Jabir bin ‘Abdullah, one of the disciples of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: We accompanied Messenger of Allah in the campaign of Dhat-ur-Riqa`. We left Messenger of Allah to take rest under a shady tree. One of the pagan polytheists
The sword of Messenger of Allah was hanging on a tree. The pagan drew it and said: “Are you afraid of me?”
Messenger of Allah said “ No“
Then the pagan said: “Who will then protect you from me?”
Messenger of Allah replied, “ Allah!
As soon as he said this, the sword fell out of his hand and Messenger of Allah, catching the sword, asked him, “Now who will protect you from me. ”
He said, “Please forgive me.”
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam said smiling, “If you testify that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and that I am His Messenger.”
He said, “No, but I promise you that I shall not fight against you, nor shall I be with those who fight with you”.
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wasallam let him go. He then went back to his people and said:
“I have come to you from one of the best of all people! ”
Although the pagans of Mecca kept on harming the Prophet, he didn’t ask Allah to destroy them, but he kept on praying for them as he wanted them to be saved from Hellfire.
One of the disciples of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ says:
During the Battle of Uhud, when the pagans found a gap in Muslim army, and attacked the Prophet ﷺ , the Prophet was beaten, and blood was dripping from his face, he said:
" My Lord, forgive my people, for they do not know." (Sahih Muslim)
Also when the Prophet ﷺ went to preach Islam to the people in the city of Taif, and they rejected him, and kept on beating him and pelting him with stones until he was bleeding, the archangel Gabriel pbuh came to him with the angel of the mountains.
The Prophet said that angel in charge of the mountains called out to me, greeted me and said:
“Muhammad, Allah has listened to what your people have said to you. I am the angel in charge of the mountains. And your Lord has sent me to you so that you may order me what you wish. If you wish that I should bring together the two mountains that stand opposite to each other at the extremities of Mecca to crush them in between, (I would do that). “
But the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him:
“I rather hope that Allah will produce from their descendants such persons as will worship Allah, the One, and will not ascribe partners to Him.” (Sahih Muslim)
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ didn’t aim to kill those who rejected him, he was keen on guiding them to Islam and saving them from Hell. Even when he conquered the polytheists and entered Mecca he didn’t aim to take revenge from those who tortured him and rejected him, but he forgave them with no blame.
He asked those who rejected him, and kept on harming and attacking him for 21 years, he asked them:
” What do you think I shall do with you?,
They said:
” Well, you are an honorable brother, and the son of an honorable brother.”,
He ﷺ said: “No blame on you today, go, you are free” (Ibn Hisham)
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was merciful with his servants and with people. Anas Ibn Malik reported:
I served the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for ten years, and, by Allah, he never said to me any harsh word, and he never said to me about a thing as to why I had done that and as to why I had not done that.
(Bukhari)
Aisha the wife of Prophet Muhammad said:
The Prophet ﷺ never took revenge (over anybody) for his own sake but (he did) only when Allah’s Legal Limits were transgressed, in which case he would take revenge for Allah’s Sake. He never used bad language. He used to say “The best among you are those who have the best manners and character.” He never criticized any food (presented to him), but he would eat it if he liked it; otherwise, he would leave it (without expressing his dislike). (Bukhari)
Muhammad ﷺ was very generous, Ibn Abbas narrates:
The Prophet ﷺ was the most generous of all the people, and he used to become more generous in Ramadan when Gabriel pbuh met him. Gabriel used to meet him every night during Ramadan to revise the Qur’an with him. Allah’s Apostle then used to be more generous than the wind! (Bukhari)
Jabir reported:
” It never happened that Allah’s Messenger ﷺ was asked for anything and he said: No". (Bukhari)
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was very modest, his life was very simple, he used to mend his own clothes, help with the housework, and visit poor people when they got sick.
He also said:
”Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a Slave. So, call me the Slave of Allah and His Apostle.”
(Bukhari)