gone and come back from Haj, and they didn’t know what kind of Haj they performed, how many days one was required to stay in Mina, and so on. In fact, some didn’t know it takes seven rounds around the Ka’ba to make one Tawaf!
Going to Haj without knowing the basics of how to perform Haj and Umrah is like placing someone who doesn’t know how to offer Salah in the middle of a congregation. He may follow the movements in Ruku’ and Sujood, but does he really know how to pray? Does such a prayer even count?
So, study the rituals of Haj before you go. Learn how to perform this magnificent journey in a manner that is closest to the Sunnah. Because the closer it is to the Sunnah, the more acceptable it will be to Allah. Learn about the common mistakes pilgrims do, so you can avoid them.
Go with a prepared heart
Every year at Haj, you see only two kinds of people. The first kind will be sitting calm and patient, even when they are stuck for five hours in traffic, wisely utilizing the time making Dhikr of Allah or reading the Qur’an. The other kind will be grumbling and complaining, fidgeting restlessly in his seat, cussing at the bus driver and wasting his whole time fighting with whoever is sitting next to him.
Why is that? Because the first kind of people come with prepared hearts and the second type don’t.
Haj is not a mere physical journey, it is a spiritual journey of the heart and soul. And just as it is important to learn the rituals of Haj, it is equally important to condition yourself spiritually. Remember, Haj is an act of worship, the fifth pillar of our Religion. So, have Khushoo’ in it.
Trust Allah and have complete faith in Him. Be sure that He will take care of you. Be kind to others and have patience and forbearance.
Funeral prayer
Hardly any obligatory prayer in the Haram is not followed by a funeral prayer. I’ve noticed several brothers and sisters sitting there and not participating in this great act of worship, just because they don’t know how to. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Whoever attends the Janazah until he offers the prayer will have one Qirat (of reward), and whoever attends until (the deceased) is buried will have two Qirats.” It was said, “O Messenger of Allah, what are the two Qirats?” He said, “Like two great mountains,” meaning, of reward. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Don’t get overwhelmed
When you look at the large number of people there for Haj, don’t get overwhelmed or disturbed. Instead, raise up your head high, feel proud and thank Allah. After all, all those people are none, but your own brothers and sisters in Islam. This is the Ummah of your beloved Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). They belong to you and you belong to them. They are a part of you, just as much as you are a part of them. All of you are there for one and one purpose only – to worship Allah, the One God. So, love them, show mercy to them and make Du’a for them.
Time is precious
Utilize your time to its maximum while in Makkah and Madina. Do all your prayers in the mosque. When you pray in the Grand Mosque in Makkah, the reward is multiplied by 100,000 times.
When you get to Mina, busy yourself with making Du’a, Dhikr, reading the Qur’an, etc. Your stay here is only a few precious days. You can’t waste it by talking, relaxing, and doing nothing, as some people do.
And when you are in Arafah, know that that’s the day you were waiting for. That’s what Haj is all about. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Haj is Arafah.” (Abu Dawood)
Put in all you have got on the Day of Arafah. Take advantage of every second. Do not waste even a single moment. Make a Du’a list and do lots and lots of Du’a. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The best of Du’a is Du’a on the day of Arafah, and the best thing that I and the Prophets before me said is, ‘La ilaha ill-Allah Wahdahu la Shareeka lah (There is no god worthy of worship but Allah alone with no partner or associate).’” (Al-Tirmidhi, authenticated by Al-Albani)
Not on vacation
Some people forget that they are going on Haj. They expect Mina to be a five star hotel. So they complain about food, weather, crowds, and just about everything.
Remember this is Haj, not a vacation. Remember, not so long ago people traveled for months through dangerous terrain and rough weather to perform Haj. If we think about that, then is there anything left to complain about?
Don’t just say it
When you recite the Talbiyah, don’t just say it like a parrot without knowing what it means and what it implies. Think about the greatness of these words and the Magnificence of the One you are saying these words to.
Haj Mabroor
Obviously, everybody wants their Haj to be ‘Mabroor’ (accepted) because the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “There is no reward for Haj Mabroor except Paradise.” (Al-Bukhari)
They asked, “What makes Haj Mabroor, Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “Providing food to people and spreading (the greeting of) Salam (peace).” (Fath Al-Bari, 4/446)
Thus we see that being kind to people and serving and helping them leads to a Haj Mabroor.
So go ahead and help that old lady with her luggage and help someone else cross the street. Move over to make room in the row for your fellow Muslim so that he/she too can find a place to pray. Distribute candy among children, pass out glasses of Zamzam water, smile at everyone, and say Salam to those you know and those you don’t.
Keep you eyes and ears open for every opportunity to do good and jump at any chance you get to spread Khair – all for the sake of Allah alone – and Insha Allah your Haj will be one of Mabroor.
– Muslimmatters
Supererogatory Acts During Tawaf
It is Sunnah for a pilgrim to perform the following acts while performing Tawaf of Ka’bah.
