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CHARACTERS OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD (SAW)2

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH THE MOST BENEFICENT THE MOST MERCIFUL

BEING THE THIRD SERMON FOR THE MONTH OF RABEE’UL AWWAL DATED 18TH RABEE’UL AWWAL

1444AH (14TH OCTOBER, 2022)

TITLED: THE CHARACTERS OF THE PROPHET (PEACE AND BLESSINGS OF ALLAH BE UPON HIM)
All praises belong to Allah, pure perfect blessed praises, the way it pleases our Lord. I testify that there is
no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone. He has no partner or associate, the Most Exalted and Most
Magnificent in His Majesty. I testify also that our leader and our prophet, Muhammad (Peace and Blessings
of Allah be upon him) is His slave and Messenger, his choosen and his beloved. Blessings of Allah be upon
him and upon the members of his household, his most precious companions and upon whoever treads his
path and remain steadfast and guided.
Thereafter…
Oh servants of Allah! I admonish you and myself with the fear of Allah, the Most Glorified and Majestic, as
it is the way of the righteous people of understanding. Allah Ta’alah said: (وَاتَّقُونِ يَا أُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ)
“…And fear Me, O you of understanding.” (Al-Baqarah:197). So fear Him in secret and in open, and know
that piety is to fear the Almighty Allah, to work with the Revelation (Qur’aan), to be pleased with little, and
to prepare for the day of (eternal) journey (ie death).
The topic of our sermon today will be centred around the character of the prophet (Peace and Blessings of
Allah be upon him).
The prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) is indeed the best model and example to be
emulated in everything. His character is an example for individuals as well as for groups of people, and a
sure proof of his prophethood (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). He was enabled by the Divine
way that was inspired to him for him to build the Ummah from scratch and to establish a civilization the
like of which cannot be found again. The pillars of this civilization were built on character. This is why he
(Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I have been raised (as a prophet) to perfect good
honourable character”. It is enough honour for the prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)
that Allah Ta’alah bore witness on the greatness of his character (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon
him). Allah Ta’alah said: (وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ) “You are indeed of the best of character” (Al-Qalam: 4).
This huge testimonial from Allah Almighty on the truth about his prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be
upon him) is a proof that his character (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) has been great since
Allah the Almighty and Most Exalted created him. This is why he was known among his people as ‘As-
Sodeequ Al-Ameen’. None of them could describe him with lies or treachery, but rather, they invented
other ways to block people from him, like saying he was not of sound mind or saying he was a magician,
and so on. And Allah Ta’alah did not desribe his prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) with
greatness of character only for the fact that he was of good character alone, rather, it was an indication
from Allah Ta’alah to the fact that a good character can not be inclusive of madness or magic or any of the
other things they invented against the prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), and that
whenever a person is of good character, he is far from being associated with madness.
A lot of people including his adversaries were amazed by the character of the prophet (Peace and Blessings
of Allah be upon him) and it was indeed the reason for some of them accepting Islaam. Let’s look at the
Omani king at the time of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) (ie Julanda)
who was so amazed by the character of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)
that he said: “Allah has shown me about this unletterd prophet that when he commands something
good, he is the first to do it, and when he prohibits something, he’s the first to abstain from it, that he
overpowers but does not oppress, he prevails but not wear down, he fulfills his promises and vows and I
bear witness that he is a prophet”,

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Part of the greatness of his character (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) is that they are
complementary such that one aspect does not dominate another aspect. His patience (Peace and Blessings
of Allah be upon him) is like his chivalry, his trustworthiness is like is generosity, his honesty is like his
forbearance, and that is how it is that you cant find any part of his character (Peace and Blessings of Allah
be upon him) being too much or too little than other parts. This balance in character is not known to be
found in the life of any other person than Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him). that is
why the German poet, Goethe said: “I searched in history for an exalted ideal/example for human beings
and I found it in the Arab prophet Muhammad” (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him).
The Glorious Qur’aan is the lead source from which the Messenger of Allah Muhammad (Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him) derived his excellent character from. It completes his moral perfection, and
adds beauty to his beautiful moral. And that is how it gives him direction and guidance in every good thing
so much umtil he (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) became like a walking Qur’aan on earth with
his words and actions. That is why the Mother of Believers A’aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said,
when Sa’ad ibn Ishaam ibn ‘Aaamir (may Allah be pleased with her) asked her about the character of the
Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), she said: “Don’t you read the Qur’aan?”, I
said, “Yes”, then she said, “so the character of the prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) is
the Qur’aan”. In another narration, A’aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: “the character of the
Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) is the Qur’aan”, then she read suratul
Mu’mineen: (قَدْ أَفْلَحَ المُؤْمِنُونَ…) “The believers have indeed succeeded…” (Al-Mu’minuun: 1) up to
ten verses, and she said this is the character of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of Allah be
upon him).
And what can be better/finer than the description by the Mother of Believers A’aishah (may Allah be
pleased with her) of he character of the prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him)! It is just as the
vision of the prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) for inherent nature of Islaam
is a vision based upon the most honourable character and high morals. This is what the Arabs understand
since the very beginning of his Dawah to Islaam (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him), and displayed
by Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) himself for example when he received the
delegation of Banee Shaybaan ibn Tha’alabah, and they had among them Mafruuq ibn Amru, Al-Muthnaa
ibn Haarithah, Aania ibn Qabeesah and Nu’maam ibn Shareek, and the Messenger of Allah (Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him) recited to them the Words of Allah: (قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ
أَلاَّ تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَلاَ تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلاَدَكُمْ مِنْ إِمْلاَقٍ نَحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ وَلاَ
تَقْرَبُوا الفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَلاَ تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ ذَلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُمْ
بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ) “Say, “Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that
you not associate anything with Him, and to parents, good treatment, and do not kill your children out
of poverty; We will provide for you and them. And do not approach immoralities – what is apparent of
them and what is concealed. And do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden [to be killed] except by
[legal] right. This has He instructed you that you may use reason.”” (Al-An’am: 151). then Mafrooq said:
“These are not words of anyone on earth. If it was, I would know it.”. Then the Messenger of Allah (Peace
and Blessings of Allah be upon him) recited the word of Allah, the Most Glorified, the Almighty: (إِنَّ اللهَ
يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنْكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ
تَذَكَّرُونَ) “Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality
and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.” (An-Nahl: 90).
These moral character is not limited to only a group of people to the exclusion of others or a class of
people without others, but rather it is clearly and eminently evident in all his interactions. He was always in
the midst of his people and never gets tied of them. He sits with the poor people, he’s merciful to the

