When the Qur’an describes the purpose of the Prophet’s mission ﷺ, teaching is at its centre:
هُوَ ٱلَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي ٱلۡأُمِّيِّـۧنَ رَسُولٗا مِّنۡهُمۡ يَتۡلُواْ عَلَيۡهِمۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمۡ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ وَٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ وَإِن كَانُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ لَفِي ضَلَٰلٖ مُّبِينٖ
“It is He who sent among the unlettered a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses, purifying them, and teaching them the Book and wisdom, though before that they were in clear error.”
— Surah al-Jumu’ah 62:2
The Prophet ﷺ also described himself as a teacher. In Sahih Muslim, Jabir ibn ’Abdullah reports that he said:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَبْعَثْنِي مُعَنِّتًا وَلاَ مُتَعَنِّتًا وَلَكِنْ بَعَثَنِي مُعَلِّمًا مُيَسِّرًا
“Allah did not send me to be harsh or to make things hard for people; He sent me as a teacher who makes things easy.”
— Sahih Muslim 1478
An important note: a narration often quoted, innama bu’ithtu mu’alliman (“I was sent only as a teacher”), is found in Sunan Ibn Majah (no. 229). Hadith scholars have graded its chain weak. Its meaning, however, is established by the authentic narration in Sahih Muslim above, so that is the one we rely on here.
Let us look at how the Prophet ﷺ taught, through authentic hadith.
1. Gentleness and compassion
Mu’awiyah ibn al-Hakam al-Sulami was new to Islam. During a prayer, someone sneezed, and he said yarhamuk Allah aloud in the middle of the prayer. People stared at him and struck their thighs to silence him. After the prayer, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called him over. He later said:
فَبِأَبِي هُوَ وَأُمِّي مَا رَأَيْتُ مُعَلِّمًا قَبْلَهُ وَلاَ بَعْدَهُ أَحْسَنَ تَعْلِيمًا مِنْهُ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا كَهَرَنِي وَلاَ ضَرَبَنِي وَلاَ شَتَمَنِي
“May my father and mother be his ransom! I have never seen a teacher, before him or after him, who taught better than he did. By Allah, he did not scold me, strike me or insult me.”
— Sahih Muslim 537
He simply explained that ordinary speech has no place in prayer, which is glorification of Allah, declaring His greatness, and reciting the Qur’an. The Qur’an names this gentleness as the secret of his success: “Had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would have scattered from around you” (Surah Al ’Imran 3:159).
2. Making things easy, not hard
Anas reports one of his most comprehensive instructions:
يَسِّرُوا وَلاَ تُعَسِّرُوا، وَبَشِّرُوا وَلاَ تُنَفِّرُوا
“Make things easy and do not make them difficult; give good news and do not drive people away.”
— Sahih al-Bukhari 69
A living example is the Bedouin who began to urinate in the Prophet’s mosque. When the Companions rushed at him, the Prophet ﷺ said: leave him, and pour a bucket of water over the place, fa innama bu’ithtum muyassirin wa lam tub’athu mu’assirin, “for you were sent to make things easy, not to make them difficult” (Sahih al-Bukhari 220). Instead of anger at an ignorant man’s mistake, he solved the problem and created a chance to teach.
3. Sparking curiosity with questions
He often began with a question, so that the listener’s mind was engaged:
أَتَدْرُونَ مَا الْغِيبَةُ
“Do you know what backbiting is?”
— Sahih Muslim 2589
The Companions said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “Mentioning your brother in a way he dislikes.” He was asked: what if what I say is true of him? He said: “If it is true, you have backbitten him; and if it is not, you have slandered him.” Question, response, then explanation: this method makes the learner a participant.
4. Repetition to make it stick
Anas reports:
أَنَّهُ كَانَ إِذَا تَكَلَّمَ بِكَلِمَةٍ أَعَادَهَا ثَلاَثًا حَتَّى تُفْهَمَ عَنْهُ
“Whenever he said something important, he would repeat it three times so that it would be understood from him.”
— Sahih al-Bukhari 95
Repeating a key point is not weakness; it is wise teaching.
5. Teaching with pictures and examples
Once the Prophet ﷺ drew a square on the ground, drew a line through the middle extending outside it, and drew small lines on either side of the middle line. He said: this is the human being; this square is his lifespan surrounding him; the line going outside is his hopes; and these small lines are calamities; if one misses him, another catches him (Sahih al-Bukhari 6417, narrated by ’Abdullah ibn Mas’ud). A simple sketch made a truth about life clearer than a long speech might have.
6. Moderation and spacing
He did not tire people with constant sermons. ’Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said:
كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَتَخَوَّلُنَا بِالْمَوْعِظَةِ فِي الأَيَّامِ، كَرَاهَةَ السَّآمَةِ عَلَيْنَا
“The Prophet ﷺ used to choose suitable days to advise us, not wanting us to become bored.”
— Sahih al-Bukhari 68
In today’s terms: short lessons, sensible breaks, and respect for the learner’s attention.
7. Education for all: women, children and the poor
His teaching was not reserved for one group. Some women said to him: the men take all your time, so set a day for us. He promised them a day, met them on it, advised them and taught them (Sahih al-Bukhari 101).
The Suffah was the platform in the Prophet’s mosque where poor and homeless Companions lived and studied; great narrators such as Abu Hurayrah came out of that school. He also taught children directly. ’Abdullah ibn ’Abbas, then a boy, says he was riding behind the Prophet ﷺ one day when he said:
يَا غُلاَمُ إِنِّي أُعَلِّمُكَ كَلِمَاتٍ احْفَظِ اللَّهَ يَحْفَظْكَ احْفَظِ اللَّهَ تَجِدْهُ تُجَاهَكَ
“Young man, I will teach you some words: be mindful of Allah and He will protect you; be mindful of Allah and you will find Him before you.”
— Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2516 (graded hasan sahih by al-Tirmidhi)
8. The purpose and virtue of knowledge
Finally, he made knowledge not mere information but a road to Paradise:
وَمَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ
“Whoever travels a path seeking knowledge, Allah makes easy for him a path to Paradise.”
— Sahih Muslim 2699
This purpose turns both learning and teaching into worship.
For teachers and parents today
These eight principles can be brought into today’s classrooms and homes:
- Explain instead of scolding. Treat a child’s or student’s mistake as a chance to teach, not to shame.
- Start with a question. Begin with “Do you know…?” to engage the mind.
- Say the key point three times. Repeat it at the start, middle and end of the lesson.
- Use a sketch or an example. A simple drawing on the board often beats a long explanation.
- Keep lessons short. Short lessons with breaks rather than long lectures.
- Educate daughters and sons alike. The Prophet’s school set aside time for women too.
Practical lesson
- This week, when teaching your child or student, start with a question and use one simple sketch.
- Before reacting to someone’s mistake, remember the story of Mu’awiyah ibn al-Hakam.
- Help your children memorise the hadith ihfaz Allaha yahfazk from al-Tirmidhi.
Sources
- The Qur’an: 62:2, 3:159
- Sahih Muslim 1478, 537, 2589, 2699
- Sahih al-Bukhari 68, 69, 95, 101, 220, 6417
- Jami’ at-Tirmidhi 2516
- Sunan Ibn Majah 229 (weak chain)