Bismillah
Continuance of .... <i>An excerpt from the book entitled "The Message of Mohammad," by Athar Husain</i>
Children
He was especially fond of children and used to get into the spirit of childish games in their company. He would have fun with the children who had come back from Abyssinia and tried to speak in Abyssinian with them. It was his practice to give lifts on his camel to children when he returned from journeys. [sahih Bukhari] He would pick up children in his arms, play with them, and kiss them. A companion, recalling his childhood, said,
"In my childhood I used to fell dates by throwing stones at palm trees. Somebody took me to the Prophet (pbuh) who advised me to pick up the dates lying on the ground but not to fell them with stones. He then patted me and blessed me." [Abu Dawud]
Daily routine
On the authority of Ali, Tirmidhi has recorded that the Prophet (pbuh) had carefully apportioned his time according to the demands on him for:
1. offering worship to Allah
2. public affairs, and
3. personal matters.
After the early morning prayers he would remain sitting in the mosque reciting praises of Allah till the sun rose and more people collected. He would then preach to them. After the sermons were over, he would talk genially with the people, enquire about their welfare and even exchange jokes with them. Taxes and revenues were also distributed at this time [sahih Muslim Tirmidh] He would then offer chaste prayers and go home and busy himself with. household work. [bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi] He would again return to the mosque for the midday and afternoon prayers, listen to the problems of the people and give solace and guidance to them. After the afternoon prayers, he would visit each of his wives and, after the evening prayers, his wives would collect at one place and he would have his dinner (Muslim, Sahih Muslim). After the night prayers, he would recite some Suras of the Qur'an and before going to bed would pray:
"O Allah, I die and live with thy name on my lips."
On getting up he would say,
"All praise to Allah Who has given me life after death and towards Whom is the return."
He used to brush his teeth five times a day, before each of the daily prayers. After midnight, he used to get up for the tahajjud prayers which he never missed even once in his life. [sahih Bukhari] He was not fastidious about his bed -- sometimes he slept on his cot, sometimes on a skin or ordinary mattress, and sometimes on the ground (Zarqani).
On Friday he used to give sermons after the weekly "Jummah" prayers. He was not annoyed if anyone interrupted him during the sermons for anything. It is stated that once, while he was delivering his sermon, a Bedouin approached him and said, "O messenger of Allah, I am a traveller and am ignorant of my religion." The Prophet (pbuh) got down from the pulpit, explained the salient features of Islam to him and then resumed the sermon. [Tirmidhi]
On another occasion his grandson Hussein, still a child, came tumbling to him while he was delivering a sermon. He descended and took him in his lap and then continued the sermon. [ibid.]