His character, his legacy, and what comes next

His character, as told by those who knew him • Asked about his character, 'Aa'isha replied: "His character was the Qur'an" (Muslim 746). He lived what he recited. • Anas ibn Maalik served him for ten years as a boy: "He never once said 'uff' to me, nor 'why did you do that?', nor 'why did you not do that?'" (Bukhari 6038, Muslim 2309). • At home, said 'Aa'isha, "he would be in the service of his family, and when the time for prayer came, he would go out to pray" (Bukhari 676). • "He never struck anyone with his hand, neither a woman nor a servant, except when fighting in the path of Allah" (Muslim 2328). • "Whenever he had to choose between two things, he chose the easier one, as long as it was not a sin", and he never took revenge for himself, only when the limits set by Allah were violated (Bukhari 3560, Muslim 2327). • He kissed his grandson Al-Ḥasan in front of a man who said he had never kissed any of his ten children; he replied: "Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy" (Bukhari 5997, Muslim 2318). Allah sums it up: "And you are truly of a sublime character" (verse 68:4, below).

Sending prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ Allah and His angels send prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ, and He commands the believers to do so (verse 33:56, below). The Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever sends one prayer upon me, Allah sends ten upon him" (Muslim 408). That is why one says or writes "ṣallaa Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam" (ﷺ) when his name is mentioned.

What the Seerah has taught us In fifteen lessons you have followed the main stages of his life. A few threads link them: • Patience before victory: thirteen years in Makkah before the Hijra, eight years in Madinah before the conquest. • Means and trust: the Hijra, Badr, the Trench. • Consultation: Badr, Uḥud, Al-Ḥudaybiya. • Forgiveness: Ṭaa'if, the conquest of Makkah, Waḥshi. • Truthfulness: Al-Amiin, Ka'b ibn Maalik, the farewell sermon. • Community: the mosque, the brotherhood, the covenant, the passing on.

To continue • Read a complete Seerah: Ar-Raḥiiq al-Makhtuum (translated into French and English) is a good starting point; the Seerah of Ibn Hishaam to go further. • Read Ash-Shamaa'il al-Muḥammadiyya by At-Tirmidhi, devoted to his appearance and character. • Read the chapters on the expeditions (kitaab al-maghaazi) of Al-Bukhaari's Ṣaḥiiḥ, with an explanation. • Ask the centre's imam your questions.

Exercise: reread the sentence and the question you wrote down in lesson 1. Has this course answered your question? Now write down one habit of the Prophet ﷺ that you want to adopt this month.

The text: Surah Al-Qalam (68), verse 4 وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿٤﴾

The text: Surah Al-Aḥzaab (33), verse 56 إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ۚ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ﴿٥٦﴾

Meaning of 68:4: "And you are truly of a sublime character." Meaning of 33:56: "Allah and His angels send prayers upon the Prophet. O you who believe, send prayers upon him and greet him with peace."

Arabic text: Tanzil Quran Text (Simple, version 1.0.2), © 2008-2010 Tanzil.net, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 licence, reproduced without any change (http://tanzil.net). Each verse is on its own line, followed by its number; the basmala, which the Tanzil file places at the start of the first verse, is written on its own line.

Understanding the lesson

Explanation The Seerah does not stop with the Prophet's ﷺ death: it continues in the lives of those who follow him. The testimonies of those who lived with him, his wife, his servant, his companions, are unanimous: gentleness, humility, mercy, justice. These are witnesses from the inside, who saw him in tiredness and in anger, and they reported only good. "His character was the Qur'an": these words of 'Aa'isha link the whole course. The Qur'an gives the values; the Seerah shows how a human being lived them, in poverty and in power, in persecution and in victory. That is why scholars say that the Seerah is the Qur'an in action. To love him is to follow him: Allah says "Say: if you love Allah, follow me, and Allah will love you" (meaning of verse 3:31). Sending prayers upon him, learning about his life, imitating his character in small things (at home, with children, with those who serve us): that is how this course can continue after the last lesson.

Lessons to draw from it • Judge a person's character by those who live with them, and begin with one's own home. • Choose the easier way as long as there is no sin, and do not take revenge for oneself. • Be merciful with children and the weak. • Send prayers upon the Prophet ﷺ often. • Keep studying the Seerah with reliable sources, and live it.

Key points to remember • Muslim 746: "His character was the Qur'an." • Anas (Bukhari 6038, Muslim 2309); in the service of his family (Bukhari 676). • Bukhari 3560, Muslim 2327: the easier way, and no personal revenge. • 68:4: a sublime character; 33:56 and Muslim 408: sending prayers upon him. • Ar-Raḥiiq al-Makhtuum, Ibn Hishaam, At-Tirmidhi's Ash-Shamaa'il.

The main message The Prophet ﷺ was the living Qur'an: love him by sending prayers upon him, studying his life and imitating his character, beginning in your own home.