Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings to our Master Muhammad, the Faithful and the Honest. O Allah, we know nothing but what You teach us, You are the All- Knower, the Wise. O Allah our Lord, teach us what is useful for us, let us make use of what You have taught us and advance us in knowledge. O Allah, show us the righteous things as righteous and help us do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us keep away from them. O Allah our Lord, make us amongst those who listen to the Word and follow the best meaning of It, and admit us, by Your Grace, to the ranks of Your righteous servants.
The believer who has exalted character attains the highest level of Iman (faith):
Dear brothers, in Riyad As-Saliheen, in chapter "Recommendations with regard to Women", there is the following Hadith:
(( (Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The believers who show the most perfect Faith are those who have the best of morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives".) ))
[ [At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah] ]
In fact, this Hadith is considered a fundamental reference in religion. It describes the most perfect in faith among the believers. The Prophet PBUH said in another Hadith:
(( (Abduallah bin Amr told of Allah's Messenger coming upon two groups in his mosque and saying, "They are both engaged in what is good, but one of them is superior to the other. These ones are praying and supplicating Allah who, if He wills, may answer their prayers but, if He wills, may refuse them. Those ones are learning knowledge and teaching the ignorant, so they are superior. I was sent only as a teacher." He then sat down among them.) ))
[ [Ad-Darami, on the authority of Abdullah bin Amr] ]
(( (I was sent only as a teacher) ))
[ [Ibn Majah, on the authority of Abullah bin Amr] ]
(( (I was sent to complete the best of morals.) ))
[ [Musnad Al-Bazzar, on the authority of Abi Hurairah] ]
Good morals have the most important position in religion; furthermore, religion is all about good morals. Had these morals disappeared, there would have been no religion. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ Have you seen him who denies the Recompense?* That is he who repulses the orphan (harshly), ﴿
(( Anas said: Allah's Messenger seldom addressed us without saying, "He who is not trustworthy has no faith, and he who does not keep his covenant has no religion." ))
[ Ahmad, on the authority of Anas ]
When our Master J'afar met An-Najashi, he described the Prophet PBUH and the essence of Islam as follows:
(( He ordered us to tell the truth, pay deposits back to their owners, preserve our kinship ties, and be kind to our neighbors. He prohibited us from drawing near to obscenities and shedding blood. ))
[ Ahmad, on the authority of Umm Salamah ]
The religion is almost all about best morals.
Good conduct is the standard according to which man's faith is measured:
The Prophet PBUH said:
(( I was sent only as a teacher ))
[ Ibn Majah, by the authority of Abullah bin Amr ]
He also said:
(( I was sent to complete the best of morals. ))
[ Musnad Al-Bazzar, by the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
The Prophet PBUH said in the Hadith I have mentioned earlier:
(( Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The believers who show the most perfect Faith are those who have the best of morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives." ))
[ At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
If you need a standard according to which you may measure your faith, it will be your good morals. When the Prophet's companions embraced the best morals, their flags flapped in the two sunrises. On the other hand, when Muslims' religious practice was limited to observing Siyaam, performing Salah, performing Hajj and paying Zakat, they were defeated in their own homeland.
The most important point is that the Prophet PBUH said:
(( The believers who show the most perfect Faith… ))
This indicates that there is deep faith, deeper one and weak faith. Thus, faith has ranks. The proof of that is the following Ayah:
﴾ O you who believe! Believe in Allah ﴿
Allah addresses the believer and asks him/her to believe. This means that Allah asks the believer to have stronger and deeper faith, noting that faith has ranks, given before faith, there is Islam. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ The bedouins say: "We believe." Say: "You believe not but you only say, 'We have surrendered (in Islam),' for Faith has not yet entered your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not decrease anything in reward for your deeds. Verily, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." ﴿
Piety comes after faith.
﴾ O you who believe! Fear Allah and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow﴿
Piety has ranks as well. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe! Fear Allah (by doing all that He has ordered and by abstaining from all that He has forbidden) as He should be feared. [Obey Him, be thankful to Him, and remember Him always], and die not except in a state of Islam (as Muslims) with complete submission to Allah. ﴿
Believers differ from one another according to their good conduct:
We can deduce a fact from the following Hadith:
(( Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The believers who show the most perfect Faith are those who have the best of morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives". ))
[ At Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
In fact, faith differs according to the good morals man has. All believers offer Salah, perform Hajj (if one of them has the financial means), pay Zakat, earn their living through lawful means and spend their money in lawful ways, so what makes one believer different from another? They differ in the good morals they have. The Prophet PBUH said:
(( Abu Hurairah narrated that: The Messenger of Allah said: "When someone whose religion and character you are pleased with proposes to (someone under the care) of one of you, then marry to him. If you do not do so, then there will be turmoil (Fitnah) in the land and abounding discord (Fasad)." ))
[ At Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
If a person offers Salah, he observes Siyaam, he has lawful trade and he is a committed family man, is this enough? Actually, we need to know about his good morals. Is he forbearing, tolerant, charitable, merciful or affectionate? This is what really counts. Again, the Prophet PBUH said:
(( Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "The believers who show the most perfect Faith are those who have the best of morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives." ))
[ At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
The Prophet PBUH set the good morals as a standard to measure believers' faith. This makes sense, because all believers and Muslims offer the acts of worship, so how do they differ from one another? The only thing that makes a believer different from another is his good conduct.
