Ethics and Morals

of Islam

A BOOK BY:

YASSIN ROUSHDY

TRANSLATED BY:

SOAAD MAHMOUD NAGUIB

 Introduction

Allah, Exalted be He, said to His Prophet, Allah's blessings and

peace be upon him, praising him: And Verily, you (O

Muhammad) are on an exalted (standard of)

character. (Al-Qalam "The Pen", 4) and when Â’ishah (may Allah
be pleased with her) was asked about the Prophet's character

and ethics she said: His ethics was that of the Qur'an1.
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, himself described
the purpose of his mission saying: "Verily, I was sent
but to complement and perfect the high moral
excellences!"2. It was reported that Mu`adh Ibn-Jabal
(may Allah be pleased with him) said to Allah's Messenger, Allah's
Prayers and Peace be upon him,: Advise me! Allah's Messenger,

Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Fear Allah wherever you

are!" Mu`adh said: Tell me more! Allah's Messenger,

Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Do a good deed

immediately after committing an evil deed for (verily)

it erases it!" Mu`adh said: Tell me more! Allah's
Messenger, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Treat people
with courtesy!"3. Moreover, Allah's Messenger, Allah's
Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "The believers whose faith is

1
As Ahmmad narrated
2
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
3
As At-Tabarâni narrated

2
most perfect are those who have the best character!"4
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, used to invoke
Allah and say: "O Allah! Guide me to the best moral
excellences, no one can guide to the best thereof, save
You, and keep away from me the most evil character,
no one can keep away from me the most evil thereof
save You!"5.

The Arabic word khuluq means the character or

manners that the human being acquires, becoming as
part and parcel of his natural disposition. Good
manners could be an endowment from Allah, the
Almighty, where a person is born with high intellects
and good manners, as the case with the Prophets. Or
possibly the good manners might be acquired through
striving with oneself, and contending therewith in
order to be adorned with high moral excellences.
For instance, whoso wants to acquire generosity and
openhandedness, should spend lots of money on
charity, feeding people, and giving alms to the needy.
He should persevere in this, contending against oneself
until this moral excellence becomes part of his

4
As Ahmmad narrated
5
As Muslim narrated

3
disposition. Hence, he acquires generosity and
openhandedness. The same applies for all required
manners Islam enjoined on us to have. Indeed, in the
Messenger of Allah, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, we have a
good example to follow.

If we contemplate the religious duties and obligations,

we will find that they are not ends in themselves;
rather they are means for reaching an objective. For
instance, Allah, the Almighty, says about the prayers:
and perform As-Salât (Iqamât-as-Salât). Verily, As-
Salât (the prayer) prevents from Al-Fahshâ’ (i.e.
great sins of every kind, unlawful sexual intercourse)
and Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism, and every
kind of evil wicked deed) and the remembering
(praising) of (you by) Allah (in front of the angels) is
greater indeed [than your remembering (praising) of
Allah in prayers. And Allah knows what you do. (Al-
`Ankabût "The Spider" 45)

This shows that the performance of prayers is a means,

the objective is to be prevent the human being from
committing Al-Fahshâ’ (i.e. great sins of every kind,
unlawful sexual intercourse) and Al-Munkar (i.e.
disbelief, polytheism, and every kind of evil wicked
4
deed. Whoso is not prevented by his prayers from
committing Al-Fahshâ’ and Al-Munkar, then the
means could not enable him to attain his objective.
Another example is the fasting as Allah, the Almighty,
says about it: O you who believe! Observing As-
Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was
prescribed for those before you, that you may become
the pious (Al-Baqarah "The Cow" 183). Fasting is a means
through which one can become pious. That is why the
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Whoever does
not give up false statements (i.e. telling lies), and evil
deeds, Allah is not in need of his (fasting) leaving his
food and drink."6.

Moreover, the same applies for Zakat (obligatory

almsgiving), it is naught but a kind of social solidarity,
through which the rich cares and feels for the poor and
people be merciful and compassionate toward one
another. That is why reminding the poor of giving
them Zakat (obligatory almsgiving) renders it in vain
as Allah, the Almighty, says: O you who believe! Do
not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by
reminders of your generosity or by injury, (Al-Baqarah

6
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

5
 ). If the almsgiver reminds the poor of giving
"The Cow" 264

them Zakat, this will mean that zakat has not made the
almsgiver attain its objective, which is showing mercy
and fraternity toward the poor, feeling that they have a
right for that money, and considering them brothers in
Islam.

The same applies to all commandments as filial piety,

bonds of kinship, caring for the orphans, good
neighbourhood, treating the wife with kindness, being
hospitable to guests, forgiveness, pardoning,
generosity, trustworthiness, and justice. These are high
moral excellences, that if they prevail in society, it will
be virtuous and people will be virtuous and live in
peace. Similarly, all prohibitions as filial impiety,
adultery, steeling, cheating, treachery, unfairness,
backbiting, slander, killing, usury, obscenity, cursing,
and enmity, etc. These bad and evil manners that sow
seeds of corruption among individuals in society,
leading it to corruption, loss of rights, and shrinkage of
values. Hence, nations collapse from within.

True is the saying of Allah's Messenger, Allah's Prayers and

Peace be upon him, as he said: "Indeed, the most beloved of

you to me, and the closest of you to me on the Day of

6
Judgment, are the best of you in character; and the
most hated by me and furthest from me in the
Hereafter are the talkative, and those who are crude in
their manner, and al-mutafayqihun.” They asked: We
know the talkative, and those who are crude in their
manner, what about al-mutafayqihun? Allah's
Messenger, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “These are
the arrogant!”7.

It is evident that the high rank on the Day of Judgment

is attained only through high moral excellences. In
other words, the most lofty rank is that of Allah's
Messenger, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, the Master of
creations. Consequently, those who will be nearest to
him are those who attained the most sublime ranks,
which they gained through high moral excellences.
We summed up, dear reader, in this book some of the
moral excellences Islam enjoined on us to embrace,
moral excellences which Allah's Messenger, Allah's Prayers
and Peace be upon him, and the righteous men were
characterized with. We hope Allah, the Almighty,
guide us, with His Grace, and help us be characterized
with such high moral excellences and inspire us,

7
As At-Tirmidhi narrated

7
through His Generosity, to attain them until we gain
the felicity of the worldly life and the Hereafter.
Allah has power over all things; He is Able to accept
and answer all our invocations and prayers; For, verily,
He is an Excellent Guardian and an Excellent Helper!

Yassin Roushdy

8
 1-Filial Piety

Our parents have done us lots of favours: They

begot us, brought us up and spent lavishly on

us! How many insomniac nights they spent for

our own sake! They tolerated lots of pains and

anxieties to augment our prosperity.

And your Lord has decreed that you worship

none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your

parents…. (Al-Isrâ’ “The Journey by Night”, 23).

Hence, Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, has

commended us to worship none but Him and has
associated filial piety with this.
…give thanks to Me and to your parents. Unto Me is
the final destination.(Luqmân,14).
As shown in the aforementioned verse He,

Praise and Glory be to Him, has connected

9
gratitude to Him with gratitude to one's

parents. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, was

asked: Which deed is loved most by Allâh,

Praise and Glory be to Him? He replied: “To

offer prayers at their early (very first) stated

times!”. He was asked: What is the next (in

goodness)? The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,

said: “To be good and dutiful to one's

parents!”. He was asked: What is the next (in

goodness)?. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,

said: “To participate in Jihâd for Allâh’s

Cause!”8.

8
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Ibn Masûd (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.

01
Filial impiety is one of the most grievous sins for the
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said thrice: “Shall I
not inform you of the biggest of great sins?”. We said:
Yes, O Allâh’s Messenger!. He said: “To join partners
in worship with Allâh; to be undutiful to one’s
parents!”. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, sat up
after he had been reclining and added: “And a false
witness!”.9 And he reiterated this several times.
This Hadith emphasize the Qur’anic verse:

Say (O Muhammad, Allâh’s Prayers and

Peace be upon him): Come, I will recite what

your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not

anything in worship with Him; be good and

dutiful to your parents….(Al-An‘âm “The Cattle”, 151).

Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, forbids us

to say: (Uph) to our parents (and Uph is a word

9
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Abû Bakrah (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.

00
that denotes impatience and fretfulness). And

the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, forbids us to

incur insults on them even if in-deliberately

and he reckons this a grievous sin: So the

Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “It is one of

the greatest sins that a man should curse his

parents!”. It was asked (by the people): O

Messenger of Allâh! How does a man curse

his parents?!. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,

said: “The man abuses the father of another

man and the latter abuses the father of the

former and abuses his mother!”10

10
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that ‘Abdullâh bin ‘Amr (may Allah be
said.
Pleased with them)

02
Filial piety includes obeying and fulfil their wishes so
long as they do not pertain to disobeying Allah.
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “No created
being has the right to be obeyed in a matter that
pertains to disobeying the Creator!”.. ‘Abdullâh bin
‘Umar, may Allah be Pleased with him, reported that he was in love
with his wife but his father, who hated her, ordered
him to divorce her but ‘Abdullâh refused and
mentioned this to the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
who said: “O ‘Abdullâh, divorce your wife”.11 So he
divorced her.
Filial piety is not restricted to Muslim parents, but
even if they were atheists their son should be
benevolent to them. Asmâ’, may Allah be Pleased with her,
reported: My mother, who was a pagan, came with her
father during the period of the peace pact between the
Muslims and the Quraish infidels. I went to seek the
advice of the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, saying:
My mother has arrived and she is hopping (for my
favour)? The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“Yes, be good to your mother”.12

11
Narrated Ahmmad, Aboû Dawûd and Ibn Magâh.
12
Narrated Al-Bukhârî and Muslim.

03
And it was said that this episode was the direct cause
behind the revelation of the following Qur’anic Verse:
Allâh does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly
with those who fought not against you on account of
religion nor drove you out of your homes. Verily,
Allâh loves those who deal with equity.(Al-Mumtahanah “The
Woman to be examined”,8).. It was reported that: A man came to

the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, asking his
permission to take part in Jihâd. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers
and Peace be upon him, asked him: “Are your parents alive?”

He replied in the affirmative. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and

said to him: “Then exert yourself in their
Peace be upon him,

service”.13 And it was reported that a man come to the

Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, and swearing
allegiance to him and asking for a permission to
emigrate and left his parents crying behind; so the
Prophet told him: “Go to your parents and make them
laugh as you have made them cry”.14
What applies to parents is applicable to grandfathers
and grandmothers as well; nothing sons can do towards
their parents to pay them back for their benevolence

13
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Ibn ‘Amr bin Al-Ass (may Allah be
said.
Pleased with them)

14
Narrated Aboû Dawûd, Nasâ’i and Ibn Magâh.

04
and donations. For the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
said: “No son can requite his father with the like
thereof except if the latter were a slave so his son
purchase him and then liberate him”.15
A man came to the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
and said to him: My parents have attained so old age
that I serve them just as they used to serve me in my
babyhood and childhood; have I then recompensed
them?. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “No,
in your childhood they did everything and wanted you
to survive them but now you're serving them yet wish
their death”.16
Filial piety does not terminate with the death of the
parents, on the contrary it continuous in the aftermath
of their death. A man from Ansar came to the Prophet,
Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, and said: Is there any

obligation towards my parents I should adhere to fulfil

after their death?. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
said: “Yes, by praying for them, asking for forgiveness
for them to Allah, fulfilling their promises after their
death, honoring their friend and joining uterine and

15
As Muslim narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.
16
Narrated Al-Qurtouby.

05
blood relations.. These are the remaining obligations
you should fulfill”.17
In their old age, parents become in earnest need of
protection and care; the blessed believer avails himself
of the chance of behaving benevolently towards them.
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Oh, his
nose is stuck to dust; his nose is stuck to dust; his nose
is stuck to dust”.. He was asked: Whom do you mean,
O Messenger of Allâh?. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be
upon him, said: “He whose parents (or even one parent)

attain old age in his lifetime yet they were not the
cause of his admission to paradise”.18
…but address them in terms of honour. And lower
unto them the wing of submission and humility
through mercy, and say: My Lord! Bestow on them
Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was
young.(Al-Isrâ’ “The Journey by Night”,23-24).
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Be
benevolent to your parents, your offspring will be
benevolent to you”.19

17
Narrated Aboû Dawûd and Ibn Magâh.
18
As Muslim and At-Tirmidhi narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah
be Pleased with him) said.
19
As Al-Hakim narrated

06
Benevolent towards the mother feeling compassion for
her has precedence threefold over benevolence towards
the father, for she has tolerated: Pregnancy, childbirth
and lactation. A man came to the Messenger of Allah,
Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, and said: “O Messenger of

Allah! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best

Companionship by me? The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be
said: “Your mother!”. The man said: Who is
upon him,

next? The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Your
mother!” The man further said: Who is next? The
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Your mother!”
The man asked for the fourth time: Who is next? The
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Your father!”.20
As for as a married man is concerned, obedience to his
parents is only superseded by obedience to Allah; as
for a married woman, obeying her husband superseded
her obedience to her parents for the Prophet, Allah's Prayers
and Peace be upon him, said: “To her, who performs the five

daily prayer service, fasts during the month of

Ramadan, safeguards her chastely and obeys her

20
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

07
husband, it will be said: Enter paradise from whatever
gate you would!”.21
Blessing of filial piety are endless, the Prophet, Allah's
Prayers and Peace be upon him, reported that: “Long ago three men

set out together till they reached a cave at night and

entered it. By chance a rock rolled down the mountain
and closed the entrance of the cave. They said (to each
other): Nothing could save you from this rock, but
appealing to Allâh by giving reference to the righteous
deed of yours which you have done (for Allâh’s Sake).
So, one of them began, (to say): O Allâh! My parents
were old and I never provided my wife, children or
slaves with milk before them. Once, by chance I was
delayed, and when I came they had slept. I milked the
animals for them and took the milk to them, but I found
them sleeping. I hated to provide my family and slaves
with the milk before them. I waited for them and a
bowl of milk was in my hand and I kept on waiting for
them to get up till the day dawned. Then they got up
and drank the milk. O Allâh! If I did that for Your
Pleasure only, please relieve us from our critical

21
As Ahmmad and Tabarâni narrated that Abdul Rahman bin
Auôf (may Allah be Pleased with him) said.

08
situation caused by this rock. So, the rock shifted a
little but they could not get out.
The second man said: O Allâh! My uncle had a
daughter who was the dearest of all people to me and I
wanted to have sexual relations with her but she
refused. Later she had hardships in a year of famine
and she had to come to me and I gave her one-
hundred-and twenty pounds on the condition that she
would not resist my desire, and she agreed. When I
was about to fulfil my desire, she said: It is illegal for
you to outrage my chastity except by legitimate
marriage. So, I thought it a sin to have sexual
intercourse with her and left her though she was the
dearest of all the people to me, and also I left the gold
I had given her!. O Allâh! If I did it for Your Pleasure,
please relieve us from the present calamity. So the rock
shifted a little more but still they could not escape from
there.
The third man said: O Allâh! I employed few people
and I paid them their wages with the exception of one
man who did not take his wages and went away. I
invested his wages and I got much property thereby.
He came and said to me: O Allâh’s slave! Pay me my
wages. I said to him: All the camels, cows, sheep and
slaves you see, are yours. He said: O Allâh’s slave!
09
Don't mock at me. I said: I am not mocking at you. So
he took all the herd and drove them away and left
nothing. O Allâh! if I did it for Your Pleasure only,
please relieve us from the present suffering. So the
rock shifted completely and they got out walking”.22
Hence, we see how filial piety relieves of perdition;
another episode should we mention here to wide up
this chapter, A man came to the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and
Peace be upon him, and said: O Prophet, my father has taken

my money!. So the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,

said: “Bring your father here!. So Gabriel, Allah’s Peace be
upon him, descended and told the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace
be upon him, Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, great you

and tells you: When the old man comes to you ask him
about something he would say to himself, even his
own ears would not hear it!. So when the old man
came, the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“What's the matter with your son who has complained
of you? Do you want to take his money?”. The man
said: Ask him, O Messenger of Allah! Don't I spend
the money on one of his paternal or maternal aunts or
on me?. So the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:

22
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that ‘Abdullâh bin ‘Umar (may Allah be
said.
Pleased with them)

21
“Put this matter aside! Tell me of everything you said
to yourself even your ears did not hear!”. The old man
said: By Allah, everyday Allah sends us a sign to
prove to us that you are truly His Messenger!. To
myself I said something my very ears did not ever
hear!. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Say
and I will listen to you!”. He said: Since your birth I
maintained you, when you're ill I nursed you all night,
as if I were the sick one, I feared for your life although
death, as I believe is a doom. When you grew up and
attained the age of gratifying me, your reward to me
was harshness as if I were indebted to you. I wish you
acted as a mere benevolent neighbour! Henceforth, the
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, got hold of the son by
the neck and said: “You and your money belong to
your father!”.23

23
As Ibn Magâh narrated that Gabir said.

20
 2- Joining Uterine and Blood Relations

The uterus (that’s the womb) is the organ

where the fetus develops. Sisters, brothers, the

offspring of maternal aunt and uncle and

offspring of paternal aunt and uncle are blood

and uterine relations, the mother and her sister

came from the same womb.

