The Prophet, may Allah bless and grant him peace, was gifted by Allah with the most excellent mind, depth of understanding and superb eloquence. He was astute and his senses were acute, as for his speech he was by far the most eloquent. There is no doubt that these qualities were unsurpassable. He interacted with people belonging to all walks of life: common me, chieftains, locals and men coming from far-off places and from varied backgrounds. He dealt with all of them severally in superb and effective manners. He could adjust with all levels of intellect and understanding and was able to convey the message Allah had assigned him to all of them in a simple and effective manner commensurate with the level, taste and need of the recipients.
A reason of this unique ability was his knowledge-base and intelligence. Wahab, son of Munabbih, a profoundly knowledgeable person, opined that if the intelligence of all human beings is taken together, that of the Prophetwould surpass that summation.
Another special ability provided by Allah to the Prophet was his all-around vision, including on his back. He always kept a close contact and liaison with his companions, keeping himself abreast of their respective affairs. So much so that when they were saying prayers, he would watch them from close quarters. Allah says in the Qur,an, “(Allah sees) your movements in prayer along with fellow worshippers in prostration.” [26:219].
The Prophettold his companions, “I see the one behind my neck just as I see the one before me.”
Mujahid explained:“When the Messenger of Allahlead the prayer he could see everyone behind him, as if they were in front of him.”
Regarding the eyesight of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, Baki, son of Mukhalad, informs us, “The Prophet could see just as well in the dark as he could see in the light.”A number of authentic prophetic sayings show the ability of his seeing angels and devils.
When the Negus of Abyssinia passed away, he was able to see him whereupon he said the funeral prayer-in-absentia upon him. The Angel Gabriel had informed him of the death of the Negus.
Similarly, the Prophet described the city of Jerusalem and answered all the queries of the Quraish after the night of ascension (Meraj) as if he was seeing everything far off from close quarters. The night of ascension was a special favour of Allah to the Prophet, may Allah bless and grant him peace, when he was a visitor to and witness of the greatest signs of his Lord.
Abu Rukana, a recognised wrestler of the time, challenged the Prophet to wrestle with him and was defeated thrice by the Messenger of Allah.
As for his manner of movement, Abu Hurayrah reported, “I never saw anyone walk more swiftly than the Messenger of Allah. It was as if the earth rolled up for him, we would be exhausted but there were no signs of weariness upon him at all.” It is also reported that when he walked, it was as if he was coming down a slope.
There are innumerable specialities of the Prophet,and we would close this report by describing his manner of talking with other persons and expressing his happiness. He faced everyone without any side-look as he would look them straight while conversing with them. He would generally smile while facing other persons. However, while in extremely happiness his face glowed with a broad-smile.