I have collected few important Ahadeeth with regard to good morals, and here are some of them:
(( Jabir bin Sumrah narrated that the prophet PBUH said: "Using harsh words is not part of Islam, and the most complete of people in Islam are the ones with the best characters." ))
[ Ahmad, on the authority of Jabir bin Sumrah ]
Good conduct is the thing that makes a difference between a Muslim and another, and the one who shows the most perfect faith is he who has the best character.
Here is another Hadith regarding the same point we are discussing:
(( Narrated Usamah Ibn Sharik: We were in the assembly of the Prophet PBUH, and we were as if we had birds on their heads (they were all silent out of the tranquility they had). Then some people came and asked him PBUH, "Who are the dearest of Allah's servants to Allah the Almighty?" He PBUH said, "They are those who have the best manners and character." ))
[ Al-Albani, on the authority of Usamah Ibn Sharik ]
The word used in the Hadith, "the dearest", is a superlative adjective, which indicates that those servants are loved the most by Allah the Almighty, and they are distinguished in the Sight of Allah. Furthermore, they are the nearest and the dearest to the Prophet PBUH on the Day of Resurrection:
(( The dearest and nearest among you to me on the Day of Resurrection will be one who is the best of you in manners… ))
In another Hadith it was mentioned that the Prophet PBUH was asked about the best thing man may be given:
(( They said: "O Messenger of Allah, what is the best thing that a person may be given?" He said: "Good manners." ))
[ Sunan Ian Majah, on the authority of Usamah bin Sharik ]
These are the words of the Prophet PBUH, so do you believe him?
The real wealth on the day of Resurrection:
Pay attention to the following Hadith, please:
(( It was narrated that Usamah bin Sharik said: "I saw the Bedouins asking the Prophet (PBUH): 'Is there any harm in such and such, is there any harm in such and such?' He said to them: 'O slaves of Allah! Allah has only made harm in that which transgresses the honor of one's brother. That is what is sinful.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Is there any sin if we do not seek treatment?' He said: 'Seek treatment, O slaves of Allah! For Allah does not create any disease but He also creates with it the cure, except for old age.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what is the best thing that a person may be given?' He said: 'Good manners.'" ))
[ Sunan Ibn Majah, on the authority of Usamah Ibn Sharik ]
Man might own the world, or he might own power, wealth, intelligence or beauty, but better than all that is morality. Scientists spend their time in their labs in order to create chemical and biological weapons, are not they smart? They are the most intelligent people on earth; however, they are using their intelligence in creating weapons which turn man's life into hell.
Man may own intelligence, money, power, beauty or good look, but the Prophet PBUH drew our attention to the thing that is better than all that; it is to have good morals. He who has a good character is richer than those who are rich. Besides, real richness on the Day of Resurrection is to come with abundance of good deeds:
(( Abu ad-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: "The heaviest thing which will be put on the believer's scale (on the Day of Resurrection) will be good morals." ))
[ Abu Dawod, on the authority of Abu Ad-Darda' ]
(( 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) reported: I heard Messenger of Allah (PBUH) saying: "A believer will attain by his good behavior the rank of one who prays during the night and observes fasting during the day." ))
[ Abu Dawod, on the authority of 'A'ishah]
The one with a good character reaches the rank of the one who fasts and prays during the night continually. The Prophet PBUH also said:
(( Verily a servant will definitely reach high ranks and honorable stations in the Hereafter, through his good nature, even if he is weak in his worship. ))
[ At-Tabarani, on the authority of Anas ]
All the aforementioned Ahadeeth show us that having good morals is the most important thing in religion; moreover, religion is almost all about good morals.
The greatest capital you have at work is good conduct:
When the Prophet's companions embodied this meaning of Islam, Allah elevated and honored them. Be honest and do not convince yourself that selling and buying are best done by lying. Be honest in selling and buying and challenge those who lie, and be sure that Allah will grant you success. Never say, "Such is life" (namely, I have to lie), and keep in mind that man will lead good life by being honest. Never sugarcoat your deviation by a layer of philosophy. Do not say, "Without deceit there will be no profits." This is nonsense, Satanic words and the speech of the heedless ignorant.
Morality is a must in every business whether it is commercial, industrial, agricultural, functional or professional. Mortality is the greatest capital in man's business and by having a good character, the payoff will be priceless, for it will be gaining people's trust. When people trust you, this is the most profitable business you can ever have. The Prophet PBUH said:
(( Trustworthiness is the true wealth))
[ Al-Jami' As-Sagheer, on the authority of Anas ]
The trustworthy person is rich, and his richness comes from being entrusted by people. These Ahadeeth are very important.
(( Verily a servant will definitely reach high ranks and honorable stations in the Hereafter, and good morals dissolve mistakes just as water melts hoarfrost, and bad morals spoil good deeds like vinegar spoils honey. ))
[ At-Tabarani, on the authority of Ibn Abbas ]
Taking a moral stance brings about happiness:
Another thing to reflect on; if you take a moral stance, if you are generous in times of need, if you are brave in times of hardship, if you are charitable when charity is needed, if you are tolerant when it is needed, if you are patriotic for the sake of your country or if you are friendly towards other, your morality stance will grant you indescribable happiness.
Man will feel that he is human when he acquires good morals, but without the latter, he will unleash his mundane desires and become like the animals whose maximum target is to eat, drink and mate by any means and at any cost.