Joining uterine and blood relations comes in the core

of Islam. It directly precedes filial piety. In Sûrah
An-Nisâ’ Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him,
commands us to worship none but Him, and be
benevolent to our parents then our kindred …and do
good to parents, kinsfolk ….(An-Nisâ’ “The women”,36).
Joining uterine and blood relations means conveying
all means of good to them and wards off all evil from
them. This duty differs according to the financial status
of the kindred; if he is poor then his rich relatives
should support him with money. The Prophet, Allah`s
Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Giving alms to the poor is a

22
charity and giving alms to a kindred is twofold: A
charity and joining blood relations!”.24
Moreover, if our kindred is oppressed then joining him
means: Aiding him till he come off with flying colours;
and if he is ill then joining him means: Visiting and
condoling him and taking care of his children.
Furthermore if he is erring then we have to guide him
to the right path and never blame nor chide him. The
Holy Qur’an is replete with a myriad of examples: As
Ibrâhîm (Abraham), may Allah be Pleased with him, advice to his
father: O my father! Verily I fear lest a torment from
the Most Gracious (Allâh) should overtake you, so
that you become a companion of Shaitân (Satan) (in
the Hell-fire) .(Maryam “Mary”,45).
But when the father did not respond to his son’s advice
the latter said: …Peace be on you! I will ask
Forgiveness of my Lord for you. Verily He is unto me
Ever Most Gracious.(Maryam “Mary”,47).
The Prophet, Allah`s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Al-Wâsil is
not the one who recompenses the good done to him by
his relatives, but Al-Wâsil is the one who good keeps

24
As At-Tirmidhi, Aboû Dawûd and Nasâ’i narrated that Salman
bin Âmir (may Allah be Pleased with him) said.

23
relations with those relatives who had severed the
bond of kinship with him”.25
That is to say, we have to overlook our

kindred’s defaults and join ties of kinship with

those who sever them with us; and to endow

lavish favors with those who have deprived us.

Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn

from the foolish (i.e. don’t punish them) .(Al-A‘râf “The
Heights or The Wall with Elevations”,199).

In Arabic the word (Al-Rahim that is womb or uterus)

is derived from the word (Al-Rahma, that is, Mercy)
hence it is derived from Allah’s attribute: (Al-Rahman,
that is, the Most Gracious).
It was reported in the Holy Hadith Allah, Praise and
Glory be to Him, said to (the womb) Al-Rahim: [I
created you with My Hand, and derived to you a
name from My Name, and neared your place to
Mine.. By my Exaltedness and Sublimity: I will
join whoever joins you and sever whoever severs

25
Narrated Al-Bukhârî and At-Tirmidhi.

24
you and I will never be pleased till you are
pleased]26
Hence, Allah will be Gracious only to those whole
Al-Rahim is pleased with; that is because when Allah
created Al-Rahim as the Prophet, Allah`s Prayers and Peace be upon
him, reported it clung to the leg of the Throne, seeking

protection against estrangement; the Prophet, Allah`s Prayers

said: “When Allâh created Al-Rahim, it
and Peace be upon him,

clung to the leg of the Throne”. Allah said: [What is

your business?] Then Al-Rahim said: This is the
position of whoever seeks refuge with you from those
who sever relationships with him”.. So Allah, Praise
and Glory be to Him, said: [Yes, does it please you
that I join whoever joins you, and sever relations
with whoever severs you].27
When Moses, may Allah be Pleased with him, got angry with

his brother Aaron (Hârûn), may Allah be Pleased with him,

and blamed him for not following him -when

children of Israel took the calf for worship- yet

26
Narrated At-Tirmidhi.
27
Narrated Al-Bukhârî, Muslim and Ahmmad.

25
Aaron (Hârûn), may Allah be Pleased with him, seized on

Moses gentle heart towards him and reminded

him of ties of kinship: He [Hârûn (Aaron)]

said: O son of my mother! Seize (me) not by

my beard, nor by my head!… (Tâ-Hâ, 94).

Notice in the aforementioned verse that he did

not mention the word: (O brother) but said:

Son of my mother as if he meant: (O ye who

came from the same womb I was delivered

from).

Moreover, Om Hani’ Abi Taleb’s daughter came to the

Prophet, Allah`s Prayers and Peace be upon him, after the conquest of
Mecca, after she came to complain about her brother
Ali Ibn Abitaleb, she did not say: My brother, but said:
O messenger of Allah, I have succored a man yet the
son of my mother contend that he will kill him.. So the

26
Prophet, Allah`s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “We will
succour him whom you have succoured, O Om
Hani”.28
And when the Prophet, Allah`s Prayers and Peace be upon him, came
to his daughter Fatimah, may Allah be Pleased with her, and found
her angry with her husband, who had just left his house
and headed to the mosque. So the Prophet, Allah`s Prayers and
said: “Where is your nephew?”(Notice
Peace be upon him,

here that he did not say: Where is your husband, but

the word nephew as if trying to remind her of the ties
of kinship) So she said: Something happened between
him and me, he was outraged and left me and did not
take his usual nap in the afternoon.
The Prophet, Allah`s Prayers and Peace be upon him, saw him lying
down in the mosque; beside him he was his cloak
covered with dust, the prophet wiped the dust and said:
“Up, man in dust! Up, man in dust!”.29
Then let us mention the story of the boy killed by
Khidr, may Allah`s be Pleased with him, Allah, Praise and Glory be
to Him, said: So we intended that their Lord should

28
Narrated Al-Bukhârî.
29
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Sahl bin Saâd (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

27
change him for them one better in righteousness and
nearer to mercy.(Al-Kahf “The Cave”,81).
Moreover, Allah emphasizes the importance of the ties
of kinship in the following verse: …But kindred by
blood are nearer to one another (regarding
inheritance) in the decree ordained by Allâh. Verily,
Allâh is the All-Knower of everything.(Al-Anfâl “The Spoils of
War”,75).

Ties of kinship dictates enjoining good and forbidding

evil; so one should not find his brother disobeying
Allah without exhorting him to obey Him, the
Almighty.
And enjoin As-Salât (the prayer) on your family,
and be patient in offering them [i.e. the Salât
(prayers)]…. (Tâ-Hâ, 132).
And He praises Ismael, may Allah be Pleased with him, who

exhorted his people to good deeds: And he

used to enjoin on his family and his people

As-Salât (the prayers) and the Zakât, and his

Lord was pleased with him.(Maryam “Mary”,55).

28
Some people might excuse themselves on the

plea that burdens of life lie behind their

overlooking ties of kinship; moreover there are

more means of communication available

nowadays -for example-: Telegrams, sending

bunches of flowers to ill wherever they are,

sending letters, ringing our kindred up. All

these means augment ties of compassion and

affection between people.

We can never ever sever relations with a kindred

unless he is wanton; even in such a case we pray to
Allah to guide them to the straight path.
The story of Ibrâhîm (Abraham), may Allah be Pleased with him,
best exemplifies this: In Abraham we have best
exemplar when he said to his father:

29
Ibrâhîm (Abraham) said: Peace be on you! I will
ask Forgiveness of my Lord for you. Verily He is unto
me Ever Most Gracious.(Maryam “Mary”,47).
The Prophet, Allah`s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Anyone
who wants his provision greatly enlarged and his skill
greatly formed he has to join uterine and blood
relationships!”.30

30
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Anas (may Allah be Pleased with him) said.

31
 3-Protecting Orphans
An orphan is a child bereft of his (or her) father; as far
as animals are concerned, orphanhood is the loss of the
mother. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, bid us to
protect the orphan. He, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“I and the one who looks after an orphan will be like
” 31
this in Paradise . .. Showing his middle and index
fingers slightly separated.
And he, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Anyone who
maintains an orphan from among Muslims and
supports for his provisions will be admitted by Allâh to
paradise unless he has done an unforgivable sin”.32
It is know that the sin that is not forgiven is
polytheism. He, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, also said:
"Whoever provides sustenance for three orphans is
equivalent to praying during a night, fasting that day,
fighting with his sword in the cause of Allah, and I will
be to him in Paradise like those two, a pair, and

31
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Sahl bin Saâd (may Allah be Pleased
with him)said.
32
As At-Tirmidhi narrated that Ibn Abbâs (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

30
brought his two fingers together". (His index and
middle fingers)33
Have you seen him who denies the Recompense?
That is he who repulses the orphan (harshly),. And
urges not on the feeding of Al-Miskîn (the poor),.(Al-
Mâ‘ûn “The Small Kindnesses”,1-3).

Did He not find you (O Muhammad, Allâh’s

Prayers and Peace be upon him) an orphan and gave
you a refuge?.(Ad-Duha “The Forenoon-After Sunrise”,6).
Therefore, treat not the orphan with oppression.(Ad-
Duha “The Forenoon-After Sunrise”,9).

And eat up not one another’s property unjustly (in

any illegal way e.g. stealing, robbing, deceiving, etc),
nor give bribery to the rulers (judges before
presenting your cases) that you may knowingly eat up
a part of the property of others sinfully.(Al-Baqarah “The
cow”,188).

Verily, those who unjustly eat up the property of

orphans, they eat up only fire into their bellies, and
they will be burnt in the blazing Fire!. (An-Nisâ’ “The
Women”,10).

33
As Ibn Magâh narrated that Ibn Abbâs (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

32
The Companions of the Prophet, being afraid of
disobeying Allah's order, prohibited mixing their
welfare with the orphans', thereby freezing the orphans'
welfare. Some of them asked the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and
Peace be upon him, if they could promote the orphans' welfare,

so the word of Allah descended on His Prophet:

…And they ask you concerning orphans. Say: The
best thing is to work honestly in their property, and if
you mix your affairs with theirs, then they are your
brothers. And Allâh knows him who means mischief
(e.g. to swallow their property) from him who means
good (e.g. to save their property)…. (Al-Baqarah “The cow”,220).
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, warns guardians
against devouring the orphans properties:
And give unto orphans their property and do not
exchange (your) bad things for (their) good ones; and
devour not their substance (by adding it) to your
substance. Surely, this is a great sin.(An-Nisâ’ “The Women”,2).
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, orders the guardian
to protect the orphan and educate him then test his
ability to administer his welfare well then on finding
him sensible hands over to him his property without
consuming or devouring anything from it. He, Praise
and Glory be to Him, warns the guardian against
exploiting the orphan being under age:
33
And try orphans (as regards their intelligence) until
they reach the age of marriage; if then you find
sound judgement in them, release their property to
them, but consume it not wastefully, and hastily
fearing that they should grow up, and whoever
(amongst guardians) is rich, he should take no
wages, but if he is poor, let him have for himself what
is just and reasonable (according to his labour). And
when you release their property to them, take witness
in their presence; and Allâh is All-Sufficient in
taking account.(An-Nisâ’ “The Women”,6).
Notice how Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, permits
the poor to use of as much as is fair in return for
administering and promoting the orphan's welfare, on
the other hand the rich has to obtain altogether.
It was repeated that a man complained to the Prophet,
Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, about the harshness of his own

heart so the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, exhorted
him to:
1. “If you want your heart to become
tender and mollified, wipe the head of an
orphan and feed the poor!”.34

34
As Al Bukhârî narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

34
2. The Prophet, said:
Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,

“If the orphan weeps, the Throne of The

Gracious Well nigh shakes, so Allâh,
Praise and Glory be to Him, says to His
angels: O My angels! Who has moved
that orphan, whose father I've expelled
from this world and made buried in
earth, to tears?. So angles say: O our
Lord! You know best!”.. So Allâh, Praise
and Glory be to Him, says to His angels:
O My angels! Bear witness that anyone
who will mollify, please him I will please
on Doomsday”.35
3. “Anyone who sustains an orphan and meets his
needs and provisions, it will a veil for him against
hellfire on doomsday; and anyone who wipes an
orphan's head with his hand for every hair he
touches a righteous deed will be registered for
him”.36

35
As Al-Qurtouby narrated that Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be Pleased with
them) said.
36
As Al- Qurtouby narrated that Anas (may Allah be Pleased with them)
said.

35
4. “Anyone who sustains a Muslim orphan till he
meets all his needs makes that orphan suffices with
him, he will deserve paradise!”.37
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Avoid the
seven great destructive sins”.. The people enquired: O
Messenger of Allâh! What are they?.. He, Allah's Prayers and
Peace be upon him, said: “To join others in Worship along with

Allâh; sorcery; killing a person whose killing Allâh

has prohibited except justly, eating up Ribâ (usury),
eating up an orphan’s wealth, giving back to the
enemy and fluing from the battlefield at the time of
fighting, and falsely accusing, indiscreet believing
women, of illegal sexual intercourse”.38
The Prophet said:

1. “Anyone who maintains a Muslim

orphan whose two parents were Muslims
till he takes all his needs he will deserve
paradise”.39

37
Narrated Ahmmad and Abû Ya’li.
38
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.
39
As Ahmmad narrated that Malik bin ‘Umar (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

36
2. “Anyone who passes his hand over an
orphan's head mercifully he will be
granted a righteous deed for every hair
he touched!”.40
3. “The best house of Muslims is that an
orphan is treated benevolently therein;
and the worst house of Muslims is that
an orphan is maltreated therein!”.41

40
Narrated Ahmmad and Tabarâni.
41
As Ibn Magâh narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

37
 4- Protection of the Poor

Allah’s Messenger said: [Allah revealed to Moses:

“Amongst My Servants th ere is someone whom, if
asks Me to be granted Paradise with all its lofty sides,
I will grant, yet if asks Me to be given the cover of a
whip I will not give it thereto. Verily, this is not due to
My Humiliation of him. Rather, I want to preserve
for him in the Hereafter from My Honour and protect
him from this world as the shepherd who saves his
sheep from the pastures of evil. “O Moses, never have
I made the poor resort to the rich because My
Treasures are not ample for them nor that My Mercy
cannot encompass them, but I marked off in the
money of the rich what will enrich the poor and I
would try the rich: How they will hasten to outdo
each other in what I marked off for the poor in their
money? O Moses, if they do so I will complete My
Favour unto them, and multiply for them in this
world tenfold for each righteous deed. O Moses, be a
treasure for the poor, a fort for the feeble, and a
succor for whoever seeks protection with you then, I
will take your side in hardship and be your

38
companion in loneliness and I will protect you by
night and day.”]42
The hadith reveals that richness and poverty are
ordained by Allah. The well-off has no privileges or
graces that make him tower above the poor, for he is
not to blame for his poverty. Rather, Allah tries the
wealthy people with the poor and tries the poor with
the wealthy people. All this aims to determine whether
the wealthy will be thankful and pay to the poor their
due or not, and whether the poor will be content
without regarding the wealthy with envy! Allah,
Exalted be He, ordained the subsistence of all people
prior to creating all creations. Allah, the All-Wise,
knows that richness suits some of His slaves and they
will become corrupt if impoverished, while poverty
suits others best and they will be corrupt if they are
enriched.
If the rich people give the mandatory alms or pay
Zakah as Allah ordered them, then there will remain
no poor or needy person in the Islamic nation. Allah
ordained the riches of the well-off to comprise
sustenance and means for the poor. Allah, Exalted be

42
As Ibn An-Naggar narrated that Anas Ibn Malik (may Allah be
said.
Pleased with him)

39
He, created the creations, enumerated them and
distributed their means of subsistence without ever
forgetting anyone. The point is, some people are
endowed with means of subsistence in a direct way as
the outcome of a job, agricultural or industrial activity.
Others get their means of subsistence through the alms
given by the rich. Whosoever abstains from paying
Zakat to the poor will have the similitude of a thief
who steals the Poor’s money and usurps their right. So
Allah will claim this right from him on Doomsday
when there will be no money for payback. Allah,
blessed be He, praises those who pay the poor their due
and says:And those in whose wealth there is a
recognised right.For the beggar who asks, and for the
unlucky who has lost his property and wealth, (and
his means of living has been straitened) (Al-Ma‘ârij “The
Ways of Ascent”,24-25).

