What Was the Character of the Prophet (PBUH) Like?
كيف كان خُلُق الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم؟
Before the Revelation, he was called ‘Al-Ameen’ (the Trustworthy), because he was well known for never telling lies or tricks.
(And you are truly ˹a man˺ of outstanding character.) Al-Qalam 68:4
(It is out of Allah’s mercy that you ˹O Prophet˺ have been lenient with them. Had you been cruel or hard-hearted, they would have certainly abandoned you.) Al-Imran 3:159
Note: The earlier published wording numbered this verse 158; it is verse 159 of Al Imran, so it was corrected.
Aisha (May Allah be pleased with her) was asked about the character of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and she said: “His character was the Quran”. Meaning that you find whatever matter that the Quran encouraged or commanded to be done, in his character, his behavior and his deeds.
قبل البعثة كان يسمى بالأمين لأنه ما عُرف عنه كذب أو خداع.
قال الله تعالى: ﴿ وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴾ (القلم 68: 4)
وقال تعالى: (فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ) (آل عمران 3: 159)
ملاحظة: جاء رقم هذه الآية في النص المنشور سابقا 158، وهي الآية 159 من سورة آل عمران، فصُحح.
سئلت عائشة رضي الله عنها عن خلقه صلى الله عليه وسلم فقالت: "كان خلقه القرآن". أي أنك لا تجد أمرا حث عليه القرآن أو أمر به إلا وجدته في خلقه وسلوكه وعمله صلى الله عليه وسلم.
1. Aisha's Comprehensive Definition: "His Character Was the Quran" | كان خُلُقه القرآن
Sa'd ibn Hisham asked Aisha about the Prophet's character, and she said: "Do you not read the Quran? The character of the Prophet of Allah was the Quran" (Sahih Muslim 746). Ibn Kathir quotes her words when he explains "And you are truly ˹a man˺ of outstanding character" (68:4): his character was as the Quran describes.
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ (سورة القلم: 4)
سأل سعد بن هشام عائشة عن خُلُق النبي ﷺ فقالت: «ألست تقرأ القرآن؟ فإن خُلُق نبي الله ﷺ كان القرآن» (صحيح مسلم 746)، وأورد ابن كثير قولها عند تفسير قوله تعالى: (وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ)، أي إن خُلُقه ﷺ كان على ما وصفه الله تعالى في القرآن.
2. Unsurpassed Gentleness and Compassion | اللين والرحمة
Surah Al Imran ties his gentleness to Allah's mercy: "It is out of Allah's mercy that you ˹O Prophet˺ have been lenient with them. Had you been cruel or hard-hearted, they would have certainly abandoned you" (3:159). Aisha said he was never coarse or obscene, and did not repay a bad deed with a bad deed but pardoned and overlooked (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2016, graded sahih by al-Albani).
فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّـهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ (سورة آل عمران: 159)
ذكر الله تعالى في سورة آل عمران أن لينه ﷺ من رحمته: (فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ ۖ وَلَوْ كُنتَ فَظًّا غَلِيظَ الْقَلْبِ لَانفَضُّوا مِنْ حَوْلِكَ) (آل عمران 3: 159)، وقالت عائشة: لم يكن فاحشا ولا متفحشا، ولا يجزي بالسيئة السيئة ولكن يعفو ويصفح (جامع الترمذي 2016، صححه الألباني).
3. Humility with the Weak and Service to Family | التواضع وخدمة الأهل
His humility showed at home: asked what he did in his house, Aisha said he was in the service of his family, and when the time for prayer came he went out to pray (Sahih al-Bukhari 676). Allah told him to be gentle with the believers (15:88).
وَاخْفِضْ جَنَاحَكَ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ (سورة الحجر: 88)
ظهر تواضعه في بيته؛ سئلت عائشة: ما كان النبي ﷺ يصنع في بيته؟ قالت: كان يكون في مهنة أهله، فإذا حضرت الصلاة خرج إلى الصلاة (صحيح البخاري 676). وقد أمره الله تعالى أن يخفض جناحه للمؤمنين (الحجر 15: 88).
4. Forbearance Toward Those Who Harmed Him | الحلم والصفح عمن آذاه
Aisha said he never took revenge for himself, unless something Allah had made sacred was violated, and then he took revenge for Allah (Sahih al-Bukhari 3560). When the angel of the mountains offered to crush the people of Mecca after his rejection at al-Ta'if, he answered: "I hope that Allah will bring from their descendants people who worship Allah alone, associating nothing with Him" (Sahih al-Bukhari 3231).
ادْفَعْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ فَإِذَا الَّذِي بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهُ عَدَاوَةٌ كَأَنَّهُ وَلِيٌّ حَمِيمٌ (سورة فصلت: 34)
قالت عائشة: وما انتقم رسول الله ﷺ لنفسه إلا أن تنتهك حرمة الله فينتقم لله بها (صحيح البخاري 3560)، ولما عرض عليه مَلَك الجبال أن يطبق على قومه الأخشبين بعد ما لقي من أهل الطائف قال: «بل أرجو أن يخرج الله من أصلابهم من يعبد الله وحده لا يشرك به شيئا» (صحيح البخاري 3231).
5. The Universal Moral Paradigm for All Humanity | الأسوة الحسنة
Surah Al-Ahzab names him the example for believers: "Indeed, in the Messenger of Allah you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah often" (33:21). Why some writers rank him first in history is discussed in why he is called the greatest figure in history.
لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّـهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّـهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّـهَ كَثِيرًا (سورة الأحزاب: 21)
جعله الله تعالى قدوة للمؤمنين في سورة الأحزاب: (لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيرًا) (الأحزاب 33: 21). وأما سبب عدّ بعض الكتّاب إياه أعظم شخصية في التاريخ فنبيّنه في الجواب عن ذلك.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
How did Aisha describe the character of Prophet Muhammad?
She said: The character of the Prophet of Allah was the Quran (Sahih Muslim 746).
What did Allah say about the Prophet's character in Surah Al-Qalam?
Allah said: And you are truly ˹a man˺ of outstanding character (Al-Qalam 68:4).
How did he treat people who insulted or persecuted him?
He did not repay a bad deed with a bad deed but pardoned (Jami at-Tirmidhi 2016), and he never took revenge for himself (Sahih al-Bukhari 3560).
What did he say when offered revenge on the people of Mecca after al-Ta'if?
He hoped that Allah would bring from their descendants people who worship Him alone (Sahih al-Bukhari 3231).