The Prophet (peace be upon him) was always keen to tell everyone in his household that their relation to him did not give them any preferential position in God’s sight. He said to his youngest daughter whom he loved very dearly: “Fatimah bint Muhammad! I cannot avail you anything before God.” He was keen that she, as well as his other relatives, needed to do good in this life so that they would earn good reward in the hereafter.
The Prophet also wanted his family to provide a good example of seeking to improve their position in the life to come, in preference to what this life may offer. One day he went to visit his daughter Fatimah, but when he arrived at her home, he stopped and returned home. When Ali, her husband, came, she mentioned this to him. He asked the Prophet why he did not come in.
The Prophet said: “I saw an embroidered curtain on her door. What use do I have for worldly things?” Ali reported this to his wife and she said: “My father need only give me an order and I will comply.” The Prophet said: “Let her send it to this man’s family. They are in need.” She did as he suggested. It should be explained that what Fatimah did in having such a curtain on her door was not wrong or discouraged from the Islamic point of view. The Prophet disliked it as he felt that his family should not look for material comfort in this world. Hence, any curtain, made of simple material, would do. An embroidered one carried a trace of luxury and he wanted his family to provide a better example for people to follow.
We must remember that encouraging what is right and speaking out against what is wrong is a very important Islamic principle. Hence, the Prophet corrected anything wrong that people said or did. He was more expressive when the person concerned belonged to his own family. Aishah said about another wife of the Prophet: “It is enough that Safiyyah is short.” The Prophet said to her: “The word you have just said is enough to change the color of sea water.” He gave her such a vivid image to stress that backbiting is totally unacceptable, even though what we say is true. Safiyyah might have been short, but that did not detract from her position or her noble character. To speak of her height in a derogatory manner is wrong. Hence, the Prophet would not accept it from his wife whom he loved.
Even when he was in pain during his last illness the Prophet did not accept a wrong gesture by some of his wives. They were all attending him and he was clearly in pain. Safiyyah said: “I wish I am the one who is ill and you are spared.” Some of them made a gesture, as if to suggest that she was exaggerating. The Prophet disliked their gesture. He said to them: “Go and rinse your mouths.” He made clear that their gestures, apparently by moving their lips, contaminated their mouths.