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needy, the people walked with him on the streets of Madeenah anytime they liked. He visited the sick, he
attended funerals, and he visited his people in their houses as they visited him in his house. And he did all
these while always smiling, happy with a cheeful face. He had the utmost mercy for his people and the
Ummah, he would not choose between two matter except the easiest of them as long as it’s not sinful. But
if was sinful, he was the most distant from it. He was abundantly pardoning even to the people who were
exceedingly unjust and most wrongful to him.
His moral character (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was great at home (ie in his house), as well
as in his interactions with non-muslims in the society. He (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) was
also excellent in his interacting with his adversaries and those that hate him with kindness and patience.
Abu Sufyaan testified to his moral character even before he (Abu Sufyaan) became a muslim and he was
the leader of the polytheists. When he accepted Islaam, he said: “By Allah, you are indeed honourable. I
fought you and you were an excellent warrior, then you accepted Islaam and you are an excelent muslim,
and may Allah reward you goodly.”
We cannot completely enumerate the moral character of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of
Allah be upon him) in a few pages. The moral character of the Messenger of Allah (Peace and Blessings of
Allah be upon him) indeed is much admired by muslims and non-muslims alike, such as the British
Orientalist, William Muir (1819-1905), he described the life of the prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be
upon him) as: “Ease was evident in all areas of his life. Fineness and good manners are among the most
evident of his features in dealing with even the least of his followers. And then humility, compassion,
patience and selflessness. Generosity was always associated with his person as well as getting the love of
everyone around him. He was not known to reject the invitation of the least of people, nor reject gifts no
matter how small. He did not raise or distinguish himself in his gatherings and no one felt while with him
that he (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) would not welcome him, even if the person is very
lowly. When he meets someone happy with something good that has happened to him, he (Peace and
Blessings of Allah be upon him) would hold his hand and share in his joy, and he was, with people that are
afflicted and sad, he was a kind sympathetic partner. He offered kind consolation, and in times of hardship,
he shared what he was capable of with people”. This is our Messenger (Peace and Blessings of Allah be
upon him) whom we are proud of, and the whole of huamity is proud of him with us, and whose character
really is the Qur’aan.
Oh Allah! Let your Benedictions and Peace be upon your slave, your prophet and your Messenger,
Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him, his household and his companions).

THE SECOND SERMON
All Praises belong to Allah and that is sufficient. May blessings and peace (of Allah) be upon His chosen
servant, his family, his companions, and on whomever is chosen (by Allah).
Thereafter: Dear Muslims! We should be aware that the United Nations has designated 11th October as
the International Day of the Girl Child, and it is observed annually.
Servants of Allah! Islam was indeed ahead of them in establishing the rights of women and placing them in
their appropriate high position, since the beginning of prophethood, to a level not seen before in human
history. Islam has honored women in a comprehensive manner that includes all the stages of their lives:
honoring her as a human being and a female, honoring her as a mother and daughter, honoring her as a
sister and a wife, and honoring her as an aunt, maternal or paternal.
O people! With the prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), the light of
Islam shone, it swept away darkness, and thus women regained their rights, they realized their status, and
they breathed the breeze of true freedom. Islam came and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be

