WEEKLY ADVICE (Pt 1 of 4)
Among the teachings which the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has laid great stress on is that of the cultivation of good manners. This includes noble qualities of the heart and character, avoiding immoral behavior and abstaining from vices and bad practices. In the Holy Quran, Allah has mentioned that He has placed the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) on a very high and lofty rank of good character and manners. About this, He said, “Verily, you (O Muhammad) are on an exalted standard of character.” (Sura Al Qalam: Verse 4)
Allah Has also commanded the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to purify his people and rid them from sinful traits, and and immoral conduct. In this regard, the Holy Quran states, “Verily Allah Has conferred a kindness upon the believers, when He Sent amongst them, a Messenger of their own. He will recite unto them His revelations and will purify them, and will teach them the Book and Wisdom.” (Sura Al Imran: Verse 164)
On account of this task given to the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), he preached and taught his Ummah noble traits and good conduct, and trained them to be people of good character. Regarding this, he said:
عَن أَبِي هُرَيرة، عَن النَّبِيّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيه وَسَلَّم قال: إنما بعثت لأتمم مكارم الأخلاق.
“I have been sent (by Allah) to bring perfection to good conduct.” (مسند البزار, مسند أبى حمزة أنس بن مالك)
In other words, he was sent by Allah to teach moral values and good manners to people, since this is an important part of Islamic teachings as it plays an important role in moulding a person’s life. A believer who possesses good morals will not only lead a happy and peaceful life, but he will be a source of peace and comfort to others. If however, one’s social conduct and traits are bad, then he will be devoid of inner peace and comfort, and will make the lives of his family members, relatives and those around him miserable.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has laid great emphasis on cultivating moral values and good conduct, and has given beautiful teachings to his followers. In a narration from Abdullah bin Amr (R.A), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:
إِنَّ مِنْ خِيَارِكُمْ أَحْسَنَكُمْ أَخْلاَقًا
“Certainly the best of you are those who are best in conduct.” (مسند البزار, مسند أبى حمزة أنس بن مالك)
In another tradition narrated by Abu Hurairah (R.A), the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is reported to have said:
أَكْمَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِيمَانًا أَحْسَنُهُمْ خُلُقًا
“The most perfect of the believers in Imaan (faith) are those who are the best of them in conduct.”
(سنن أبى داود, باب الدليل على زيادة الإيمان ونقصانه \ سنن الدارمى, باب فى حسن الخلق)
These prophetic narrations show that there is a very strong relation/connection between Imaan (faith) and Akhlaq (good conduct). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained that perfection of one’s Imaan (faith) comes on account of the perfection of one’s conduct (Akhlaq). If one’s conduct is very good, his Imaan will be very good and if one’s conduct is perfect, then his Imaan will be perfect.