Sheikh Dr Maher al-Me’eqli 27/01/1438 (28/10/2016G)

The Tolerance of the Prophet (May Allah’s Salat and Peace Be upon Him!)

Khutbah Topic
His Eminence Sheikh Maher ibn Hamad al-Me’eqli –May Allah protect him– delivered
this Friday khutbah titled “The Tolerance of the Prophet (May Allah’s Salat and Peace Be
upon Him!)” in which he talked about the tolerance of Islam as represented by the Prophet ‒
May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him! He mentioned certain situations in which his
tolerance ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ manifested itself.

Part One
Praise is due to Allah Who blessed us with Islam and made tolerance therein a way of
life to mankind. I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah alone with no associate; He
honoured us with this religion and decreed that we follow His clear Guidance. I also bear
witness that our Prophet, Muhammad, is His Servant and Messenger. He sent him as a Mercy
for the Worlds (humans and jinn). May Allah send His Salat and Peace upon him, his family ‒
the first as well as the later generations‒ his magnanimous and auspicious Companions and
upon all those who follow in their footsteps until the Day of Judgement!

Now then, O you believers!

I do exhort you as well as myself to observe taqwa (fear) of Allah ‒to Whom belong
Might and Majesty.

O Muslim Ummah!

In today’s world, we are witnessing attempts to smear Islam and Muslims and pin false
accusations thereon, branding Muslims as bigoted, sectarian, violent and tenacious although
Islam is free from all of these. Islam is the religion of mercy, justice, tolerance and love. Ibn
Abbas –May Allah be pleased with him and his father– narrated that the Prophet –May Allah’s
Salat and Peace be upon him– was asked: “Which religion is dearest to Allah, the Almighty?”
“Al-Haneefiyah Al-Samha,”1 he answered. [Narrated by Imam Ahmad with a good chain of
narration] It is Haneefiyah in monotheism, tolerant in practice.

When the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– dispatched Mu’ath and
Abu Mousa to Yemen, he told them: “Adopt the easy way, and not the hard way! Be bearers

1
‘Al-Haneefiyah Al-Samha’ means upright, true, monotheistic, and tolerant religion. In Islamic history, the term
often refers to the beliefs of the pre-Islamic believers in monotheism in Arabia. There are many verses in the
Holy Qur’an which describe Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham ‒Peace be upon him) as being “Haneef”.

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of good tidings, and do not scare people away! Show agreement with each other, and not
differences.” [An agreed-upon hadith]

Allah, the Almighty, told us the truth when he said:

Allâh does not want to place you in difficulty, but He wants to purify
you, and to complete His Favour on you that you may be thankful
[Al-Ma’idah: 6]

Ibn Katheer –May Allah bless his soul– said: “That is to say: ‘that you may be
thankful’ to Him for His Graces: the flexibility, leniency, compassion, easing and tolerance
which He has prescribed to you.”

Here is the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– urging people to be
tolerant in their dealings (with people), adopt sublime ethical standards, and shun dispute and
supplicating Allah to bestow mercy upon those who heed his counsel. In his Sahih (Book of
hadith), Al-Bukhari, quoting Jabir –May Allah be pleased with them– narrated that the Prophet
–May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– said: “May Allah have mercy upon the one who
is magnanimous when he sells, buys or litigates.”

Whenever the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– was given a choice
between two things, he would, unless it was sinful, choose the easier one. Jabir ‒May Allah be
pleased with him and his father‒ said: “The Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon
him– was a man with a docile temperament.”

Commenting on Jabir’s statement, Al-Nawawi –May Allah bless his soul– said: “That
means he was agreeable, with high moral standards, kind, pliable.” Allah, the Almighty,
addressed him thus: And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are on an exalted
standard of character. [Al-Qalam: 4]

This magnanimity and this mercy ‒O servants of Allah‒ are embodied in various facets
of the Prophet’s life: in his religious observances and dealings (with people), in his behaviour
and morality with his relatives and Companions, and with his friends and enemies. The Prophet
–May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– was a Mercy for all mankind regardless of their
race or religion.