Without good morals, you will not feel your humanity anymore, and you will feel that you are the most honorable creature. Tolerant attitude brings happiness to the self more than taking revenge. Being down to earth brings happiness to the self more than being arrogant. Being charitable is greater in influence than being stingy.
If only man knows the results of having a good character, his first and foremost concern will be acquiring good conduct.
Every man is divinely ordered to be just and benevolent:
Let us go back to the following Hadith:
(( The believers who show the most perfect Faith are those who have the best of morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives. ))
[ At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
Allah the Almighty says:
(( And the slaves of the Most Beneficent (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when the foolish address them (with bad words) they reply back with mild words of gentleness. ))
Think before you say to someone, "You do not understand", think before you get angry, think before you take revenge, think before you cause harm to others, think before you let down people, and think deeply about Allah's Commands.
﴾ Verily, Allah enjoins Al-Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allah Alone – Islamic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsan [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allah, totally for Allah's sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and kin (i.e. all that Allah has ordered you to give them e.g., wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help, etc.): and forbids Al-Fahsha' (i.e all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right, etc.), and Al-Munkar (i.e all that is prohibited by Islamic law: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds, etc.), and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression), He admonishes you, that you may take heed. ﴿
You are ordered to be just and to be benevolent.
High morality invites people to Islam:
You have to be a person of good morals if you want people to embrace Islam in crowds like they did in the era of the Prophet PBUH. On the other hand, if you want people to break away from about you, then go to the extreme in offering the acts of worship and hurt this and badmouth that. This is the example of the person who will come on the Day of Resurrection with Siyaam, Salah, Hajj and Zakat, but what his final destiny will be? Let us listen to the following Hadith:
(( Abu Hurairah reported Allah's Messenger (PBUH) as saying: "Do you know who is poor?" They (the Companions of the Holy Prophet) said: "A poor man amongst us is one who has neither dirham with him nor wealth." He (the Noble Prophet) said: "The poor of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and Zakat but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues) since he hurled abuses upon others, brought calumny against others and unlawfully consumed the wealth of others and shed the blood of others and beat others, and his virtues would be credited to the account of one (who suffered at his hand). And if his good deeds fall short to clear the account, then his sins would be entered in (his account) and he would be thrown in the Hell-Fire." ))
[ Muslim, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
At that point, the Prophet PBUH wept and said: "Indeed it is a tough situation."
Having a good moral character is the key factor that distinguishes man from others:
Is it enough to pray 4 Rik'at and pay Zakat? No, it is not. This religion comes to bring good morals to perfection. There is no other Hadith clearer than this Hadith:
(( Malik had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "I was sent to perfect good character." ))
Have a good character when you treat your wife, your children, your neighbors, your customers, your friends, those who are far, those who are close and all human beings, creatures or animals. Having a good character with animals means treating them kindly and feeding them. This meaning of the good character is stressed in the Noble Quran:
﴾ Have you seen him who denies the Recompense? That is he who repulses the orphan (harshly), ﴿
Allah the Almighty also says:
﴾ But if they answer you not (i.e. do not believe in your doctrine of Islamic Monotheism, nor follow you), then know that they only follow their own lusts. And who is more astray than one who follows his own lusts, without guidance from Allah? Verily! Allah guides not the people who are Zalimun (wrong-doers, disobedient to Allah, and polytheists). ﴿
The Prophet PBUH said:
(( The believers who show the most perfect Faith are those who have the best of morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives. ))
[ At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
If the faith of a thousand believers is to be measured, given all of them offer their prayers, the good morals will be the most accurate measure. The Prophet's conduct and manners were the manifestation of the Quran. The Prophet PBUH said:
(( My Lord perfected my good manners and conduct ))
[ As-Soyooti, Al-Jami' As-Sagheer, on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood ]
His companions loved him very much as stated by Abi Sufyan:
(( I have never seen any person loved by another person as much as Muhammad is loved by his companions. ))
[ [Prophetic biography, on the authority of Ibn Hisahm] ]
The Prophet PBUH said:
(( And the best of you are those who are best to your women ))
[ At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
(( It was narrated from Abu Hurairah: that the Messenger of Allah said: "If there comes to you one with whose character and religious commitment you are pleased, then marry (your daughter or female relative under your care) to him, for if you do not do that there will be Fitnah in the land and widespread corruption." ))
[ At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
The famous statement goes as follows: "Marriage for a woman is serving her husband, so let her father choose well the one who will be her husband…."
Quran is a miraculous book:
Our Lord, Exalted and Sublime be He, tells us about our Master Adam and his wife:
﴾ Then We said: "O Adam! Verily, this is an enemy to you and to your wife. So let him not get you both out of Paradise, so that you be distressed in misery. ﴿
The pronoun "You" in the last clause "you be distressed" refers to both Adam and his wife, but Allah the Almighty addresses Adam alone. Do you know why? Scholars deduced that the misery of the husband definitely causes the misery of his wife, so when the husband becomes miserable, his wife becomes miserable as well. This meaning is implied in the Noble Quran which is eloquent in its terseness.
