The Sunnah for Dealing with Personal Insults Against the Name & Character of a Muslim/Muslimah

If you write a blog, I have found, people are going to insult you. If you speak about following the sunnah, someone is going to hate you, or try to ridicule you for it. My question is, how does a Muslim react to defend themselves? Not their bodies, not their homes, but their name and reputations?

We all know we have to defend Islam itself, and thus the Prophet sallalahu alahi wa salaam, but our individual selves from insults?

The people of Taif insulted and threw rocks at Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.
But he did nothing and stayed patient.

Once, he was praying and some wicked people put faeces near him.
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. stayed patient.
He even asked Allah to grant him more patience.

Throughout his lifetime, a blind old woman kept on using vulgarities on him.
Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. stayed patient.
He even FED that granny EVERY SINGLE DAY, until one time, he died
Abu Bakr R.A., the 1st caliph, came to feed that granny in his place.
That granny asked him [worded much more loosely than in the original Arabic of the hadith;) ]: "You're not the usual guy. Who are you? Tell me who was that usual guy actually?"
Abu Bakr R.A. replied: "He was Prophet Muhammad s.a.w." ……..
And that old woman converted into Islam in that instant!!

So that is how Rasoolulah dealt with personal insults.

So how do Muslims usually deal with insults to them personally?

Pretty badly sometimes. We get angry, we get disheartened, we even sink so low and insult back sometimes.

This is not the attitude of the true believer, the mumineen. If we have spoken the truth, we have nothing additionally to explain to them to defend ourseleves… truth (Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala) is our defense, and what we should do is react with and pray for patience.

Patience so that you do not lose hope for the person who is hurting you. Hate their wickedness, but do not hate them as a man or a woman, or Shaytaan has won, and made despise your kind as Shaytaan despises mankind [Allah protect us from him! Ameen].

Allah grant us patience, save us from despair, guide those astray with hate in their hearts for their sisters and brothers, and keep us from becoming like them, ameen.