Perseverance and Forgiveness

anas bin malik, with whom allah is pleased, said:

‘once, i was walking with the messenger of allah, may allah exalt his mention, while he was wearing a yemeni cloak with a collar with rough edges. a bedouin grabbed him strongly. i looked at the side of his neck and saw that the edge of the cloak left a mark on his neck. the bedouin said, ‘oh muhammad! give me [some] of the wealth of allah that you have.’ the messenger of allah, may allah exalt his mention, turned to the bedouin, laughed and ordered that he be given [some money].’  (bukhari #2980)

another example of his perseverance is the story of the jewish rabbi, zaid bin sa'nah. zaid loaned the messenger of allah, may allah exalt his mention, something. zaid said:

‘two or three days prior to the return of the debt, the messenger of allah, may allah exalt his mention, was attending the funeral of a man from the ansar. abu bakr and umar, uthman and some other companions, with whom allah is pleased, were with the prophet, may allah exalt his mention. after he prayed the jinazah (funeral prayer) he sat down close to a wall, and i came towards him, grabbed him by the edges of his cloak and looked at him in a harsh way, and said: 'o muhammad! will you not pay me back my loan? i have not known the family of abdul-mutalib to delay in repaying debts!

i looked at umar b. al-khat'taab, with whom allah is pleased - his eyes were swollen with anger! he looked at me and said: 'o enemy of allah, do you talk to the messenger of allah and behave towards him in this manner?! by the one who sent him with the truth, had it not been for the fear of missing it (jannah) i would have beheaded you with my sword! the prophet, may allah exalt his mention, was looking at umar in a calm and peaceful manner, and he said: 'o umar, you should have given us sincere counseling, rather than to do what you did! o umar, go and repay him his loan, and give him twenty sa'a (measurement of weight) extra because you scared him!'

zaid said: 'umar went with me, and repaid me the debt, and gave me over it twenty sa'a of dates. i asked him: 'what is this?' he said: 'the messenger of allah, may allah exalt his mention, ordered me to give it, because i frightened you.' zaid then asked umar: 'o umar, do you know who i am?' umar said: 'no, i don't - who are you?' zaid said: 'i am zaid b. sa'nah.' umar inquired: 'the rabbi?' zaid answered: 'yes, the rabbi.' umar then asked him: 'what made you say what you said to the prophet, may allah exalt his mention, and do what you did to him?' zaid answered: 'o umar, i have seen all the signs of prophethood in the face of the messenger of allah, may allah exalt his mention, except two - his patience and perseverance precede his ignorance and the second, is the more harsher you are towards him, the kinder and more patient he becomes, and i am now satisfied. o umar, i hold you as a witness that i testify and am satisfied that there is no true god worthy of being worshipped except allah alone, and my deen is islam and muhammad, may allah exalt his mention, is my prophet. i also hold you as a witness that half of my wealth - and i am among the wealthiest people in madinah - i give for the sake of allah to the entire ummah.' umar, with whom allah is pleased, said: 'you will not be able to distribute your wealth to the whole ummah (nation), so say, 'i will distribute it to some of the ummah of muhammad, may allah exalt his mention.' zaid said: 'i said, then i will distribute (the apportioned) wealth to some of the ummah.' both zaid and umar, with whom allah is pleased, returned to the messenger of allah, may allah exalt his mention. zaid said to him: 'i bear witness that there is no true god worthy of being worshipped except allah alone, and that muhammad, may allah exalt his mention, is the slave of allah and his messenger.' he believed in him, and witnessed many battles and then died in the battle of tabuk while he was encountering the enemy - may allah have mercy on zaid.'  (ibn hibban #288)

a great example of his forgiveness and perseverance is apparent when he pardoned the people of makkah after its conquest. when the messenger of allah, may allah exalt his mention, gathered the people; who had abused, harmed and tortured him and his companions, and had driven them out of the city of makkah, he said:

'what do you think i should do to you?' they said: 'you are a kind, generous brother and nephew!' he said: 'go - you are free!'  (baihaqi #18055)