Quran is delicate and miraculous:
There are outstanding indications in Arabic language. For example, one might say: "I do not hoard up gold and silver", whereas Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ O you who believe! Verily, there are many of the (Jewish) rabbis and the (Christian) monks who devour the wealth of mankind in falsehood, and hinder (them) from the Way of Allah (i.e. Allah's Religion of Islamic Monotheism). And those who hoard up gold and silver [Al-Kanz: the money, the Zakat of which has not been paid], and spend it not in the Way of Allah, -announce unto them a painful torment. ﴿
Gold and silver are exclusively mentioned in this precise Ayah. What about the one who hoards up paper currency, is he meant by this Ayah? If we take the words of the Ayah literally, he is not addressed in it, but pay attention to the pronoun "them" in this part of the Ayah:
﴾ …Who devour the wealth of mankind in falsehood, and hinder (them) from the Way of Allah (i.e. Allah's Religion of Islamic Monotheism). ﴿
The pronoun "them" is a miraculous indication, for it embraces any kind of wealth that comes later in the future.
In the Prophetic era, the currency people used was gold and silver, but in the eras to come, people started to use other kinds of currencies, thus all of these currencies are meant in the Ayah, and the ruling of hoarding up gold and silver apply to them as well.
Allah the Almighty uses the pronoun "them" though He is talking about gold and silver (they are two only). Using the pronoun "them" is a miraculous way to embrace all sorts of currencies (yet to come) other than gold and silver.
﴾ … And those who hoard up gold and silver [Al-Kanz: the money, the Zakat of which has not been paid], and spend it not in the Way of Allah. ﴿
Scholars said, "If people agreed on using copper as currency, then hoarding it up will be forbidden. If people agreed to use animals' skin as currency, then hoarding it up will be forbidden as well." The words used in the Noble Quran are very accurate, and here is the example I have mentioned earlier:
﴾ So let him not get you both out of Paradise, so that you be distressed in misery. ﴿
When man is in distress, his wife will be in distress too.
Pay attention to the fact that no matter how much your wealth is, it will be considered as treasure if you pay its Zakat. Also, when you pay your money Zakat, you should never be accused of stinginess. The Prophet PBUH said:
(( He who remembers Allah of much remembrance is free from hypocrisy ))
[Ibn Shaheen, on the authority of Abi Hurairah]
(( He is free of arrogance who carries his stuff himself ))
[ [Kanz Al-Ummal, on the authority of Abi Umamah]
]
(( (He is free of stinginess who pays his money Zakat (obligatory Alms-giving).) ))
[ [At-Tabarani, on the authority of Jabir bin Abdullah] ]
Miraculous indications of Arabic language in Quran:
I would like to mention one more example about the specific references of the pronouns used in some Ayaat in the Noble Quran. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ They swear by Allah to you (Muslims) in order to please you, but it is more fitting that they should please Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad PBUH), if they are believers. ﴿
In the original Ayah in Arabic, Allah the Almighty uses the pronoun "Him" after "should please" to stress the fact that pleasing Allah's Messenger is the same as pleasing Allah and vice versa.
In the first example about the precise use of the pronouns, Allah the Almighty uses the pronoun "you" in this part of the Ayah "so that you be distressed in misery" to refer to the fact that the misery of the husband causes the misery of his wife. In the second example, He uses the pronoun "them" in this part of the Ayah "who devour the wealth of mankind in falsehood, and hinder (them)" to include all sorts of currencies in addition to gold and silver. In the example I have just mentioned, He uses "Him" to highlight the fact that pleasing Allah the Almighty requires pleasing the Prophet PBUH.
The Prophet PBUH realized this fact and so he said:
(( Love Allah for His Graces, and love me for the sake of loving Allah.))
It is complete congruence with regard to loving Allah and loving His Messenger PBUH.
In fact, the Prophet PBUH never asked anything for himself, rather his only hope was that all people would be guided to their Lord. Moreover, the Prophet PBUH never asked to be loved (sure he had never spoken of his own desire), however, loving the Prophet PBUH is the same as loving Allah.
Good character and treating the wife kindly distinguish one believer from another:
I repeat the Hadith:
(( The believers who show the most perfect Faith are those who have the best of morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives.))
[ At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah ]
There are so many other Ahadeeth with regard to honoring women. The Prophet PBUH set up two factors due to which believers differ from one another. The first factor is to have good conduct, and the second factor is to treat the wife kindly.
(( … and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives. ))
The family is the first brick in the community, and when the family is righteous, the entire community will be righteous as well, but when the family is corrupted, the entire community will be corrupted as well.
Because the family is very important, Islam takes intensive care of it. Therefore, the regulations about divorce are referred to lengthily in the Noble Quran in addition to other ones regarding the household, such as marriage, lowering one's gaze from looking at Haram, asking permission before entering someone's room, avoiding being alone with a strange woman, the punishment of committing Zina (fornication) and the punishment of killing someone, and so on. All these regulations are related to the household's best interest.
(( The believers who show the most perfect Faith are those who have the best of morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives. ))
[ [At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah] ]
The religion revealed to the Noble Prophet:
There is an outcome of the categories scholars had set. They said, "Some Divine Orders are ritual acts of worship, others are transactional acts of worship (related to the way you deal with others) and some of these Orders are good morals."
The ritual acts of worship include the ones performed in Salah, such as standing, doing Takbeer, reading Al-Fatihah and then reading another Surat from Quran, bowing, and prostrating. Other ritual acts of worship are the ones done while observing Siyaam, like refraining from eating and drinking from dawn to sunset.
As for Hajj, there are rituals you are aware of, and regarding Zakat, it has Nisab (the minimum amount of wealth a Muslim must possess before he becomes liable to pay Zakat) and Masarif (The ways in which Zakat should be spent and the people it can be given to). Some of these rituals are physical, some are financial, others are both and some are related to certain times of the year.
