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THE EXCELLENCE OF THE PROPHET’S BEHAVIOR

707

“While Mu'awiah was praying with the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, one of the congregation sneezed whereupon Mu'awiah responded, ‘Yarhamuk Allahu (May Allah have mercy on you).’ Thereupon some of the congregation looked at him with disapproval. To this he retorted, ‘May you lose your mothers, why are you staring at me?’ Then they started clapping their hands on their legs so he understood that they wanted him to be silent, so he restrained himself.

Once the prayer was over, the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, drew attention to the incident. ‘May my father and mother be the ransom of the Prophet’ said Mu'awiah, ‘I have never known a better instructor before him or after him. When he finished the prayer he neither rebuked, beat, nor reproved me.’ He said, 'During prayer talk is not permissible because it is only for praise, exaltation and recitation of the Koran.’ Or he said something similar to that.

Mu'awiah said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, praise and peace be upon him, I have just emerged from ignorance and Allah has favored us with Islam. There are still some among us who consult fortune tellers.’ The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, replied, ‘They should not go to them.’ Then Mu'awiah said, ‘Some of us are guided by omens.’ The Prophet commented, ‘These are just figments of the imagination you should not be influenced by them.’"

Muslim with a chain up to Mu'awiah, the son of Hakim Sulamikk who related this hadith.