The day of the Battle of Uhud was one of the hardest for the Muslim community in Madinah. The Muslim state established by the Prophet (peace be upon him) there was still in its early years. Having achieved a great victory one year earlier, the Muslims were now facing the same enemies again, who had gathered a large force and come to attack them in their city. The Prophet marshaled his companions and gave clear instructions to the unit in the rear of the army, guarding a vulnerable position. Yet it was this unit that disobeyed his orders and caused chaos within Muslim ranks, leading to a defeat. Most of the Muslim forces scattered and withdrew, while the Prophet remained steadfast with few of his companions. One of them was Saad ibn Abi Waqqas, who was related to the Prophet through his mother.
Saad was a very good marksman with arrows, and the Prophet encouraged him as he aimed his arrows at the enemy soldiers. He even said to him what amounted to sacrificing his parents for his sake. This is the type of phrase that was said to a very dear person. Indeed, Saad was proud of the fact that the Prophet said so to him. He also reports that one of the unbelievers was very hard on Muslims, causing them much trouble. The Prophet encouraged Saad saying: “Throw your arrows, Saad! May both my parents be sacrificed for your sake.” Saad reports: “I aimed at him an arrow without a head. It hit him in his side and he fell down. His private parts became exposed. The Prophet laughed and I looked at him laughing with his molar teeth visible.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Tirmidhi and Ahmad).
The first thing to say in comment on this report is that the Prophet did not laugh because the man’s private parts were exposed. The Prophet would immediately turn away if he saw anyone’s private parts. He laughed because the man who was fighting hard, causing the Muslims so much trouble fell to a headless arrow that could not even cause a wound. In fact, he fell and died. The headless arrow caused his death despite hitting him on the side. His fall also caused his exposure, but this was no laughing matter. What the Prophet was pleased about was that a fighter causing the Muslims too much trouble, to the extent that the Hadith describes it as “burning” should be so easily killed by a side hit with a headless arrow. This was one of the rare occasions in which the Prophet laughed.
In fact the Prophet was not known for laughing much. His pleasure was mostly expressed with a smile. Jabir ibn Samurah reports: “When the Prophet offered dawn, or Fajr, prayer he would sit with his companions until sunrise. They would sit and might mention some aspects of life in pre-Islamic days, and laugh. The Prophet used to smile when they laughed.” (Related by Muslim, Al-Nassaie and Ahmad).
This Hadith reports what happened sometimes. Staying up after dawn prayer is a Sunnah, but the time is normally spent in some sort of worship, such as reading the Qur’an, or glorifying God. At times, the Prophet’s companions might mention what they used to do in pre-Islamic days and laugh. This means that they reflected on some of the absurd beliefs or practices that they used to follow. It shows how people are often blind to the absurdity of things that they take up through social tradition. They do not think about them, or examine them rationally. They simply follow them because they have been passed on to them by their predecessors. The Arabs of pre-Islamic days had many such absurdities. Hence, it is no wonder that the Prophet’s companions would laugh at them when they compared their life under Islam with what it used to be before God guided them to His faith. But the Prophet only smiled because this was his habit, controlling his emotions.
A report by Ali ibn Rabeeah mentions that he saw Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law mounting a horse. “As he placed his foot in the stirrup he said: ‘In the name of God’, and when he was over it, he said: ‘All praise be to God.’ He then said: ‘Limitless in His glory is He who has made this subservient to our use, since we would not have been able to attain to it without Him.’ He then said: ‘All praise be to God (or alhamdu-lillah, 3 times), God is supreme (or Allahu akbar, 3 times). Limitless in Your glory are You! I have certainly wronged myself, so please forgive me. None but You forgives sins.’ He then smiled. I asked him why he smiled. He answered: ‘I saw the Prophet doing what I have just done and then smiled. I asked him the cause of his smile and he replied: ‘Your Lord is pleased with His servant when he prays to Him to forgive him his sins, knowing that none but God forgives sins.’” (Related by Ahmad, Al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood).
As our focus is on the occasions that caused the Prophet to smile or laugh we begin with the explanation he gave for his smiling after riding his mount. His smile is because God is pleased with anyone praying for forgiveness. This is an admission by that person that only God forgives sins. As God is pleased He grants the supplicant his wish and forgives him his sins.
It is, however, useful to reflect on the Prophet’s remembrance of God in such an everyday action like riding a mount. It begins with mentioning God’s name, and then praising and glorifying Him. It also mentions that it was only by God’s will that such mounts are made subservient to man. This part of the Prophet’s prayer is in fact taken from the Qur’an, Surah 43, Verses 13-14. Today, when most of us do not use mounts, but travel by other means of transport, this supplication may be used when we drive in a car or a van, or take a bus or train or fly by plane, or indeed ride a bicycle. It should be noted, however, how the Prophet’s companions were keen to follow his example in every respect. Ali smiles at the point when the Prophet smiled. May be he did not have the same thought the Prophet had, but because the Prophet smiled at this point, he also followed suit.
Another Hadith that mentions the Prophet’s smiling speaks of the time when he laid siege to Taif after Makkah had fallen to Islam. The siege was long and there seemed to be no end to it. The Prophet consulted some local people with knowledge of the area before taking a decision to leave. Abdullah ibn Umar reports: “When the Prophet laid siege to Taif and got no results, he said (to his companions): ‘We are leaving tomorrow.’ They took it hard that they should leave without achieving victory. They said: ‘Shall we leave without taking it?’ The Prophet said: ‘Then let us fight tomorrow.’ They fought and suffered some injuries. The Prophet again said to them: ‘We shall leave tomorrow.’ They were pleased. The Prophet smiled.” (Related by Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Ahmad).
The Prophet’s smile was due to the change of attitude among his companions. When they suffered injuries, they were keen to leave, while the day before they were thinking only of victory.