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upon him) came to set out the prominent foundations for the existence of a Muslim woman, and legislated
for her, rights that were not legislated for women in any other society or nation. One of the orientalists
says in his book about Islam and the psychology of Muslims: “Whoever wants to ascertain the concern of
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about women, let him read his sermon in Makkah
in which he instructed about women.”
Dear believing brothers! Islaam honored the woman by making her as the counterpart of man and his
sibling, and it did not differentiate between them in the pillars and laws of Islam except with regard to
what is peculiar to women. And He made for her, rights the same as a man’s, and Allah, the Most High
says: (وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلِلرِّجَالِ عَلَيْهِنَّ دَرَجَةٌ وَاللّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكُيمٌ) “…And they
(women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses, etc.) similar (to those of their
husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect, etc.) to what is reasonable, but men have a
degree (of responsibility) over them. And Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.” (Al-Baqarah: 228), and that
degree or level is the level of care and vigilance for them, or the level of spending on them. Other said it is
the support and guardianship for them. As for rights and duties: (وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ)
“..And women have their rights similar to their obligations in an equitable and just manner…” (Al-
Baqarah: 228)
Everything that a man has the right to demand and expect from his wife that is legitimate, such as honesty,
trust, chastity, sincerity, good cohabitation, love, respect, trust, generosity, kindness, care, and so on, it is
the right of the woman to demand and get same. Rather, Allah commanded husbands to live with their
wives in a kind manner: (وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ) “And live with them with kindness…” (An-Nisaa: 19).
Islaam views a woman as an honourable and respectable human being, with a mind and a feeling. And that
she is a source of comfort for the man from whom she was created: (هُوَ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ
وَجَعَلَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا لِيَسْكُنَ إِلَيْهَا) “He is the one who created you from a single soul, and made from it
its mate, to find comfort in her” (Al-A’raaf: 189). She is not just a place for fleeting lustful pleasure and
then everything ends, like the animals in their lives, and their relationships.
And part of Islaam’s honour for women and girls is that it considered them a mean to enter Al-Jannah, if
the father took care of her, taught her and trained her well. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of
Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever takes care of two girls until they reach puberty, he and I will come on
the Day of Resurrection like these two, and he joined his two fingers.” (Muslim), so where is this from:
(وَإِذَا بُشِّرَ أَحَدُهُمْ بِالأُنثَى ظَلَّ وَجْهُهُ مُسْوَدًّا وَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ) “And when the news of (the birth of) a
female (child) is brought to any of them, his face becomes dark, and he is filled with inward grief!” (An-
Nahl: 58). So, where did he get it from, the one who neglects the upbringing of his daughters and leaves
them exposed to spoilage, worthlessness and immorality, as is the case in contemporary life?!
Islam honored the woman when it gave her the freedom to choose her husband without compulsion or
coercion. So, it made it an obligation for the guardian to seek her opinion, as to whoever proposes to her,
and she has the right to reject him, even if the father consents. The Messenger of Allah (peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “A previously married woman should not be married until her verbal
consent has been sought, and a virgin should not be married until her permission has been sought.”
Indeed, the Prophet replied The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) revoked the marriage
by the man who gave his daughter in marriage without her consent, and he left the decision in the matter
to her, and there is no doubt that this is out of honoring her and appreciating her.
Islam also honoured women when it established their right to own and spend their money. So, there is no
custodianship by anyone over her no matter what, as long as she spends it on what is lawful. She can
donate from her money, and give charity from it, and she can give it in endowment for whatever she
wants. She can buy and sell, and commit it to what she wants. Allah has also made it lawful for her to
bequeath and to inherit like it is for a man, and Allah – Glorified He is – took charge of sharing the

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inheritance himself. So where is this from, those who did not and still do not bequeath anything to the
woman, rather they inherited her like belongings?! Where is this from the laws of the West today, which
do not recognize women?! Rather, they will bequeath their belongings to their girlfriends, mistresses,
secretaries, and even their dogs?!
Finally, we take this opportunity to appreciate the action of President Muhammad Buhari in recognizing an
imam who hid 263 Christians in his mosque from sectarian attacks, by awarding him the honour of
Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR). This is as a way of encouraging virtues in the society,
and this is one of the characters of Islaam that Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
brought in good relationship with others, fairness and justice in their right. Allah Ta’alah says: (لَا يَنْهاكُمُ
اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيارِكُمْ ‌أَنْ ‌تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ إِنَّ
اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ) “Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought not
against you on account of religion and did not drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who
deal with equity.” (Al-Mumtahanah: 8).
Ad-Du’a:
اللهم ارزقنا توقير نبيك صلى الله عليه وسلم وتعظيمه واتباع سنته والدب عن جنابه الكريم . اللهم ارزقنا شافاعته وأوردنا حوضه وأكرمنا
بجيرانه في جنات النعيم وصل اللهم وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وصحبه الطيبين الطاهرين ؛ أمناء دعوته ، وقادة ألويته وارض عنا وعنهم
ووفقنا لهداك واجعلنا واجعل عملنا جميعا في رضاك يا رب العالمين. اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَدَعْ لَنَا فِي مَقَامِنَا هَذّا ذَنْباً إِلاَّ غَفَرْتَهُ , وَلاَ هَمًّا إِلاَ فَرَّجْتَهُ ,
وَلاَ دَيْناً إلا قَضَيْتَهُ , وَلاَ حَاجَةً مِنْ حَوَائِجِ الدُّنْيَا والآخرة إلا أعنتنا على قضائها ويسرتها برحمتك يا أرحم الراحمين.

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