The attitude of the Prophet towards his family during Hajj
There are many examples, which show the Prophet's, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, kindness to his family and relatives. However, it must be emphasized that the Prophet's, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, household shared with the people what they learned from him. 'Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, was reported to have said to the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam: "I have heard what you told your companions, so I banned 'Umrah." [Muslim] If one studies the Hajj rituals carefully, one will find that the Prophet's, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, household relayed a lot of rulings in this matter because they were the closest to him. Here are the most important facets of the manner of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, towards them:
1. Teaching them how to perform the Hajj rituals
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, did his best to teach his household the importance of the Hajj rituals, in order to make their worship correct and acceptable to Allaah. "I heard the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, saying," Umm Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with her, reported, "O Muhammad's household, recite Talbiyah with the intention to perform 'Umrah together with Hajj." [Muslim] He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, also told 'Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, when she menstruated before performing Tawaaf: "Do everything a pilgrim does, except Tawaaf around Al-Bait (the Ka'bah)." [At-Tirmithi] He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, also told Ughaylamah Ibn 'Abdul-Muttalib, may Allaah be pleased with him, on the night of Muzdalifah: "Do not throw the Jamrah (pebbles) until sunrise." [At-Tirmithi]
2. Consoling and comforting them
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, used to console his household in times of hardship. He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, would do what they liked provided that it followed Allaah's commands. The most important example is when he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, saw 'Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, crying because she could not perform 'Umrah on account of her menstruation. He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, comforted her and said: "Do not worry; you are a female and Allaah has preordained that all females should have this (menstruation); so be in your Hajj and pray to Allaah that it will be acceptable." "O Allaah's Apostle," she said, "my friends will return with both Hajj and 'Umrah while I will return with Hajj only." So the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, ordered 'Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with them, to take her to Tan'eem (an area outside the sanctity of Makkah). There she recited Talbiyah with the intention to perform 'Umrah. [Al-Bukhaari]
3. Guarding them against sins
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was dedicated to purify his household from their sins and from any evil deeds they might have committed. He, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, denounced and prevented any ill deed they might have contemplated, as when he prevented Al-Fadhl Ibn 'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with them, from looking at the woman from the people of Khath'ami who came to ask the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, a question. [Muslim]
4. Encouraging them to do good deeds
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, used to urge his household to do good deeds, as these would be in their provision for the Hereafter. For example, one day he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, passed by some of his cousins who were drawing water from the well of Zamzam for the people to drink. "Keep drawing water, Banu 'Abdul Muttalib! Had I not been afraid that other people would compete with you, I would have taken part in drawing water with you." [Al-Bukhaari]
5. Fending off temptation
Hearts may decay and minds may be distracted by temptation. When large numbers of men and women gather in the same place, opportunity becomes propitious for temptation, particularly that of women. The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was concerned and very careful that his household might be prone to this type of incitement during the Hajj. For example, his wives, may Allaah be pleased with them, veiled their faces when they were in Ihraam whenever there were men close by, but lifted their veils when the men had passed them by. [Al-Bukhaari]
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, instructed his wives not to mix with men during Tawaaf, although both men and women were together during its performance as understood from the hadeeth narrated by Umm Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with her. She reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, told her: "Perform Tawaaf behind the people on your camel back." [Al-Bukhaari] Another version says that the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, told her: "When the Dawn prayer has been announced, perform Tawaaf on your camel back while the pilgrims are offering their prayers," and so she did.
6. Being charitable to them
It is no exaggeration to say that the gentle attitude of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, towards his household is indeed a form of charity. All his actions reveal how generous and magnanimous he was to them. Here are some examples:
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, was keen on taking his entire household to perform the Hajj rituals with him, persuading those who were reluctant to go with him as in the story of Dhiba'ah. "I am in pain," she said, when the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, told her he wanted her to perform Hajj. "Perform Hajj provisionally and say: ‘O Lord, I will end my Ihraam where You detain me.’" [As-Seerah Al-Nabawiyyah]
7. Asking their help and employing them
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, asked members of his household for help, and employed some of them. Here are some examples:
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, asked his wife 'Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, to do garlands for his badanas (sacrificial camels), using some wool she had in Madeenah before he, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, assumed Ihraam. [Ibn Maajah]
Ibn 'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated another example. He said, "Sitting on the back of his she-camel at Aqabah, the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, said to me, "pick up seven pebbles for me," and I did so." [Ibn Maajah]
The Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, asked Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, to slaughter the rest of his badanas for him, and ordered him to give away the meat, hides and coverings to the poor as alms. [Al-Bukhaari]
Source: Al-Jumu'ah