The beauty of Islam is that it has a correlated method of refinement ; the good traits and characters are heavily encouraged . Simultaneously , the negative or destructive traits and characters are desisted , abhorred and spoken against emphatically .
It was narrated that ‘ Abdullah bin ‘ Amr said : “ It was said to the Messenger of Allah ( SWT ): ‘ Which of the people is best ?’ He said : ‘ Everyone who is pure of heart and sincere in speech .’ They said : ‘ Sincere in speech , we know what this is , but what is pure of heart ?’ He said : ‘ It is ( the heart ) that is pious and pure , with no sin within it , no betrayal , no rancor nor envy in it .’” ( Ibn Majah )
The statement above targets the both directions of perfection , firstly , encouraging good , upright speech and by further extension good actions , whilst secondly , instantaneously defining the root of pureness ; i . e . the heart . Thereafter , listing evil traits and habits that may lie within the heart that is essential to be removed , only then you can qualify to acquire the lofty status of ‘ the best people ’.
You may have heard the term Adab and Akhlaq , both words are similar in some respect but also defer in meaning . Commonly the term Akhlaq is used to refer to the inner traits of the heart , while Adab is the reflection in behavior and limbs that make up the external manifestations of one ’ s Akhlaq .
When Akhlaq and Adab are attained , what results is something real . Humility replaces ego , supportiveness replaces jealousy , compassion replaces aggressiveness , reliance on Allah replaces anger , calmness and composure replace abruptness and belligerence , and the list goes on ...
Throughout history , the pious predecessors place much importance on the acquisition of good character . They would spend years training their personality under the mentorship of a known Murabbi ( Training Mentor ) to ensure the standard of a good character is achieved . As time passed and a decline in this regard was noticed , they wrote books compiling Ahadith ( statements ) of the Prophet ( SAW ) with sole focus on character development and mannerism specified in the context of Islam . Ibn Sirin ( rahimahullah ) said : ‘ They ( i . e . the salaf ) used to learn manners as they would learn the knowledge .’ Hence , the likes of the great scholar of Islam ; Ibn Al-Mubarak said :
predecessors would seek manners and then seek knowledge . ( Ghayat al-Nihayah 1 / 446 )
Sadly , in our local context , you would have noticed a local trend , where bacchanal , vulgarity and obscenity seems to be the standard of empowerment and recognition . Does it become acceptable to us now that we lower our moral standard due to the local culture ? NO ! off course not ! The distinguishing accomplishment of Nabi was that he was able to affect an entire culture change , from the ignorant , intolerable , harshness of the Arab culture , to informed , patient , kind and caring individuals . An example of a similar incident is highlighted :
At Ar-Rabadha I met Abu Dhar who was wearing a cloak , and his slave , too , was wearing a similar one . I asked about the reason for it . He replied , “ I abused a person by calling his mother with bad names .” The Prophet said to me , ‘ O Abu Dhar ! Did you abuse him by calling his mother with bad names You still have some characteristic of ( the pre-islamic days of ) ignorance ? ( Bukhari )
Our failure to understand the importance of ethics , morals and manners in Islam is causing much misguidance and confusion among Muslims and non-Muslims alike . Advancement in Islamic sciences and services contain complicated details related to creed , sects , differences of opinion , and confusing issues that most people do not understand fully and fall prey to bad conduct and character .
Islamic teachings has emphatically declared the importance of all social aspects of the human existence , be it the way you speak , the way you eat , your manner of conduct , the way you react to arguments , or the importance of clean language ( free from obscenity and rudeness etc .), the list goes on and on into dress and even using the washroom ...
It is time that humanity reclaims the honorable status bestowed to us , and beautify our character and manners according to the standard set by the creator !
I sought manners for thirty years and I sought knowledge for twenty years . The righteous
12 | Ihsaan | Issue 3