1) Facing the Black Stone.
2) Al-‘Idtiba (Uncovering one’s shoulder).
3) Ramal or jogging.
4) Touching the Yemeni Corner.
5) Offering two rak’ahs after Tawaf
Facing the Black Stone
A pilgrim should start his Tawaf facing the Black Stone saying Takbeer (Allah-o-Akbar), and Tahlil (La ilaha illallah), and raising one’s hands as they are raised in prayer, and if possible touching it with both hands and kissing it lightly, or placing one’s cheek on it. Otherwise, one may touch it with one’s hand, kiss the hand, or touch it with something, and then kiss it, or if even that is not possible, one may just point to it with a stick, etc. as is mentioned in some of the Ahadith referred to below.
Ibn Umar said: “Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) faced the Black Stone, touched it, and then placed his lips on it and wept for a long time.” Likewise, Umar also wept for a long time. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: ‘O Umar, this is the place where one should shed tears.'” (Reported by Al-Hakim)
Al-‘Idtiba (Uncovering one’s shoulder)
It is reported by Ibn Abbas that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his companions stated their intention to perform Umrah from Al-Ji’ranah by wearing the two-piece ihram but left their right shoulders uncovered, bringing their ihram up from under their right armpits while covering the left shoulder. (Reported by Ahmad and Abu Daw’ud)
Majority of scholars hold a similar view and claim that doing so is helpful in Ramal (jogging) while making Tawaf. Malik is of the opinion, however, that doing so is not recommended, for it is not a known (practice), nor did he see anyone doing so. There is a consensus of opinion that it is undesirable to do so during the Tawaf prayer (Salatul Tawaf).
Ramal or Jogging
Ramal means walking quickly and vigorously while moving one’s shoulders and taking small steps, giving a sense of strength and energy. Ibn Umar reported that Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) jogged from the Black Stone around the Ka’bah and back to the Black Stone again three times, and then walked the remaining four rounds. (Muslim and Ahmad)
If a person does not jog during the first three rounds, then he is not required to make it up in the last four rounds. Ramal and idtiba’ are prescribed for men only while making Tawaf for Umrah. When a pilgrim performs Haj, Tawaf is always followed by Sa’i (walking between Safa and Marwah hills).
Women are not obliged to jog or uncover their right shoulders, because they must cover themselves properly. Ibn Umar said: “Women are not obliged to jog around the Ka`bah nor while making Sa`i between Safa and Marwah.” (Reported by Al-Baihaqi)
Touching the Yemeni Corner
This is based on the statement of Ibn Umar in which he said: “I never saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) touching any other parts of the Ka’bah except the two corners: the Black Stone and the Yemeni Corner.” And he added, “No matter how hard and difficult the circumstances, I have never failed to touch these two corners — the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone — ever since I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) doing so.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
Offering Two Rak’ahs after Tawaf
It is Sunnah to offer two rak’ahs after completing the Tawaf at the Station of Ibrahim (peace be upon him), or at any other place in the Sacred Mosque, regardless of whether it is a supererogatory Tawaf or an obligatory one (as in Haj or Umrah).
Jabir reported: “When the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to Makkah, he circumambulated the Ka’bah seven times, then went to the Station of Ibrahim and recited the verse: “… And take you (people) the Maqam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer…” (2:125). He prayed behind it, and then went to the Black Stone and kissed it.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
In these two rak’ahs, it is sunnah to recite Surah Al-Kafirun in the first rak’ah, and Surah Al-Ikhlas in the second, after reciting Al-Fatihah. (Reported by Muslim and others)
These two rak’ahs may be offered at any time of the day or night including the prohibited times.
A Lost Sunnah, How The Prophet Behaved In His Home
Since childhood we men see our mothers and sisters working in the kitchen , doing the daily routine household chores of our home.
After we grow up , we behave in the same way and like the “King who enters in his house” (and does nothing) , we start commanding thing and start getting it done by the wife or the servant.
We only remember the ayat from the Quran “wherin men are allowed to have 4 wives…” but easily forget how the Prophet behaved when he was in his home.
So what did Prophet do when he would spend time in his home. ?
Order everyone to clean the house ?? NO
Lie down on the bed and leave as it is ?? NO
Order nicest dishes to be prepared ?? NO
Eat and Sleep ?? NO
So what did Prophet do when he would spend time in his home. ?
The Apostle of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) occupied himself at his home like a common man.
As Aishah relates, he used to clean his clothes, milk the sheep and himself do his odd jobs. She also says that he would mend his clothes, repair his shoes and do similar other works.
When asked how the Prophet occupied himself at home, she replied, “He used to keep himself busy in household chores and went out when the time for prayer came.”
In another report related on her authority, she is reported to have said, “The Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to repair his shoes, mend his clothes and occupied himself at home even as any of you occupy yourself.”
Aishah relates, “Allahs Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was very softhearted, the kindliest of all. He laughed often and smiled much.”
