The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) led a very simple life. He could have had all the riches and luxuries he wanted, but he preferred the simple life. In this, he gave us a practical implementation of what he always stressed that the pleasures of this life are transitory and unworthy of too much attention. Some people might think that the position of a prophet does not fit with a life of ease and comfort. This is untrue. David and Solomon (peace be upon them) were prophets, and both were kings. In fact, Solomon prayed to God to give him a special type of dominion which no one else would have, and God granted him that. Thus, in addition to the comforts and luxuries his royal position afforded him, Solomon had something special, unique. Another prophet, Joseph, was a chief minister. In fact, Prophet Muhammad was the head of the Islamic state, which he established in Madinah, and which did not take long to stretch over the whole of Arabia. This means that the simple life he led was of his own choosing.
One thing people always want to be comfortable is their bed. We spend at least one quarter of our days, everyday, in bed, which makes it necessary that a bed should be comfortable. It is pertinent to ask, then, what type of bed the Prophet had. Aishah reports: “The mattress the Prophet used to sleep on was made of hide, stuffed with fibre.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood.) There are several Hadiths which mention the same thing. This makes the report highly authentic. Needless to say, such a mattress cannot be very comfortable.
Another of the Prophet’s wives, Hafsah, was asked the same question and she gave this report: “His mattress was merely a rough woollen rug which we used to fold once to make two layers. One night I thought that if I made it in four layers, it would give him more comfort. I did so and he slept. In the morning, he asked me what sort of bed I made for him that night. I said to him: ‘It was your normal mattress; but I only folded it twice to make it in four layers. I thought it would be more comfortable for you.’ He said: ‘Do not do this again. Keep it as it was. Its comfort prevented me from attending to my night worship.’” (Related by Al-Tirmidhi.)
We have a more vivid description of the conditions when the Prophet went to sleep. This is given by Ibn Abbas, who was young at the time. In fact, he was 12 or 13 when the Prophet departed this life. The case he describes took place in the last three years of the Prophet’s life, as he mentions Maymoonah, the Prophet’s last wife whose marriage took place toward the end of year 7. The Prophet died three years and four months later. His report goes as follows:
“I was a guest at Maymoonah, my maternal aunt, at a time when she did not pray (i.e. she was in her period). She brought a rug and spread it on the floor for the Prophet. She then brought a pillow and placed it at the head of the rug. She then brought a red cover and put it at the head of the rug. Then she lied down, covering herself, but she had put next to her another rug for me to sleep on. I put my head on her pillow, next to her. The Prophet then came in, having finished his Isha prayer. He came to the bed, took a piece of cloth that was near the top of the bed and covered himself with it before taking off his two garments and hanging them. He then lied next to his wife, covering himself with the same cover she had. Toward the end of the night, he rose and took a water skin that was hanged on the wall and performed his ablutions. I wanted to rise and help him by pouring the water for him, but I did not like him to realize that I was up. When he finished his ablutions, he came to the bed, put on his two robes and took off the piece of cloth and went toward the mosque and began to pray. I rose and performed ablutions and went to join him, standing to his left. He held me with his hand stretching back and placed me to his right, continuing his prayer. I prayed with him 13 rak’ahs. He then sat down and I sat next to him. He put his face next to my face and I soon realized by his regular breathing that he was asleep. Bilal then came and said: ‘It is time for prayer, Messenger of God.’ He rose, entered the mosque and began to offer his two rak’ahs (of Sunnah). Bilal then made the call to start the congregational prayer, i.e. the iqamah.” (Related by Ahmad).
We learn from this Hadith how very simple was the Prophet’s life. He would hang his clothes on the wall, perform ablution with water kept in a hanged water skin, rise well before dawn prayer to offer his night worship, which is voluntary. We also learn that he went to sleep early, and that his wife might go to sleep before him. In this case, he would join her in bed without waking her up. His mattress was nothing but a rug spread on the floor. We also learn from this Hadith and the one before it that the Prophet was regular in his night worship. When his bed was made more comfortable by being folded twice, he gave instructions to put it back as it was so that he did not sleep long. We also realize that when he woke up for his night worship, he had not had enough sleep. After he finished his 13 rak’ahs and sat down to relax, he was soon asleep in the seated position.
Another thing we learn from this Hadith is that there is no harm in being very close to one’s wife when she is in her monthly period. Some groups disallow all mixing with a woman in that condition, even touching her. Islam forbids only sexual intercourse, but not foreplay, cuddling and kissing. In this case, Maymoonah was fast asleep before the Prophet came in and he did not disturb her, as her young nephew was in his bed next to her.
Other Hadiths confirm this point. Umm Salamah, another wife of the Prophet, reports: “I started my period when I was with the Prophet under the same cover. I crept out and put on the special things I wear for my period. The Prophet asked me whether I started my period and I confirmed that. He told me to get back and he put the cover over me as it was.” She also added that the Prophet used to kiss her when he was fasting. They also performed the grand ablution, i.e. ghusl, for purification using water from the same container. (Related by Ahmad, Al-Bukhari and Muslim.)
Another Hadith reported by Maymoonah says: “God’s messenger used to pray using a cover, part of which covering him and part covering me and I was in my period.” (Related by Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah.)