Page 194 - The Prophet Muhammad (saas)
P. 194
The Prophet Muhammad (saas)
Many of his companions have described how the Prophet (saas)
loved children, and took an interest in and played with them. Here are a
number of examples:
Anas bin Malik (r.a):
"The Prophet was one of the foremost people when it came to
playing and joking with children." 181
Al-Bara 'ibn Azib (r.a):
"I saw Hassan (ra) upon the shoulders of Allah's Messenger." 182
Anas bin Malik (ra) said:
"The Prophet (saas) kissed and smelled (his son) Ibrahim." 183
Abu Huraira (ra) describes the Prophet (saas)'s love of chil-
dren and how he used to play with them:
I went along with Allah's Messenger (saas) at a time during the
day but he did not talk to me and I did not talk to him until he
reached Bazar of Banu Qunaiqa. He came back to the tent of
Fatima and said: Is the little chap (meaning Hassan) there? We
were under the impression that his mother had detained him in
order to bathe him and dress him and garland him with sweet
garland. Not much time had passed that he (Hassan) came run-
ning until both of them embraced each other, thereupon Allah's
Messenger (saas) said: O Allah, I love him; love him and love
one who loves him (Hassan)..." 184
According to Anas bin Malik (ra), the Prophet (saas) used to often
call his grandchildren, Hassan and Hussein, over to him and cuddle
them. 185
Ibnu Rebi'ati'ibni Haris (ra) says:
"My father sent al-Fadl the son of Abbas and me to the Prophet
(saas). When we came into his presence, he sat us down on his
right and left, and embraced us more strongly than we had ever
seen before." 186
The Prophet (saas) would often caress the heads of children and
pray for them. For example, Yusuf 'Ibn Abdullah 'Ibn Selam (ra) says
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