Prophet Muhammad's Communication with Disadvantaged Social Groups: An Empathetic and Inclusive Approach

Abstract

This research was conducted to examine the communication style of the Prophet Muhammad with disadvantaged social groups in the context of empathy and inclusiveness. The main motivation of the study was the exclusion and discrimination that social groups such as orphans, the disabled, slaves, women, the elderly and the poor have been subjected to throughout history. The main problematic of the research is how the verbal and nonverbal communication practices of the Prophet Muhammad present a model within the framework of the principles of social justice, human dignity and equality in modern societies. The qualitative research method was used in the study; reliable hadith sources, biography books and modern academic studies were scanned with the content analysis method. Special importance was given to nonverbal communication elements, factors such as body language, gestures, facial expressions and tone of voice. The communication practices of the Prophet Muhammad were evaluated with an individual-centered and emotional intelligence-focused approach. The research focuses on how the Prophet Muhammad developed an empathic and inclusive model in his communication with disadvantaged groups and how this model sheds light on today's communication approaches. The limitations of the study are that the sources have to be interpreted according to the historical context and that the communication examples examined are limited to certain disadvantaged groups. In addition, the study focused more on individual communication examples and excluded political or institutional regulations. The original value of the study is that it presents an interdisciplinary analysis by addressing the communication practice of the Prophet Muhammad not only in the context of religious proclamation but also from the perspectives of modern social work, empathic communication, human rights and social psychology. The main findings are that the Prophet Muhammad established a protective and honoring relationship with orphans; gave the disabled active roles in society; weakened the slavery system with moral transformation; protected their honor while helping the poor; granted women and children individual status; and evaluated the elderly as wisdom and counseling. It was determined that body language, tone of voice and non-verbal communication elements also play an important role in these processes. The results of the study show that the Prophet Muhammad's empathic and inclusive communication model provides a strong historical and ethical reference in terms of developing rights-based and non-violent communication strategies for disadvantaged groups in today's societies. His human-centered and holistic communication style presents a model that can be emulated in a wide range of areas, from individual relationships to social policies.