God’s Messenger was particularly compassionate towards children. When he saw a child crying, he sat beside him or her and shared his or her feelings. He felt the pain of a mother for her child more than the mother herself. Once he said:

I stand in prayer and wish to prolong it. However, I hear the cry of a child and cut the prayer short for the anxiety which the mother is feeling. (9)

He took children in his arms and hugged them. He was once hugging his beloved grandsons, Hasan and Hussayn, when Aqra ibn Habis told him: ‘I have got ten children. So far, I haven’t kissed any of them.’

God’s Messenger responded:

The one with no pity for others is not pitied. (10)

According to another version, he said:

What can I do for you if God has removed from you the feeling of compassion? (11)

Once, he said:

Take pity on those on earth so that those in the heavens should have pity on you. (12)

Sa‘d ibn ‘Ubada once became ill. God’s Messenger visited him in his house and, on seeing his faithful Companion in a pitiful state, he was moved to tears. Then, he said:

God does not punish because of tears, nor because of grief, but he punishes because of this, and he pointed to his tongue. (13)

When ‘Uthman ibn Mad‘un died, he wept profusely. During the funeral, a woman remarked: ‘ ‘Uthman flew, like a bird, to Paradise.’ Even in that mournful state, the Prophet did not lose his balance and corrected the woman:

How do you know that he went to Paradise while even I do not know, and I am a Prophet? (14)

God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, always protected and supported, both prior to and during his Prophethood, widows, orphans, the poor and disabled. When he returned home in excitement from Mount Hira after the first revelation, his wife, Khadija, told him:

I hope you will be the Prophet of this community, you always tell the truth, fulfil the trust, support your relatives, help the poor and weak, and feed guests. (15)

His compassion encompassed not only human beings, but also animals. We hear from him that a prostitute was guided to truth by God and ultimately went to Paradise because she gave water to a poor dog dying of thirst, whilst another woman was condemned to the torments of Hell because she left a cat to die of hunger. (16)

Once on return from a military campaign, a few Companions took away the chicks of a bird from their nest to stroke them. The mother bird came back and, when it could not find its chicks in the nest, it began to fly around screeching. When informed of the matter, God’s Messenger became angry and ordered the chicks to be put back in the nest. (17)

Once he told his Companions that one of the previous Prophets was reproached by God because he set on fire a nest of ants. (18)

He was in Mina when some of his Companions once attacked a snake to kill it. However, the snake managed to escape. Watching this from afar, God’s Messenger remarked: It was saved from your evil, as you were from its. (19)

As reported by Ibn ‘Abbas, when God’s Messenger once saw a man sharpening his knife directly before the sheep he would slaughter, he said to him: Do you desire to kill it many times? (20) ‘Abdullah ibn Ja’far narrates:

God’s Messenger, upon him be peace and blessings, once went to a garden in Madina with a few of his Companions. There was a very scrawny camel in a corner. On seeing God’s Messenger, it began to shed tears. The Messenger went to the camel and, after staying beside it for some time, severely warned the owner to feed the camel properly. (21)

The love and compassion of God’s Messenger for all kinds of creatures was not of the kind claimed by today’s ‘humanists’. He was sincere and balanced in his love and compassion. He was more compassionate than any other person. He was a Prophet raised by God, the Creator and Sustainer of all beings, for the guidance and happiness of conscious beings – mankind and jinn – and the harmony of existence. So, he lived not for himself but for others; he is a mercy for all the worlds.

As a reflection of his mercy and compassion, God’s Messenger was extremely mild and gentle, he was not harsh and stern. Due to his mildness, God’s Messenger gained many converts to Islam and surpassed numerous obstacles on his way to ultimate victory.

After the victory of Badr, the Battle of Uhud was a severe trial for the Muslim community in Madina. Although God’s Messenger was of the opinion that they should face the enemy on the outskirts of Madina, the majority of the Muslim army urged him to go out into the open for a pitched battle. When the two armies met each other at the foot of Mount Uhud, God’s Messenger positioned fifty archers in the pass of ‘Aynayn and ordered them not to leave their place without permission, even if they saw that the Muslims had won the victory decisively.