Life-of-Muhammad

218Life of Muhammad saand there is no reason to be upset at his addressing meby that name."Sometimes people stopped him in the way andengaged him in conversation, explaining their needs andpreferring their requests to him. He always stoodpatiently and let them go on and proceeded only afterthey had done. On occasion people when shaking handswith him kept hold of his hand for some time and,though he found this inconvenient and it occasioned aloss of precious time also, he was never the first towithdraw his hand. People went freely to him and laidtheir troubles and difficulties before him and asked himfor help. If he was able to help he never declined to doso. Sometimes he was pestered with requests and theywere unreasonably pressed but he went on complyingwith them as far as he was able. On occasion, aftercomplying with a request, he would admonish theperson concerned to have greater trust in God and toavoid asking others for relief. On one occasion a devoutMuslim asked him several times for money and eachtime he complied with his request but in the end said:"It is best for a man to put his trust in God and to avoidmaking requests." The person concerned was a sincereman. Out of regard for the feelings of the Prophet sa , hedid not offer to return what he had already received buthe declared that in future he would never make arequest to anybody under any circumstances. Yearslater, he was taking part in a battle, mounted on acharger, and in the thick of it when the din andconfusion and the clash of arms were at their highestand he was surrounded by his enemies, his whip fellfrom his hand. A Muslim soldier who was on foot,perceiving his predicament, bent down to pick up thewhip for him but the mounted man begged him to desistand jumped from his horse and picked up the whiphimself, explaining to the soldier that he had long sincepromised the Holy Prophet sa that he would never makeany request to anybody and that if he had permitted thesoldier to pick up the whip for him it would have