Moreover, Allah says to highlight this right: and

spend of that whereof He has made you trustees. And
such of you as believe and spend (in Allâh’s Way),
theirs will be a great reward (Al-Hadîd “Iron”,7).
This denotes that all money and riches belong to
Allah. The rich is entrusted with this money, and will,
undoubtedly, be called to account on Doomsday for
this trust. Moreover, he will be subject to punishment
41
in this world by being deprived of his/her riches. Allah
says: And whoever is niggardly, it is only at the
expense of his ownself. But Allâh is Rich (Free of all
needs), and you (mankind) are poor. And if you turn
away (from Islâm and the obedience to Allah), He
will exchange you for some other people and they will
not be your likes (Muhammad or Al-Qitâl “Muhammad Allâh’s Payers and
).
Peace be upon him or The Fighting”,38

Abu Dharr Al Ghifary (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated

that Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“The rich are in fact the poor (little rewarded) on the
Day of Resurrection except him whom Allah gives
wealth which he gives (in charity) to his right, left,
front and back, and do good deeds with it”.43
In order to clarify the real essence of wealth, the
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Son of Adam
says: ‘O my money! O my money!’ Do you (o son of
Adam) own any of your money except: what you ate
and consumed, or what you wore and tore, or what you
gave in charity and spent!” 44
Meaning that actually the money that incurs benefits
on the human being is that spent on the poor; otherwise

43
Narrated Al-Bukhârî
44
As Muslim narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.

40
it will be depleted without any benefit. Allah’s
Messenger, Allah’s prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “The likeness
of the son of Adam, and his money, his children, and
his deeds is as the likeness of one who has three bosom
friends: the first one would say I’m with you as long as
you’re alive, and when you die I do not belong to you
and you do not belong to me, and that is his money.
The second one would say I’m with you, but when you
reach your grave you’re not mine and I’m not yours,
and that is his child. The third one would say I’m with
you, alive and dead, and that is his deeds!” 45
Also, Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
"Let the slave of Dînâr and Dirham46, of Quantify and
Khamîsah47 perish as he is pleased if these things are
given to him, and if not, he is displeased. Let such a
person perish and relapse, and if he is pierced with a
thorn, let him not find anyone to take it out for him".48
Moreover, Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s prayers and Peace be upon him,
said: "The son of Adam (i.e. man) grows old and so

45
As Ahmmad and Tabarâni narrated that AN-Numan Ibn Bashir
said
(may Allah be Pleased with him)
46
Dînâr and Dirham: Currenies used in ancient Arab countries
47
A black woolen square blanket with marks on it
48
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

42
also two (desires) grow old with him, i.e., love for
wealth and (a wish for) a long life."49
The Prophet, Allah’s prayers and Peace be upon him, denoted the
function and significance of money and how the
human being’s greediness and love for wealth are
great. He related that the Almighty said: “Verily, we
sent down money for the performance of Salat and
giving Zakat. If the son of Adam had one valley of
gold, he would wish to have a second one, and if he
had two valleys he would wish a third. Verily, nothing
fills in the inside of the Son of Adam save dust, then
Allâh will accept the repentance of whosoever
repents.”.50
The Prophet was generous and openhanded. Anas said:
Never was the Prophet asked anything in the name of
Islam but gave it. He also said: A man came to him and
asked for alms so he gave him a large number of sheep
amidst two mountains. So the man went to his people
and told them: O my people, embrace Islam for, verily,
Muhammad gives lavishly as one who fears no
poverty!51

49
As Muslim narrated
50
Narrated Ahmmad as Abou Waqed Al-Laythay (may Allah be Pleased
with him) said
51
As Muslim narrated

43
Also, Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s prayers and Peace be upon him,
advocates the believers to spend their riches on the
poor. He says: “The generous is close to Allah, close
to people, close to Paradise, remote from Hellfire! The
niggardly is remote from Allah, remote from people,
remote from Paradise and close to Hellfire! Verily, an
ignorant generous person is more beloved to Allah
than a knowledgeable niggardly person.”52
Moreover, Allah, Exalted be He, promises those who
spend their money in Allah’s Cause to have their
riches enlarged. He says: Say: “Truly, my Lord
enlarges the provision for whom He wills of His
slaves, and (also) restricts (it) for him, and
whatsoever you spend of anything (in Allâh’s Cause),
He will replace it. And He is the Best of providers.
(Saba “Sheba”,39).
Owing to the significance of the protection of the poor,
Allah ordained that feeding or clothing the poor be an
expiation of deliberate oaths. Allah says: Allâh will
not punish you for what is unintentional in your
oaths, but He will punish you for your deliberate
oaths; for its expiation feed ten Masâkîn (poor

52
As Ay-Tirmidhi narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

44
persons), on a scale of the average of that with which
you feed your own families, or clothe them or
manumit a slave. But whosoever cannot afford (that),
then he should fast for three days (Al-Mâ’idah “The Table spread
with Food”,89).

Also, Allah ordained that feeding the poor be the

expiation of killing the game while one is in a state of
Ihrâm or consecration [for Hajj or ‘Umrah
(pilgrimage)]. Allah says: O you who believe! Kill
not the game while you are in a state of Ihrâm [for
Hajj or ‘Umrah (pilgrimage)], and whosoever of you
kills it intentionally, the penalty is an offering,
brought to the Ka‘bah, of an eatable animal (i.e.
sheep, goat, cow) equivalent to the one he killed, as
adjudged by two just men among you; or, for
expiation, he should feed Masâkîn (poor persons), or
its equivalent in Saum (fasting), that he may taste the
heaviness (punishment) of his deed (Al-Mâ’idah “The Table
spread with Food”,95).

Also feeding the poor can be an expiation instead of

fasting in some cases, as in al-Zihar 53.

53
Az-Zihâr is the saying of a husbannd to his wife: You are to me
like the back of my mother (i.e. unlawful for me to approach).

45
Allah says: And he who finds not (the money for
freeing a slave) must fast two successive months
before they both touch each other. And he who is
unable to do so, should feed sixty Miskîns (poor). (Al-
Mujâdilah “The Woman Who Disputes”,4).

Moreover, those who are unable to fast can feed the

poor instead. Allah, Exalted be He, says: Observing
Saum (fasts)] for a fixed number of days, but if any
of you is ill or on a journey, the same number (should
be made up) from other days. And as for those who
can fast with difficulty, (e.g. an old man), they have
(a choice either to fast or) to feed a Miskîn (poor
person) (for every day). But whoever does good of his
own accord, it is better for him. And that you fast is
better for you if only you know! (Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,184).
Feeding the poor for the sake of Allah is one of the
causes of salvation on Doomsday as Allah says:
Surely we feed you only for the Face of Allah. We
would not have any recompense from you, nor
thankfulness. Surely we fear from our Lord a most
frowning Day most inauspicious.” So, Allah has
protected them from the evil of that Day and has
granted (Literally: made them receive) them bloom
and pleasure (Al-Inaân “Man or Time”,9-11).

46
Also feeding the poor is one of the causes of entering
Paradise in peace as the Prophet Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon
, said: “O people, exchange greetings (where the
him

word for greeting in the Arab language is "salâm"

which denotes exchanging greetings as well as a prayer
for peace to be spread), give food, join uterine
relations and pray while people are asleep, you will
enter Paradise in peace!” 54

54
As At-Tirmidhi, Ahmmad,and Ibn Magâh narrated that
Abdullah Ibn Salâm (may Allah be Pleased with him) said.

47
 5-Good Neighbourhood
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, said: Worship
Allâh and join none with Him (in worship); and do
good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masâkîn (the
poor), the neighbour who is near of kin, the
neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your
side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves)
whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allâh does
not like such as are proud and boastful.(An-Nisâ’ “The
women”,36).

The Holy Qur’anic verse expounded various types of

neighbours: The neighbour who is a kinsman; the
neighbour who is not related to us; the transient
neighbour (our associates on the way or in the means
of transportation).
The Holy verse made it incumbent on us to be
benevolent to all of them; moreover the terminal part
of the verse indicates that he who maltreats a
neighbour is but proud and boastful, whose heart is
replete with vainglory. Many Prophet's sayings urge
the importance of being benevolent to neighbours:
“Gabriel continued to recommend me about treating
the neighbours kindly and politely, so much so that I

48
thought that he would order (me) to make them as (my)
heirs”.55
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, warns against
maltreating the neighbour: “By Allâh, he does not
believe! by Allâh, he does not believe!, by Allâh, he
does not believe!,.. It was said: Who is that, O
Messenger of Allâh?.. He said: That person whose
neighbour does not feel safe from his evil!”56. When a
man told the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, about a
woman being mentioned for much praying, fasting,
and giving charity, but who harms her neighbours, he,
, said: “She is in Hell”57
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him

The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, also pointed out
that each one should ask after his neighbour, for he is
the most worthy of his attention; he said: “The one
who spends a night with a full stomach while his
neighbour is hungry by his side, and he knows about it,
does not believe in me!”58
It's really heart-rending to find nowadays many people
not observing these instructions and tumble in sins that

55
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that ‘Âisha (may Allah be Pleased with her) said.
56
As Al-Bukhâri narrated that Abû- Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.
57
As Ahmmad narrated
58
As At-Tabarâni narrated

49
will inevitably incur Allah's Wrath on them for they
maltreated their neighbours by all means.
For instance, those who turn up the radio in a way that
annoys the neighbours who could be sick, old,
studying, or in worship. Also the use of loudspeakers
in funeral services in a way that disturbs the
neighbours and even make them feel self-reproach for
not being able to listen to the Qur'an being recited
according to the Divine Order: So, when the Qur’an
is recited, listen to it, and be silent that you may
receive mercy. [i.e. during the compulsory
congregational prayers when the Iamâm (of a
mosque) is leading the prayer (except Sûrat
Al-Fâtihah), and also when he is delivering the
Friday-prayer Khutbah]. (Tafsir At-Tabari).(Al-A‘râf
“The Heights or the Wall with Elevations”,204). What happens in funerals

also happens in weddings where celebration takes

place in the streets and house entrances without
consideration for those who are sick or sad.
Also youngsters who cause fear while driving their
cars recklessly and listening to music at an irritating
volume as though they owned the road. The same also
applies to those who rush in means of transportation
pushing the elderly and the women with no sympathy
or consideration, as well as those who throw garbage
51
on the street causing harm to neighbours, or spy on
them revealing their faults and hiding their good
attributes.
All those are subject to Allah’s Wrath; they will be
deprived from the Prophet’s intercession, and will lose
their good deeds, if they have any, to those whom they
maltreated, but if they have none, they will bear their
sins. In addition to that, they will be liable to wordly
punishment, as the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
said “Anyone who harms, will be harmed by Allah, and
anyone who raises difficulties will have everything
made hard for him by Allah!”59
It was reported that David, Allah’s Peace be upon him, used to
say: O Allah, I seek refuge with You from a neighbour
whose eyes see me and whose heart watches me, if he
sees good he would hide it, but if he sees a fault he
would reveal it. And the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon
him, used to pray and say: “O Allah, I seek refuge with

You from a mean neighbour in the long-lasting home,

for the rural neighbour moves away!”60.
It should be also considered that it is undesirable for
children to go out bearing sweets and fruits infront of

59
As Aboû Dawûd narrated
60
As Al-Hakim narrated

50
their poorer neighbours or boast with their new clothes
hence making themselves liable to hatred and spite. In
addition to that they would grow up to be arrogant and
taking pride in what they have.
It was reported that Imam Abu-Hanifah Al-Nu‘man
was living next to a drunkard shoemaker who used to
spend the night fixing shoes and singing in a hoarse
voice saying: They have let me down, and what a man
to let down. The Imam was patient with him and did
not lay bare his neighbour’s fault. One day that
neighbour was arrested and put in jail. When the Imam
missed his voice and inquired about him, he was
informed about what happened. He went and
interceded for him until he was released; he took his
hand and asked: Have we ever let you down?. The man
felt very ashamed and repented because of the Imam’s
behaviour towards him and acted righteously from then
on.

52
 6-Promoting Accord
Between People
Allah commanded us to promote accord between
people and make peace between them, thereby
Muslims become brothers as malice and hatred become
eradicated from society.
…So fear Allâh and adjust all matters of differences
among you, and obey Allâh and His Messenger
(Muhammad, Allâh’s Prayers and Peace be upon
him), if you are believers.(Al-Anfâl “The Spoils of War”,1).
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, commands us to
make peace between parties of Muslims:
And if two parties or groups among the believers fall
to fighting, then make peace between them both. But
if one of them outrages against the other, then fight
you (all) against the one that which outrages till it
complies with the Command of Allâh. Then if it
complies, then make reconciliation between them
justly, and be equitable. Verily! Allâh loves those who
are the equitable.(Al-Hujurât “The Dwellings”,9).
Hence, peacemaking is needed even if it leads to
fighting on condition that the cause is just, Sincere and
impartial. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
53
“Help your brother whether he is an oppressor or an
oppressed”.. A man said: O Messenger of Allâh! I
will help him if he is oppressed, but if he is an
oppressor, how shall I help him? The prophet, Allah's Prayers
and Peace be upon him, said: “By preventing him from

oppressing (others), for that is how to help him”.61

Despite telling lies is forbidden yet the Prophet, Allah's
permitted this when to be used in
Prayers and Peace be upon him,

promoting accord between people, he, Allah's Prayers and Peace

be upon him, said: “He who makes peace between the
people by inventing good information or saying good
things, is not a liar”.62
The believers are nothing else than brothers (in
Islâmic religion). So make reconciliation between
your brothers, and fear Allâh, that you may receive
mercy.(Al-Hujurât “The Dwellings”,10).
It is Allah's Command to erase hatred from people's
hearts and try to make peace between them and never
ever be like those mentioned in this verse:
…You would think they were united, but their hearts
are divided. That is because they are a people who
understand not.(Al-Hashr “The Gathering”,14).

61
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Anas (may Allah be Pleased with him) said.
62
As Al- Bukhârî narrated that Omo Kalthoum (may Allah be Pleased
with her) said.

54
As for making peace between married couples Allah,
Praise and Glory be to Him, says: If you fear a
breach between them twain (the man and his wife),
appoint (two) arbitrators, one from his family and the
other from her’s; if they both wish for peace, Allâh
will cause their reconciliation. Indeed Allâh is Ever
All-Knower, Well-Acquainted with all things.(An-Nisâ’
“The women”,35).

And if a woman fears cruelty or desertion on her

husband’s part, there is no sin on them both if they
make terms of peace between themselves; and making
pace is better….(An-Nisâ’ “The women”,128).
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “shall I
apprise of something nobler in rank than fasting,
performing prayers and alms giving?”.. It was said:
yea, O Messenger of Allâh!. He said: “That is,
promoting accord between people for discord between
people is the shaver; I don't mean by shaver the cutter
of hair, but the cutter of religion!”.63
This means that disagreement between people

breeds hatred, slanders and calumny.

63
As Abû- Dâwûd narrated that Abû- Dârdâ’ (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

55
O you who believe! Let not 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”]. And
whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed
Zâlimûn (wrong-doers, etc.).(Al-Hujurât “The Dwellings”,11).
The upshot of malice may inevitably lead to judicial
context, devouring each other's wealth through deceit
and falsehood and squandering one's lifetime in hatred
and enmity-discord might lead to hatred and feud so
people kill each other because of inherited enmity.
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “When two
Muslims fight (meet) each other with swords, both the
murderer as well as the murdered will go to the Hell-
fire!”.. It was said: O Allâh’s Messenger, Allah's Prayers and
Peace be upon him: It is alright for the murderer but what

about the murdered one?.. Allâh’s Messenger replied:

“He surely had the intention to kill his companion!”.64

64
As Al- Bukhârî narrated that Abû- Bakrah (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

56
There is no good in most of their secret talks save
(in) him who orders Sadaqah (charity in Allâh’s
Cause), or Ma‘rûf (Islâmic Monotheism and all the
good and righteous deeds which Allâh has ordained),
or conciliation between mankind: and he who does
this, seeking the good Pleasure of Allâh, We shall
give him a great reward.(An-Nisâ’ “The women”,114).
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
1. “You are see the believers as regard their mercifull
among themselves, showing love among themselves
and being kind among themselves, resembling one
body, so that, if any part of the body is not well,
then whole body shares the sleeplessness
(insomnia) and fever with it”.65
2. “It is not lawful for a man to desert his
brother Muslim for more than three nights.
(It is unlawful for them that) when they
meet, one of them turns his face away from
the other; and the other turns his face from
the former, and the better of the two will be
the one who greets the other first!”.66

65
As Al- Bukhârî narrated that An- Nu ‘man bin Bashîr (may Allah be
said.
Pleased with him)
66
As Al- Bukhârî naratted that Abû Aiyûb (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.

57
Sowing dissension between them is a grievous sin that
could annihilate its perpetrator. Quarrels usually erupt
from worldly ambitious greediness. The Prophet, Allah's
Prayers and peace be upon him, warns us against this: “Do not hate

one another, and do not be jealous of one another, and

do not desert each other, and O, Allah's worshipers!
Be brothers”67
Enmity enfeebles Muslims as a community and

sows dissension between their hearts and

diminishes the power of Islam in the eye of the

Muslims' foes and so overwhelm them. The

Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Peoples

well nigh fall on you just as eaters who pounce

on their trencher!” It was said: Will be a

minority then, O Messenger of Allâh? He, Allah's

Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Your population will be

67
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

58
dense; but you will like the froth of the flood

and Allâh will remove intimidation from your

enemies' hearts and throw feebleness in your

own hearts!” His companions said: And what

is feebleness, O Messenger of Allâh? He, Allah's

Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Lust for life and hatred

of the hereafter!”68

Yes true is the word of the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be
upon him, for it was said: (lust for life is the beginning of

every sin!).
Before the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, emigrated
to Medina; the two tribes of Al-Aous and Al-Khazrag
were engaged in a war that had spanned many years
and the Jews seized that opportunity to vanquish them
and build many forts: as the fort of kheiber and karaiza
and Bani Nuder and the population of the Arabs would
diminish as a consequence of fighting, women become

68
As Abû Dâwûd narrated that Thowbân (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.

59
widows and kids are bereft of their fathers, then it
would be so easy for them to uproot them.
when the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, emigrated to
Medina and Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him,
broadened their minds and hearts to embrace Islam,
Allah said in His Holy Book:
And He has united their (i.e. believers’) hearts. If
you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not
have united their hearts, but Allâh has united them.
Certainly He is All-Mighty, All-Wise.(Al-Anfâl “The Spoils of
War”,63).

Allah exhorts them to take fast hold of His rope and

reminds them of His Favours:
And hold fast, all of you together, to Rope of Allâh
(i.e. this Qur’ân), and be not divided among
yourselves, and remember Allâh’s Favour on you, for
you were enemies one to another but He joined your
hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became
brethren (in Islâmic Faith), and you were on the
brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus
Allâh makes His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses,
lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you
may be guided.(Âl-‘Imrân “The Family of Imran”,103).
We hope Allah will bound Muslims' hearts together so
that they might beware of the feebleness that befell
61
them. If they take after the Prophet,. Allah's Prayers and Peace be
upon him, they will promote accord between themselves

and be powerful enough to face their enemies.

