In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful
Imam al-Mundhiri recorded the chapter in his book Inspiring Hope and Inciting Fear:
الترغيب في الرفق والأناة والحلم
Inspiration to gentleness, clemency, and forbearance.
Source: al-Targhīb wal-Tarhīb 3/414
Aisha reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ فِي الْأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ
Allah is kind and he loves kindness in all matters.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6927, Muttafaqun Alayhi
In another narration, the Prophet said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ وَيُعْطِي عَلَى الرِّفْقِ مَا لَا يُعْطِي عَلَى الْعُنْفِ وَمَا لَا يُعْطِي عَلَى مَا سِوَاهُ
Verily, Allah is kind and he loves kindness. He rewards for kindness what is not granted for harshness and he does not reward anything else like it.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2593, Grade: Sahih
And in another narration, the Prophet said:
عَلَيْكِ بِالرِّفْقِ وَإِيَّاكِ وَالْعُنْفَ وَالْفُحْشَ
You must be gentle, and beware of harshness and obscenity.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6030, Grade: Sahih
And in another narration, the Prophet said:
إِنَّ الرِّفْقَ لَا يَكُونُ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا زَانَهُ وَلَا يُنْزَعُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا شَانَهُ
Verily, kindness is not found in anything but that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything but that it disgraces it.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2594, Grade: Sahih
Jarir reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَنْ يُحْرَمْ الرِّفْقَ يُحْرَمْ الْخَيْرَ
Whoever is deprived of the characteristic of gentleness is deprived of all goodness.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2592, Grade: Sahih
In another narration, the Prophet said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَيُعْطِي عَلَى الرِّفْقِ مَا لَا يُعْطِي عَلَى الْخُرْقِ وَإِذَا أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ عَبْدًا أَعْطَاهُ الرِّفْقَ مَا مِنْ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ يُحْرَمُونَ الرِّفْقَ إِلَّا قَدْ حُرِمُوا
Verily, Allah Almighty rewards for gentleness what He does not give for rudeness. If Allah loves a servant, then He grants him the quality of gentleness. No household is deprived of kindness but that they have been truly deprived.
Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr lil-Ṭabarānī 2274, Grade: Hasan
Abu Darda reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَنْ أُعْطِيَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ الرِّفْقِ فَقَدْ أُعْطِيَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ الْخَيْرِ وَمَنْ حُرِمَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ الرِّفْقِ فَقَدْ حُرِمَ حَظَّهُ مِنْ الْخَيْرِ
Whoever has the quality of kindness has been given his share of goodness. Whoever is deprived of the quality of kindness has been deprived of his share of goodness.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2013, Grade: Sahih
Abu Umamah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ وَيَرْضَاهُ وَيُعِينُ عَلَيْهِ مَا لَا يُعِينُ عَلَى الْعُنْفِ
Verily, Allah Almighty loves gentleness and is pleased with it. He lends support for in a way he does not support harshness.
Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr lil-Ṭabarānī 7477, Grade: Sahih li ghayrihi
Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِأَهْلِ بَيْتٍ خَيْرًا أَدْخَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ الرِّفْقَ
If Allah Almighty intends good for a household, he lets gentleness enter their home.
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 24427, Grade: Sahih
Ibn Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
مَا أُعْطِيَ أَهْلُ بَيْتٍ الرِّفْقَ إِلَّا نَفَعَهُمْ
The people of a household are not granted kindness but that it will benefit them.
Source: al-Mu’jam al-Kabīr lil-Ṭabarānī 13261, Grade: Sahih
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
لا يَكُونُ الْخُرْقُ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلا شَانَهُ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ رَفِيقٌ يُحِبُّ الرِّفْقَ
Harshness is not found in anything but that it disgraces it. Verily, Allah is kind and he loves kindness.
Source: al-Adab al-Mufrad lil-Bukhārī 466, Grade: Sahih
Abu Huraira reported: A bedouin entered the mosque of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while the Prophet was sitting. The man prayed, and when he finished, he said, “O Allah, have mercy on me and Muhammad and no one else.” The Prophet turned to him and said:
تَحَجَّرْتَ وَاسِعًا
You have restricted something that is vast.
