Islam is more than a religion it is an entire way of life.
It teaches
us how to behave from morning until night and it even tells us the best
position to sleep in. To some that might sound like 24 hours a day of
rules and regulations but the truth is that Islam is such a natural way
of life the rules become as easy as breathing. One thing that is as
easy as breathing is smiling. That little curve of the mouth and
wrinkling of the eyes that makes not only you but those around you feel
good.
A smile lightens the load and frees the spirit. Try it! See
don’t you feel lighter and happier?
Prophet
Muhammad smiled, often and with real joy. In fact he smiled so
regularly that his smile and kind demeanour are mentioned time and time
again in anecdotes and stories from his traditions.
Abdullaah
ibn Haarith said, “I never came across a person who smiled as much as
Prophet Muhammad. Prophet Muhammad regarded smiling to a brother as an
act of charity.”
Jarir ibn Abdullah said,
“The Messenger of God never refused me permission to see him since I
embraced Islam and never looked at me except with a smile (on his
face).”
When one of Prophet Muhammad’s
companions was asked if he sat with the Prophet he replied, “Yes, very
often. He (the Prophet) used to sit at the place where he observed the
morning or dawn prayer till the sun rose or when it had risen; he would
stand, and they (his Companions) would talk about matters (pertaining to
the days) of ignorance, and they would laugh (on these matters) while
(the Prophet) only smiled.”
One of the
companions of Prophet Muhammad talks about his relationship with the
Prophet when he (the companion) was a young boy. Anas said, “The
Messenger of God was one of the best men in character. One day he sent
me to do something, and I said: I swear by God that I will not go. But
in my heart I felt that I should go to do what the Messenger of God had
commanded me; so I went out and came upon boys playing in the street.
All of a sudden the Messenger of God, who had come from behind, caught
me by the back of the neck, and when I looked at him he was laughing.
….
Prophet
Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, had a kind
and gentle nature. His beloved wife Aisha described his character as
the Quran, meaning that Prophet Muhammad lived by the teachings of the
Quran. Thus the behaviour and personality of Prophet Muhammad are the
best examples for us to follow in our own lives. A companion who spent
more than 10 years with Prophet Muhammad said, “Throughout my stay with
him I never heard an indecent word from his lips and never found him
rude to anyone. He spoke very politely. He was kind to everyone”. The
Prophet’s natural disposition led him to smile and laugh along with the
people around him.
Consequently if the
Prophet smiled, it must innately be something good for both ourselves
and the people around us. Islam was designed by the Creator to be the
perfect way of life for humankind thus sometimes the smallest of things
can have a big impact. A smile is one of those things. Therefore not
surprisingly smiling has many many positive effects.
Smiling
is viewed across cultures as a sign of friendliness and it is a natural
response that shares our happiness with others. Smiling lowers the
heart rate and temporarily reduces blood pressure. It reduces stress by
releasing endorphins that naturally diminish stress hormones
simultaneously putting you in a better mood. Endorphins also lessen
pain.
Smiling and laughter therefore are useful aids in health care.
Still in the area of health, smiling boosts the immune system by
relaxing the body and allowing the immune system to react more quickly
and effectively to invaders.
Smiling has
also been shown to increase productivity. It also makes us look
younger and according to at least one study smiling aids longevity
possibly extending our lives up to seven years. All this and smiling is
contagious, therefore as you are gaining all these benefits you are
spreading them around to all those who see you smiling and smile back.
Prophet
Muhammad was often described as kind and generous and his generosity
included smiling at those around him.
We know from scientific evidence
just how powerful a smile can be. In the early days of Islam there
were no articles or books to read. The companions emulated their dear
friend and Prophet knowing that his way of acting on every matter was
the way approved of by God. Did they realize just how beneficial
smiling was, almost certainly not, but I am sure happiness washed over
them and improved their health and demeanor every time Prophet Muhammad
smiled at them. Prophet Muhammad helped the needy and the poor and
went to the houses of the sick to enquire after their health and
whenever he met or passed by anyone he said “Assalam Alaikum” with a
smile upon his face.
Before we all go
out with renewed vigor for smiling and laughing with friends and family
there are just a few small points to remember. Islam is the middle
way, we are a nation that should be known for our moderation, thus
laughing and joking relentlessly is not the best way to behave.
Remember that although Prophet Muhammad laughed and joked with his
family and companions even giving them friendly nicknames he always
behaved sensibly with fine moral principles. He never joked in a way
that hurt someone’s feelings or joked about things that were not true.
In fact he was heard to say “woe to the one who speaks and lies in order
to make people laugh; woe to him, woe to him.”
Smile – it is worth more than you know.