The ultimate inspiration
You don’t have to look far to find a person who respected humanity the way Allah tells us to. Muhammad (peace be upon him) was described as a mercy to mankind. Not just Muslims, and not just those who always agreed with him – everyone – all of mankind.
The seerah is filled with stories of the Prophet’s mercy towards those around him, but the most surprising one is when a man came into the masjid and started urinating. The companions reacted the way we probably would; they jumped to their feet in disgust and were ready to beat some manners into the guy. But Muhammad (peace be upon him) restrained them. Not only did he stop them from hurting the man, but he told them to let him finish! After giving the man his privacy, the Prophet (peace be upon him) approached him and gently advised him.
This is just one small example of the Prophet’s mercy and tolerance. It was this quality that made people want to listen to him and be in his company as much as possible.
How can we nurture tolerance?
Like inner modesty discussed in this article, tolerance isn’t something that can blossom overnight. However, there are a number of things you can do to develop the patience and tolerance within yourself and those around you.
– Read the Seerah. The life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is absolutely filled with stories of patience and tolerance. You can’t help but feel in awe when you read about the way he treated every single person with dignity and respect, no matter who they were or what they did.
– Get to know people. I know it’s difficult with everyone putting on a mask for the outside world, but when you get to know the person inside, you can start to connect with them. Knowing a person’s stories and struggles helps you empathize with them and find solidarity with someone who is going through the same things you are.
– Volunteer. Whether it’s feeding the homeless or helping your local charity or masjid, volunteering will increase your empathy, gain some good deeds, and expose you to a variety of different people.
– Have a Muslim support group. Everyone struggles with their faith. When you share these struggles, you can help each other overcome them. Always miss Fajr prayer? Maybe someone in your group knows a great app to try. Feeling panic and dread as Ramadan gets closer? Maybe your group also feels the same way and you can all rally together and make it a little easier for each other and maybe even add the fun and excitement back.
The world really could be a much nicer place if we all tolerated each other a little more and tore each other down a little less. Make little changes and you will feel the difference.
This article is part of our Adab Series. First published: March 2019
Click below for more great adab (Good manners) advice.
Challenge Yourself to Train Your Inner Modesty
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