60
 7- Fraternity for Allah's Sake

Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “A

Muslim is the brother to a Muslim; he neither
oppresses him, lets him down nor belittles him!”69
In fact, Allah’s Messenger, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
fraternized between al-Muhajirn (the Muslim
emigrants) and al-Ansâr (Muslim supporters in
Medina). This bond of fraternity was implemented in a
practical way as Allah says, praising al-Ansâr who
welcomed al-Muhajirn with their hearts, opening their
houses for them. And (the ones) who took their
location in the Residence Al-Madînah) and in belief
before them, love whomever has migrated to them,
(i.e., to the Ansar, the Muslims of Al-Madînah) and
do not find in their breasts any need for what has
been brought them, (The Muhajirûn, those who
emigrated from Makkah) and prefer (the Muhajir‍n)
above themselves, even though penury be (their
portion). And whoever is protected from the avarice
of his self, then those are they who are the
prosperers (Al-Hashr “The Gathering”,9).

69
As Muslim narrated

62
This altruism sprang up from love, devotion and free
will. Al-Ansâr shared with them their wealth, houses
and farms. An example of this was the bond of
fraternity Allah’s Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
established between ‘Abdul-Rahman Ibn-‘Awf (one of
al-Muhajirn (the Makkan emigrants) and Sa‘d Ibn
Ar-Rabî‘ (one of al-Ansâr (the supporters of Medina).
Sa‘d said to ‘Abdul-Rahman among what he said: Half
the money I have is yours, and I have two wives,
choose from them the one you like best and I’ll divorce
her so that you can marry her after she finishes her
prescribed period of divorce (i.e. ‘Idda). But ‘Abdul-
Rahman said: May Allah bless your family and
property for you; but tell me where the market is?”70
So he showed him the market of Medina. He went
there, purchased and sold and returned with a profit in
the form of cooking butter and cheese.
History chronicled numerous stories of altruism
between al-Muhajirin (the Makkah emigrants) and al-
Ansâr (the supporters of Madina) that it will be hard
for us to enumerate and relate them.
The Noble Qur’an mentions the fraternity for Allah’s
sake and that it will last for ever as Allah says: Close

70
As Ahmmad narrated

63
fellows upon that Day will be enemies to one another,
(Literally: some of them to some (others) except the
pious (Az-Zukruf “The Gold Adornments”,67).
Close fellowship means deep love that seeps through
the heart of the lover. This verse makes us believe that
every love is ephemeral; it might even turn into
hostility save loving for Allah’s sake. The Prophet,
, said: “A person's ethics and
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him

abidance by his religious obligations simulate those of

his friend, that is why everyone should take heed when
befriending people”71. Hence, it was said: Whatever is
for Allah’s sake will last and be everlasting, and
whatever is for anyone save Allah will cease and be
severed!.
The Noble Qur’an relates to us about those whose love
for one another was not devoted to Allah's sake, as He,
the Almighty, says: And the Day that the unjust
(person) will bite at both his hands, (and) say, “Oh,
would that I had taken to myself a way along with the
Messenger. Oh, woe to me! Would that I had not
taken so-and-so to myself for a (close) fellow. Indeed
he readily made me err away from the Remembrance
after it had come to me.” And Ash-Shaytan (i.e.,

71
As Ahmmad narrated

64
dwelling habitation) has been constantly abandoning
man (Al-Furqân “The Criterion”,27-29).
On doomsday, all ties, blood relations and worldly
interests will be severed, as Allah says: Then when
the Trumpet is blown, upon that Day there will be no
consanguity (any more) among them, nor will they
ask one another (Al-Mu’minûn “The Beleivers”,101).
Similarly, this applies to all types of friendship and
love as Allah says: And no intimate (friend) will ask
(another) intimate friend (Al-Ma‘ârij “The Ways of Ascent”,10).
On that day every being will be concerned only with
himself, distressed and alone with no one to comfort
him or keep him company, And all of them will be
coming up to Him upon the Day of the Resurrection,
every one singly (Maryam “Mary”,95).
But there are those described in the Noble Qur’an as,
Surely the ones who have believed and done deeds
of righteousness, for them The All-Merciful will soon
show (Literally: make for them) affection (Maryam
“Mary”,96).

Affection will bind the hearts of the believers who

have mutual love and fraternity for Allah’s sake. Allah
shows that among the seven whom He will shelter with
the shade of His Throne on that Day, when there will
be no shade but His, are two (believers) who had
65
mutual love for Allah’s sake, they assembled for it
and parted for it.
Those who have mutual love for Allah’s Glory and
sake will be rewarded with great boons and lavish
endowments as the Prophet, Allah's blessings and peace be upon him,
said: “Verily, among Allah’s worshippers there are
people who are not prophets or martyrs and they are
envied by prophets and martyrs on Doomsday for their
closeness to Allah!” The Prophet’s Companions asked
him: O Allah’s Messenger, who are they? the Prophet,
Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, said: "They are those who

love one another for the Spirit of Allah without having

kingship among them or exchanging money between
them; I swear by Allah, their faces will glow with light
and they will be (sitting) on (pulpits of) light. They will
have no fear (on the day) when the people will have
fear, and they will not grieve when the people will
grieve.”72 He then recited the Qor'anic verse: No
doubt! Verily, the Auliyâ’ of Allâh [i.e. those who
believe in the Oneness of Allâh and fear Allâh much
(abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which
he has forbidden), and love Allâh much (perform all
kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)], no fear

72
As Abou-Dawûd narrated

66
shall come upon them nor shall they grieve (Yûnus
“Jonah”, 62).

The Prophet, Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, said: Allah, the
Almighty, said: [It is incumbent upon Me to bestow
My Love on those who love one another for My Sake;
and it is incumbent upon Me to bestow My Love on
those who exert an effort for each other for my Sake;
and it is incumbent upon Me to bestow My Love on
those who visit one another for My Sake; and it is
incumbent upon Me to bestow My Love on those who
befriend each other and keep good relations for my
Sake. Those who love each other for My Sake will be
on pulpits of light in the shade of the Throne when
there will be no shade but its shade!]73
Although fraternity for Allah’s sake will be rewarded
lavishly, it can be established easily. To love a Muslim
solely for Allah’s sake, be honest with him and sincere
in your advice, defend him in his absence, favouring
him over yourself, visiting him when he falls sick,
always invoking Allah to endow him with all good.
All this does not force on a human being any hardship;
rather, it will breed affection.

73
As Ahmmad narrated

67
Prophet Muhammad, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“When a man loves his brother (for Allah's sake) let
him tell him that he loves him"74. Anas Ibn Malek
narrated that one day while he was sitting with the
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, a man passed by, one
of the Companions told the Prophet that he loved that
man for the sake of Allah. So the Messenger of Allah,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him , asked: "Did you tell him?"
And the Companion replied: No. Prophet Muhammad,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Go and tell him!” So the

Companion went to him and told him that he loved

him for Allah’s sake so the man said: May He (i.e.
Allah), for Whose sake you love me, love you!75
Some scholars described fraternity for Allah’s sake
and said:
Your true brother is the one who always supports you,
who would take pains for your welfare even at his own
expense, and when you go through rough times, he
would rush to help you pull yourself together.
It is required to exert the effort to initiate love. The
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Exchanging
gifts helps spread love among you!”76 He also

74
As Abou Dawûd narrated
75
As Ahmmad narrated
76
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

68
commanded Muslims to spread the salaam and greet
whoever they meet, (i.e. saying , "peace be upon you")
whether they know them or not. He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be
upon him, said: “By Him, in Whose Hand my soul is, you

will not enter Paradise until you believe, and you will
not believe until you love one another. Shall I guide
you to something which if you do you will love one
another? Spread salaam among you!”77. The Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, also said: “When two Muslims

meet and one of them greets the other, the one who is
more cordial to his friend is more amiable to Allah,
and if they shake hands one hundred parts of mercy
are sent down upon them, ninety for the one who greets
and ten for the one who responds”78
Loving the righteous and pious scholars and attending
their gatherings benefit the human being in this life and
the Hereafter. In this world, he gains knowledge from
them, trying to follow their example, and whenever he
remembers Allah they will give him help, and
whenever he forgets his religious commitments, they
will remind him. It was said: Whoever assembles
together, get in harmony! As for the Hereafter he will

77
As Abou Dawûd narrated
78
As Al-Bazar Narrated

69
be with them, for the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
said: "Everyone will be with those whom he loves!"79
Fraternity for Allah’s sake implies many obligations,
most importantly, defending him in his absence when
people backbite or mention something hurtful about
him. This should happen even if what they are
mentioning about him is true. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and
, said: “Do you know what is ghîbah
Peace be upon him

(backbiting)? His Companions said: "Allah and His

Prophet know best!" He said: "It is to say about your
brother what he dislikes." They said: "What if it is
true? The Prophet said: “If what you say about him is
true, then you are slandering him, but if what if what
you say (about him) is not true then you have
fabricated lies against him”80
Ghîbah (backbiting) is one of the greater sins and you
have to defend the backbitten Muslim otherwise you
will be participating with the backbiter and accepting
what you hear. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
said: “If anyone defends his brother's honour, Allah
will shield his face from the Fire on the Day of
Resurrection!"81

79
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
80
As Muslim narrated
81
As At-Termidhi narrated

71
Moreover, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“No person will fail a Muslim in a situation in which
his honour is defamed, and has his sanctity profaned,
but Allah will fail in a situation he likes Him to render
him victorious. And no Muslim succours a Muslim in a
situation in which his honour is defamed, and has his
sanctity profaned, but Allah will succour in a situation
he likes Him to render him victorious”82.
Chief among the obligations of fraternity for Allah's
sake is the Muslim's ability to entrust you with himself,
his honour, and money. You are not allowed to slander
his honour, steal his money, surrender him to his
enemy or frighten him. Moreover, you are not allowed
to abstain from giving him what he requests, so long as
it is within your power and for his good interest, for all
the Muslim is prohibited to another Muslim; his blood,
money, and honour. Furthermore, it is prohibited to
frighten a Muslim as the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon
him, said, "It is not lawful for a Muslim to frighten a

Muslim"83. And he said, "If anyone frightens a believer

without right, it is incumbent upon Allah not to make

82
As Abou Dawûd narrated
83
As Abou Dawûd narrated

70
him feel secure from the frights of the Day of
Resurrection!"84
He, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, also said: “Whoso casts at
a Muslim a glance to frighten him without right, Allah
will frighten him on the Day of Resurrection”85
In addition, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
"If anyone helps in killing a believer, even to the extent
of half a word, he will meet Allah on the Day of
Resurrection, with despairing of Allah's Mercy written
depicted on his forehead"86
Moreover, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
"If the dwellers of heaven and earth were to take part
in the bloodshedding of a believer, Allah would throw
them into hellfire!"87
Furthermore, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
"Whoever seizes one hand span of a Muslim's land
unjustly, he will be encircled therewith on the Day of
Resurrection to the seventh depth of the earth."88
In addition, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
"Whoever carries arms against us, is not from us!"89

84
As At-Tabarâni narrated
85
As At-Tabarâni narrated
86
As Ibn Magâh narrated
87
As At-Termidhi narrated
88
As Muslim narrated
89
As Al-Bukhâri narrated

72
 8- Marital Rights

Allah, the Almighty, favoured the human being by

endowing him with a companion of its own kind in
whom one may find repose. Through marriage,
mankind exists and never perishes. People beget their
offspring, the splendour of the life of this world.
Hence, a son helps his father as he grows old, bears his
name, helps him through hardships of life, asks Allah
to forgive him when he passes away and prays for him.
The kids are the yield of marriage. The more the
marriage is happy, the kids grow in an eligible
environment without ever having complexes or any ill
behaviours.
Allah, Exalted be He, has mentioned the kind of
relation between the husband and wife as He says:
And among His Signs is this, that He created for
you wives from among yourselves, that you may find
repose in them, and He has put between you affection
and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a
people who reflect. (Ar-Rûm "TheRomans", 21).
Tranquility, affection and mercy between a married
couple are the pillars of the happy marital life which
Allah endowed the human being with. In order to have
such a happy marital life, the Noble Qur’an and

73
Sunnah90 have determined all the means to such life.
Allah commands Muslims by saying: …and live with
them honourably. If you dislike them, it may be that
you dislike a thing and Allâh brings through it a
great deal of good (An-Nisâ’ “The Women”, 19)
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “The most
perfect of the believers in faith is he who is best in
moral excellence, and the kindest to his wife!”91
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "The best of
you are the best to their wives; and I am the best to my
wives!”92
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, enjoined upon
Muslims to fear Allah in women as he said in the
Farewell Sermon: “O Men, I enjoin upon you to fear
Allah concerning women! Verily, they are (just as)
captives (seized by you) in your abodes. Nothing
belongs to you more than that, and live with them
honourably unless they commit indecencies. But if they
do that, then you are permitted to refuse to share their
beds, (and last) beat them lightly. But if they obey you,

90
Sunnah: The legal way or ways, acts of worship and statements
of the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, that have become
models to be followed by the Muslims.
91
As At-Termidhi narrated
92
As At-Termidhi narrated

74
then seek not means to annoy them. Women owe you a
right, and you owe women a right. As for your right,
they may not let on your beds anyone whom you
dislike, nor let anyone into your houses whom you do
not want!”93
If we contemplate how Eve was created, we find out
that she was created from Adam’s rib, the closest to his
heart. It is as if this is her natural place, her husband’s
heart, hence he should treat her passionately and with
all love and kindness. If Eve had been created from
Adam’s head, she would have been his mind that
guided him. And if she had been created from his
hand, he would have beaten people therewith or earned
his living with it. And if she had been created from his
leg, he would have trampled and insulted her, or even
treated her arrogantly.
Rather, she was created from the closest place to his
heart to be the source of beautiful passions and
feelings. So we could realize that the man is the origin
and the woman is the branch, he is the whole and she is
the part. No element will be whole without all its parts;
whereas no part can live without its connection to the
origin. Both of them depend on and belong to the other

93
As At-Termidhi narrated

75
to live and survive. That is why men are the protectors
of womenas Allah, Exalted be He, says: Men are the
protectors and maintainers of women, because Allâh
has made one of them to excel the other, and because
they spend (to support them) from their means (An-
Nisâ’ “The Women”, 34)

This protection should be understood in the right way.

It is not condescension, control or terrorism. Rather, it
is the responsibility of the guardian toward his wards,
the responsibility of the tree trunk toward its branches,
which is to hold the branches firmly and provide them
with sustenance. The man’s responsibility commences
with his selection of his wife, his soulmate as the
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,, said: "A woman is
normally sought as a wife for her wealth, beauty,
nobility, or religiousness (adherence to Islam), but
choose a religious woman and you will prosper!”94
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,, depicted the
traits of the wife that a man should choose as he said:
“The best benefit a Muslim has gained after Islam is a
woman who, if her husband looks at her, pleases him,
and if he orders her something, obeys, and in his

94
As Muslim narrated

76
absence she protects him in herself (i.e. protects his
honour) and his wealth.”95
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, corrected many
of the concepts and traditions of the Pre-Islamic era. It
is worth-mentioning in this respect that in the
Pre-Islamic era, girls were buried alive and mothers
were ill-treated. Men used to inherit his late father’s
wives with what he inherited from him. Moreover,
women never inherited their fathers, and men used to
ill-treat their wives and beat them severely, retrieving
her dowry after threatening her of scandalizing her and
claiming that she had committed adultery.
Furthermore, a man used to marry a lot of women
beside his wife without any limits and without having
excuses for this.
If we peruse and contemplate the Prophet’s life with
his wives, we will find the best model and example to
follow. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, was kind,
compassionate, affectionate and merciful with his
wives. He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, called women
al-Qawareer (i.e. glass vessels) when he was on a
journey. During that journey, the camels hurried on
because of the sweetness of the cameleer’s voice. So

95
As Ibn Abû-Shaiba narrated

77
the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, asked: “Who is
the cameleer?” It was said to him: It is Angasha!
The Prophet said: "O Anjasha, drive slowly- the
camels- be kind to al-Qawareer, (glass vessels)!" Abu
Qilaba said: By the glass vessels' he meant the women
(riding the camels)96.
One day the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, entered
upon his wife and asked her: “Do you have any food?”
She answered him by saying: By Allah Who has sent
you with truth we have nothing but vinegar! The
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “The best
condiment is vinegar, the best condiment is vinegar”97
Eating quietly without reprimanding her.
During the Pre-Islamic era, men used to abstain from
sleeping with their wives in one bed. But the Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, has taught us that men sleep

with their wives in one bed, rather in one blanket.

