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








                                                            192
   189   190   191   192   193   194   195   196   197   198   199