Treatment of Family

His relationship with Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reveals a warm, affectionate, and playful side of his character. He raced with her on two occasions; she won the first race, and when they raced again years later, he won and said, laughing: "This one is for that one." He would drink from the same spot on the cup where she had placed her lips. He would lean in her lap and recite Quran. When she was upset, he would know from her speech — she would swear by "the Lord of Ibrahim" instead of "the Lord of Muhammad" — and he would gently acknowledge it. His love for Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) did not diminish after her death. He would remember her frequently and speak of her virtues. When a sheep was slaughtered, he would send portions to her friends, years after she had passed away. Aisha said: "I was not jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet as I was of Khadijah, though I never saw her, because of how often he mentioned her." When Aisha once asked if Khadijah had not been replaced with someone better, the Prophet said: "No, by Allah, He did not replace her with anyone better. She believed in me when people rejected me, she supported me with her wealth when people withheld from me, and Allah granted me children through her." He was remarkably tender with his grandchildren Hasan and Husayn. He would carry them on his shoulders, let them climb on his back during prayer, and kiss them frequently. He once prolonged his prostration so long that the Companions thought something had happened, and when asked afterward, he said: "My grandson was riding on my back and I did not want to rush him." He said about Hasan: "This son of mine is a leader, and perhaps Allah will make peace between two great groups of Muslims through him." His daughter Fatimah held a special place in his heart. When she visited him, he would stand up, kiss her on the forehead, and seat her in his place. She was the person most similar to him in speech and manner. Before his death, he whispered to her twice — first she wept when he told her he was about to pass, then she smiled when he told her she would be the first of his family to join him and that she was the leader of the women of Paradise. The Prophet also showed remarkable concern for the broader family unit. He maintained ties of kinship even with relatives who had opposed him. He treated his servants as family — Anas ibn Malik served him for ten years and reported that the Prophet never once said "uff" to him, never scolded him for something he did or failed to do. This treatment extended the meaning of family beyond blood relations to encompass the entire household.