Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
4. Sublime Character
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were incensed on hearing this. “What, do you
prefer slavery to freedom?’ they asked. “Do you
want to forsake your own folk, and live amongst
others?’ “I cannot prefer anyone to Muhammad.’
Zayd replied, “not after seeing the qualities that he
has.’ They had no choice then but to go back home
without him. Such was the charisma of the Prophet.
This incident, which occurred before the
commencement of the Prophet’s mission, reveals
the tenderness that was inherent in his nature. The
Qur’an has referred to this characteristic of his in
the following words:
It was thanks to God’s mercy that you were
lenient to them. Had you been cruel and hard-
hearted, they would surely have deserted
you.
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It was this magnanimity of the Prophet that gave
him the power to capture people’s hearts: the closer
one came to him, the more one would be won over
by his noble character.
The Prophet once said: “Honouring ties of
relationship does not mean honouring your ties
