He was unlike any man I had ever met.
When my father sent me to serve him, I expected to be ordered around like a servant. I was young, perhaps ten or eleven, and thought being close to a prophet meant days full of chores and quiet fear. But instead, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him—treated me with such gentleness that it made me question everything I thought I knew about adults, about kindness, and about Allah’s mercy.
You won’t find my name in any surah. I was just a boy from Medina, one of many whose families hoped serving the Prophet ﷺ would bring blessing to their homes. And truly, it did.
I still remember my first week with him. I spilled water from the jug as I filled his cup. My hands shook, terrified that I had ruined my chance, that he would raise his voice like the men of the market sometimes did with their boys. But instead, he smiled and placed his hand gently on my shoulder.
“There is no harm, my son,” he said calmly.
I kept waiting for shouting that never came.
Days became weeks, and I remained close to him. I carried messages, fetched sandals, and watched how he treated everyone—men, women, strangers. But something in me began to change not because of his commands—they were few and always gentle—but because of his example.
One evening, I forgot to complete a task he had softly asked of me earlier. I had been distracted by a group of boys playing near the well. By the time I remembered, it was too late. My heart pounded as I returned to him, unsure how to explain.
He noticed. He always noticed.
“Did you forget?” he asked.
I nodded, ashamed. Then something happened that I’ve carried in my heart every day since.
He placed his hand on my head and said, “If you are able, remember Allah in all your moments. He will guide your heart.”
There was no anger. Just a reminder, soft like the breeze over Medina’s rooftops, that Allah was watching over me—and that was enough.
In time, I realized something. The Prophet ﷺ was teaching me to love Allah by how he loved me. He taught without punishment, led without force, and corrected with patience. I began to obey not out of fear, but because I did not want to disappoint the one who never once scolded me.
Years later, as I became a man, those moments remained. I saw leaders come and go, but none carried the mercy he did. And I still tried—day after day—to respond to mistakes as he did with me: gently, with hope and kindness.
Inspired by authentic hadith found in the collections of Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood, detailing the Prophet’s ﷺ kindness and mercy toward the young servant who lived with him.
He was unlike any man I had ever met.
When my father sent me to serve him, I expected to be ordered around like a servant. I was young, perhaps ten or eleven, and thought being close to a prophet meant days full of chores and quiet fear. But instead, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ—Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him—treated me with such gentleness that it made me question everything I thought I knew about adults, about kindness, and about Allah’s mercy.
You won’t find my name in any surah. I was just a boy from Medina, one of many whose families hoped serving the Prophet ﷺ would bring blessing to their homes. And truly, it did.
I still remember my first week with him. I spilled water from the jug as I filled his cup. My hands shook, terrified that I had ruined my chance, that he would raise his voice like the men of the market sometimes did with their boys. But instead, he smiled and placed his hand gently on my shoulder.
“There is no harm, my son,” he said calmly.
I kept waiting for shouting that never came.
Days became weeks, and I remained close to him. I carried messages, fetched sandals, and watched how he treated everyone—men, women, strangers. But something in me began to change not because of his commands—they were few and always gentle—but because of his example.
One evening, I forgot to complete a task he had softly asked of me earlier. I had been distracted by a group of boys playing near the well. By the time I remembered, it was too late. My heart pounded as I returned to him, unsure how to explain.
He noticed. He always noticed.
“Did you forget?” he asked.
I nodded, ashamed. Then something happened that I’ve carried in my heart every day since.
He placed his hand on my head and said, “If you are able, remember Allah in all your moments. He will guide your heart.”
There was no anger. Just a reminder, soft like the breeze over Medina’s rooftops, that Allah was watching over me—and that was enough.
In time, I realized something. The Prophet ﷺ was teaching me to love Allah by how he loved me. He taught without punishment, led without force, and corrected with patience. I began to obey not out of fear, but because I did not want to disappoint the one who never once scolded me.
Years later, as I became a man, those moments remained. I saw leaders come and go, but none carried the mercy he did. And I still tried—day after day—to respond to mistakes as he did with me: gently, with hope and kindness.
Inspired by authentic hadith found in the collections of Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood, detailing the Prophet’s ﷺ kindness and mercy toward the young servant who lived with him.