Scholars separated the ritual acts of worship from the social commandments. Allah the Almighty says with regard to social commandments:
﴾ O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who accepts repentance, Most Merciful* O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it, to insult one's brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: "O sinner", or "O wicked", etc.]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.). ﴿
Ordering Muslims to refrain from lying, from backbiting, from slandering, from arrogance, from haughtiness, from sowing dissention between people and from discriminating, represents the social commandments. Refraining from all that gives the Muslim exalted morality.
Concerning the transactional acts of worship, they include the regulations about trading, divorce, marriage, Iddah (the period a woman must observe after the death of her husband or after a divorce, during which she may not marry another man), Nafaqa (an obligatory maintenance relating to food, clothing and accommodation for the wife and children after divorce), Laqta (is property that has gone missing from its owner and was found by someone else), Ariyah (lending someone something and permitting him to benefit from it until it is to be returned to its owner), Hibah (the transfer of the possession of property, movable and immovable, from one person to the other willingly and without any reward), and Ijar (leasing or giving something on rent)…etc.
When scholars put all these regulations in three categories (ritual acts of worship, transactional acts of worship and good morals), people wrongly assumed that the religion is only about the ritual acts of worship (this is the wrong outcome). Contrary to that assumption, the religion (Islam) revealed to the Prophet PBUH is about ritual acts of worship, transactional acts of worship and good morals. Abiding by some of them while forsaking others is the same sin the children of Israel had committed.
Islam is a great structure based on five pillars:
Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ After this, it is you who kill one another and drive out a party of you from their homes, assist (their enemies) against them, in sin and transgression. And if they come to you as captives, you ransom them, although their expulsion was forbidden to you. Then do you believe in a part of the Scripture and reject the rest? Then what is the recompense of those who do so among you, except disgrace in the life of this world, and on the Day of Resurrection they shall be consigned to the most grievous torment. And Allah is not unaware of what you do. ﴿
Someone may offer Salah in its time, but he backbites people, which is a contradiction, because the one who offers Salah is not supposed to backbite others. Also, he who offers Salah should never lie in selling and buying:
(( (The believer is molded of all characters except for lying and betraying) ))
[ [Ahmad, on the authority of Abi Umamah] ]
Offering Salah never goes along with lying, betraying, being arrogant or harsh with people. When people narrow down the concept of religion to mere offering of the ritual acts of worship, they are lost, and they go astray. The Prophet PBUH said:
(( (Islam is built on five pillars: the Shahada (profession of faith) that there is no God but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, Salah (prayers), Zakah (alms-tax), Sawm Ramadan (fast) and Hajj (pilgrimage).) ))
[ [Al-Bukhari, on the authority of Ibn Umar] ]
This means that Islam is a huge structure that is built on five pillars (the Shahada (profession of faith) that there is no God worthy of worship but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, Salah (prayers), Zakah (alms-tax), Sawm Ramadan (fast) and Hajj (pilgrimage). You should know that these are only pillars but not the entire structure, and believing the otherwise is a great delusion. All the aforementioned Ahadeeth stress this meaning:
(( (The believers who show the most perfect Faith are those who have the best of morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives.) ))
[ [At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah] ]
The way to acquire good morals:
The question is: How can someone acquire good morals? The good morals can be part of the person's disposition, and they can be acquired. The Prophet PBUH said:
(( (Verily, knowledge only comes by learning and forbearance only comes by cultivating forbearance. Whoever aims for good will receive goodness and whoever seeks to evade evil will be protected from it.) ))
[ [Al-Jami' As-Sagheer, on the authority of Abi Ad-Darda'] ]
Suppress your anger although you are like a volcano from inside. Being a believer requires that you control yourself when you are angry, and instead of letting your anger out, keep silent, offer Wudu or Gusl or get out of your house. Doing this naturally makes man a tolerant person.
Some people have to oblige themselves to be tolerant, and even if you do not have good morals naturally, you can train yourself to acquire them. In other words, oblige yourself to be tolerant until you become one, and oblige yourself to give charity until you become a charitable person. Actually, obliging yourself to give others from your own money against your desire is heroism unto itself.
The believer follows the Quran, and when he suppresses his inner anger and controls himself from outside, it is but striving in the Cause of Allah. The Prophet PBUH said:
(( (It was narrated that the Prophet (PBUH), said to his companions when they returned from a military campaign, "We have come back from the lesser jihad to the greater jihad." They said, "Is there any greater jihad than jihad against the kuffar?" he said, "Yes, jihad al-nafs (striving against the self).") ))
[ [Al-Jami' As-Sagheer, on the authority of Jabir] ]
The first stage of acquiring good morals is to strive against your own self and desires, which is heroic. Your tolerance helps you turn to Allah in your Salah, as though you are saying, "O Allah, I suppressed my anger for Your Sake and in order to please You. I suppressed my anger though I have the option to let it out at this person and may be hurt him. I suppressed it seeking Your Pleasure and Content."
Only then, Allah will enlighten you, and your pretending to be tolerant (for His sake) will turn into real tolerance.
The second stage is: If someone provokes you, you tend to stay calm from inside and instead of getting angry you will feel sorry for this imprudent person who is far away from Allah. Do you want to learn more about tolerance? Let me give you an example. Suppose that you are a physician and a patient comes to you with a serious skin disease, do feel angry with him? On the contrary, you woefully feel sorry for him.
