Source : Rasoulallah.net / 19 Jan 2013

Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was an extraordinary husband, a perfect father, and a unique grandfather. He (peace and blessings be upon him) was unique in every way. He (peace and blessings be upon him) treated his children and grandchildren with great compassion, and never neglected to direct them to the straight path and to good deeds.

He (peace and blessings be upon him) loved them and treated them tenderly, but did not allow them to neglect matters related to the afterlife. He (peace and blessings be upon him) showed them how to lead a humane life, and never allowed them to neglect their religious duties or to become spoiled. His ultimate goal was to prepare them for the hereafter. His perfect balance in such matters is another dimension of his divinely inspired intellect.

Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him), the messenger's servant for 10 continuous years, says, "I have never seen a man who was more compassionate to his family members than Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) ." (Muslim) If this admission were made just by us, it could be dismissed as unimportant. However, millions of people, so benign and compassionate that they would not even offend an ant, declare that he embraced everything with compassion. He (peace and blessings be upon him) was a human like us, but god inspired in him such an intimate affection for every living thing that he could establish a connection with all of them. As a result, he (peace and blessings be upon him) was full of extraordinary affection toward his family members and others.

All of the prophet's sons died. Ibrahim, his last son, died in infancy. The prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) often visited his son before the latter's death, although the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was very busy. Ibrahim was looked after by a nurse. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would kiss and play with him before returning home. (Muslim) When Ibrahim took his last breaths, the eyes of the prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) started shedding tears. `Abdur-rahman ibn `Awf said, "O Allah's messenger, even you (weep)!" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "O Ibn `Auf, this is mercy." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) wept more and said, "The eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, and we will not say except what pleases our Lord, O ibrahim ! Indeed we are grieved by your separation." (al-Bukhari)

The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was completely balanced in the way he (peace and blessings be upon him) brought up his children. He (peace and blessings be upon him) loved his children and grandchildren very much, and instilled love in them. However, he (peace and blessings be upon him) never let his love for them be abused. None of them deliberately dared to do anything wrong. If they made an unintentional mistake, the messenger's protection prevented them from going even slightly astray. He (peace and blessings be upon him) did this by wrapping them in love and an aura of dignity. For example, once Hasan or Husain wanted to eat a date that had been given to be distributed among the poor as alms. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) immediately took it from his hand, and said, "Anything given as alms is forbidden to us." (Ibn Hanbal, Muslim) in teaching them while they were young to be sensitive to forbidden acts, he (peace and blessings be upon him) established an important principle of education.

Whenever he (peace and blessings be upon him) returned to Madinah, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would carry children on his mount. on such occasions, the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) embraced not only his grandchildren but also those in his house and those nearby. He (peace and blessings be upon him) conquered their hearts through his compassion. He (peace and blessings be upon him) loved all children.

He (peace and blessings be upon him) loved his granddaughter Umamah (may Allah be pleased with her). He (peace and blessings be upon him) often went out with her on his shoulders, and even placed her on his shoulders while praying. When he (peace and blessings be upon him) prostrated, he (peace and blessings be upon him) put her down; when he (peace and blessings be upon him) had finished praying, he (peace and blessings be upon him) placed her on his back again. (Muslim)

He (peace and blessings be upon him) showed this degree of love to Umamah (may Allah be pleased with her) to teach his male followers how to treat girls. This was a vital necessity; only a decade earlier, it had been the social norm to bury infant or young girls alive. Such public paternal affection for a granddaughter had never been seen before in Arabia.

The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) proclaimed that Islam allows no discrimination between son and daughter. 

As soon as Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), the daughter of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), entered the room where the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would stand, take her hands, and make her sit where he (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting. He (peace and blessings be upon him) would ask about her health and family, show his paternal love for her, and compliment her.

Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), knowing how fond he (peace and blessings be upon him) was of her, loved him more than her own self. Her great mission was to be the seed for pious people. She (may Allah be pleased with her) always watched her father and how he Her great mission was to be the seed for pious people called people to Islam. She (may Allah be pleased with her) wept and groaned when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) told her that he (peace and blessings be upon him) would die soon, and rejoiced when he (peace and blessings be upon him) told her that she (may Allah be pleased with her) would be the first family member to follow him. (al-Bukhari and Muslim) her father loved her, and she (may Allah be pleased with her) loved her father(peace and blessings be upon him) .