The faces of the old and young – and indeed even the trees and birds around us – rejoice when they come to know about the happiness of the beloved Prophet (peace be upon him). This is because his happiness is happiness for those who love him, and guidance for those who follow him. So, let us learn the perfect etiquette and the wonderful guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in times of delight.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) felt delighted at hearing news that attested to something he had previously told others about. For instance, he (peace be upon him) rejoiced when he listened to the story of Tameem Ad-Dari (may Allah be pleased with him) with Ad-Dajjal (the Antichrist), because it was a confirmation of what he had himself told his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) about the Dajjal.
He (peace be upon him) used to be glad when he saw his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) competing with each other in good deeds and hastening to obey Allah The Almighty and His Messenger. It is narrated that some poor people who were in a very miserable state came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) asking him for help. So he (peace be upon him) stood up to speak to the people and urged them to give charity to those people. Consequently, they competed with each other in this until they collected a large amount. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw this, he rejoiced and his face beamed with joy as if it were a piece of gold.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) used to feel happy when something good happened to any of his Companions, such as his delight when Allah The Almighty accepted the repentance of Ka’b ibn Malik and his two companions (may Allah be pleased with them). Besides, he (peace be upon him) reportedly rejoiced at meeting whoever reminded him of someone he loved, as in the story of Halah bint Khuwaylid, the sister of his wife Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) when she sought permission to enter upon him. He (peace be upon him) remembered Khadijah’s way of seeking permission, so he was pleased with this and said: “O Allah, let it be Halah! O Allah, let it be Halah!”
Additionally, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to be delighted at hearing words that implied supporting and backing for the religion of Allah The Almighty. For example, he (peace be upon him) felt extremely delighted when his Companions may Allah be pleased with them said to him in the Battle of Badr, “We will not say to you like the people of Musa (Moses (may Allah exalt his mention)) said to him: {Go, you and your Lord, and fight. Indeed, we are remaining right here} [Al-Ma’idah 5:24], rather, we will fight at your right and your left, and in front of you and behind you.”
His (peace be upon him) happiness never made him forget to thank the favors of Allah The Almighty upon him, for whenever he received pleasing news, he (peace be upon him) would prostrate to show his gratitude to Allah The Almighty and thankfulness for His favors.
Such was the Prophetic delight that did not overlook human needs and the psychological feelings, yet, at the same time, taught the hearts to rely on Allah The Almighty alone, and to always be in a state of servitude and worship to Him. Therefore, let us be happy and express our happiness in accordance with his manners and follow his Sunnah (Prophetic tradition).
Whenever we remember the Prophet (peace be upon him) we cannot restrain ourselves from invoking the peace and blessings of Allah upon him, for he was the one whose face was radiant and when he felt happy, he beamed with joy like the moon. His happiness was not out of arrogance or vanity; rather, he was happy when he saw the truth prevail, and when he saw falsehood vanquished. His happiness made those around him happy, and still makes those who hear about him happy; and the happiness continues forever and ever. This Prophetic guidance teaches us how to be happy, and the things and manner for which we should express happiness.
Let us bring up this wonderful incident and contemplate the joy of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in it. He (peace be upon him) once entered upon his wife ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with) her and his face was lit up. This was when the truth was revealed to the people after they were in doubt about the lineage of Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him). This happened when Mujazziz Al-Mudliji, who was a genealogist, confirmed that Usamah was the real son of Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both). ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated this incident by saying, “Once the Messenger of Allah entered upon me and he was in a very happy mood, with his features glittering with joy, and [he] said: ‘O ‘Aa’ishah! Don’t you know that Mujazziz Al-Mudliji entered and saw Usamah and Zayd with velvet covering on them and their heads were covered while their feet were uncovered? He said, ‘These feet belong to each other.’’”
Here is another image of the happiness of the Prophet (peace be upon him) which we need to contemplate. He (peace be upon him) rejoiced after the truth was revealed when Allah The Almighty sent down the acquittal of his pure wife ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) from what the scandalmongers and hypocrites had accused her of.
Then he (peace be upon him) also rejoiced when ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) chose him after the verse of giving the choice (i.e., Al-Ahzab 33:28, 29) was sent down. When this verse was revealed, he (peace be upon him) called ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and said to her: “I am going to tell you about something and you do not have to hasten to respond until you consult your parents.” “Concerning what do I need to consult my parents?” she replied, “I choose Allah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter.” In another narration, she (may Allah be pleased with her) said, “O Messenger of Allah, do I have to consult my parents about you! I choose Allah, His Messenger and the Hereafter.”
This was the happiness of the Prophet (peace be upon him). It was in Allah The Almighty and by Him, and in truth and by truth. Thus, we should follow his example and rejoice as he (peace be upon him) used to.
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Taken with slight editorial modifications from islamweb.net.