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An embodiment of love
Tomorrow will be a very special day for all of us. According to the Muslim lunar calendar, it will be the 12th day of the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the day on which our Holy Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) was born. And just like we celebrate the birthdays of our near and dear ones every year, so tomorrow millions of Muslims around the world will collectively be celebrating the birthday of the Prophet (pbuh).
The advent of 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal, also known as Milad-un-Nabi, gives us the perfect oppotunity to discuss a few endearing events related to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and children, for he was a gentleman who adored kids.
A famous citing by one of his servants, Anas ibn Malik recollects the Holy Prophet’s compassion towards children. Prophet Mohammad’s (pbuh) son, Ibrahim, was in the care of a nurse in the hills around Madina. Whenever he would go there, Anas would go with him, and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) would enter the house, pick up his son and kiss him, and then come back.
The Holy Prophet’s love for children, however, was not restricted to his own children and grandchildren at all. In fact, the scope of his mercy and affection towards children is a well renowned fact. According to Sahih Bukhari, he loved to play childish games in their company and would try to speak in the Abyssinian language with those children who had come back from Abyssinia. He owned a pet camel, and on his return from his journeys, whenever he would come across children, he would play with them and give them rides on his camel.
During those times, slavery was common in Arabia and the Holy Prophet (pbuh) freed a number of slaves on his own. Usama ibn Zayd was the son of Zayd ibn Harithah, one of the slaves freed by the Holy Prophet (pbuh) and also his adopted son and one of the first Muslims. Usama talked about the Holy Prophet’s compassion: “Allah’s Messenger used to put me on (one of) his thighs and put Al-Hasan ibn Ali on his other thigh, and then embrace us and say, ‘O Allah! Please be merciful to them, as I am merciful to them.’”
Another incidence of his patience and consideration with children is related by Abu Qatadah. According to this citing, our Holy Prophet (pbuh) took great pains not to hurt the tender feelings of children. Once, he was carrying Umamah, the daughter of Abi Al-As (Prophet's granddaughter) over his shoulder, and he had to stop for prayers. So gentle and careful was he of the little girl that even while in prayer, when he wanted to bow, he put her down, and when he stood up, he lifted her up, so that she might not feel insecure.
Once, a woman approached Mohammad (pbuh) with her child, concerned that he consumed too many sweets. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) simply asked the woman to come at a future date. Later, he revealed his reason for not chiding the child for eating too many sweets: he himself was fond of sweets and had had sweets that very day as well. Since he practised what he preached, he would never chide another for doing something that he himself was doing. But the time the child next visited with his mother, the Prophet (pbuh) had cut down his own habit of consuming sweets and only then did he ask the child to reduce his sweet consumption.
Eid Milad-un-Nabi is a time of great rejoicing for Muslims. 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal is all about sharing the good things in life, trying to practise what our Holy Prophet (pbuh) taught us and thanking God for blessing us with a guide in the form of Mohammad (pbuh).
However, while our brother countries observe this date in their own unique ways, we appear to be indulging in a number of peculiar practices that, sorrowfully, aren’t befitting of paying tribute to the Holy Prophet (pbuh) at all. Our Holy Prophet (pbuh) used to preach us to be considerate and accommodating of all those around us. Is it okay then to incessantly play milad records round the clock in neighbourhoods, at volumes exponentially louder than desirable, even when neighbours are getting disturbed and agitated? We were also taught by Mohammad (pbuh) to be moderate in our expenditures and not to go overboard in spending. In a country where a severe gas and electricity crisis has been openly predicted to occur three years down the road, is it okay then to burn hundreds of 1,000 watt bulbs 24/7 across the city streets? Hooliganism and immodesty were definitely traits shunned by the Holy Prophet (pbuh). Are we justified, then, to ride on tops of buses and trucks, screaming, spitting and pelting stones at other vehicles clad in all but a bandanna and lowers?
These certainly are things that we ought to be pondering over, folks. Any how, in the spirit of the Holy Prophet’s birthday tomorrow, here is wishing you all a merry Eid Milad-un-Nabi.
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