It was not long before he was urinating in the mosque, so the people rushed to him, but the Prophet said:
أَهْرِيقُوا عَلَيْهِ سَجْلًا مِنْ مَاءٍ أَوْ دَلْوًا مِنْ مَاءٍ إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُمْ مُيَسِّرِينَ وَلَمْ تُبْعَثُوا مُعَسِّرِينَ
Pour a bucket or a tumbler of water over it. You have only been sent to make things easy, and you were not sent to make things difficult.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 147, Grade: Sahih
In another narration, the man said:
بِأَبِي وَأُمِّي فَلَمْ يُؤَنِّبْ وَلَمْ يَسُبَّ
By my mother and father, the Prophet did not rebuke me or curse me.
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 529, Grade: Hasan
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
يَسِّرُوا وَلَا تُعَسِّرُوا وَسَكِّنُوا وَلَا تُنَفِّرُوا
Make things easy and do not make things difficult. Make people calm and do not frighten them away.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 69, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
مَا خُيِّرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَيْنَ أَمْرَيْنِ إِلَّا أَخَذَ أَيْسَرَهُمَا مَا لَمْ يَكُنْ إِثْمًا فَإِنْ كَانَ إِثْمًا كَانَ أَبْعَدَ النَّاسِ مِنْهُ وَمَا انْتَقَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِنَفْسِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ تُنْتَهَكَ حُرْمَةُ اللَّهِ فَيَنْتَقِمَ لِلَّهِ بِهَا
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, was not presented with two matters but that he would choose the easier of them, as long as it was not sinful. If it was sinful, he would be the furthest of people from it. The Prophet did not take revenge for himself, unless the sacred limits of Allah were violated, for then he would retaliate for the sake of Allah.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 3560, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِمَنْ يَحْرُمُ عَلَى النَّارِ أَوْ بِمَنْ تَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهِ النَّارُ عَلَى كُلِّ قَرِيبٍ هَيِّنٍ سَهْلٍ
Shall I not tell you for whom the Hellfire is forbidden? It is every person accessible, polite, and mild.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhī 2488, Grade: Sahih li ghayrihi
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
التَّأَنِّي مِنَ اللَّهِ وَالْعَجَلَةُ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ
Prudence is from Allah, and carelessness is from Satan.
Source: al-Sunan al-Kubrá lil-Bayhaqī 20270, Grade: Hasan
Ibn Abbas reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to Al-Ashajj ‘Abdul al-Qays:
إِنَّ فِيكَ خَصْلَتَيْنِ يُحِبُّهُمَا اللَّهُ الْحِلْمُ وَالْأَنَاةُ
Verily, you have two qualities beloved to Allah. They are forbearance and clemency.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 17, Grade: Sahih
Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
كُنْتُ أَمْشِي مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعَلَيْهِ بُرْدٌ نَجْرَانِيٌّ غَلِيظُ الْحَاشِيَةِ فَأَدْرَكَهُ أَعْرَابِيٌّ فَجَبَذَ بِرِدَائِهِ جَبْذَةً شَدِيدَةً قَالَ أَنَسٌ فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَى صَفْحَةِ عَاتِقِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَقَدْ أَثَّرَتْ بِهَا حَاشِيَةُ الرِّدَاءِ مِنْ شِدَّةِ جَبْذَتِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ مُرْ لِي مِنْ مَالِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي عِنْدَكَ فَالْتَفَتَ إِلَيْهِ فَضَحِكَ ثُمَّ أَمَرَ لَهُ بِعَطَاءٍ
I was walking with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was wearing a Najrani sheet with a thick border. A bedouin Arab overtook the Prophet and forcibly pulled his clothes. I looked at the shoulder of the Prophet and I saw that the edge of his shirt had left a mark because of the strength of his pull. The man said, ‘O Muhammad! Order them to give me something from Allah’s wealth which you have!’ The Prophet turned and he smiled, then he ordered that the man be given charity.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6088, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: I remember seeing the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, tell the story of a prophet who was beaten by his people and he wiped the blood from his face, saying:
رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِقَوْمِي فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
My Lord, forgive my people for they do not know.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 6929, Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi
In another narration, the Prophet said:
اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِقَوْمِي فَإِنَّهُمْ لا يَعْلَمُونَ
O Allah, forgive my people for they do not know.
Imam Abu Hatim commented:
يَعْنِي هَذَا الدُّعَاءُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ لَمَّا شُجَّ وَجْهُهُ
The Prophet said this supplication during the battle of Uhud when they slashed his face.
Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān 973, Grade: Hasan
Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.