During that time men used to get isolated from their
wives during their menstruation, and refrained from
eating or sitting with them.
Â’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) related about the
behaviour of the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, so

96
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
97
As Muslim narrated

78
she said that he Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, used to kiss
some of his wives while he was fasting, and then she
smiled98. Moreover, she said that the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers
and Peace be upon him, he used to keep himself busy serving his

family and when it was the time for prayer he would

go for it99.
When Â’ishah was asked about what did the Prophet
use to do in his house? She replied: He used to keep
himself busy serving his family and when it was the
time for prayer he would go for it100. Also she added to
answer the question: Just as what any of you would do,
repair his shoes and patch his clothes101.
Umm-Salama (may Allah be pleased with her) said: While I was
laying with the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, under
a single woolen sheet, I got the menses. I slipped away
and put on the clothes for menses. He said: "Have you
got "Nifas" (menses)?" I replied: Yes. He then called
me and made me lie with him under the same sheet102.
Â’ishah said: The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, and
I used to take a bath from a single pot while we were
Junub (i.e. after having sexual relation). During the
98
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
99
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
100
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
101
As Ahmmad narrated
102
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

79
menses, he used to order me to put on an Izar (dress
worn below the waist) and used to fondle me. While in
Itikaf, he used to bring his head near me and I would
wash it while I used to be in my periods (menses)103.
One day in Eid-al-Adha (i.e. the greater festival), the
Abyssinians were playing with their small spears, and
Â’ishah wanted to watch them. So the Prophet Allah’s
, sat at the door of his room and she
Prayers and Peace be upon him

leaned on his back and watched over his shoulder their

playing. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, asked
her: "Are you satisfied (Is that sufficient for you)?".
She replied in the affirmative and he told me to
leave104.
The story of Â’ishah’s loss of her necklace, the
Prophet’s order for the army to wait till the necklace is
found, and the descent of Quranic verses concerning
Tayammum are well known. And although Abu Bakr,
her father, reprimanded her harshly, the Prophet, Allah’s
Prayers and Peace be upon him, didn’t blame her, not even with a

single word.
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, used to treat all
his wives kindly and gently. This was the case even

103
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
104
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

81
before the Divine Revelation descended on him, when
he married Khadija who was older than him by fifteen
years and he was still in his prime, he did not marry
another woman with her till she passed away.
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, used to
remember her a lot after her death and send gifts to her
friends which made Â’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her)
jealous though she never met her. She said: I did not
feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet, Allah’s
Prayers and Peace be upon him, as much as I did of Khadija though

I did not see her, but the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon
him, used to mention her very often, and when ever he
slaughtered a sheep, he would cut its parts and send
them to the women friends of Khadija. When I
sometimes said to him: You treat Khadija in such a
way as if there is no woman on earth except Khadija,
he would say: "Khadija was such-and-such, and from
her I had children"105
When Â’ishah told him one day: Allah has given you
better than her! He told her: “No, by Allah,, I swear
that Allah has never given me better than her. She was
the wife who believed in me when everyone else
disbelieved in me. She affirmed my truthfulness when

105
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

80
everyone else accused me of lying. She supported me
with her money when everyone else deprived me. And
Allah ordained her to bear me children when no other
woman has borne me"106
Despite her death, the Prophet’s loyalty to Khadiga ( may
Allah be pleased with her) lasted until the end of his life.

The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, wanted to be

nursed in Â’ishah’s house that during his fatal ailment,
Allah's Messenger, used to ask his wives: "Where shall
I stay tomorrow? Where shall I stay tomorrow?". He
was looking forward to Â’ishah's turn. So all his wives
allowed him to stay where he wished, and he stayed at
Â’ishah's house till he died there. Â’ishah added: He
died on the day of my usual turn at my house. Allah
took him unto Him while his head was between my
chest and my neck and his saliva was mixed with my
saliva107
There are myriad examples of the Prophet’s kindness
to his wives. He gave many advices to the married
couples to be blessed with the happy and stable life.
Moreover, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
presented many advices to wives to observe their

106
As Ahmmad narrated
107
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

82
duties toward their husbands concerning
well-treatment, compassion, sympathy, the protection
of money and kids. Furthermore, he, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be
upon him, brought glad tidings to the obedient and

righteous women of them who would obey his orders

to be rewarded amply.
It was reported that the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon
, told ‘Abdullah-Ibn-Amr-Ibn-Al-‘Âs: "O 'Abdullah!
him

Have I not been formed that you fast all the day and
stand in prayer all night?" I said, Yes, O Allah's
Messenger! He said, "Do not do that! Observe the fast
sometimes and also leave them (the fast) at other
times; stand up for the prayer at night and also sleep
at night. Your body has a right over you, your eyes
have a right over you and your wife has a right over
you"108
In the Hadith it was reported that Asma' bint Yazeed
Ibn As-Sakan (may Allah be pleased with her) came to the Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, when he was with his

Companions and said: Oh Messenger of Allah, may

my father and mother be sacrificed for you. I have
come to you on behalf of women. Allah, Exalted be
He, has sent you to men and women and we have

108
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

83
believed in you and your God. We, women, do not go
out but we remain in your homes; we are your source
of physical pleasure, we bear your children, men have
been favoured over women by being able to pray
jumu’ah (Friday prayer) and jama‘ât (congregational
prayers), visit the ill, follow funerals, and perform
pilgrimage one time after another, and most
importantly of all, Jihaad (contention for Allah’s
Cause). When a man goes for pilgrimage, or to
perform `Umrah (minor pilgrimage), or contending for
Allah’s Cause, we look after your wealth, weave, your
clothes and raise your children. Shall we not share in
the reward? The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
turned to his Companions and said: “Have you ever
heard a woman saying a better saying than what she
has said?” His Companions said: O Allah’s
Messenger, we have never realized before that a
woman can recognize this! Then the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers
and Peace be upon him, turned to her and said: “Go back and

inform the other women that a woman’s perfect

performance of her marital duties and her husband’s
rights, and her seeking his pleasure, and doing that
which he approves of is equivalent to all what you

84
mentioned that men do!” Asma' left saying: Allahu-
Akbar! Allahu-Akbar (i.e. Allah is Great)!!109
There are many examples of the female Companions
of the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, who were
adorned with the moral excellences of the Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, in treating well their husbands.

Abu-Talha al-Ansary had a baby who fell sick. One

day when Abu-Talha went to the mosque, the baby's
case worsened and he died. So Abu-Talha's wife
(Umm Sulaim bint-Milhan) covered the baby, prepared
dinner, adorned herself, wore perfume and dressed up
in her best garments.
When her husband returned home, he asked his wife
about the baby. She replied: He is in his quietest states.
In fact, the woman was not lying, the baby was in his
quietest states. She prepared food for her husband, he
took her to bed and had a sexual relation with her.
By the end of the night, she told him: Abu-Talha, What
if some people lent other people a loan, or deposited a
trust with them, then came to ask them for it, would
those people refuse to give it back? He said: No! She
said: So anticipate Allah's Reward for the death of
your son.

109
As Al-Bayhaqi narrated

85
He said: Inna lilahi wa inna elayhee rajeoun (Truly!
To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return),
and he went out to the mosque and met Allah’s
Messenger, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, and told him what
had happened.
So the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Did you
sleep with your wife last night?” Abu Talha said: Yes.
The Prophet said: “O Allah! Bestow your blessing on
them as regards that night of theirs”110
She became pregnant, and gave birth to a child who
became one of the righteous, who in turn had nine
sons, all of whom were conversant in the Noble Qur'an
and Islamic teachings, and they used to propagate it
throughout the world. The Prophecy of the Prophet,
Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, his saying: "May Allah bless

your night!" came true.

The worst thing men can ever do is their habit of
swearing to divorce their wives in trivial and
insignificant matters as business transactions, or to
compel the guest to stay for dinner, etc. All this might
make them commit the forbidden. A wife may be
given a divorce without being aware of it. The man
will be the sinful one in living a forbidden life, and

110
As Al-Bukhârî and Ahmad narrated

86
have illegitimate kids who would cause his misery
when he gets old.
Moreover, the husband who handles his wife by
threatening her to divorce her is sinful, of a weak
personality, and violates the Sunnah. The Prophet, Allah's
Prayers and Peace be upon him, never swore to give any of his

wives a divorce in order to make her do something or

refrain from doing something. The most he did was
become angry with them and stay in seclusion in the
mosque when the they asked him to increase their
expenditures; he asked them to choose between living
with him an ascetic life, seeking Allah's Pleasure, or
being divorced honourably and being provided for,
they all chose Allah and His Messenger seeking
Allah's Ample Reward. At that Allah's Word
descended: O Prophet (Muhammad)! Say to your
wives: "If you desire the life of this world, and its
glitter, then come! I will make a provision for you
and set you free in a handsome manner (divorce).
"But if you desire Allâh and His Messenger, and the
home of the Hereafter, then verily, Allâh has
prepared for Al-Muhsinât (good-doers) amongst you
an enormous reward. (Al-Ahzâb “The Confederates”, 28, 29)
The wife, who asks her husband to give her a divorce
without a justified excuse, is sinful, and incurs Allah's
87
Wrath. Also, the woman who wants to know the
degree of her husband's love for her so asks him to
give her a divorce is ignorant. Possibly when she asks
him many times this may make it easy for him to do
what she wants. Moreover, the wife who abstains from
obeying her husband who wants to have a sexual
relation with her, sleeps the night, cursed by the angels
until she wakes up in the morning. This is because she
has to accept his desire whenever he likes.
A man should know that the most hateful thing to a
woman is to suffer from her husband's stinginess with
his money, emotions or time. Also, he has to adorn
himself to her as she has to adorn herself for him. They
should have mutual understanding especially in the
way of bringing up their kids. Moreover, they should
abstain from quarreling in front of them. Rather, they
should resolve their disputes in their bedroom without
showing their kids any marks of disputes.
Each one of them should abstain from complaining
about the other or disclose the other's secrets to their
families, friends or neighbours. And a man must be
forbidden to describe his wife's attitudes and behaviour
in bed. And each one of them must abstain from
mentioning the other one's physical or behavioural
faults to anybody.
88
The Prophet's Companions, male and female (may Allah be
pleased with them) used to advise their daughters when they

got married so that they would be blessed with a happy

marital life. They used to order them to serve their
husbands, and observe their rights, a conduct that we
miss very much in our modern times. Here is an
example of these advices:
Umamah bint Al-Harith advised her newly-engaged
daughter and gave her the best advice a mother can
ever give her daughter. She said to her: O my daughter,
if it were deemed unnecessary to give you this advice
because of your good manners and noble descent, then
it would have been unnecessary for you, as you
possess these qualities, but this advice will serve as a
reminder to the forgetful, and will help the wise. O my
daughter, if a woman were able to do without a
husband by virtue of her parents' wealth and their need
for her, then you of all people would be most able to
do without a husband, but women were created for
men just as men were created for them. O my
daughter, you are about to leave the home in which
you grew up, where you first learned to walk, to go to
a niche you do not know, to a companion with whom
you are unfamiliar. By marrying you, he has become a
master over you, so be like a servant to him, and he
89
will become like a servant to you. If you observe ten
qualities for him, he will cherish you. The first and
second of them are: be content in his company, and
listen to and obey him submissively. The third and
fourth of them are: make sure that you smell good and
look good; he should not see anything ugly in you, and
he should not smell anything but a pleasant smell from
you. The fifth and the sixth of them are: prepare his
food on time, and keep quiet when he is asleep, for
raging hunger is like a burning flame, and disturbing
his sleep will make him angry.
The seventh and eighth of them are: take care of his
servants and children, and take care of his wealth, for
taking care of his wealth shows your good judgement,
and taking care of his children and servants shows
good management. The ninth and tenth of them are:
never disclose any of his secrets, and never disobey
any of his orders, for if you disclose any of his secrets
you will never feel safe from his possible betrayal, and
if you disobey him, his heart will be filled with hatred
towards you. And beware of rejoicing in front of him
when he is upset, and do not show sorrow in front of
him when he is happy.
Abdullah Ibn-Ja`far Ibn Abu-Talib advised his
daughter by saying: Beware of jealousy, it is the key
91
word of divorce, beware of much blame, it creates
grudge, use kohl (a substance for lining ones eyes) for
it is the best adornment, and water is the best perfume.
Abul-Darda' told his wife: If you find me angry try to
make me content, and if I find you angry I will try to
make you content. If we do not do this, why then do
we keep our companionship!
Another person said to his wife:
Always be a forgiver, and you will for ever find me
compassionate. Don't say a word when I am beside
myself with rage. Don't complain a lot for if you do so
my heart will refuse you. Love and harm never
assemble together but harm makes love abandon the
heart!
This underscores the significance of the advices of the
parents to their daughters.

90
 9- Children Upbringing

Allah, Exalted be, says: O you who believe! Ward off

yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell)
whose fuel is men and stones, over which are
(appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey
not, (from executing) the Commands they receive
from Allâh, but do that which they are commanded
(At-Tahrîm “The Prohibition”,6).
With this noble Qur'anic verse, Allah, Exalted be He,
commands parents to ward off their children against
Hell, where children are encompassed by the word
your families. Those who love their children and
know that they are a blessing endowed by Allah
should ward off their families and children against a
fire-hell and the torment of al-Jabbar (i.e. Supreme
Potentate).
That is why they should raise their children and breed
them on piety and righteousness. It is
worth-mentioning that the parents will be questioned
about them on the Day of Resurrection.
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “All of you
111
are guardians and are responsible for their wards”

111
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

92
Moreover, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
"Allah will question every guardian about the wards
He entrusted him with, whether he has established
Allah's Commands in them or not, so that a man will
112
be questioned about the members of his household"
There is a great responsibility put upon the shoulders'
of the parents concerning their children. This
responsibility commences before marriage. He should
choose the one who would be a good and righteous
mother eligible to raise righteous children. as the
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "A woman is
normally sought as a wife for her wealth, beauty,
nobility, or religiousness (adherence to Islam), but
113
choose a religious woman and you will prosper!”
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,, depicted the
traits of such a religious woman by saying: “The best
benefit a Muslim has gained after Islam is a woman
who, if her husband looks at her, pleases him, and if he
orders her something, obeys, and in his absence she
protects him in herself (i.e. protects his honour) and
114
his wealth!"

112
As At-Tabarâni narrated
113
As Muslim narrated
114
As Ibn Abû Shayba narrated

93
The same applies to the young woman who should
choose who will become the father of her children,
through the Prophet’s advice he enjoined upon
Muslims to do: “If a man comes to you proposing for
marriage, whose religiousness and trustworthiness are
approved by you, then accept him, for if you do not do
so, fitnah (i.e. temptations and trials) and great
115
corruption will prevail on earth"
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, permitted the
man to look at the woman to whom he wishes to
propose, and he gave the young woman the right to
agree or disagree, he said: "A virgin should not be
married till she is asked for her consent; and the
matron should not be married till she is asked whether
she agrees to marry or not." It was asked: O Allah's
Prophet! How will she (the virgin) express her
116
consent? He said: "By keeping silent"
When choosing the child’s name by which he will be
called in the life of this world and hereafter. That's
why the name should be beautiful and should have a
beautiful meaning.

115
As At-Tirmidhi narrated
116
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

94
When Allah, the Almighty, endows the married couple
with an offspring, they should thank Him, Exalted be
He, and be grateful to Him regardless of the sex of the
newly-born child, male or female. This is because
Allah, the Almighty, is the Knower of all things, is the
One Who best knows what benefits His slaves and
worshippers. Some people would benefit best by being
bestowed with male offspring whereas others would
benefit best by being bestowed with female offspring.
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, said: To Allâh
belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth.
He creates what He wills. He bestows female
(offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male
(offspring) upon whom He wills. Or He bestows both
males and females, and He renders barren whom He
wills. Verily, He is the All-Knower and is Able to do
all things (Ash-Shûra “The Consultation”,49-50).
Those whose are grieved when bestowed with female
offspring, are negligent of the good that awaits them in
case they accept Allah's Bestowment with content and
raise them in an Islamic and righteous way. It was
reported that Â’ishah said: A lady along with her two
daughters came to me asking me (for some alms), but
she found nothing with me except one date which I
gave to her and she divided it between her two
95
daughters, and then she got up and went away. Then
the Prophet came in and I informed him about this
story. He said, "Whoever is in charge of (put to test by)
these daughters and treats them generously, then they
117
will act as a shield for him from the (Hell) Fire"
He also said: "Whoever, has three daughters, and he
cares and provides for them, and attends to them,
deserves to enter Paradise”. His Companions asked
him: What if he has just two daughters? The Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Even if he has two

daughters!”. And some of them thought if he had been

asked about having just one, he would also have said
118
yes .
Taking care of the children is a joint responsibility of
the father and mother. The mother has to breastfeed
her baby and feed from the milk Allah, the Almighty,
has created. Depriving the baby of such milk is a
deprivation of his subsistence. And for this she will be
questioned on the Day of Resurrection. A mother
weans her baby after breastfeeding him for two years
as Allah has enjoined in many Qur'anic verses.

