A: Excellent Characters
· The core of the message of Islam is the call to excellent
characters.
· People of the highest rank on the Day of Resurrection are those
who are the best in characters.
· Excellent characters are acquired through fighting the base
desires of the self and training it to pursue pious deeds and avoid evil.
· Worship is training and education to achieve the excellence of
character.
·
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) is a model of excellent character, as he had been guided by
Allah.
Advice
·
Advice is sincere words given without an ulterior motive.
· Advice is a manner of the prophets
·
Advice is salvation from Hellfire
·
Advice is required by all people
to all people.
Chastity
·
There are levels of chastity, starting with avoiding
prohibitions, and then avoiding suspicion.
·
The highest rank of chastity is to
be chaste even in what is permissible of money, living and enjoyment, with the
intention of elevating the self.
Evidence from Qur'an and Sunnah
Excellence of
character:
The
Prophet (SAWS) said, "I was sent to perfect the righteous manners."
[Ahmad]
The
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“Al-Birr (all that which is good) is excellence of character.”
(Reported by Muslim)
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) said:
“There
is nothing heavier than good character put in the scale of a believer on the Day
of Resurrection.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) said:
“The
most perfect believer with respect to faith is he who is best of them in
character.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
The Messenger
of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“The
dearest and nearest among you to me on the Day of Resurrection will be that who
is the best of you in character. The most abhorrent and farthest to me among you
will be the talkative, the Mutashaddiqun (those who utter words in a way that
shows that they are eloquent), and the arrogant.”
(Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
The Messenger
of Allah (peace be upon him) said to Mu`adh:
“Fear
Allah wherever you are, and perform good deeds after doing bad actions, the
former will wipe out the latter, and behave decently towards people.”
(Reported by At-Tirmidhi)
The Prophet
(peace be upon him) used to invoke Allah saying:
“And
guide me in the best of characters for none but You guides anyone (in) good
characters. Remove sins from me, for none else but You can remove sins from me.”
(Reported by Muslim)
Prophet Muhammad is the example of
excellence:
Allah says:
]وَإِنَّكَ
لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ[
(القلم: 4)
This means: “And verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) are
on an exalted standard of character.” (68, Al-Qalam: 4)
`A’ishah (may
Allah be pleased with her) narrated:
“The
character of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was entirely according
to the Qur'an.” (Reported by Ahmad)
Advice:
Allah says:
]وَتَوَاصَوْا
بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْر[
(العصر: 3)
This
means: “And recommend one another to the truth (i.e. order one another to
perform all kinds of good deeds (Al-Ma'ruf which Allah has ordained, and abstain
from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-Munkar which Allah has forbidden), and
recommend one another to patience.” (103, Al-`Asr: 3)
Hud (peace be
upon him) says, to his people, in the Holy Qur’an:
]وَأَنَاْ
لَكُمْ نَاصِحٌ أَمِين[
(الأعرف: 68)
This
means: “And I am a trustworthy adviser (or wellwisher) for you.”
(7, Al-A`raf: 68)
Nuh
(peace be
upon him) says in the Holy Qur’an:
]أُبَلِّغُكُمْ
رِسَالاَتِ رَبِّي وَأَنصَحُ لَكُمْ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُون[
(الأعراف: 62)
This
means: “I convey unto you the Messages of my Lord and give sincere advice to
you. And I know from Allah what you know not.” (7, Al-A`raf: 62)
Salih
(peace be
upon him) says in the Holy Qur’an:
]يَا
قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالَةَ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ وَلَكِن لاَّ
تُحِبُّونَ النَّاصِحِين[
(الأعراف: 79)
This
means: “O my people! I have indeed conveyed to you the Message of my Lord, and
have given you good advice but you like not good advisers.” (7, Al-A`raf: 79)
Shu`ayb (peace
be upon him) says in the Holy Qur’an:
]وَقَالَ
يَا قَوْمِ لَقَدْ أَبْلَغْتُكُمْ رِسَالاَتِ رَبِّي وَنَصَحْتُ لَكُمْ[
(الأعراف: 93)
This
means: “O my people! I have indeed conveyed my Lord's Messages unto you and I
have given you good advice.” (7, Al-A`raf: 93)
Allah says:
]لُعِنَ
الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ عَلَى لِسَانِ دَاوُودَ وَعِيسَى ابْنِ
مَرْيَمَ ذَلِكَ بِمَا عَصَوا وَّكَانُواْ يَعْتَدُونَ. كَانُواْ لاَ يَتَنَاهَوْنَ
عَن مُّنكَرٍ فَعَلُوهُ لَبِئْسَ مَا كَانُواْ يَفْعَلُونَ[
(المائدة: 78 - 79)
This means: “Those among the Children of Israel
who disbelieved were cursed by the tongue of Dawud (David) and 'Isa (Jesus), son
of Maryam (Mary). That was because they disobeyed (Allah and the Messengers) and
were ever transgressing beyond bounds. They used not to forbid one another from
the Munkar (wrong, evildoing, sins, polytheism, disbelief, etc.) which they
committed. Vile indeed was what they used to do.” (5, Al-Ma’idah: 78 - 79)
The Prophet of
Allah (peace be upon him) said:
“(Our) religion is (calling to giving) advice. We (the
Companions) asked: For whom? He replied: For Allah, His Book, His Messenger
and for the leaders and common Muslims.” (Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)