During the grand Battle of Badr, Abu Al-‘As ibn Al-Rabi’ –the Prophet’s son-in-law,
his daughter Zainab’s husband– was taken prisoner with other polytheist prisoners. When the
Makkans sent to negotiate the release of their prisoners, Zainab sent ransom money in exchange
for her husband Abu Al-‘As. She sent a necklace which was offered to her by her mother
Khadijah as a wedding gift. When the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him–
saw it, he felt much pity for her, prayed Allah to have Mercy upon Khadijah, and said to his

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Companions: “If only you could set her prisoner free and give her back what is hers?” “O
yes, Messenger of Allah,” they replied. [Narrated by Abu Dawood with a good chain of
narration, from a hadith reported by Aisha –May Allah please her and be pleased with her!]

In the two Sahihs (collections of hadith: one by Imam Al-Bukhari and the other by
Imam Muslim) and in the Musnad (a collection of hadith) of Imam Ahmad, Jabir –May Allah
be pleased him and his father– is reported as saying: “We were with the Messenger of Allah –
May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– at Thaat Al-Riqaa’ and whenever we found a
shadowy tree, we would leave it to the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– A
polytheist man surreptitiously sneaked on the Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and
Peace be upon him– and, brandishing his sword, he asked him: ‘Who can protect you from
me?’ ‘Allah,’ he replied. The sword fell from the man’s hand, and the Messenger of Allah –
May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– picked it up and asked him: ‘Who can protect you
from me?’ ‘Be like the best of takers,’ the man answered. ‘Will you bear witness that there is
no deity except Allah?’ he asked the man. ‘No,’ the man replied, ‘but I give you my word not
to fight against you and not to be with those who fight against you,’ the man added. The
Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– then let him go.” Jabir
continued: “When the man went back to his folks, he said: ‘I was with the most honourable of
mankind.’”

The Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– did not force the
man to embrace Islam, nor did he punish him for what he did. Thus, faith got into his heart and
when he went back to his folks, many people were guided to Islam through him.

Another feature of the Prophet’s great sense of tolerance is his supplication to Allah to
guide the hearts of the mushrikeen (polytheists) to Islam. In the two Sahihs on the basis of a
hadith reported by Abu Huraira –May Allah be pleased with him: “Al-Tufail and his friends
came to the Prophet and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Daus (a tribe) have rejected faith and
adhered to kufr (unbelief), so would you invoke Allah’s wrath to fall upon them? It was said:
“Daus are doomed! Daus are doomed!” The Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace
be upon him– said: “O Allah! Guide Daus and bring them over! O Allah! Guide Daus and
bring them over!”

The Jews paid attention to this fact, so they would fake sneezing in the company of the
Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– hoping that he would invoke Allah to
grant them mercy. The Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– did not deprive
them from his supplication to Allah to lead them to guidance and righteousness.

In the Sunan (a collection of hadith) of Al-Tirmidhi, with a sound chain of narration,

Abu Mousa Al-Ash’ari –May Allah be pleased with him– is reported to have said: “The Jews
used to fake sneezing in the company of the Prophet –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon
him– in the hope that he would say to them: “Yarhamukum Allah!” (May Allah have mercy

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upon you!).” However, the Prophet would say: “May Allah guide you and set your thoughts
right!”

Allah has told the Truth when He said:

And We have sent you (O Muhammad SAW) not but as a mercy for
the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists) [Al-Anbiya’: 107]

The Messenger of Allah –May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him– was the best in
moral character, broadmindedness, truthfulness, leniency, and companionship. He had a
smiling face; he was kind and was always keeping in touch with his relations. He was keen on
peace and on spreading the greeting of peace; he did not like it for anyone to give up his place
for him (out of respect) but would take the closest place available. He would socialise with
people to guide them to observe honesty and forbid them from cheating and treachery. He was
very friendly and always ready to forgive other people’s faults and accept their apologies. If he
was told of somebody’s misdemeanour, he would not retort with abomination, but would say:
“Why is it that some people do this and that?”