117
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
118
As Ahmmad narrated

96
Nothing whatsoever can be a substitution for the
mother's milk for the following reasons:
1. The temperature of the mother's milk equals the
body temperature so it is very suitable for the
baby's stomach (this is not adjustable in bottle
feeding).
2. The mother's milk provides the baby with
immunity through breastfeeding. This protects the
baby from various diseases as gastrointestinal
problems etc.
3. The components of the mother’s milk change
daily as per the needs and growth of the baby (this
is not available in bottle feeding).
4. The baby is provided with its food and
nutrients through the umbilical cord. It is digested
food with no excrements. Hence, this requires that
the baby's food after birth should be suitable to his
digestive system. This could never be supplied or
obtained except through the knowledge and
bestowment of Allah, the Creator, Exalted be He.
Furthermore, breastfeeding one's baby is cultivation of
birr (righteousness and piety) in the child, as Allah,
the Almighty, says: Verily as for those who believed
and did righteous deeds, certainly We shall not make

97
the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds
in the most perfect manner to be lost (Al-Kahf “The cave”,30).
When a mother feeds her baby from her breast she
preserves its shape and keeps it safe, because rendering
thanks to Allah for an endowment preserves it, and
thanking is by making use of it for the purpose for
which it has been created. Hence, it is protected from
diseases of our present time from which our mothers
did not suffer. Moreover, the effort the baby exerts
when breastfed benefits it in making it exercise its
facial muscles, and the muscles of the neck, and hands.
It makes it get used to making the effort in order to
fulfil needs, in contrary to bottle feeding, which
provides easy feeding and without enjoying the
mother’s warmth and affection.
Parents should bear in mind the wisdom that lies in the
saying: (treat your child playfully for seven years,
instruct him for seven years, befriend him for seven
years, then give him free rein), by then he would
become mature and responsible for himself. Besides,
parents should know that beating one's child has
nothing to do with Islamic teachings.
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Order your
children to pray when they are seven years old and
beat them (lightly) if they do not pray when they are
98
ten, and separate them from each other in the
119
beds!"
This means that children should not be beaten except
after the age of ten, and if beaten, they should be
beaten lightly, and only if they do not perform salah,
which is the pillar and main pivot of Islam.
Consequently, the child should not be beaten for
matters less significant than the performance of
praying or before reaching that age.
It is worth-mentioning in this respect that at the age of
seven, the child starts to have the ability to discern and
discriminate between what is right and what is wrong.
This ability reaches its best by the age of ten. A
mother, as well as the father, should not become bored
of bearing and lulling the child.
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, has set the
greatest example of how to inundate children with
mercy and take care of them. Abu-Qatadah said: I saw
the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, leading the people
in prayer while carrying his granddaughter, Omamah
bint-Al-‘âs, the daughter of his daughter Zainab, he

119
As Abou Dawûd narrated

99
used to put her down whenever he bowed or
120
prostrated, and pick her up again when he rose .
He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, also said: "Whenever I
start the prayer I intend to prolong it, but on hearing
the cries of a child, I cut short the prayer because I
know that the cries of the child will incite its mother's
passions"121
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "A father
never bestowed upon his son a gift better than good
122
behaviour!”
Thereupon, parents should breed their children on
righteousness, truthfulness, obedience, chivalry,
trustworthiness, cooperation, fraternity, altruism, and
all moral excellences which the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and
Peace be upon him, enjoined upon us to do. We should take

into consideration that the best upbringing of children

is the most righteous example. A son is upshot of his
father’s upbringing thereof as the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and
Peace be upon him, said: “When a human being dies, all of his

deeds are terminated except for three (i.e. types of

deeds): an ongoing sadaqah (charity), a knowledge
from which others benefit, and a righteous child who

120
As Muslim narrated
121
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
122
As At-Tirmidhi narrated

011
makes du'aa (i.e. invokes Allah to have mercy on him)
123
for him” . Righteous upbringing of children breeds
filial piety in the life of this world. Hence, when the
parents become old, they find all righteousness in their
children.
We notice that parents take great care of their children,
spend a lot of money to educate them in private
schools and give them private lessons, take them to
different clubs, and care for their clothing, but ignore
teaching them Islamic rules, which preserve them in
this life and in the Hereafter, as well as the benefit that
the parents receive in return.
Some people blame their society, scholastic system, or
evil friends, but the parents are to blame in the first
place. The child is brought up at home, and imitates his
parents, and gets the principles and ethics, whether
they are righteous or not. The parents’ responsibility is
made clear in the Prophet’s saying: "Every child is
born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but
Allah Alone) and his parents convert him to Judaism
or Christianity or Magianism"124

123
As Muslim narrated
124
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

010
Religious teachings and laws are nothing but a code of
behaviour and ethics that could be sowed in children
since early childhood.
Every father and mother should fear Allah, the
Almighty, in their children because they are but a
blessing and divine bestowment that should be
protected and preserved. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
Wealth and children are the adornment of the life of
this world. But the good righteous deeds, that last, are
better with your Lord for rewards and better in
respect of hope (Al-Kahf “The cave”,46).
Children are a trial for the parents they should bear and
succeed in upbringing them righteously; hence the
parents get great bliss in the life of this world, and
ample reward in the hereafter. On the other hand,
parents who do not succeed in upbringing their
children righteously, incur remorse in the life of this
world, and torture in the hereafter as Allah, Exalted be
He, says: Your wealth and your children are only a
trial, whereas Allâh! With Him is a great reward
(Paradise) (At-Taghâbun “Mutual Loss and Gain”,15).
The Sunnah is replete with the instructions given to the
parents to help them in bringing up their children and
in breeding them according to Islamic teachings. No
pretexts will be accepted for a negligent person who
012
ignores his role. For instance, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and
Peace be upon him, ordered the parents to separate between the

children in beds at the age of seven, and commanded

them to treat them equally when giving them gifts and
endowments; he, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Do
justice when giving a gift to your children"125
The same applies to all the issues related to the
upbringing of children where we find a Prophetic
saying, instruction or deed. That is why we should
refer to the Prophet’s Sunnah so that we could get
ample righteousness and reward in the life of this
world and the hereafter.

125
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

013
 10-Cleanliness

Cleanliness is part and parcel of faith. It adorns the

Muslim’s character as he becomes accustomed to
personal hygiene since his babyhood till it becomes
the integral part of his character and not only a
habit. Cleanliness does not only stamp his clothes,
body and surroundings but it does embellish his
manners and behavior. If we examine the teachings
of Islam, the True Religion, we will find cleanliness
occupying a large part thereof.
Ablution, for instance, is nothing but cleanliness. It
is the washing of part of the body, the part mostly
exposed to dust and pollution. Muslims are
commanded to perform ablution five times daily;
this conspicuously shows the significance of
cleanliness and personal hygiene underscored by
Islam. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“If I had not found it hard for my followers or the
people, I would have ordered them to clean their teeth
126 127
with Siwâk for every prayer” .
One day, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
passed by his companions who were performing
ablution in a hurry. They were carelessly washing
their feet to catch the prayer at its appointed time
as they were going on a journey so he addressed
them in a loud voice saying twice or thrice: “Save

126
Siwâk: A piece of branch or a root of a tree called Al-Arâk
used as a toothbrush.
127
As Al-Bukhârî and At-Tirmidhi narrated

014
 128
your heels from the fire!” . He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be
upon him, reiterated the statement to make them
perfectly wash their feet. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and
129
Peace be upon him, said: “Ablution is the half of faith” .
Moreover, Islam ordered the believers to cleanse
their private parts after defecation and urination.
Ablution is performed in a strict order which can
not be violated and is essentially the washing of
areas of the body but the genitalia are not one of the
washed areas. After defecation and or urination the
believer has to cleanse his private parts by water.
The cleaning must be thorough so that no trace of
feces or urine remain. Ablution is indicated if gas,
feces or urine escape from either of the two
openings (the anus and the meatus). Â’ishah, may Allah
be pleased with her, reported: Muslims used to come to the
mosque wearing the clothes of their trade which
might emit the foul smell of the material they used
to put on during their work so the Prophet, Allah’s
Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Why don’t you take a bath

(i.e. perform a ceremonial bath)‫”؟‬

130

The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “The
taking of a bath on Friday is compulsory for every
male (Muslim) who has attained the age of
131
puberty.” .

128
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Abu Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.
129
As At-Tirmidhi narrated.
130
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
131
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Abi Sa‘id Al-Khudrî (may Allah be
Pleased with him) said.

015
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, commanded
us to take a bath at least every Friday, trim the
nails, cleanse the inter-digital webs in the hands and
feet and remove the hair of the armpit and the
pubic hair. All these areas, as it has been
scientifically proved, are favorable for the growth
of microbes.
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, said: O children
of Adam! Take your adornment (by wearing your clean
clothes), while praying and going round (the Tawâf of)
the Ka'bah,…. (Al-A‘râf “The Heights or The Wall with Elevations”,31).
Allah ordered every Muslim to take a bath when
one is Junub (i.e. a person in a state of janabah, that
is after having sexual intercourse with his wife or
after having a sexual discharge in a wet dream) and
also on other occasions.. The same applies to the
female as she should take a ceremonial bath after
the cessation of blood discharge when menstruating
or post-natal bleeding. He also ordained that sexual
intercourses are prohibited during the woman’s
menstrual periods. Moreover, the Prophet, Allah’s
Prayers and Peace be upon him, prescribed taking a bath prior
to Ihram (intention to be on Pilgrimage or perform
‘Umra), and after the end the rites.
The order of boys’ circumcision is prescribed for
the preservation of their cleanliness. The Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, used to have with him in
every journey: a comb, a kohl bottle and scent. He
used to order men to wash their hair, comb it and
adorn themselves to their wives.
One day, a disheveled man came to the Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, so he asked him about his

016
financial status. On finding out that he was rich he
said to him: “Allah likes to see the impact of His
132
Endowments on His worshipper” .
The significance of cleanliness is emphasized by the
following verses:
…and We commanded Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and
Islmâ‘îl (Ishmael) that they should purify My House
(the Ka‘bah at Makkah) for those who are
circumambulating it, or staying (I‘tikâf), or bowing or
prostrating themselves (there, in prayer).(Al Baqarah, “The
Cow”,125).
Moreover, Allah’s order to His Prophet, Allah’s Prayers
and Peace be upon him, to purify and cleanse his clothes: O
you (Muhammad Allâh’s Prayers and Peace be upon
him) enveloped in garments!. Arise and warn!. And
magnify your Lord (Allâh)!. And purify your
garments!. And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the
idols)!.(Al-Muddaththir “The One Enveloped”,1-5).
In the time of the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
there was a black woman, who used to volunteer to
clean the mosque. The books of Islamic
jurisprudents and Seerah (i.e. the Prophet’s deeds
and sayings) did not mention her name. One day,
the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, missed her, so
he asked about her and was informed that she had
died the night before and was buried. The Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Why did you not
133
inform me?.. Show me her grave” . Although it
was a cold and rainy night, he, Allah’s prayers and peace be upon

132
As At-Termidhi narrated that ‘Amr Ibn Shoaib who heard from
his father that his grandfather (may Allah be Pleased witht them) said.
133
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

017
him, went to her grave and offered her funeral
prayer. This underscores the significance of what
that woman used to do during her lifetime. She
used to cleaning the mosque, that is the House of
Allah, and this task has been greater than any other
task in life. The preservation of the cleanliness of
Allah’s House is the duty of every Muslim. Islamic
Scholars detested eating and sleeping in mosques
except for those secluded in the mosque.
Furthermore, cleaning public roads is an obligation
Islam enjoined on us to do. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers
and Peace be upon him, said: “While a man was on the way,
he found a thorny branch of a tree there on the way
and removed it. Allah thanked him for that deed and
134
forgave him” .
Accordingly, any person who throws a thorny
branch on people’s way should be reproached.
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Anyone
who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not
135
harm his neighbor” .
Undoubtedly, the leftovers and sweepings thrown
by some people in the streets and skylights hurt
others so they would be exposed to punishment and
blame. Eventually, this leads to the spread of insects
and epidemics. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon
him, exhorted us to cover food and drink: “Cover

134
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
135
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

018
your containers and tie the mouths of the water-
136
skins”
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, prescribed
washing hands before and after eating food,
cleaning mouth, washing teeth, and perfuming
oneself, not to mention beautifying oneself. He, Allah’s
Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Eat, drink, wear clothes
and give alms without extravagance and without
137
conceit” .
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, was the best
example of cleanliness, grace and the pleasant
smell. He even abstained from eating raw garlic to
maintain his pleasant smell, and ordered his
companions not to go to the mosque after eating
such things so that not to hurt the praying Muslims.
Islam become the title of personal hygiene in the
countries Muslims invaded and the landmark of the
Muslims had been their personal hygiene, so it
propagated throughout countries and Islamic
civilization spread for cleanliness was part and
parcel of piety and civilization.

136
As Muslim narrated
137
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Ibn ‘Abbâs (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.

019
 11- Bashfulness
Bashfulness is a moral excellence that makes any
bashful person refrain from any foul or evil thing and
feel ashamed to commit any deed that would incur
Allah’s Wrath or Blame on its perpetrator. We
understand that a bashful person is somehow
predisposed to this moral excellence. This is manifest
in what the Noble Qur’an relates about Adam and Eve
when they tasted the forbidden tree and their private
parts were uncovered to them.
Then when they tasted of the tree, that which was
hidden from them of their shame (private parts)
became manifest to them and they began to cover
themselves with the leaves of Paradise (in order to
cover their shame) (Al-A‘râf “The Heights or The Wall with Elevation”,22).
Adam and Eve covered their private parts instinctively,
as these private parts were uncovered when they tasted
the forbidden tree.
Bashfulness is part and parcel of faith as the Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Faith has over seventy

aspects or over sixty aspects, the most excellent of

which is the profession that ‘there is no god but Allah,
and the humblest of which is the, removal of what is

001
injurious from the path (of people); and bashfulness is
138
an aspect of faith!”
If bashfulness augments in the heart of a person, being
manifested in his manners, this will lead to his benefit
and good. The Prophet said: “Bashfulness is laden with
all good!”139
The Prophet passed by a man from Al-Ansar who was
blaming his brother for being so bashful so the Prophet
told him: “Leave him, for Haya is (a part) of faith!”140
He also said: “Modesty is good in its entirety”141
The Prophet (Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,) highlights the
significance of bashfulness as he said: “One of the
sayings of the early Prophets which the people have
got is: If you don't feel ashamed do whatever you
like”142
One should be bashful and ashamed of incurring
Allah’s Wrath on him. Moreover, one should be
bashful of his own self; he should not do anything that
would make him ashamed of doing in front of people.
The Prophet said to his Companions: “Show
bashfulness toward Allah as you should!” His
138
As Muslim narrated
139
As Muslim narrated
140
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
141
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
142
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

000
Companions said: O Allah’s Messenger, verily, we
show bashfulness as we should, all praises and thanks
be to Allah! So, the Prophet said: “Be truly shy of
Allah, for whoever is truly shy of Allah should guard
his head and what it grasps, and his belly and what it
holds, and should remember death and perishment.
And whoever seeks the Hereafter abandons the
pleasures of this world, and whoever does that is truly
143
shy of Allah" .
Scholars explained the meaning and denotation of
bashfulness, they said: Showing bashfulness toward
Allah is by not being where He forbade you to be, and
being where He commanded you to be, and that a
Muslim should never commit anything Allah forbade
him to do, and do all acts He exhorted him to do.
[Preserving the head with all what it comprises]
means not to be preoccupied by anything that is not
your business, never spying on people or slandering
them, or using senses in anything for which they have
not been created, where the ‘head’ comprises the face
with all its senses (i.e. of seeing, hearing, smelling and
tasting in addition to the imagination and memory), for
whoever pursues people’s acts causes his own sadness.

143
As At-Tirmidhi narrated

002
Allah, Exalted be He, does not equate between
people’s mentalities, hence one should preoccupy
oneself with people’s faults and acts. The human
being’s mentality is considered part and parcel of his
sustenance.
Moreover, one should not be preoccupied with his
future. Allah, Exalted be He, says: No person knows
what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in
what land he will die (Luqmân,34). This ayah mentions
two essential things in life, these are, earning
subsistence, and death. As for means of subsistence,
Allah, Exalted be He, took upon Himself to endow all
souls therewith. He says: Allâh is He Who created
you, then provided food for you, then will cause you
to die, then (again) He will give you life (on the Day
of Resurrection) (Ar-Rûm “The Romans”,40).
Allah says to His dear Prophet: We ask not of you a
provision (i.e. to give Us something: money): We
provide for you (Tâ-Hâ,132).
Allah, the Ever-Truth, Exalted be He, states that all
provision lies in His Hand as it is ordained and
predestined. Allah says: And in the heaven is your
provision, and that which you are promised (Adh-Dhâriyât
“The Winds that Scatter”,22).

003
As for one’s lifetime and moment of death, this has
been concealed by Allah. Its appointed time and place
will never be revealed to anyone of His Creations.
Allah says: and no person knows in what land he
will die (Luqmân,34).
Allah shows explicitly that no one whosoever will
escape from it. Wheresoever you may be, death will
overtake you even if you are in fortresses built up
strong and high! (An-Nisâ’ “The Women”,78).
Also, Allah, Exalted be He, states that death is a
delayed term, and that He appoints it. Allah says;
And every nation has its appointed term; when their
term comes, neither can they delay it nor can they
advance it an hour (or a moment) (Al-A‘râf “The Heights or The
Wall with Elevation”,34).

