The Noble Character of Prophet Muhammad - Kharijah bin Zaid
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
"And verily, you (O Muhammad [pbuh] ) are on an exalted standard of character." [Al-Qur'an 68:4]
Kharijah bin Zaid said: "The Prophet [pbuh] was the most honoured among the people with whom he sat. His limbs could hardly be seen. He was often silent and rarely talked when speech was not a necessity. He turned away from those whose speech was rude or impolite. His laughter was no more than a smile. His speech, which was decisive, it was neither excessive nor incomplete. Out of reverence and esteem and following the example of their Prophet [pbuh], the Companions’ laughter at his presence — was smiling, as well." [As-Shifa 1/107]
Some of the Prophet’s characteristics mentioned here are:
- He was the most honoured among the people he sat with, and he had a dignified and modest appearance.
- He was often silent and spoke only when necessary, avoiding rude or impolite speech. He smiled instead of laughing loudly.
- His speech was decisive, clear and concise, neither too much nor too little.
The source is a book called Ash-Shifa, which means “The Healing” in Arabic. It is a classical text written by Qadi Iyad, a famous Muslim scholar and judge, in the 12th century CE. The full title of the book is Ash-Shifa bi ta’rif huquq al-Mustafa, which means “The Healing by the Recognition of the Rights of the Chosen One”. The book is a comprehensive and authoritative biography of Prophet Muhammad.
Kharijah bin Zaid bin Tsabit al-Ansari, meaning he was the son of Zaid bin Tsabit, a famous companion who was the scribe of the Qur’an, and he belonged to the Ansar, the helpers from Medina who supported the Prophet and his followers.
He was one of the seven fuqaha (jurists) of Medina, who were renowned for their knowledge and piety, and who transmitted the teachings of the Prophet and his companions to the next generation of Muslims. They belonged to the generation of the successors (tabi’un), who met or saw the Prophet or his companions during their lifetime as Muslims. They were considered among the most reliable and trustworthy narrators and interpreters of hadith.
A list of the names of the seven fuqaha (jurists) of Medina, who were the most influential scholars of hadith and fiqh in the second century of Islam. They were:
- Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib
- 'Urwah ibn az-Zubayr
- Salim ibn 'Abdullah
- Qasim ibn Muhammad
- Abu Salama ibn 'Abdur Rahman
- Sulayman ibn Yasar
- Kharijah ibn Zaid
Kharijah ibn Zaid died in Medina around 99-100 AH (717-718 CE) at the age of 100.