Anas says that “he had not seen a man who was more clement and nice to his household members than the Apostle of Allah.”
It is related on the authority of Aishah that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “The best of you is one who is most nice to his wife and children and I am the nicest among you.”
Abu Huraira said that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) never expressed disapproval of any food, if he desired he ate it, and if he disliked he left it alone.”
The Ten Who Were Given Glad Tidings of Paradise
The Messenger (saw) clearly stated that ten of his Companions would be in Paradise:
“Abu Bakr will be in Paradise, ‘Umar will be in Paradise, ‘Uthmaan will be in Paradise, ‘Ali will be in Paradise, Talhah will be in Paradise, az-Zubayr will be in Paradise, ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf will be in Paradise, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas will be in Paradise, Sa’eed ibn Zayd will be in Paradise and Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarraah will be in Paradise.” [sahih, Ahmad from Sa’eed ibn Zayd, at-Tirmidhi from ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Saheeh al-Jaami’ as-Sagheer, 1/70, no. 50]
“Ten will be in Paradise: the Prophet will be in Paradise. Abu Bakr will be in Paradise, ‘Umar will be in Paradise, ‘Uthmaan will be in Paradise, ‘Ali will be in Paradise, Talhah will be in Paradise, az-Zubayr ibn al-Awwaam will be in Paradise, ‘Sa’d ibn Maalik will be in Paradise, Abdur-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf will be in Paradise, and Sa’eed ibn Zayd will be in Paradise.” [sahih, Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, ad-Diyaa, from Sa’eed ibn Zayd Saheeh al-Jaami as-Sagheer, 4/34, no. 3905]
The Books of the Sunnah tell us that one day the Prophet (saw) was sitting at the well of ‘Arees, with Abu Musa al-Ash’ari acting as his gatekeeper. Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq came and asked permission to see him, and the Messenger of Allah (saw) said, “Let him in, and give him the glad tidings of Paradise”. Then ‘Umar came and he said, “Let him in and give him the glad tidings of Paradise”. Then ‘Uthmaan came and he said, “Let him in, and give him the glad tidings of Paradise because of an affliction that will befall him” [al-Bukhaari, Muslim and at-Tirmidhi. Jaami’ al-Usool, 8/562, no. 6372]
Ibn ‘Asaakir reported with a saheeh isnaad from Ibn Mas’oud that the Prophet (saw) said, “My successor will be in Paradise, his successor will be in Paradise, and the third and fourth will be in Paradise.” [namely, the Khulafaa Rashida] [Saheeh al-Jaami as-Sagheer, 4/149, no. 4311]
at-Tirmidhi and al-Haakim reported with a saheeh isnaad from ‘Aa’ishah that the Prophet (saw) said to Abu Bakr, “You are free from the Fire.” [Saheeh al-Jaami’ as-Sagheer, 2/24, no. 1494]
Skills Of Communication: Examples From Prophet’s Sunnah
The skills of communication have recently become one of the skills that people seek to learn. Big institutions, especially those that have a direct contact with people, organize training courses on communication skills. However, it is very important to point out that all the rules and principles of this field of knowledge are not ‘new’: they can easily be found in the Prophetic Sunnah. That is to say Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the perfect example of how to communicate with people. In this article, I shall seek to shed light on some of the aspects of the exceptional communication skills of the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him):
Eye contact: One of the rules of good communication is that you have to divide your eye contact, that is, do not look at one person or in his eyes all the time. One of the Prophet’s companions said that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was talking to us as if he was talking to each one of us individually. This feeling was due to the fact that he (peace be upon him) was distributing his eye contact to give everyday a feeling of importance and intimacy.
Keeping a smile: One of the skills of communication is to have a smiling face to win other people’s approval. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was never seen frowning except when someone committed a sin or violated the rules of religion.
Having self-control: To be a good communicator, you have to have self-control, that helps you to bear with the silly acts done by others. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) showed that on a lot of occasions, even with those who did not show enough decorum or courtesy in dealing with him. The result was always that those who were rude to him felt ashamed because of his noble manners and refined conduct.
Linguistic competence: According to the rules of communication, a good communicator should have linguistic abilities that enable him to answer questions, talk to people and convince them to use the least number of words, but the most effective ones at the same time. This is so apparent when a man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) asking for advice, and the Prophet (peace be upon him) only said, “Do not get angry.” The man repeated his question thrice and the Prophet (peace be upon him) repeated his answer thrice emphasizing the importance of what he said in spite of the small number of words. In other words, if the man does not get angry, he will avoid a lot of mistakes and blunders caused by wrath and anger. At the end, I would like to stress that all the skills of communication taught to people nowadays are found in the Prophetic Sunnah as Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the ideal example of how to deal with people in a very unruffled and respectable manner regardless of their religious, cultural or racial background. Allah describes the noble manners of the Prophet in the Holy Qur’an in different places such as, “And you (stand) on an exalted standard of character.” (Qur’an, 68:4)
By: Dr. Khaled Tawfik