Hence, no one should preoccupy oneself with one’s

means of subsistence or moment of death, these are
matters entrusted to Allah. Every one should exert
strenuous efforts to do righteous deeds to get prepared
for his moment of death, and contemplate Allah’s
great miracles and signs. This is manifest in Allah’s
Saying: and to Him all Command will be returned.
So worship Him and put your trust in Him; and in no
way is your Lord ever heedless of whatever you do
(Hûd “Prophet Hûd”,123).
004
A man asked the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,:
When will the Hour come? So he said: “And what did
you prepare for it?”144
Hence, he, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, showed that one
should preoccupy himself with what is enjoined upon
him to do and not with what is predestined for him.
The Qur’ânic verses blame the person who thinks
about what he should not think about, Allah says:
Nay! Man (denies Resurrection and Reckoning. So
he) desires to continue committing sins. He asks:
"When will be this Day of Resurrection? (Al-Qiyâmah “The
).
Resurrection”,5-6

It is not becoming of a person to preoccupy himself

with others’ behaviour, nor contrive schemes to harm
or intrigue them. He should not spy on them, nor
distrust them. Moreover, in order to preserve the head
and all that it comprises, a Muslim should refrain from
using his senses in doing abominable things.
Preserving the bowels and all what they contain is a
denotation that a Muslim should control his eating and
sexual desires, he should only live from lawful means.
It was narrated that Saad Ibn Abu-Waqqas said: O
Messenger of Allah, ask Allah to make my

144
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

005
supplications answered, so the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace
be upon him, told him: “Eat food obtained from lawful
means of living, and your supplication will be
answered, by Him, in Whose Hand my soul is, a man
pushes unlawful food down his throat and his deeds
are not accepted for forty days, and any man whose
flesh has grown from eating unlawful things and Riba
145
(usury), then Hellfire has the best claim for him!”
Moreover, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
highlighted the fact that whoever eats up illicit gains
will have the gates of heaven closed in his face, he
said: “O people, Allah is good and does not accept
anything but good, and He has ordered mankind to do
what He has ordered His Messengers and said: O
(you) Messengers! Eat of the Tayyibât [all kinds of
Halâl (lawful) foods (meat of slaughtered eatable
animals, milk products, fats, vegetables, fruits, etc.]
and do righteous deeds. Verily! I am
Well-Acquuainted with what you do. (Almu’minûn,
"TheBelievers", 51). And He said: O you who believe (in the

Oneness of Allah-Islâmic Monotheism)! Eat of the

lawful things that We have provided you with (Al-
Baqarah, "The Cow", 172 ). Then he, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,

145
As At-Tabarâni narrated

006
mentioned “You see the man, traveling for long,
disheveled, dust-covered, raises his hands to heaven
saying: ‘O my Lord! O my Lord!’ while his food is
unlawfully earned, his drink is unlawfully earned, his
clothing is unlawfully earned, and is fed from
unlawfully earned food, how will his invocation be
146
answered?!”
Guarding one’s private parts is among the most
significant issues Allah warns us against as He says:
Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from
looking at forbidden things), and protect their private
parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for
them. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do. And
tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from
looking at forbidden things), and protect their private
parts (from illegal sexual acts) (An-Nûr “ The Lights”,30-31).
Allah, Exalted be He, praises those who obey His
Orders and guard their chastity as He says: And those
who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from
illegal sexual acts) except from their wives or (the
slaves) that their right hands possess, - for then, they
are free from blame; (Al-Mu’minûn “The Believers”,5-6).

146
As Muslim narrated

007
It is noteworthy that the two verses were repeated in
(Al-Maarij. "The Ways of Ascent" 29,30). This emphasizes the
significance of guarding one’s chastity as lineages are
guarded therewith. In addition, many Qur’ânic verses
prohibit adultery and whatever leads to it, and warn
and threaten Allah’s slaves of the most severe torture.
As for the mention of death and perishing, it was said:
“Whoso seeks an admonisher will find death a
sufficing one!” Remembering death protects one from
commiting anything that would exasperate Allah.
Rememberinng death and all what comes in its wake
are chief among the blessings and boons Allah endows
His worshippers with. Allah says: And remember
Our slaves, Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Ishâq (Isaac), and
Ya‘qûb (Jacob), (all) owners of strength (in
worshipping Us) and (also) of religious
understanding. Verily, We did choose them by
granting them (a good thing, - i.e.) the remembrance
of the Home [in the Hereafter and they used to make
the people remember it, and also they used to invite
the people to obey Allâh and to do good deeds for the
Hereafter]. (Sâd,45-46).
The Prophet’s words remembering death and perishing
reminds us of the cessation of being, and remembering
this convinces everyone of the fact that everything
008
whatsoever will perish and cease to be, hence, one will
never adhere to the vanities of life. One’s body will
perish with all what has been eaten during one’s
lifetime on earth, and all what one has put on in this
world will cease to be and worn out. Allah says:
Whatsoever is on it (the earth) will perish.And the
Face of your Lord full of Majesty and Honour will
remain forever. (Ar-Rahmân “The Most Gracious”,26-27).
Remembering death and how all creations will cease
to be makes the human being remember his standing
before Allah on Doomsday as he will be called to
reckoning regarding all the deeds he has done, means
of subsistence, ways of expenditures, and how he
depleted his youth. Hence, one feels too ashamed to
find his answers shameful and degrading on
Doomsday.
Showing bashfulness towards people means that your
behaviour and words would not make them
embarrassed or hurt their feelings. It was reported that
the Prophet never faced anyone with anything that he
disliked. Verily, he was more bashful than a veiled
virgin. Moreover, he used to say: “Bashfulness is part

009
of faith and faith is in paradise; and indecency is part
147
of antipathy and antipathy is in hell!”
Moreover, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
148
“Whoso shows no bashfulfulness has no faith!”
Showing no bashfulness toward people is considered
one of the main causes of the prevalence of sins and
speaking out about them. The Prophet warned those
who lack bashfulness by saying: "All the sins of my
followers will be forgiven except those of the
Mujahirin (those who commit a sin openly or disclose
149
their sins to the people)" .
Those who show bashfulness toward people and hide
their sins from them might be closer to Allah’s
Forgiveness, while those who speak out about their
sins are deprived of Allah’s Forgiveness and are
subject to scandals and shame.
A Muslim should abstain to see people’s private parts
and forbid his from being seen by people. Women,
who show no bashfulness and reveal parts of their
bodies which they should cover and veil, are
threatened to be deprived of paradise or even smelling
its scent. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:

147
As At-Tirmidhi narrated
148
As Ibn Aboû Ed-Dûnia narrated
149
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

021
“There are two kinds of the dwellers in Hell I have
never seen yet. Women (who are) seemingly dressed
yet, in fact, they are undressed, deviated, and persuade
others (i.e. other women) to stray, their heads are
similar to the humps of camels, they don’t enter
Paradise or even come close to it; and men who have
whips similar to cows' tails, they beat people
therewith.”150
Also, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Any
woman, who perfumes herself and passes by people so
that they smell her scent, will be (considered) an
151
adulteress!”
The word “adultery” here is metaphoric in order to
warn and threaten the bealievers and forbid female
believers to wear make-up and adorn themselves. Ibn-
`Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) said: Verily, I saw
nothing that is more similar to minor sins than what
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and
Peace be upon him, said: "Allah has written for Adam's son his

share of adultery which he commits inevitably. The

adultery of the eyes is the sight (to gaze at a forbidden
thing), the adultery of the tongue is the talk, and the

150
As Ahmmad narrated
151
As Aboû Dawûd narrated

020
inner self wishes and desires and the private parts
testify all this or deny it"152
We see obscene scenes and bad attitudes and ill-
behaviour in the streets and in the media that harm
people’s honour and denote lack of bashfulness. All
this exposes the whole Islamic nation to perils and
dangers in the life of this world by being distracted
from work and commit grave sins. Then it is exposed
to the wrath of Allah, al-Jabbar (the Superb
Potentate).
In fact, Allah, the Almighty, annihilated the people of
Lot because they committed their sins not only secretly
but openly and publicly in their assemblies as the
Noble Qur’ân relates:
Verily, you practise sodomy with men, and rob the
wayfarer (travellers)! And practise Al-Munkar
(disbelief and polytheism and every kind of evil
wicked deed) in your meetings (Al-‘Ankabût “The Spider”,29).
Those in charge should fear Allah, the Almighty,
concerning what is broadcast in the mass media, where
parents cannot prevent their children from watching,
thus their effort in teaching their children good morals
and ethics goes in vain. It is known that when shameful

152
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

022
sins and illegal sexual relations prevail in a society, it
will be annihilated by Allah Who inundates them with
hardships and blights, diseases and epidemics. The
inhabitants of this society will be deprived of blessings
in their subsistence and they will be afflicted with
famine. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“Never have shameful relations become prevalent in a
society and publicly talked about, but blight and pains
that were not known in previous generations spread;
and never have they given short measure or weight,
but were punished with years of drought, tough living,
and treated unjustly by their rulers; and never have
they refused to pay Zakah, but rain became rare, and
was it not for the livestock they would have had no
rain; and never have they broken their covenant with
Allah and His Messenger, but Allah gave to their
enemy power over them to take what was in their
hands; and unless their leaders judge by that which
Allah has revealed or if they chose what to take from
Allah’s Revelation (and Divine Rulings), Allah will
153
make great enmity among them" .
As for showing bashfulness toward one’s self, it means
never committing what you feel ashamed of, if seen by

153
As Ibn Magâh narrated

023
other people. You should feel the same feeling toward
your acts, whether they are comitted openly or
secretly.
In fact, Al-Birr (piety and righteousness) is what the
heart and breast are content and confident about, and
you like to have people witness, whereas Al-Ithm
(vice) is what wavers in your soul and you feel
discomforted about and you dislike to have people find
out about.
Moreover, bashfulness toward oneself includes that
you should not forbid people to do anything while you
commit it, it has been said: Do not forbid an act while
you do it, for if you do, it is a great shame. Allah, the
Almighty, says: Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and
righteousness and each and every act of obedience to
Allâh) on the people and you forget (to practise it)
yourselves, while you recite the Scripture [the Taurât
(Torah)]! Have you then no sense? (Al-Baqarah “The
Cow”,44).

Furthermore, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,

said: "A man will be brought on the Day of
Resurrection and thrown in the (Hell) Fire, so that his
intestines will come out, and he will go around like a
donkey goes around a millstone. The people of (Hell)
Fire will gather around him and say: O so-and-so!
024
What is wrong with you? Didn't you use to order us to
do good deeds and forbid us to do bad deeds? He will
reply: Yes, I used to order you to do good deeds, but I
did not do them myself, and I used to forbid you to do
154
bad deeds, yet I used to do them myself"
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, taught us how to
be bashful when one is alone with his wife by saying:
"If anyone of you has sexual intercourse with his wife,
let him cover himself, and not be naked the way the
155
(two) camels do" .
Â’ishah narrated that the Prophet was sitting with his
thigh exposed, then Abu Bakr sought permission to
enter upon the Prophet and the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and
Peace be upon him, allowed him in and stayed as he was, then

Umar sought permission to enter and he, Allah’s Prayers and

Peace be upon him, allowed him in and stayed as he was,

then`Uthman Ibn-Affan sought permission to enter

upon the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, so the
Prophet covered himself with his clothes. When they
left, Â’ishah said: Abu-Bakr and ‘Umar asked for
permission to enter and you let them in without
changing your stance but when ‘Uthan asked to come

154
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
155
As Ibn Magâh narrated

025
in you covered yourself?! So he, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon
him, said: “Wouldn’t I be bashful from a person from
156
whom, by Allah, the angels are bashful” .
Bashfulnes is a merit in all matters except in matters of
religion. It should not hinder a person from seeking
knowledge about his religion. Um Sulaym came to the
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, and asked him: O
Allah's Messenger, Allah is not shy of the truth, is a
woman obliged to perform Ghusl (ritual washing
required in Islam for various rituals and prayers) if she
has a wet dream? The Prophet replied: "Yes, if she sees
157
the (white) discharges” So Um Salamah (may Allah be
pleased with her) covered her face [out of shyness] and asked:
Oh, you scandalized women! But the Prophet, Allah’s
Prayers and Peace be upon him, did not reprimand the woman for

her question. Moreover a woman asked the Prophet,

Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, how to perform Tahara (ritual

purification) after menses and the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and

Peace be upon him, answered her question without
reprimanding her.
To show and underscore the significance of
bashfulness and the danger of abandoning it the

156
As Ahmmad narrated
157
As Muslim narrated

026
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Verily, if Allah
wills to annihilate any of His slaves, He deprives him
of bashfulness, and when He deprives him of
bashfulness, you find him abominable and hateful. So
when you find him abominable and hated, the trust will
be taken away from him. Whenever the trust is taken
away from him, you will find him treacherous and
distrusted; so when you find him but treacherous and
distrusted, the mercy will be taken away from him, you
will find him cursed and damned; so when you find
him but cursed and damned, the most binding
158
handhold of Islam will be taken away from him!”

158
As Ibn-Magâh narrated

027
 12-Modesty and Humility to Allah
Modesty means to express just the opinion you deserve
without ever magnifying or lowering yourself; a
believer is neither haughty nor mean. Modesty is part
and parcel of the moral excellence of messengers of
Allah; the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“Allâh exalts in rank anyone who humbles himself to
159
Him a grade”.
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “A charity
never decreases money; Allâh exalts a modest man’s
dignity and anyone who humbles himself to Allâh is
160
exalted in rank by Him”.
…And lower your wings for the believers (be
courteous to the fellow-believers).(Al-Hijr “The Rocky Tract”,88).
And be kind and humble to the believers who follow
you.(Ash-Shu‘arâ “The Poets”,215).
Modesty is the embellishment of great believers and
scholars; The great Imam Abuhanifa Alnuman
exemplifies this for despite he was conversant with
Shariâ and the greatest Imam and the leader of the
doctrine adopted by lots of Muslims, he went on

159
As Muslim narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.
160
As Muslim narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.

028
pilgrimage to visit Allah’s Sacred House (The most
Sacred Mosque in Makkah) and after finishing stoning
the devil he went to hairdresser to shave his head;
Abuhanifa Alnuman related to us what had occurred
between the two of them:
Before having my head shaved I asked him
how much I should pay for him. But he said:
Do not set any conditions between us for this is
but a rite! Then I sat down for the hairdresser
who asked me to turn my face to the Kiblah
and so did I, I gave him the left side of my
head but he said: Give me the right side of
your head for the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
had always preferred to start with the right side
of everything and so did I!.. I sat still but the
man told me: Remember Allah for you are on
pilgrimage! And so did I! After having my
head shaved, I stood up and turned away to
leave but the man said: Pray to Allah and so
did I.
All this underscores the greatness of Abuhanifa’s
modesty for he did not feel ashamed to relate such a
story to people making as excellent exemplar of
himself.

029
One of the best examples of modesty in Holy Qur’an is
(Sulaimân) Solomon’s story, Allah’s Peace upon him, who was
bestowed with knowledge, and had been taught the
speech of birds and was given all necessary
knowledge. Allah constrained to (Sulaimân)
Solomon's service hosts of jinn, men and birds, the
fierce wind which blew at his bidding towards the land
which Allah had blessed:-
And there were gathered before Sulaimân
(Solomon) his hosts of jinn and men, and birds, and
they all were set in battle order (marching forward).
Till, when they came to the valley of the ants, one of
the ants said: O ants! Enter your dwellings, lest
Sulaimân (Solomon) and his hosts should crush you,
while they perceive not. So he [Sulaimân (Solomon)]
smiled, amused at her speech and said: My Lord!
Inspire me and bestow upon me the power and ability
that I may be grateful for Your Favours which You
have bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I
may do righteous good deeds that will pleased You,
and admit me by Your Mercy among Your righteous
slaves. (An-Naml “The Ants”,17-19).
Hence he humbled himself to Allah and did not exhibit
pride and haughtiness with regard to this bliss, that is,

031
his ability to comprehend the speech of ants (Al-Naml)
while he was in such a great host.
Another situation is when he missed the
hoopoe (hudhud) while reviewing the birds, so
he threatened them yet he put some excuses for
that hoopoe (hudhud):
He inspected the birds, and said: What is the matter
that I see not the hoopoe? Or is he among the
absentees?. (An-Naml “The Ants”,20).. Have a look at his
conversation with hoopoe (hudhud)..
Shortly after, hoopoe (hudhud) appeared and
said:But the hoopoe stayed not long: he
(came up and) said: I have grasped (the
knowledge of a thing) which you have not
grasped and I have come to you from Saba’
(sheba) with true news.(An-Naml “The Ants”,22).
Hudhud's words indicate his boldness for only

fair and just kings can permit their subjects

say: …We shall see whether you speak the

truth or you are (one) of the liars.(An-Naml “The

Ants”,27).

030
Notice that Solomon has mentioned (the truth)

before (thou art a liar) as if humbling himself

to Hudhud; as if Solomon abstained form

accusing Hudhud without having proven

evidences. More astonishingly, Solomon

charged Hudhud to go to the queen and bring

news from her and did not select anyone other

than that same Hudhud.

