Anas ibn Malik served the Prophet for 10 years, starting at an early age. Hence, he was the source of a large number of the Prophet's sayings, many of which were his own reports on what the Prophet did and how he behaved in different situations.

In a particular hadith, he tells us about the Prophet's travel to Khaibar, a large concentration of Jews in Arabia, when they were preparing to marshal forces for an attack on Madinah. The Muslims led siege to Khaibar, which was composed of numerous forts, some of which were practically impregnable. However, the encounter ended in a resounding victory for the Muslims.

Anas ibn Malik reports: "The Prophet said to Abu Talhah (Anas's stepfather): 'Find me one of your lads who will serve me on my travel to Khaibar.' Abu Talhah took me on his mount when I was a young man, having attained puberty.

"I served God's Messenger whenever he dismounted. I often heard him praying: 'My Lord, I seek refuge with you from stress and grief, disability and laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the heavy burden of debt and men's oppression.'

"The Prophet then married her. He then had a dish of dates blended with clarified butter in a small pan. He said to me: 'Call those around.' This was the dinner party the Prophet gave for his marriage to Safiyyah. We then marched to Madinah.

"I saw the Prophet preparing a place for her on his mount, using a top garment. He would sit by his camel and put his knee forward so that Safiyyah could place her foot on his knee in order to be able to mount the camel.

"We marched until we approached Madinah. He looked at Mount Uhud and said: 'This mountain loves us and we love it.' He then looked at Madinah and said: 'I consecrate the area in between its two volcanic rock areas in the same way as Abraham consecrated Makkah. May God bless their measures for them.'" (Al-Bukhari)

There are plenty of things to note in this hadith. Perhaps the first should be the supplication the Prophet used to say frequently. He sought refuge with God from several things that can easily weigh anyone down. Stress, grief, disability, laziness, miserliness, and cowardice can bring anyone much misery and prevent him from enjoying life.

Some of these are attitudes of choice, while others are often brought about by external factors. Regardless of the cause, they can make life a series of miseries. Avoiding them can become easy with God's help. Therefore, a prayer to God with an appeal for help to rid oneself of such qualities and their causes is very useful.

Furthermore the Prophet appealed for God's protection against the effects of debt and oppression. Indeed, debt can become very oppressive, if the creditor is keen to recover his debt, and presses hard on the borrower, the situation can become very difficult. Hence, the Prophet is appealing against any such situation. His prayer teaches us to steer away from debt as much as we can.

The Prophet's marriage to Safiyyah was surprising to many. Her father was a dedicated and uncompromising enemy of Islam. He had marshaled forces and forged alliances with unbelievers to attack Madinah and annihilate Muslims. He was executed together with the traitors from the Quraidhah Jews.

Now the Prophet married her after giving her the choice to become a Muslim and marry him. He wanted to demonstrate that in Islam people are held to account only for their own deeds. Her father's misdeeds could not be blamed on her.

This marriage in fact reconciled many of the Jews to Muslims and allowed for the re-establishment of proper relations with them.

This was a remarkable humility from the Prophet, who had just achieved a final victory over the very people to whom she belonged.

What the Prophet said about Mount Uhud represents the attitude Islam lays down toward nature and its forces. They are all creatures of God, and as such they are friendly to man, giving what they can for the benefit of human life.

It is humanity that either benefits by them or treats them ill. Then the Prophet gave Madinah the same status as Makkah, making it forbidden for non-believers, and prayed for its inhabitants.

With children, the Prophet was very kind, showing them love and compassion, particularly those that belonged to his immediate relatives. Abdullah ibn Jaafar ibn Abi Talib reports: "When the Prophet came back from a journey, the children of his household would receive him first.

"Once he was back from travel, and I was the first to be brought to him. He carried me in his arms. Then one of Fatimah's two sons, either Al-Hasan or Al-Husayn, was brought to him, and he placed him to his rear on his mount. We then entered Madinah, all three of us on the same mount." (Muslim)

In this hadith, we see the Prophet's treatment of the children of his own family. The reporter of this hadith is the son of Jafar, the Prophet's cousin, who was sent on a long mission to Abyssinia.

He speaks of a time when he was still young, shortly after his father's return from his mission. He was the first child to be brought to the Prophet as he approached Madinah, and he carried the child and placed him in front. Although one of his own grandchildren was brought up to him a short while later, he placed his grandchild behind him.

He would not change the position of the one who came first, even though that child was dearer to him because he was the son of his own daughter, whom he dearly loved.