The Companion Who often Made the Prophet ﷺ Smile

 

 Hazrat Nu‘ayman/حضرت نُعَیْمَانؓ (رضي الله عنه): The Companion Who often Made the Prophet ﷺ Smile

Hazrat Nu‘ayman ibn ‘Amr (رضي الله عنه) was a Companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ known for his cheerful and humorous personality. He was one of the Companions who would make the Prophet ﷺ smile and laugh with his innocent and playful sense of humour.

He was not merely a man who loved jokes. He was a Companion of Badr, a man of faith and courage and his life also shows that the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ had different personalities and could enjoy wholesome humour.

Some interesting stories about him are narrated in the books of seerah and biographies. However, it is important to note that not all of these reports are equally authentic. Some are well established, while others are historical reports with weaker chains of transmission.

 1. Buying Something and Presenting It as a Gift

Whenever Hazrat Nu‘ayman (رضي الله عنه) went to the market and liked something, he would sometimes buy it and bring it to the Prophet ﷺ as a gift.

He would say:

“I have brought this for you as a gift.”

Later, when the seller came asking for the payment, Nu‘ayman (رضي الله عنه) would bring him to the Prophet ﷺ and ask the Prophet ﷺ to pay the price.

He would then explain:

“I really intended it as a gift for you, but I did not have the money to pay for it. I wanted you to have it.”

The Prophet ﷺ would smile and pay the seller.

[This story is mentioned in books of biographies of the Companions and illustrates Nu‘ayman’s playful personality and his love for making the Prophet ﷺ happy.]

 2. The Bedouin’s Camel

On one occasion, a Bedouin came to the Prophet ﷺ with his camel. Some Companions jokingly told Nu‘ayman (رضي الله عنه):

“Slaughter the camel. We will eat it and the Prophet ﷺ will pay its price.”

Nu‘ayman (رضي الله عنه) actually slaughtered it!

When the Bedouin returned and saw that his camel had been slaughtered, he began to complain.

The Prophet ﷺ asked the Companions to find Nu‘ayman. He was eventually found hiding in a house.

The Prophet ﷺ asked him:

“Why did you do this?”

Nu‘ayman replied:

“The very people who told you about me are the ones who told me to do it!”

The Prophet ﷺ reportedly smiled and had the price of the camel paid to the Bedouin.

 3. The Incident of Drinking Wine

This is a much more firmly established incident.

Nu‘ayman (رضي الله عنه) was once brought before the Prophet ﷺ because he had drunk wine. The prescribed punishment was carried out.

Someone then cursed him, but the Prophet ﷺ stopped the person and said:

“Do not curse him, for he loves Allah and His Messenger.”

This is a beautiful lesson. A Muslim may commit a sin, but that does not mean that we should deny all his goodness or assume that he has no love for Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. 

To conclude, Islam is not a dry and lifeless religion. It is a religion that embraces faith, wisdom, humour, love and the realities of human life.