The Prophet’s Smile: Stories From His Life

In this blessed month where our beloved Prophet ﷺ was born, we would love to learn more about him and how he lived his life. The Companions of the Prophets always said that He was always cheerful and smiling, gentle in character. But they also say that this does not negate the fact that he is also described as being constantly in a state of sadness out of concern for the wellbeing of his nation. Outwardly he was cheerful, but his inner state was one of sadness. In this blog we will be sharing some stories that drew a smile on his blessed face.

A Smile on Dinner

One day there was a man sitting with the Prophet ﷺ and eating. The man did not mention Allah’s name and he kept eating until there was only one mouthful left. When he raised the food to his mouth he said: “In the name of Allah at the beginning and the end.”

The Prophet ﷺ laughed and said: “The devil was eating with him until he mentioned Allah’s name, at which point the devil vomited up everything that was in his stomach!”

This story reminds us of the importance of mentioning Allah’s name before even the smallest actions like dressing, entering and leaving our homes, going to sleep and waking up, and, of course, eating and drinking.

Fun times with Aishaa (RA)

Aisha RA says that one time she was with the Prophet ﷺ while on a journey. Aisha said, “I raced him on foot and I outran him, but when I gained some weight, I raced him again and he outran me. The Prophet ﷺ smiled and said: This is for that race.”

Even on his busiest days, and while caring and worrying about the affairs of the whole Ummah, the Prophet always found time to care for the people in his life, specially those that are closest to him. And this is a reminder for every one of us, that no matter how much our lives got busy, we need to always prioritize the quality time we spend with our families and special people.

Prayers Upon Him: A Source of Happiness

Abu Talha narrates that one day the Prophet ﷺ was in good spirits. Joy could be seen on his face. The Companions said: “O Messenger of Allah, today you are in good spirits and joy can be seen on your face.”

“Yes,” said the Prophet ﷺ, “A visitor came from my Lord and said: ‘When a member of your nation bestows one prayer upon you, Allah records for that person ten good deeds, erases ten of his bad deeds, raises him ten degrees and bestows upon him a prayer like the prayer he bestowed.’” (Narrated by Ahmad and al-Nasa’i)

For that reason, starting from this blessed month, let us always remember to make salawat upon the Prophet ﷺ, for it brings many blessings and ease into our lives, and most importantly, it makes the Prophet ﷺ smile.

A Smile on His Last Day

On the morning of the last day of his life, the Prophet ﷺ lifted the curtain of Aisha’s room to see the Muslims offering the Fajr prayer, led by Abu Bakr, just as he had taught them. He smiled with pleasure at the sight, knowing that he had succeeded in communicating Allah’s word to people, and was leaving behind a devoted community of followers. (Bukhari 754)

May we always be that community that makes him proud, may all our actions, behaviours and words match his teachings, and may we be those beams of light that ignite the lives of whoever we cross paths with.