The noble Messenger of Allah (Subhaanahu Wa Ta’aalaa), Hadhrat Muhammad (SallAllaahu Alaihe WaSallam), was the most merciful and kindest of people, who loved good for them and was keen for them to be happy and prosper. We will never find anything more true than the words of Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa) which speak of that (interpretation of the meaning):
لَقَدۡ جَآءَكُمۡ رَسُولٌ مِّنۡ أَنفُسِكُمۡ عَزِيزٌ عَلَيۡهِ مَا عَنِتُّمۡ حَرِيصٌ عَلَيۡكُم بِٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ (128)
“Surely, there has come to you, from your midst, a Messenger who feels it very hard on him if you face a hardship, who is very anxious for your welfare, and for the believers he is very kind, very merciful.” (al-Taubah 9:128)
He loved his Ummah (Nation) a great deal, and was very concerned about their salvation on the Day of Qiyaamah (Resurrection), hoping that Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa) would honor them with His Jannah (Paradise). He would weep because of the depth of his fear for them and his compassion towards them.
It was narrated that Hadhrat‘ Abdullah ibne ‘Amribn al-‘Aas reported that the Prophet (SallAllaahu Alaihe WaSallam) recited the Aayah (Verse) about Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham):
رَبِّ إِنَّهُنَّ أَضۡلَلۡنَ كَثِيرٗا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِۖ فَمَن تَبِعَنِي فَإِنَّهُۥ مِنِّيۖ وَمَنۡ عَصَانِي فَإِنَّكَ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ (36)
‘My Lord, they have misled many a people. So, the one who follows me does surely belong to me. As for the one who disobeys me, then You are Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.” (Ibrahim 14:36)
Then, he recited another Aayah in which Prophet ‘Eesaa (Jesus) said:
إِن تُعَذِّبۡهُمۡ فَإِنَّهُمۡ عِبَادُكَۖ وَإِن تَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ فَإِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ (118)
“If You punish them, they are Your slaves after all, but if You forgive them, You are the Mighty, the Wise.” (al-Maaidah 5:118)
Then he raised his hands and said: “O Allah!My Ummah, my Ummah.”
Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa) said: “O Jibreel! Go to Muhammad, although your Lord knows best, and ask him why he is weeping.”
So Hadhrat Jibreel went to him and asked him, and Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaahu Alaihe WaSallam) told him what he said, although He knows best. Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa) said: “O Jibreel! Go to Muhammad and say: I will make you pleased concerning your Ummah and not displeased.” (Muslim)
This Hadeeth includes a number of things that we learn from it, such as: the Prophet (SallAllaahu Alaihe WaSallam)’s height of compassion towards his Ummah; his concern about their interests and his care for them; the great glad tidings for this Ummah; of what Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa) has promised it, as He said: “I will make you pleased concerning your Ummah and not displeased.”
This Hadeeth represents one of the greatest hopes for this Ummah.
The Prophet (SallAllaahu Alaihe WaSallam) prayed for all of his Ummah, and he sought the help of Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa), praying that He would make it a nation that would be honored and shown mercy, until Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa) answered his prayer and said that half of the people of Jannah, or more, would be from his Ummah, and they would be blessed with his intercession on the Day of Qiyaamah.
Secondly, one sign of his compassion and love towards his Ummah was that he prayed for more blessing and goodness especially for those who believed in him and followed him without seeing him.
It was narrated from HadhratAnasibnMaalik that Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaahu Alaihe WaSallam) said: “Glad tidings to the one who believed in me and saw me, and sevenfold glad tidings to the one who believed in me but did not see me.” (MusnadAhmad)
Al-Nawawisaid: With regard to the meaning of glad tidings (Toobaa): the Mufassireen differed concerning the meaning of the words of Allah in Soorahal-Ra’d (13:29): “Toobaa (all kinds of happiness or name of a tree in Jannah) is for them and a beautiful place of (final) return”
It was narrated from Hadhrat Ibne ‘Abbas that what it means is joy and delight. ‘Ikrimah said: Joy that will be theirs. Al-Dahhaak said: Bliss that will be theirs. Qataadah said: Goodness that will be theirs. It was also narrated from Qataadah that it means that they will attain goodness. Ibrahim said: Goodness and honor that will be theirs. Ibn ‘Ajlaan said: Eternal goodness. And it was said: Jannah, or a tree in Jannah. All of these meanings may be applied to the Hadeeth. (Sharh Muslim)
Then the Prophet (SallAllaahu AlaiheWaSallam) gave glad tidings to the believers who came after him and did not see him, that they would see him at the Cistern (al-Haudh): It was narrated from Hadhrat Abu Hurairah that Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaahu Alaihe WaSallam) went out to the graveyard and said: “Peace be upon the abode of believing people, and if Allah wills we will join you soon. Would that I could see our brothers.”
They said: “Are we not your brothers, O Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaahu Alaihe WaSallam)?”
He said: “You are my Sahaabah (Companions). Our brothers are those who have not come yet. I will reach the Cistern before them.”
They said: “O Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa)’s Messenger (SallAllaahu Alaihe WaSallam)!How will you recognize those of your Ummah who came after you?”
He said: “Do you not see that if a man has a horse that has a white blaze and white feet among horses that are all black, will he not recognize his horse?”
They said: “Of course!”
He said: “They will come to me with bright faces and limbs (like the white markings of a horse) because of the traces of Wudhoo, and I will reach the Cistern before them.” (Muslim, al-Nasaa’i)
Whoever wants to attain this virtue must adhere to the guidance of the Prophet (SallAllaahu Alaihe WaSallam) and adhere to his Sunnah, so that he may win his companionship in Jannah.
We pray to Allah (Subhaanahu WaTa’aalaa) to honor all of us with that, by His grace, for He is the Most Generous and Most Kind.Aameen!