The Messenger of Allah was friendly to those around him to the extent that each one of
them would think that he was the dearest to him. He would consult people of good sense and
judgement amongst them, though he was distinguished by the support of the Divine Revelation.
He would take part in whatever his Companions do and endure whatever of hardships they
endure. The rightly-guided Caliph, Othman ‒May Allah please him and be pleased with him‒
summarised the magnanimity of the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ in
the following terms: “I swear to Allah that we have accompanied the Messenger of Allah ‒May
Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ while journeying or residing. He would visit the sick
amongst us, follow our funerals, join us in conquests, and console us as much as he could in
all sad occasions.” [This hadith was narrated by Imam Ahmad through a good chain of
narrators]

I seek refuge with Allah from the accursed Satan:

Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad SAW)

from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It grieves him
that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad SAW)
is anxious over you (to be rightly guided, to repent to Allâh, and beg
Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in order that you may enter
Paradise and be saved from the punishment of the Hell-fire), for the
believers (he SAW is) full of pity, kind, and merciful. [Al-Taubah: 128]
May Allah bless me and you with the Great Qur’an and may He benefit me and you
from the signs and wisdom it contains. I say this and ask Allah to forgive me and you for every
sin. So pray Him forgiveness, for He is, indeed, Most Forgiving, Most Merciful!

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Part Two
Praise is due to Allah! Praise is due to Allah Who has guided whomever He willed to
His obedience and contentment and Who has promised His Paradise, on the Day of meeting
Him, to whomever obeyed His order! I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah alone
with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, the best
among His creatures and the Chosen one. May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him, his
Family, his Companions, and those who follow his guidance!

Now then, O believers!

There is no doubt that tolerance and mercy give rise to a society where love, mercy
towards one another, cooperation, and coherence prevail. As it is said, the tolerant person is
like a good land; it is easy to cross, fit to cultivate, easy to build upon, and soft to sleep on.

In the Sahih of Al-Bukhari, on the basis of a hadith reported by Abu Hurairah ‒May
Allah please him and be pleased with him‒ the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon
him‒ said: “Verily, religion means ease, and whoever is too strict in practising religion, he
will end up defeated. So, pursue the right way or get as close to it as you can; rejoice [at your
Lord’s ample reward], and seek help [from Allah] in the morning, in the afternoon, and in
some part of the night."

The religion of Islam is characterised by tolerance and ease in creeds and forms of
worship and in manners and morals. Its faith is the truest and the most straightforward among
all faiths. Its forms of worship are the best and the most just among all types of worship. Its
morals and ethics are the purest and most comprehensive. Indeed, it is a religion with nothing
wrong or tough in it; it is free from difficulty and hardship.

Islam has encouraged societies to be tolerant and has considered this as important as the
forms of worship. Hence, smiling and being cheerful are forms of worship; removing harmful
objects off the road is a form of worship; visiting a sick person is a form of worship; mouth-
feeding one’s wife, even a single mouthful is a form of worship; thanking Allah, the Almighty,
for this ease and tolerance is a form of worship; not hurting people is a form of worship; and
every deed intended exclusively for the sake of Allah is a form of worship.
In the two Sahihs, on the basis of a hadith reported by Abu Hurairah ‒May Allah be
pleased with him‒ the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ said: “For every
person’s phalanx there is a charity2 each day that the sun rises: to judge justly between two
people is charity. To help a man with his mount, lifting him onto it or hoisting up his

2
The beginning of this hadith is missing. Adding it in the translation is necessary for the comprehension of the
hadith as a whole (... ‫)كل سﻼمى من الناس عليه صدقة كل يوم تطلع فيه الشمس‬.

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belongings onto it, is charity; a kind word is charity; every step you take towards the mosque
to pray is charity, and removing a harmful object from the road is charity.”

Islam’s tolerance ‒O servants of Allah‒ manifests itself clearly in the pride this Ummah
takes in its religion, faith, creed, and in its implementation of its Lord’s Sharia. However, the
tolerance of the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ never turned him away
from carrying out the punishments ascribed to the violation of Allah’s Limits (Prohibitions),
nor did it turn him away from supporting the oppressed.

In the two Sahihs, when a woman from the tribe of Makhzoom stole something, the
Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒ ordered that her hand be cut and then
said: “I swear by Allah that if Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, should steal, I would
have her hand cut off."

In the Sahih oh Imam Muslim, Anas ibn Malik ‒May Allah be pleased with him‒ said
that he had never seen the Messenger of Allah ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him‒
sadder for a sariyyah3 (a military expedition) than he had been for the seventy men who were
killed during the day of the Ma’una Well; they were called the reciters (of the Qur’an). He kept
invoking Allah against their killers for a month.

