and Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, was with him. The man said, “Death be upon you, Muhammad!” Aishah, out of jealousy for Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, replied, “Rather, death and the curse be upon you!” The Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Allah is gentle and loves gentleness” (1). He also said: “When the People of the Book greet you, say: ‘And upon you’” (2). If they said, “Peace,” then it is upon them; and if they said, “Death,” then it is upon them. This is justice. He also said: “Allah is gentle and grants through gentleness what He does not grant through harshness” (3).

Allahu akbar! Our zeal will accept nothing but that we be severe and employ harshness, thinking that this is what resolves the problem! Yet the one among us who was most knowledgeable and most sincere in counsel—Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him—said, and he was truthful and upright: “Allah grants through gentleness what He does not grant through harshness.”

It is mentioned that a man passed by the owner of a date-palm grove just as the Maghrib call to prayer was given. The worker was singing to his camels, for camels are delighted by singing. The man stopped by him and said, “Have you no shame? How can you not pray?” The worker became angry, insulted him, and said, “I will not pray—my prayer is my own concern!” Then one of the scholars—may Allah reward him and forgive him—came to him and spoke to him with gentle, calm words, saying, “Prayer is better than this