When the Muslim reaches higher exalted rank, he will feel angry at people's actions not at them per se. Instead of holding grudge against them, he will feel sorry for them. Also, instead of feeling happy for others' slipping, you feel sorry for their ignorance and remoteness from Allah Almighty.
The Prophet PBUH indicated that acquiring tolerance is achieved by acting to be tolerant, and this needs strong will. When you turn to Allah the Almighty, He will cast some of the exalted morals into your heart. Be aware that good morals are stored by Allah the Almighty, and when He loves a worshipper, He will grant him one good moral. The tolerant, the charitable, the generous, the friendly and the merciful are connected to Allah. On the other hand, the ruthless, the angry, the stingy and the coward are disconnected from Allah. Hence, the good morals manifest man's connection with Allah, whereas bad character manifests man's remoteness from Allah. In fact, turning away from Allah the Almighty has symptoms, among which are stinginess, ruthlessness, self-centered, selfishness, arrogance, grudge and vengeance. Good morals are the fruitful results of turning to Allah the Almighty.
Fitrah and disposition (one's character):
Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (So set you (O Muhammad PBUH) your face towards the religion of pure Islamic Monotheism Hanifa (worship none but Allah Alone) Allah's Fitrah (i.e. Allah’s Islamic Monotheism), with which He has created mankind. No change let there be in Khalq–illah (i.e. the Religion of Allah Islamic Monotheism), that is the straight religion, but most of men know not. ) ﴿
In another Ayah, He the Almighty says:
﴾ ([Our Sibghah (religion) is] the Sibghah (Religion) of Allah (Islam) and which Sibghah (religion) can be better than Allah’s? And we are His worshippers. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir.]) ﴿
Is there any difference between Firtah (an inborn natural predisposition which cannot change, and which exists at birth in all human beings. It is inclined towards right action and submission to Allah, the One Deity) and man's character? Indeed, there is a big difference between the two. Firtah is something that any human being is molded to have. For example, man is molded to like perfection, but in order to be perfect, he has to strive.
In order to clarify this point, take the example of the thief. Although he is a thief, he likes justice to be applied in distributing the money he stole with other thieves. Although the money he has stolen is Haram to begin with, he might say to his fellow thief, "Do not cheat or take any of the stolen goods behind our backs". Thus, Fitrah of man is one thing and his character is totally another thing.
When man establishes a connection with Allah the Almighty, and Allah in return casts light into his heart, he will become merciful, and this mercy is genuine. It is genuine and not fake, because the fake mercy might make someone give help to an injured man from a car accident just to impress the crowd who knows him very well, so he helps him and may take him to the hospital for his own reputation. We call this behavior "social intelligence", but not genuine mercy. The believer on the other hand, will give help to this injured person out of mercy and out of the love that fills his heart.
The difference between the two cases is substantial. One's act is merciful from outside, but it is meant for his reputation from inside, whereas the other one's act is merciful inside out. Thus, the first person's act is pretentious and the other's act is genuine. Similarly, a judge might give a just verdict in order to impress the people in authority, so that they may appreciate his impartiality and give him a promotion. The verdict of this judge is just, but the judge himself is not. The truly just judge gives his verdicts without thinking of the outcome and without waiting for a reward or promotion.
Every human being is molded to like perfection:
The perfectionist is different from the perfect man. When you are perfect, this is your nature, whereas being perfectionist is Fitrah in which every human being on earth is molded. The one who is perfect by character is connected to Allah the Almighty, whereas being a perfectionist is Fitrah that exists even inside Al-Kafir.
(( O David, remind my servants of my favors, for souls are molded to love those who favor them and hate those who wrong them. ))
[ [Qudsi Hadith, on the authority of Umair bin Wahab] ]
This Hadith is very accurate.
(( (The believers who show the most perfect Faith are those who have the best of morals, and the best of you are those who are the best to their wives.) ))
[ [At-Tirmizi, on the authority of Abi Hurairah] ]
If man has indecent morals, and he is not steadfast in earning his living, in spending his money and in his social relations, especially with women, then his Salah, Siyaam, Hajj and Zakat are in vain, because performing them is the fruitful result of steadfastness.
The serious problem is parting religion from good morals. Unfortunately, this is exactly what is going on, and the disaster throws its shadows on all Muslims in the world. This is the reason why the victory Muslims have been promised to be granted by Allah is far from reach. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ ( Allah has promised those among you who believe, and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly grant them succession to (the present rulers) in the earth, as He granted it to those before them, and that He will grant them the authority to practise their religion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e. Islam). And He will surely give them in exchange a safe security after their fear (provided) they (believers) worship Me and do not associate anything (in worship) with Me. But whoever disbelieved after this, they are the Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).) ﴿
Ruthlessness is a result of remoteness from Allah:
As I mentioned in previous sermons, Ibadah (worshiping Allah) is to submit to Allah entirely with extreme love to Him. Ibadah by definition is a voluntary obedience, mixed with wholeheartedly love, based on certitude and leads to eternal happiness. It is an utmost submission mixed with utmost love. This is what Ibadah all about. Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (… (provided) they (believers) worship Me) ﴿
If you do not fulfill your part, Allah is excused from fulfilling His Promises.