When Quraish broke its covenant with the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be
upon him‒ and killed twenty men from the khuza’ah tribe, the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and
Peace be upon him‒ was angry and took the side of the oppressed. He ‒May Allah’s Salat and
Peace be upon him‒ conquered (opened) Makkah, and stood here at the door of the Ka’bah in
front of the Quraish gathering in the Holy Mosque. He said: “O people of Quraish! What do
you think I will do to you?” They said: “Good, you are a generous brother and a generous
nephew.” He said: “Go! You are free.”

How wonderful it is to forgive when capable! How wonderful it is to be humble when

victorious, and to be tolerant with the wrongdoers! All these traits were epitomised by the
Messenger of Allah ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him!

There is no deity except Allah! How great this religion is! It is the religion of good,
mercy, forbearance, love, harmony, union, and adherence to the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
O believers! You should know that Allah has given you a gracious order in which He
Himself started saying, and He is the greatest speaker:

Allâh sends His Salât (Graces, Honours, Blessings, Mercy, etc.) on

the Prophet (Muhammad SAW) and also His angels too (ask Allâh to

3
Unlike a ghazwah, which is commanded by the Prophet ‒May Allah’s Salat and Peace be upon him, a sariyyah
refers to a military expedition sent by him; that is, he was not part of it.

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bless and forgive him). O you who believe! Send your Salât on (ask
Allâh to bless) him (Muhammad SAW), and (you should) greet
(salute) him with the Islâmic way of greeting (salutation i.e. As-
Salâmu 'Alaikum). [Al-Ahzab: 56]

O Allah! Send Your Salat upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You did
upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim, You are indeed Laudable, Glorious! O Allah! Bless
Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You did bless Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim,
You are indeed Laudable, Glorious!

O Allah! Be content with the rightly-guided Caliphs: Abu Bakr, Omar, Othman, and
Ali, and with all the rest of the Companions, the tabi’in, and those who follow them righteously
till the Day of Judgement, and be content, O Allah, with us, along with them, by Your Pardon,
Generosity, and Munificence, O You, the Most Merciful!

O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and Muslims! O Allah! Grant glory to Islam and
Muslims! O Allah! Protect religion, make this country secure and tranquil along with all
Muslim countries!

O Allah! You are the Ever-Living, the Eternal Guardian! We appeal for Your help by
Your Mercy! Set right all our conditions, and never leave us to ourselves even for a blink of an
eye!

O Allah! Dispel the grief of grieved Muslims; relieve the anguish of those who are
suffering, help those in debt pay back their debts! O Allah! Cure our sick ones and those of all
Muslims!

O Allah! Set right the conditions of Muslims everywhere! O Allah! Set right the
conditions of Muslims everywhere! O Allah! Set right the conditions of Muslims everywhere,
by Your mercy, O You, the Most Merciful!

O Allah! Grant our leader guidance and support of Your Own! Grant him the best
reward for what he has done for Islam and Muslims, O Lord of the Worlds! O Allah! Guide all
Muslim leaders to do whatever You like and accept!

O Allah! Let the plotting of whoever intends to do harm to us, our country, our security,
or our security men bring destruction upon him, O You, the Most Strong, the Mighty, the Lord
of Majesty and Bounty!

O Allah! Grant victory to our soldiers who are stationed on the borders of our country!
O Allah! Grant them victory over Your enemy and theirs, O Lord of the Worlds!

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O Allah! Forgive our fathers and mothers, for they had brought us up when we were
children! O Allah! Whoever of them is dead, O Allah, send down showers of mercy on their
graves! Make their graves as spacious as far as their sight could reach! Join us with them in
Your Gardens of bliss without holding us accountable, nor punishing us, by Your mercy, O
You, the Most Merciful! O Allah! Whoever of them is still alive, elongate their lives! Make
good their deeds and conclude this life of ours and theirs with benevolence by Your Mercy, O
You, the Compassionate, the Lord of Majesty and Bounty!

O Allah! Send down rain on us and do not make us desperate! O Allah! Send down rain
on us and do not make us desperate! O Allah! Send down rain on us and do not make us
desperate! O Allah! Send us rain! O Allah! Send us rain! O Allah! Send us rain by Your Mercy,
Bounty, and Generosity, O You, the Most Merciful!

Glorified be our Lord, the Lord of Honour and Power! He is free from what they
attribute unto Him! May peace be upon all the Messengers! And all praise be to Allah, the Lord
of the Worlds!