Life At Home
Rasulullahﷺ's public and private life was governed by one common principle. Replying to a question Saidatuna Aisyah رضياللهعنه is reported to have said, "He was just like other men. He himself took care of his clothes, milked his goats, stitched his tore apparel and mended his shoes and leather buckets. He carried loads and gave fodder to animals. If there was a servant he also worked with him and shared his labour. He himself brought provisions from the market and carried them in a sheet of cloth."
Saidatuna Aisyah رضياللهعنه also said, "Rasulullahﷺ was the most lenient man at home, smiling and cordial. In fact, there was no one more affectionate to his people than the Prophet Rasulullahﷺ." According to Saiyidina Ali رضياللهعنه, Rasulullahﷺ was occupied at home with three kinds of activities: he spent some time in prayers and some time on his dependents and some time in rest. At the same time he spent some time for general meetings at the mosque and for friends and guests, and to receive people who came to him for their personal needs.
In fact, Rasulullahﷺ found very little time for rest. He had to arrange provisions for his consorts and for their training and the work of reforming women was also carried on through them. Many women came to him with their problems which they conveyed to him through his consorts. But despite that, his domestic life was never artificial or onerous. It was a man's home in which there were natural feelings. There were smiles and also tears, affections were at work and at times strains of jealousy. There were worries and also enjoyments and whenever Rasulullahﷺ arrived at once the home was bright and glowing.
There was the conversation on general topics and sometimes there were story-telling and interesting titbits. It is related, for instance, that once Saidatuna Aisyah رضياللهعنه cooked a preparation of minced meat and wheat flour when Saidatuna Sauda رضياللهعنه was present and Rasulullahﷺ was sitting between them. An atmosphere of informality prevailed in which Saidatuna Aisyah رضياللهعنه asked Saidatuna Sauda رضياللهعنه to take some of her preparation and not agree to take it.
On Saidatuna Sauda رضياللهعنه's again refusing it, Saidatuna Aisyah رضياللهعنه actually pasted it on her face whereupon Rasulullahﷺ had a hearty laugh and told Saidatuna Sauda رضياللهعنه to do the same with Saidatuna Sauda رضياللهعنه to make her stop and when Saidatuna Sauda رضياللهعنه did it Rasulullahﷺ laughed again. Once Saiyidina Abu Bakr رضياللهعنه came and found Hazrath Ayesha talking to Rasulullahﷺ impertinently, lost his temper and wanted to beat her when Rasulullahﷺ intervened and pacified him and said that it did not matter. When Hazrath Abu Bakr left, Rasulullahﷺ said to Saidatuna Aiyshah رضياللهعنه, "Did you see how I saved you from the old man?"
Throughout his life, Rasulullahﷺ woke up in the latter half of the night, cleansed his teeth, did ablution and offered Tahajjud prayers and recited the Qur'an very peacefully. Sometimes he stood in the prayers for such a long time that his feet became swollen and when his companions said where was the need of his putting himself to so much trouble when God had promised him forgiveness of all his lapses of the past and future, Rasulullahﷺ replied, "Shall I not become a grateful servant of God?"
Rasulullahﷺ's idea about the house and its furnishing was that man should pass his life as a traveller who takes a little rest under a shade and then continues his journey. It meant that those who make the next life their goal should live in this world just to do their duties and to live on probation. And how could those who have to struggle here for a high ideal think of building mansions and equipping them with costly furniture and enjoying life in blissful comfort?
So neither Rasulullahﷺ nor his companions built large houses or furnished them. Their houses were just like rest houses where there was provision for protection from heat and cold and preventive measures against wild animals and for privacy in regard to hygienic necessities. Rasulullahﷺ had built small rooms by the mosque for his consorts in which the only decoration was cleanliness. Rasulullahﷺ was so keen on cleanliness that he always exhorted his companions to keep their courtyards quite clean. Very few utensils were kept in Rasulullahﷺt's house. There was a wooden bowl covered with iron which was mostly used for eating.
There could be no question of stocking provisions as daily necessities were often hardly available. His bedding was of leather filled with straw. His cot was strung with jute ropes which he often used without the bedding and the marks of the rope were found on his body over which Saiyidina Umarl Khattab once shed tears and said that while emperors of Rome and Iran lived in all luxury Rasulullahﷺ was in that condition.
Rasulullahﷺt asked him if he was not pleased to find that while those people gained this world, Rasulullahﷺ gained the next. Gunny bag sheets were also used as bedding and once when they were four-folded and Rasulullahﷺ got such a sound sleep that he could not wake up for his? Tahajjud prayer, he resented it and strictly prohibited making for him such 'comfortable' bedding.
Rasulullahﷺ taste in food and drink was very refined. He liked meat in particular and preferred shank, neck and lion of animals and also bones of ribs. A special Arab dish prepared with soup and bread was also relished by him. Honey, vinegar, melon, cucumber, gourd, butter and rice cooked with pulses were particularly liked by him. He also liked dates mixed with milk or with butter. He also ate cucumber with salt and melon with sugar. He also put dates into the water and drank from it till the evening and then threw it away as keeping them longer would ferment them.
While drinking Rasulullahﷺ never made a noise and raised the cup from his lips three times, each time thanking God. He liked people sitting together to eat. The use of tables and chair was contrary to the ascetic life. Also, he did not like the food served in small dishes. Silver and gold utensils were prohibited and generally glass, earthen, zinc and wooden vessels were used. Before sitting on the dinner mat, he removed his shoes and washed his hands. He used only his right hand while eating and always took from his side of the vessels, never dipping his fingers in the middle.
Rasulullahﷺ did not like to lean while eating. Generally he sat cross-legged or on folded legs with the feet put behind like in prayers. If he disliked anything he quietly left it and did not criticize. He avoided very hot food. Sometimes he cut the meat with eating he used only three fingers and did not soil them. Sometimes he also ate fruit while standing and sometimes took two fruits together like melon and dates. Sweet dish was his favourite. He also used fried barley powdered and mixed it with water. Once when the almond powder was substituted he rejected it saying that it was a rich man's food. When the soup was prepared he asked to increase its quantity so that the neighbours could also have it.
At every morsel, Rasulullahﷺ used to thank God. He was very particular about washing his hands after eating. If there was a guest he urged him, again and again, to eat freely and well. He never refused invitations and if someone else went with him he always asked the permission of the host to include him. In offering thanks to God after dinner he also blessed the host. He got up only when others of the company had risen. If others had finished before him he rose along with the rest. He disliked blowing over hot food or drink or smelling them. Since he disliked bad breath he never used onions or garlic.
If any food was sent to him, he insisted on those present to partake of it and set apart the share of the friends who were absent. Ever since the attempt made to poison him, he always enquired about the name of the food brought from elsewhere and insisted on the person who brought it to take at least a morsel from it. In spite of this refinement of taste, Rasulullahﷺ had often to go without food and used to say, "I eat and drink as a servant of God should do."
