The Prophet’s (peace be upon him) compassion radiated in all situations. As Arabia was largely a desert land, its people had some roughness in their character and temperament. The Prophet always tried to soften their attitudes, so that compassion would replace severity in their dealings with others. The Prophet would go further than that and demonstrate practically what would draw the attentions of people to a virtue he wished them to adopt. He had penetrative insight into people’s characters. So, he gave each one what that person certainly needed. He might have made it come naturally so that his interlocutor would not take it as pointed criticism. The important thing was that the Prophet gave them what was certain to improve their characters and their relations with others.
The Prophet received many of the tribal chiefs from all over Arabia. He knew that some of them felt that they should demonstrate their toughness in order to retain their positions. One of these was Al-Aqra’ ibn Habis of the Tameem tribe. The Prophet realized that he was a hard man who felt that he should show no softness. The Prophet wanted to give him a piece of advice. Abu Hurayrah reports: “The Prophet kissed Al-Hasan ibn Ali when Al-Aqra’ ibn Habis Al-Tameemi was sitting with him. Al-Aqra’ said to him: ‘I have ten children and I never kissed any of them.’ The Prophet looked at him and said: ‘A person who shows no compassion will receive none.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood, Al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad)
We note that the Prophet deliberately showed his loving tenderness in front of his audience, even when they included some tribal chiefs of note. Al-Hasan was the Prophet’s grandson as his mother was Fatimah, the Prophet’s youngest daughter. He certainly loved Al-Hasan dearly and enjoyed playing with him. Since God has made him a fine example for Muslims and ordered them to follow his practice, the Prophet was keen to demonstrate the fine qualities that increased mutual love and care within the family and the community. Kissing his grandson in front of a tribal chief and other guests pointed out to such men, some of whom were known for their hardness, that manly qualities are not inconsistent with love and compassion toward the young.
Al-Aqra’ was surprised. The Prophet was the overall leader of a much larger community than his own tribe, but he shows tenderness toward the young in a way that, to Al-Aqra’, was inconsistent with his position. Hence, he remarked that he never kissed any of his ten children. That is nothing to boast of. Hence, the Prophet’s comment that unless you are merciful and compassionate, you should not expect any such emotion from other people.
But the Prophet demonstrated such compassion on numerous occasions so that it should be widely reported and people would follow his example. Al-Baraa’ ibn Azib reports: “I saw the Prophet (peace be upon him) carrying Al-Hasan ibn Ali on his shoulder and saying: ‘My Lord! I love this boy, so please love him as well.’ (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad and Ibn Majah).
He apparently did this on several occasions, but it was not limited to Al-Hasan or his brother Al-Husayn. The Prophet loved Usamah ibn Zayd very dearly. Zayd was in former times his adopted son, until Islam outlawed adoption altogether. From that moment, Zayd reverted to his original name as Zayd ibn Harithah, but he remained very dear to the Prophet. His son Usamah was also a favorite of the Prophet, particularly because his mother was Umm Ayman, who was the Prophet’s nurse in his early years. Usamah reports that the Prophet used to take him and Al-Hasan and say: ‘My Lord! Love them as I love them.’ (Related by Al-Bukhari and Ahmad).
For the Prophet to pray to God in this way suggests that those children were very dear to him. He wanted them to be loved by God. Needless to say, when God loves someone, that person is certain to enjoy the best that this life could offer as well as a great destiny in the life to come. God answered every prayer the Prophet said in the best way that it could be answered.
But the Prophet’s care for young children did not stop with boys who were close to him. Indeed he cared for all children, but those who were related to him enjoyed his love in a very noticeable way. Abu Qatadah Al-Sulami reports: “The Prophet prayed carrying Umamah bint Zaynab, his daughter: When he was standing he carried her, but when he prostrated himself, he put her on the floor.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad, Abu Dawood and Al-Nassaie). Another version of this Hadith quotes Abu Qatadah as saying: “I saw the Prophet leading a congregational prayer while carrying on his shoulder Umamah bint Abi Al-Aas, whose mother was his daughter Zaynab. When he bowed in ruku’, he put her on the floor, and when he arose from prostration, he carried her.” (Related by Muslim).
This is a highly authentic Hadith that shows that the Prophet also cared for girls, as much as he cared for boys. Umamah was his granddaughter. He did not only show that he loved her, but he carried her as he was leading an obligatory congregational prayer. This he did in a society where until recently people received the birth of a girl with too much gloom, and often buried little girls alive for fear of poverty. Yet the Prophet demonstrated his love of the girl in the best way, carrying her while he was leading the prayer.
Even today, many people would frown if it were suggested to them that they could carry a child while praying. They would object even more strongly if the child is a girl. Some people would even suggest that carrying a boy in prayer is permissible, but not a girl. In fact the Prophet did this to demonstrate the opposite, because Islam does not differentiate between girls and boys. All children have equal rights that must be fulfilled by their parents, families and the Muslim community.