The main point of the Hadith I mentioned earlier is that man should elevate himself twice: once when he controls himself in order to acquire good morals and the second time is that when he does so, this will be the price for having genuine good morals. I repeat the Hadith:
(( (Verily, knowledge only comes by learning and forbearance only comes by cultivating forbearance.) ))
When a worker in your factory broke a very expensive machine, you may beat him up or you may curse his ancestors because you are angry with him. However, you have the option of keeping silent, because he did not break it intentionally. This stance you take will be the source of joy till the end of your life. This moral stance you take will keep you happy, because you were tolerant and you did not give full play to your indignation at him.
A pious man named "Asroon Basha" allocated Islamic endowment in which he provided all sorts of utensils, thus any child, worker or wife breaks any vessel, he/she may come to him and replace the broken vessel with a new one.
A very harsh man, who went to the extreme in his harshness with his wife, accustomed his wife to wait for him behind the door holding his wooden sandal and a hand towel upon his arrival even if he arrived at midnight.
He would inspect the house, to such an extent that he might use a white tissue to wipe the back of the closet and if he inspected dust, he would raise hell.
He used to drink from a special crystal cup, so once his wife dropped this cup over the stairs, but fortunately it did not break. She thanked Allah for that because she would have been divorced had she broken it. When her husband arrived home in the evening, he asked for a glass of water in his cup. He dropped the cup and broke it. The wife smiled, so he asked for an explanation, and accused her of facilitating the breaking of the cup.
This harshness is a result of the remoteness from Allah, whereas mercy is a result of being connected to Allah. Because of this behavior and the like of it, "Asroon Basha" put all sorts of utensils so that any child, worker or wife may come and replace the broken vessel if they fear punishment. It was enough to bring him a piece of the broken utensil, and he would give them a new one to save them from any trouble.
The times of taking exams:
The acts of worship, such like Salah, Siyaam, Hajj and Zakat are either a source of man's happiness or a burden. If they are preceded by steadfastness, commitment and obedience to Allah's Orders (that are related to eating, drinking, treating the wife, treating the children, earning money, spending money, marriage, divorce and so on), they will become the reason behind establishing a connection with Allah Almighty.
Before coming to this session, I thought about the time of taking the exams. These hours are either a source of happiness to the student, or a burden. The time for taking an exam in high schools or at the faculties might extend to three hours. If these three hours are preceded by studying hard, memorizing well and keenness on time, and if the student reads all the textbooks and he summarizes them and solves all the mathematic problems, this student will be in a great happiness during these three hours when he receives the questions of the exam. On the other hand, if the student is careless, if he falls short, and if he does not read his textbooks, these three hours will become a burden on him. Much in the same line, Salah without steadfastness is a burden. Allah the Almighty describes the hypocrites by saying:
﴾ (Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salat (the prayer), they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little.) ﴿
There is a big difference between sayings, "give us comfort by it (Salah)" and "Let us get this over with". There is a big difference between considering Ramadan as the month of forgiveness, love and worship and considering it as a burden.
Some people travel on purpose during Ramadan so that the rulings of travel apply to them, and they fast the month in winter. In this way they excuse themselves from fasting Ramadan in summer, and they do that later when the day is shorter in winter.
As you see, these acts of worship are exactly like the time of the exam. If they are preceded by commitment and obedience, man will feel happiness and his eyes will shimmer and his face will light up. However, the student who did not study, will be stressed, and bored, and the time of the exam will pass slowly.
Unless man obeys Allah, his acts of worship will be fruitless:
When the acts of worship are preceded by obedience to Allah, all the commands will be occasions to turn to Allah the Almighty. The Prophet PBUH said:
(( (O Bilal, call iqamah for prayer: give us comfort by it.) ))
As Lady A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, explained, when the time for Salah (prayer) approached, he PBUH would drop everything and head to the Masjid right away. As if he did not know anyone or anything else when the Azan (call to prayer) was called.
Our Master Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas said, "Three things I consider myself a real man doing them and in the otherwise I am just one of the common people. I am never preoccupied with anything during Salah until I finish offering it, I never hear something from the Prophet PBUH, but I know for sure that it is the truth that is revealed to Him from Allah the Almighty, and I never attend a funeral and talk about anything other than it till it is over."
The Muslim should prepare himself before he performs Hajj by becoming steadfast. The Muslim should obey Allah in lowering his gaze and earning his living and all his actions before he offers Salah. These acts of worship will not be fruitful as Allah meant them to be unless they are preceded by obedience to Allah.
(( (Go back and pray, for you did not pray.) ))
(( (Abu Hurairah related that the Prophet PBUH said, "There are people who fast and get nothing from their fast except hunger, and there are those who pray and get nothing from their prayer but a sleepless night.") ))
(( The one whose prayer doesn’t prevent him from sins and transgressions, his status to Allah do not increase even a little except the distance becomes further. ))
These matters are fundamental in religion, and it is about time that man applies them.
The biography of the Prophet PBUH:
The wisdom behind the Prophet's state of being orphan:
Last but not least, I would like to talk about the Prophet's Sirah (Biography), and I have chosen to you today a question to ask: "Why was the Prophet PBUH orphan?" Actually, the Prophet PBUH was born orphan due to his father's death, and when he was six years old, his mother died as well, thus he suffered orphanhood twice.
Many children are orphans due to the death of their fathers before they were born, or even after they were born, but their mother is alive, and as you know, the mother is so precious in one's life. Unlike those children, the Prophet PBUH suffered orphanhood twice. Once when he was born to a dead father, and second when his mother died when he was six.
