The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 264
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 264 insisted, and married her upon her consent. 1 Hence, those purposes under which the marriages of the Holy Prophet sa took place were immensely blessed and pure, and the fulfillment of the obligations of prophethood were predominately in consideration. Not only in his marriages, rather, even if an individual studies the lifestyle of the Holy Prophet sa in general, it becomes evident that everything he did whether it apparently related to the world or to religion, the principal and governing objective of the Holy Prophet sa , be it directly or indirectly, was the fulfillment of the obligations of prophethood. The Holy Prophet sa was never preoccupied with the comforts of the world. The following Ḥadīth is indeed a most accurate portrait of the life of the Holy Prophet sa : َ عَن ِ ابْن ِ مَسْعُوْد ٍ اَن َّ رَسُوْل َ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم َ نَام َ عَلی ٰ حَصِیْر ٍ فَقَام َ وَقَد ْ اَثَّر ْ فِی ْ جَسَدِه ٖ فَقَال َ ابْن ُ مَسْعُوْد ٍ یَا رَسُوْل َ اللّٰه ِ لَو ْ اَمَرْتَنَا اَن ْ نَبْسُط َ لَك َ وَنَعْمَل َ فَقَال َ مَا لِی وَلِلدُّنْیَا وَمَا اَنَا وَالدُّنْیَا اِلَّا كَرَاكِب ٍ اِسْتَظَل َّ تَحْت َ شَجَرَة ٍ ثُم َّ رَاح َ وَتَرَكَھَا Meaning, “Ibni Mas‘ūd ra relates that on one occasion, the Holy Prophet sa lay down on a thick and rough mat and fell asleep. When the Holy Prophet sa woke up, the mat had left marks on his body. Upon this, I submitted, ‘O Messenger of Allāh! If you so desire, we can arrange means for your ease and comfort. ’ The Holy Prophet sa responded, ‘Ibni Mas‘ūd! What have I to do with the comforts of this world? The similitude of the world and I is like that of a rider on journey, who stops to catch his breath beneath the shade of a tree, and then stands up again to continue his journey. ’” 2 This Ḥadīth does not imply that it is forbidden to benefit from the comforts of this world. For Islām does not forbid a person from lawfully seeking benefit from a legitimate comfort of the world. As a matter of fact, the Holy Qur’ān itself teaches the following prayer: 1 * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qasṭalānī, Volume 4, pp. 398-400, Ummu Salamah Ummul-Mu’minīn, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) * Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 8, p. 289, Dhikru Azwāji Rasūlillāhi sa / Ummu Salamah bintu Abī Umayyah, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 2 Mishkātul-Maṣābīḥ, Volume 2, Part 3, p. 247 Kitābur-Riqāq, Al-Faṣluth-Thānī, Ḥadīth No. 5188, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2003)