How high is the power of his religion that even 1400 years after his death, some people try to tarnish his personality? The religion of Islam brought and spread by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) is gaining more and more followers and lovers. This vast amount of conversion to Islam has negative consequences for the materialist and capitalist rulers in the world. By following Islam, people learn to stand for their rights and oppose the tyranny of oppressors. The rules of Islam question the rules made by the oppressor rulers in different societies. 

Therefore, the increase in the number of people who embrace Islam and the Islamic lifestyle frightens those tyrant rulers, and they make plans to decay the status of Islam in different ways. One of the plans that they have been applying throughout the past decades was to introduce a violent personality of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP). In this text, we will study the conduct of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) and the representation of his manners and behaviors in the Quran to review his kind and merciful character better. 

Characteristics of a Preacher as Described by Allah Almighty

Sending messengers by Allah Almighty to people implies His deep care for them and His will to guide them toward prosperity. But His messengers were supposed to follow specific rulings in their invitation of people toward Him. Being kind and merciful to people is one of the characteristics that Allah Almighty ordered His messengers to observe. 

When Allah was sending Prophet Moses and Aaron (PBUT) to Pharaoh, who claimed to be Allah, He told them that if they want their words to be heard, they should speak to him in a lenient manner: “Both of you go to Pharaoh, for he has indeed rebelled. Speak to him in a soft manner; maybe he will take admonition or fear.’” (20: 43-44)

Prophets were commanded to be patient with their people and never become angry at them. The only prophet mentioned in the Quran who became disappointed of his people and left them was Prophet Yunus (AS), who was punished by Allah for his impatience and disappointment: “And [remember] the Man of the Fish, when he left in a rage, thinking that We would not put him to hardship. Then he cried out in the darkness, ‘There is no god except You! You are immaculate! I have indeed been among the wrongdoers!’” (21: 87)

Therefore, when Allah Almighty’s criterion in choosing His messengers is mercifulness and kindness, how can He keep a violent prophet among His servants?

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) as Described in the Quran

Like any other prophets, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) had the characteristics of a chosen prophet. He was kind and merciful by the Mercy of his Lord as mentioned in the Quran: “It is by Allah’s mercy that you are gentle to them; had you been harsh and hardhearted, they would have surely scattered from around you...” (3: 159)

But the kindness and mercy of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) throughout his call toward Allah (SWT) come to a point where Allah Almighty tells him to be easier oh himself: “You are liable to imperil your life [out of distress] that they will not have faith.” (26: 3)

When Allah Almighty sees the unfriendly behavior of people toward Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP), He starts to point out and count Prophet’s kindly manners to people: “There has certainly come to you an apostle from among yourselves. Grievous to him is your distress; he has a deep concern for you and is most kind and merciful to the faithful.” (9:128)

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) was not only merciful to the people in Arabia, but he was sent to be a caring for all human beings in all times: “We did not send you but as a mercy to all the nations.” (21: 107)

All presentations of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) in the Quran are about his great kindness and his caring personality. Allah describes his manner and behavior as being the perfect example for humankind: “and indeed, you possess a great character.” (68: 4)

Was Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) Kind to His Enemies? 

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) was so kind to people that even if they harmed him, he did not reply to them violently. It is narrated from Ibn Mas’oud, who said: I saw people hit the prophet and made his face full of blood, but while he was rubbing the blood off his face, he prayed, “O Lord! Please forgive my people as they are ignorant.” [1] In the early years of his prophethood, people kept harming the Prophet (PBUH&HP), but instead of cursing them, the Prophet (PBUH&HP) kept praying for their guidance.

The Prophet (PBUH&HP) never violated the heads of Quraish for their aggravation and torture and kept asking Allah Almighty to forgive them, until Allah Almighty by His knowledge of their persistence in remaining infidels sent him the following verse: “It is the same for them whether you plead for forgiveness for them, or do not plead for forgiveness for them: Allah will never forgive them. Indeed Allah does not guide the transgressing lot.” (63: 6)

 Allah Almighty then described the characteristics of Muslims in a way that at the same time that they should not oppress anyone, they shouldn’t undergo any oppression, and defined the real Muslim society with the following manners: 
“Muhammad, the Apostle of Allah, and those who are with him are hard against the faithless and merciful amongst themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in worship], seeking Allah’s grace, and [His] pleasure...” (48: 20) 

Like any other human being, despite his great and kind personality, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH&HP) had to react in different manners with different people. Therefore, if he had any serious encounter with people, it was not because of his violent attitude, but because of the correct reaction that any sane and smart man should have in facing different people. 

References:

1. Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 9, P. 20.
    

There is no doubt among us that after our dear Prophet Mohammad (PBUH&HP), our twelve imams (AS) are the most important figures of our religion. Therefore, today we wish to learn more about Imam Ali (AS) , the first male convert of the religion, his birth, and conditions surrounding it.

