Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 642 [Read full issue]
Making Obligations Easy
The Prophet, peace be upon him, hated to let his Companions nurture a pointless feeling of guilt. He kept telling them that they must never stop conversing with the One, the Most Kind, the Most Merciful who welcomes everyone in His grace and benevolence and who loves the sincerity of hearts that regret and return to Him. This is the profound meaning of at-tawbah offered to everyone: sincerely returning to God after a slip, a mistake, a sin. God loves that sincere return to Him and He forgives and purifies.
The Prophet himself exemplified that in many circumstances. Once, a Bedouin came and urinated in the mosque: the companions rushed on him and wanted to beat him up. The Prophet stopped them and said: "Leave him alone, and just throw a bucketful of water on his urine. God has only sent you to make obligations easy, and not to make them difficult."[Bukhari]
Aishah reports that once, a man came to the Prophet and told him: “I am lost!” The Prophet asked: "Why?" The man confessed: "I had intercourse with my wife during the fasting hours of Ramadan." Muhammad answered: "Give charity!" The man replied: "I own nothing!" Then he sat down at a short distance from the Prophet. Some time later, a man arrived, bringing a dish of food. The Prophet called out: "Where is the man who is lost?" "Here," he answered. Muhammad told him: "Take this food and give it away in charity." "To one poorer than myself? My family has nothing to eat!" "Well then, eat it yourselves," the Prophet replied with a smile. [Bukhari and Muslim]
That gentleness and kindness were the very essence of his teaching. He kept saying: "God is gentle (Rafîq) and he loves gentleness (ar-rifq) in everything." [Bukhari and Muslim] He also said: "He gives for gentleness what He does not give for violence or anything else." [Bukhari] He declared to one of his companions: "There are in you two qualities that God loves: clemency (al-hilm) and forbearance [nobleness, tolerance] (al-anâ)." [Muslim] He invited all his companions to that constant effort of gentleness and forgiveness.
Compiled From:
"In The Footsteps of The Prophet" - Tariq Ramadan, p.113