His grandfather Abdul Muttalib was the head of Quraish chiefs, and he loved the Prophet PBUH so much, and he was to him like his father and mother. When the Noble Prophet was eight years old, his grandfather died, so what is the wisdom behind this? The Prophet's father Abdullah was the most endeared to Abdul Muttalib among his brothers, and his mother Aminah was from Bani An-Najjar tribe.
Scholars said, "Due to the Divine wisdom, the Prophet PBUH was orphan." He PBUH said:
(( (My Lord perfected my good manners and conduct.) ))
[ [As-Soyooti, Al-Jami' As Sagheer, on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood] ]
By being orphan, he lacked all means of being brought up, raised, taught, educated and taken care of. Hence, if he had an exalted character and good conduct, this will be a proof that Allah the Almighty educated him. I heard once someone saying to another a scary statement. He said, "If he has no father, then he has no educator"
Allah allocated someone to look after the Prophet PBUH:
Although the Prophet PBUH did not know his father, and he lost his mother at six and his grandfather at eight, he said:
(( (My Lord perfected my good manners and conduct.) ))
As common people say, "Allah afflicts and helps"
An Abyssinian bondwoman known as "Barakah", and then she was known as "Umm Ayman" took good care of the Prophet PBUH as if she was his own mother. Thus, the Prophet PBUH got tenderness from Umm Ayman and from his grandfather Abdul Muttalib. Abdul Muttalib's compassion and affection towards the young boy resulted in him being more loving to Prophet Muhammad than to his own children.
The Prophet PBUH received love from all those around him. Although Allah decreed that the Noble Prophet was orphan, and He took his father, mother and grandfather, He the Almighty provided him PBUH with someone to look after him.
Abdul Muttalib was very fond of the Prophet PBUH:
Arabs had traditions in Jahiliyyah (the pre-Islamic period). One of the traditions Abdul Muttalib had was setting up an assembly in Ka'abah. He and other men used to talk in that assembly. Abdul-Muttalib used to place a mattress down in the shade of the Ka'abah. His sons used to sit around the mattress until Abdul-Muttalib came out to it; no one of his sons used to sit on the bedding itself, out of respect for their father. When Prophet Muhammad was a strong, young boy, he used to come to sit on the mattress, so his uncles would move him off it. Whenever Abdul-Muttalib saw his sons do that, he would say, 'Leave my son there, as by Allah, he is special.' Then he would sit with him on the mattress, rub his back and allow him to do anything he wanted.
He used to keep his grandson close to him, and the little boy was allowed to come to him even when he was alone or asleep. His affection for Muhammad was beyond any father's affection for his own son. He never ate food unless he called for him. He called him his son.
Abdul Muttalib was very fond of Muhammad, and he admired his good character. Although he was a little boy, he showed signs of transcendence and nobility. The little boy avoided fruitless entertainment, and whenever he was invited to join other boys in playing, he would say, "I was not created for this."
Are we, as adult people, keen on our time and the way it is supposed to be spent? If you are invited to fruitless entertainment or useless party with arrogant people, would you say, "I cannot come, because I was not created for this?" Do you know the purpose of your creation? Is it clear to you?
The Prophet PBUH used to say upon being invited by other kids to play, "I was not created for this." Such characteristics along with his transcendental morals made his grandfather very fond of him. He used to avoid doing what other children used to do, such like rushing to eat and drink, or ransacking the things their parents brought. He PBUH never has the childish behavior other children have.
"Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow":
One more thing, Allah the Almighty says:
﴾ (Indeed in the Messenger of Allah (Muhammad PBUH) you have a good example to follow for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much.) ﴿
Allah decreed for his Prophet PBUH to be an orphan, and this gives consolation to any orphan. One of the orphanages puts a big sign on the entrance with a picture of prophet's Masjid saying, "The Master of all orphans, Muhammad PBUH". Hence, when a child loses his father or mother and misses the opportunity of being taken care of, he should remember that there is a Lord Who will look after him.
Tradition tellers said, "Halimah (Muhammad's foster mother) came to Makkah when he was only five, but suddenly he was lost in the crowds. She tried to find him but could not, so she headed to his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, who also tried to find him but could not either. Abdul Muttalib stand by the Ka'abah and supplicated, "O Lord, bring Muhammad to me. You made him my strength, and you called him Muhammad."
Muhammad the little child was in the loving and caring hands of his grandfather and foster mother. When Abdul Muttalib passed away, the pain was great for the little boy who realized the substantial nature of the calamity, and he knew that he had lost the loving heart. Umm Ayman said, "I saw the Prophet PBUH crying behind the bed of Abdul Muttalib". Regarding this incident, the Prophet PBUH was asked once, "Do you remember the death of Abdul Muttalib" to which he answered, "Yes I do. I was 8 years old then."
The objectives attained from knowing the Sirah:
I meant two things from mentioning this part of the Prophetic Sirah (biography): The first one is that we should know the answers to the questions, why are we created? Why do we exist in this worldly life? Is the purpose of our existence clear enough to us?
The Prophet PBUH said when he was a little boy, "I am not created for this". So, when you encounter the same situation will you say, "I am not created for this", or will you say, "I am created for this"? You should know why you are in this world.
The second thing: If a child becomes an orphan, he might get the care he needs indirectly, and he might become the happiest person. I meant to say, the conditions should not have any effect, so being poor, away from parents or living in incoherent household should not affect man's character. It has been said:
If Divine Providence watches over you
Be safe, as all your fears will go away