The faithless say, ‘You have not been sent [by Allah].’ Say, ‘Allah suffices as a witness between me and you, and He who possesses the knowledge of the Book.’ The Holy Quran 13:43

And among the people is he who sells his soul, seeking the pleasure of Allah, and Allah is most kind to [His] servants. The Holy Quran 2:207

If the two of you repent to Allah... for your hearts have certainly swerved, and if you back each other against him, then [know that] Allah is indeed his guardian, and his supporters are Gabriel, the righteous among the faithful, and thereafter the angels... The Holy Quran 66:4

If we seek the true meaning of these three verses from our holy book, they all point towards Ali (AS) as their primary focus, guiding us to some aspects of his life. Our dear Imam has been implicitly described by The Quran multiple times, highlighting his great importance in our religion.  

No one can fully describe the contributions of Imam Ali (AS) to his religion and the people. If anyone dares to do so, they can only convey a fraction of his significance - like a drop in the sea. With that said, we are about to discuss the first question that may come to our mind: how was our first Imam born?

Birth of the son of Kaaba,Imam Ali b. Abi Talib

Thirty years after the “year of the elephant” (*) occurrence, specifically on the 13th of Rajab (March 8th), Prophet Mohammad (PBUH&HP) was 30 years old. This was a decade before our dear The Prophet (PBUH&HP) received the initial revelation from the angel Gabriel and 23 years prior to the great migration of Muslims from Mecca to Medina.

At this juncture, our dear Imam's pregnant mother, Fatima Daughter of Asad, was praying at Kaaba. She experienced intense labor pains, leading her to seek refuge at the Kaaba from the pain.

Remarkably, the wall of Kaaba moved apart, providing shelter for her three whole days. After these days, she came out of Kaaba with her precious son, our first Imam, Ali b. Abi Talib (AS). Imam’s birth was an exceptional honor bestowed upon Islamic nation, and the extraordinary events –  the walls moving, his mother’s presence in the holy site of Islam, and his unique birth in the Kaaba - all signified the greatness of the son of the Kaaba.

Fatima Daughter of Asad was the second woman to convert to Islam (after Prophet’s wife, Khadija (SA)). She had the privilege of taking care of the Prophet (PBUH&HP) from the age of eight until his youth in the house of Abu-Talib. Their relationship was so close that Prophet (PBUH&HP) referred to her as “mother,” establishing the early bond that linked the Prophet (PBUH&HP) and Imam Ali (AS) as brothers.

Shia point of view regarding the Imam Ali’s birth

1. Sheikh Mofid (died in 413th AH): our first Imam, Ali b. Abi Talib (AS), was born on Friday the 13th of Rajab, thirty years after the Year of the Elephant in Mecca. No one ever had been born in the Kaaba before or after him. His birth was the great honor, showcasing his distinction over other men of his age.

2. Allamah Al-Hilli (died in 726th AH): Imam Ali (PBUH) was born on Friday the 13th of Rajab and thirty years after the Year of the Elephant. No one before or after him was born in the Kaaba during that time. The Prophet (PBUH&HP) was thirty years old back then.

Sunni point of view regarding the Imam’s birth

Many Sunni scholars believe that the Imam’s birth took place in the Kaaba. Some even hold the view that occurrence was exclusively for the Imam. A few of the scholars’ perspectives are as follows:

1. Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri (died in 658th lunar year): Numerous consecutive narrations indicate that Fatima bt. Asad gave birth to Ali b. Abi Talib in the Kaaba.

2. Sibt ibn al-Jawzi Hanafi (died in 654th lunar year): It has been narrated that when Fatima bt. Asad was pregnant and performing Tawaf around the Kaaba, she experienced intense labor pain. She sought refuge in the Kaaba, and suddenly, the Kaaba’s door opened for her, so she entered and gave birth to her child.

Poetry about the Imam’s birth

Syed Ismail Himayari (died in 173rd AH) was one of the greatest poets of Arabic literature. He composed a poem about this unique birth:

His mother bore him in the God’s safe site; God’s house and masque was his birth place
He was pure and noble; his mother, his child, and his birthplace too

On one of the darkest nights, he appeared with celestial purity

No child, except for Amine’s child, is honored like him.

References:

1.  Kitab al-Kafi (first Volume – page 452)
2. Kitab al-Irshad (first Volume – page 5)
3.  I'lam al-Wara bi A'lam al-Huda (first Volume – page 306)
4.  Bihar al-Anwar (35th Volume – page 182)
5.  Description of Nahj al-Balagha (first Volume – page 6)
6.  Manaqib Ale Abi Talib (third Volume – page 307)
7. Rawżat al-Vaeezin (page 81)

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* In that year, Kaaba invaded by faithless king Abraha and his great elephant army and ironically saved by Allah himself with an army of birds carrying small stones by their pecks that penetrate the elephants body and skull and all of them got killed and Kaaba was saved.