Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) The gentle

Ali Zohery, Ph. D.

Gentleness is a fine gift of nature. It is that characteristic in

one’s personality that brings out his true nature. It also creates
confidence and security to your immediate partner in
communicative dialogue. The Prophet paid more attention to
this value in communication because he himself was the practical
example of gentility. The Qur’an even refers to this quality of the
Prophet in these words: “It is part of the Mercy of Allah that you
deal gently with them. Were you severe or harsh-hearted, they
would have broken away from about you” (Qur’an, 3:159).
There are many sayings of the Prophet regarding
gentleness. The following are just few. “Keep to gentleness and
avoid harshness and coarseness. Gentleness is not found in
anything without adorning it, and is not withdrawn from
anything without diminishing it’’ (Abu Dawud, 4790). Meaning
that for you to be gentle you need to sacrifice something equally
valuable because “he who is deprived of gentleness is deprived
of good” (Abu Dawud, 4791). The following lines not only
confirm the necessity for gentle behavior for humans but the
reprisals that can come in the next world if one fails to manifests
gentility on earth:
He who is given his share of gentleness is
given his share of good in this world and
the next, and whoever is deprived of his
share of gentleness is deprived of his share
of good in this world and the next.
(Bukhari, 4791)
Prophet Muhammad made it very explicit that when someone
carries on the principle of gentleness here, he too will have some
reward in one form or another: “Shall I tell you who is kept away
from Hell and from whom Hell is kept away? From everyone who
is gentle and kindly, approachable and of an easy disposition”
(Tirmidhi, 2412). It is an undeniable fact of history that the
Prophet was extremely gentle and tenderhearted. It was not only
the question of him not using unwelcome languages; it was an
issue of banishing it completely in his entire vocabulary. His
softness in speech communication was something to write home
about.
The aforementioned examples are proof of the fact that
Prophet Muhammad typified an unquestionable characteristic of
goodness. His speeches and personal mannerisms show one of
the most important elements of his public communication: The
need for Goodness in everyone’s character.