Sometimes people think of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as too serious, hardly ever smiling. How could he be otherwise when he had to face much opposition to contend with? Moreover, he had to deliver God’s message, teach his companions how to change their lives in order to put their new faith into practice, and look after his community. The tasks he had to attend to were too heavy for even a group of people, and his duties were enormous. As his mission was very serious, he could not be expected to be anything other than serious.
This, however, is a wrong conclusion to draw. There is no doubt that the burden the Prophet shouldered was heavy. God says to him: “We shall bestow upon you a weighty message.” (73: 5) Yet the Prophet was happy with the mission he was assigned, attending to all its duties with enthusiasm, caring for all people. He never disdained to speak to anyone explaining God’s message and calling on them to believe in God’s oneness. Two Hadiths tell us much about the Prophet’s nature and how he felt.
The first is reported by Abdullah ibn Al-Harith ibn Jaz’ who says: “I have never seen anyone more smiling than God’s messenger (peace be upon him).” This is related by Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi and Al-Baghawi. Another version of this Hadith says: “I have never seen anyone more joking or smiling than God’s messenger. Indeed, a young child’s family would look forward to his joking.” The second Hadith is reported by Aishah, his wife, who says: “I have never seen the Prophet laughing with all his body so as to see the back of his mouth. He would only smile.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Ahmad and Al-Baghawi).
Together these two Hadiths give us a good idea of what the Prophet was like. His manners were easy and he smiled often. Smiling came naturally to him that his companions found him the one who smiles most among them. Needless to say, this helped them to approach him more easily, telling him about all their problems. They were not too shy to approach him when they needed guidance about any matter, whether related to religion or to life matters generally. His smiles were ready for children, for whom he always cared. He would make them laugh and smile, that their parents would always look forward to him seeing their children. This gives us a picture of a man who cared for all people around him, radiating happiness.
At the same time, he did not indulge in the sort of hearty laughter that could lose people’s respect. He only smiled. But his smiling did not betray a reserved nature, struggling to control one’s emotions. On the contrary, when the Prophet smiled, his face radiated with happiness. Kaab ibn Malik, a companion of the Prophet who was a poet, describes the Prophet’s delight as follows: “When God’s messenger was happy, his face beamed with delight, as if his face was a piece of the full moon. We recognized this from him.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Ahmad and Al-Tirmidhi). Yet he did not go beyond smiling. This means it was the sort of smile that radiated and brought a happy feeling to all around, without losing self- control.
Abdullah ibn Umar, one of the Prophet’s companions who was close to him reporting a large number of Hadiths, mentions that people could tell the Prophet’s feelings by looking at him. His face expressed what he felt, whether happiness or anger. “The Prophet’s pleasure and anger showed in his face. If he was pleased, his face was like the reflection of a mirror on a wall. And if he was angry, his color goes and his face darkens.” (Related by Ibn Hibban).
It is very important to remember this Hadith when we talk about the Prophet’s self- control. It was not the sort of controlling one’s emotions so that people would not know what he felt or what he thought. There are such people with whom one does not know where one stands. But the Prophet did not indulge in too extravagant expression of his emotions. He certainly reflected his happiness and his displeasure, but without giving his emotions too much reign. A poet describes him in the following terms: “His laugh is a smile, his walking is easy, and his sleep is light.” This gives us an image of a person who is moderate in all his moods, but at the same time, he is easy natured, smiling all the time to give warmth to his relations with people.
It may be asked: What things would make the Prophet smile? The answer is that he smiled in all situations that give a sense of pleasure. A good example is that given by his wife, Aishah, who said: “The Prophet came into my place one day feeling delighted. He said: ‘Aishah. Have you heard of Mujazziz Al-Mudliji? He entered and found Usamah and Zayd covering themselves with blanket, which covered their heads and left their feet visible. He said: These feet belong to each other.’” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Nassaie and Ibn Majah).
The Prophet was wondering at this man, Mujazziz, who belonged to the Mudlij tribe whose people were known as the best ones in Arabia to recognize likeness. They would identify a man they see for the first time as belonging to such and such tribe, and they may be able to even place him in his own family in that tribe. Needless to say, some of them were better skilled than others in this respect.
They normally relied on studying the features of a person, looking for distinctive lines and particular aspects. But in this Hadith, the man recognized the close relationship between the two men from their feet. Usamah was Zayd’s son. As the man entered, their heads and faces were covered by the blanket, but their feet were visible. Immediately Mujazziz told of their relation, saying that the one belongs to the other. This is certainly amazing. It made the Prophet wonder and gave him a feeling of delight that his wife immediately recognized.