Prophet was very clear. He said: “If a man loves his brother in faith, he should tell him that he
loves him.” [Abu Dawud]
The Prophet used to also show a great deal of affection towards his wives. Aisha reported that
the Prophet would only enjoy his meals when she would sit next to him. They would drink from
one cup and he would watch where Aisha would place her lips on the cup so that he could place his
lips on the exact position. He would eat from a bone after she would eat from it, placing his mouth
where she had eaten. [Muslim]
The Prophet used to also help around the house, contrary to another widely held myth of
masculinity. Aisha reported, “The Prophet Muhammad used to stitch his clothes, milk the goats
and help in the chores inside the house.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
But, perhaps one of the most common myths of what a man should be is the idea that a man should be
‘tough’. Gentleness is widely considered only a feminine trait. And yet the Prophet Muhammad
said: “Allah is gentle and loves gentleness. He gives for gentleness what He does not give for
harshness, nor for anything else.” [Muslim] In another hadith, he says, “He who is deprived of
gentleness is deprived of good.” [Muslim]
And yet so much of that gentleness has been lost from our modern definition of masculinity. It is
frightening when a boy can consider it manly to sexually harass a woman on the street, but consider it
no question of his manhood to stand and watch while a girl is being hit. It makes you wonder if maybe
our image of what is ‘manly’ in fact resembles a Hollywood gangster more than it does our beloved
Prophet.