Go you with this letter of mine, and deliver it to

them, then draw back from them, and see what
(answer) they return.(An-Naml “The Ants”,28).
When Bilqis’s throne was set before him in the
twinkling of an eye, he humbled himself to Allah and
didn't exhibit pride over that episode unprecedented in
history.. and his great modesty is best exemplified in
the Qur’anic verse: …Then when he [Suliamân
(Solomon)] saw it placed before him, he said: This is
by the Grace of my Lord –to test me whether I am

032
grateful or ungrateful! And whoever is grateful,
truly, his gratitude is for (the good of) his ownself;
and whoever is ungrateful, (he is ungrateful only for
the loss of his ownself). Certainly my Lord is Rich
(Free of all needs), Bountiful.(An-Naml “The Ants”,40).
When Allah brought the assignment of (Yûsuf)
Joseph, Allah’s Peace upon him, to a position of authority in the
land and his brethren, who contrived stratagem against
him, came to him during the period of famine and
presented themselves before him, while they were in
earnest need of provision, he said them: …No
reproach on you this day; may Allâh forgive you, and
He is the Most Merciful of those who show
mercy!.(Yûsuf “Prophet Joseph”,92).
My Lord! You have indeed bestowed on me of the
sovereignty, and taught me something of the
interpretation of dreams –the (only) Creator of the
heavens and the earth! You are my Walî (Protector,
Helper, Supporter, Guardian, God, Lord.) in this
world and in the Hearafter. Cause me to die as a
Muslim (the one submitting to Your Will), and join
me with the righteous.(Yûsuf “Prophet Joseph”,101).
Our Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, was the best
exemplar of modesty, for he used to sit with poor
Muslims like: Bilal, Suhib, khabbab, may Allah be Pleased with
033
 and eat with them for Allah, Praise and Glory be to
them,

Him, said:And keep yourself (O Muhammad, Allâh’s

Prayers and Peace be upon him,) patiently with those
who call on their Lord ( i.e. your companions who
remember their Lord with glorification, praising in
prayers, and other righteous deeds) morning and
afternoon, seeking His Face; and let not your eyes
overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the
life of the world; and obey not him whose heart We
have made heedless of Our Remembrance, and who
follows his own lusts, and whose affair (deeds) has
been lost.(Al-Kahf “The Cave”,28).
And when he set up his mosque, he Allah;s Prayers and Peace be
him, used to convey stones with his Companions; one of

his Companions said: We used to carry stones one by

one, but the Messenger of Allah, Allah;s Prayers and Peace be him,
used to carry them two by two!.
Moreover, on digging a ditch around Makkah Muslims
exerted strenuous efforts and the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and
Peace be upon him, used to dig with them with his own hand.

Furthermore, when he started on a journey, and felt

hungry on his way he brought an ewe one of the
Companions said: I will slaughter and skin it. and
another one said: And I'll chop and roast it so the
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “And I'll gather
034
fire-wood!”.. Henceforth it is evident that the Prophet,
Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, had selected the most rough

task for himself.

‘Âishâ, may Allah be Pleased with her, said: The Prophet, Allah's Prayers
and Peace be upon him, used to help his wives mending his shoe,

patching his garment and feeding his stallion!.

His Companions took after him. For example,
Abu bakr, may Allah be Pleased with him, related that, one
day, while milking ewes for some maids and
when he was appointed a Caliphate they said:
He won't do it again yet they came to their
astonishment. Examples of the Companions’,
modesty are uncountable. Remember Huzaifa,
the leader of conquests in Persia who was
called: (The knower of the Prophet's secrets)
This man, Huzaifa was appointed a ruler on
Mada'in, the great Persian city; he was
welcomed by processions of people, yet he
entered the gates of the Principality alone
riding a donkey, with a crumb of bread with a
little salt in one hand.. So they asked him:
What would you order us? He answered: I
want provender for my donkey! They said:
Advice us O Companion of the Prophet! He
said: Beware of gates of trial! They asked him:
035
What do you mean by gates of trial? He
answered: Gates of Princes, you used to be
admitted into their presence and try to believe
their lies, eulogize and praise excellences
really not innate in them.
Modesty was the moral excellence of late
Imams; none of them felt vainglorious about
their knowledge, or wealth among them is
Abdel Rahman Ibn Aouf, may Allah be Pleased with him, who
was the most wealthy of all the Companions,
and among the ten promised to enter Paradise;
his Companions said: People of Madînah are
partners in his money: He gives them one third
of it as charity, and lends them the second third
then grant them the rest as gifts.
True is the word of the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon
him, as he said: "He used to keep himself busy serving

his family and when it was the time for prayer he

161
would go for it"

161
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

036
 13- Chastity

Chastity is the trait of the Messengers, Prophets and

righteous people. There are various degrees of Iffah
(chastity, virtuousness, and abstinence from
committing sins). Some people refrain from
committing the forbidden, and it is a degree of piety;
others abstain from doing doubtful things, and it is a
degree of devoutness; while others refrain from the
lawful, and it is a degree of asceticism.
Allah, Exalted be He, commanded the orphans’
guardians to abstain from devouring the orphans’
money, so they should not take anything in return of
their guardianship but in case they are poor they should
have for themselves what is just and reasonable. Allah,
the Almighty, says: And try orphans (as regards
their intelligence) until they reach the age of
marriage; if then you find sound judgement in them,
release their property to them, but consume it not
wastefully and hastily fearing that they should grow
up, and whoever (amongst guardians) is rich, he
should take no wages, but if he is poor, let him have
for himself what is just and reasonable (according to
his labour). And when you release their property to

037
them, take witness in their presence; and Allâh is All-
Sufficient in taking account (An-Nisâ’ “The women”,6).
Furthermore, Allah, Exalted be He, praised the poor
who, despite their dire need, abstain from begging.
Allah, the Almighty, says: (Charity is) for Fuqarâ
(the poor), who in Allâh’s Cause are restricted (from
travel), and cannot move about in the land (for trade
or work). The one who knows them not, thinks that
they are rich because of their modesty. You may
know them by their mark, they do not beg of people at
all. And whatever you spend in good, surely, Allâh
knows it well (Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,273). Although their
extreme hunger showed on their faces, nevertheless
they did not beg of people at all, no matter how they
were suffering from hunger.
There are many examples of abstinence from taking
people’s money in the Noble Qur’an. What happened
with Solomon is an example of this, he received gifts
from the Queen of Sheba and abstained from taking
them as the Noble Qur’an related this as: But verily! I
am going to send him a present, and see with what
(answer) the messengers return. So when (the
messengers with the present) came to Sulaimân
(Solomon), he said: "Will you help me in wealth?
What Allâh has given me is better than that which He
038
has given you! Nay, you rejoice in your gift! (An-Naml
“The Ants”,35-36).

In fact, every Messenger and Prophet said to his

people: No reward do I ask of you for it (my
Message of Islâmic Monotheism); my reward is only
from the Lord of the ‘Âlamîn (mankind, jinn and all
that exists) (Ash-Shu‘arâ “The Poets”,109-127-145-164-180).
It was narrated that when Omar Ibn-Abd Al-Aziz (who
is regarded as the fifth rightly-guided Caliph) was
appointed a Caliph, he asked his wife to choose
between staying with him and live a poor life, and give
up her jewelry and possessions to the Muslims’ Public
Treasury, and getting a divorce and keep all her
possessions. She chose to stay with her husband and
gave up to the Muslims’ Public Treasury all what her
father (who was one of the previous Caliphs) had
presented to her.
Omar’s first act after assuming office was that he
ordered all his Ummayyad relatives to give all the gifts
and donations (endowed to them by the previous
Caliph) to the Muslims’ Public Treasury. So his aunt
came to him and said: O my nephew, you have nothing
to do with what your predecessor did! If what he did
was right, you are forbidden to take your family’s
money; and if what he did was wrong you are not
039
responsible for another person’s wrong deed. But
Omar refused and insisted that they obey, so his aunt
threatened him and said: O my son, I am afraid one
day the Ummayyads will conspire against you! But he
said: My aunt, may Allah give me no refuge from the
evil of any day I fear other than the Day of
Resurrection!
One of his contemporaries said: Omar Ibn-Abd Al-
Aziz was stout, living a luxurious life before becoming
a Caliph, but when he was appointed, his affairs
changed, by Allah, he became so slim, that I could
have counted his ribs.
One night, one of the ministers came to Omar Ibn-Abd
Al-Aziz to discuss some state affairs, when he finished
he started talking about personal matters, at that Omar
asked him to wait for a moment while he extinguished
the lamp and lit another. The minister was surprised
and said: the one you extinguished was all right, why
did you put it out and light another? The Caliph
replied: The oil in the lamp I extinguished is taken
from the Muslims’ Public Treasury that is why I
discussed with you the state affairs in its light. When
we discussed private affairs, I extinguished it and lit
another lamp, the oil of which is bought with my own
money.
041
This is an example of the rulers’ devoutness and
abstinence to take any of the state’s money. Omar Ibn-
Abd Al-Aziz was following the example of his
grandfather Omar Ibn-al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him).
Zayd Ibn-Aslam reported that his father said: People
were struck by a year of drought and the price of
cooking butter was high, Omar, may Allah be pleased
with him, who was used to it refrained from eating it
and said: I will not eat it until people do. He ate oil till
his stomach twitched, he said: Twitch as you may, you
will not taste cooking butter till people do! And
162
ordered Zaid to break its tang by cooking .
Omar Ibnl-Khattab was following the example of Abu
Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who told ‘Âisha, when he
was in the throes of death: We have a she-camel that
we milked for food, a pot that we used for our morning
meal, and garments that we wore, we made use of
them as long as we were attending to state affairs of
the Muslims, but when I die take them back to ‘Umar.
So when he died she sent them to ‘Umar who said: O
Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with you, you
163
wearied you successor!

162
As Al-Bayhaqî narrated
163
As At-Tabarâni narrated

040
They were all following the example of the Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, as ‘Âisha said: The Prophet,

, never ate barley-bread for two

Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him
164
consecutive days to his fill, till he passed away!
‘Urwah Ibn Al-Zubair narrated that she also said: We
used to see the crescent (i.e. of the lunar month), then
the next, then the next and no cooking fire used to be
ignited in a house of Muhammad, so I asked my aunt:
Then what was your food? She said: The two black
things: dates and water. Moreover, the Prophet, Allah’s
Prayers and Peace be upon him, used to tie a stone over his stomach
165
out of severe hunger .
There is another type of seeking ‘Effah and that is,
chastity and abstinence from any unlawful relation
with women. An example of this is the story of Yusuf,
(may Allah be pleased with him) when the wife of Al-`Aziz tried to
seduce him so he said as the Noble Qur’an related: I
seek refuge in Allâh (or Allâh forbid)! Truly, he
(your husband) is my master! He made my living in a
great comfort! (So I will never betray him). Verily,
the Zâlimûn (wrong and evil-doers) will never be
successful (Yûsuf “Prophet Joseph”,23).

164
As At-Tirmidhi narrated
165
As Ahmmad narrated

042
When the elite women in the city gathered against him
and threatened him that they would imprison him if he
did not respond to them, he said as the Noble Qur’an
related: O my Lord! Prison is dearer to me than that
to which they invite me. Unless You turn away their
plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be
one (of those who commit sin and deserve blame or
those who do deeds) of the ignorant (Yûsuf “Prophet
Joseph”,33).

There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade

on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade:
among them is a man who refuses the call of a
charming woman of noble birth for an illegal sexual
166
intercourse with her and says: I am afraid of Allah
When Allah’s Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
established the bond of fraternity between `Abdul-
Rahman Ibn-`Awf and Sa`d Ibn Ar-Rabî`, Sa`d said to
`Abdul-Rahman among what he said: Half the money I
have is yours, and I have two wives, choose from them
the one you like best and I’ll divorce her so that you
can marry her after she finishes her prescribed period
167
of divorce (i.e. ‘Idda) . But ‘Abdul-Rahman said:

166
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
167
As Ahmmad narrated

043
May Allah bless your family and property for you; but
tell me where the market is! So he went there and tried
to earn gains on his own. When the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers
and Peace be upon him, knew what ‘Abdul-Rahman had done,

he rejoiced and asked Allah, the Almighty, to endow

him with His Blessings.
Allah, Exalted be He, answered His Prophet’s prayers
and ‘Abdul-Rahman became one of the richest men of
Medinah until he said: By Allah, I found that
whenever I raised a stone, I would hope to find gold or
168
silver .
He meant that Allah, the Almighty, provided him with
his subsistence and endowments from source) he never
could imagine.
True is the saying of the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon
him, as he said: "The upper hand is better than the lower

hand (i.e. he who gives in charity is better than him

who takes it). One should start giving first to his
dependents. And the best object of charity is that which
is given by a wealthy person (from the money which is
left after his expenses). And whoever abstains from
asking others for some financial help, Allah will give

168
As Ahmmad narrated

044
him and save him from asking others, Allah will make
169
him self-sufficient."
A woman should keep herself chaste and cover her
body in the manner Allah has ordered her to do, and
170
never show her adornment except to a Mahram
(close relative) because Allah, Exalted be He, orders
and commands all women, even the old ones, to so so,
as He says: And as for women past child-bearing
who do not expect wed-lock, it is no sin on them if
they discard their (outer) clothing in such a way as
not to show their adornment. But to refrain (i.e. not
to discard their outer clothing) is better for them. And
Allâh is All-Hearer, All-Knower (An-Nûr “The Light”,60).

169
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
170
Mahram: A man, whom a woman can never marry because of
close relationship (e.g. a brother, a father, an uncle); or her own
husband.

045
 14- Trustworthiness

Al-Amânah denotes the quality of being trustworthy, as

well as whatever a person is entrusted with, whether it
is an object, secrets or information.
The person's advisor is entrusted with his secrets. The
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "The advisor is
171
trustworthy!" The same applies to the diseases and
all that afflicts people with which the physician is
entrusted with, and he is not entitled to disclose them.
Moreover, all the monies or products one entrusts a
person with are trusts that should be kept and
preserved till he requests them.
The person's organs and limbs are all trusts he should
preserve, he will be questioned by Allah of his
hearing, sight, and heart on the Day of Resurrection
and Allah has commanded His slaves to preserve His
Trust.
Allah, the Almighty, commands His slaves to preserve
the trust and render it back to those to whom they are
due. Allah, the Almighty, says: Verily! Allâh
commands that you should render back the trusts to
those to whom they are due; and that when you judge

171
As At-Tirmidhi narrated

046
between men, you judge with justice. Verily, how
excellent is the teaching which He (Allâh) gives you!
Truly, Allâh is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer (An-Nisâ “The
women”,58).

Moreover, Allah, the Almighty, says: O you who

believe! Betray not Allâh and His Messenger, nor
betray knowingly your Amânât (things entrusted to
you, and all the duties which Allâh has ordained for
you) (Al-Anfâl “The Spoils of War”,27).
Rendering back the trusts does not depend on the
trustworthiness and honesty of those who entrusted
you but depends mainly on your trustworthiness and
honesty as a true Muslim who should be adorned with
honesty and all sublimity and integrity. The Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Render back the trust to

the one who entrusted it to you, and betray not those

172
who betrayed you!"
Before the Revelation, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be
upon him, was adorned with this moral excellence to the

extent that his people called him al-Amin (the Honest).

When he immigrated to Medinah, he asked ‘Ali Ibn-
Abû Talib to stay in Makkah to pay deposits to their

172
As At-Tirmidhi narrated

047
qualified owners, though they were obdurate
disbelievers who harmed him and his Companions.
The trust is a grave issue as Allah says: Truly, We did
offer Al-Amânah (the trust or moral responsibility o
honesty and all the duties which Allâh has ordained)
to the heavens and the earth, and the mountains, but
they declined to bear it and were afraid of it (i.e.
afraid of Allâh’s Torment). But man bore it. Verily,
he was unjust (to himself) and ignorant (of its
results). (Al-Ahzâb “The Confederates”,72).
There are many kinds of Trusts, as the Trust of the
Word, the Trust of the narration, the Trust of
Knowledge, the Trust of the Call to Allah, the Trust of
having transactions with people in different aspects (as
trade, industry, agriculture, etc.)
A trustworthy person should be faithful and sincere.
Allah, the Almighty, has called Jibrîl (Gabriel) "the
Trustworthy" because he was entrusted with the divine
Revelation with which he descended on Allah's
Messengers. He never disclosed to anyone save them
and revealed it to them without adding anything
thereto, or deleting anything from it and without
distorting or altering it. Allah, the Almighty, says:
Which the Trustworthy Rûh [Jibrîl (Gabriel)] has
brought down (Ash-Shu‘arâ “The Poets”,193). And Allah,
048
Exalted be He, says: Obeyed (by the angels in the
heavens), and trustworthy (At-Takwîr “Wound Round and Lost its
).
Light”,21

Moreover, every Messenger is trustworthy, as they

were entrusted with divine Messages, which they
delievred to their peoples without expecting any
reward from them, and despite the hardships they
encountered. Allah, the Almighty, has described His
Messengers and attributed trustworthiness to them by
saying: When their brother Nûh (Noah) said to
them: "Will you not fear Allâh and obey Him? "I am
a trustworthy Messenger to you (Ash-Shu‘arâ “The Poets”,106-
107).

When their brother Hûd said to them: "Will you not

fear Allâh and obey Him? "Verily I am a trustworthy
Messenger to you. (Ash-Shu‘arâ “The Poets”,124-125).
When their brother Sâlih said to them: "Will you
not fear Allâh and obey Him? "I am a trustworthy
Messenger to you. (Ash-Shu‘arâ “The Poets”,142-134).
When their brother Lût (Lot) said to them: "Will
you not fear Allâh and obey Him? "Verily I am a
trustworthy Messenger to you (Ash-Shu‘arâ “The Poets”,161-162).
When Shu‘aib said to them: "Will you not fear
Allâh (and obey Him)? "I am a trustworthy
Messenger to you (Ash-Shu‘arâ “The Poets”,177-178).
049
And indeed We tried before them Fir‘aun’s
(Pharaoh) people, when there came to them a noble
Messenger [i.e. Mûsâ (Moses)], Saying: "Deliver to
me the slaves of Allâh (i.e. the Children of Israel).
Verily, I am to you a Messenger worthy of all trust
(Ad-Dukhân “The Smoke”,17-18).
I convey unto you the Messages of my Lord, and I
am a trustworthy adviser (or well-wisher) for you (Al-
).
A‘râf “The Heights or The Wall with Elevations”,68

Just as trustworthiness is the attribute of the

Mesengers, it is the attributte of the rigteous and pious
slaves of Allah, in all times and places, whether these
173
slaves of Allah are men or Jinns . The Noble Qur'an
relates what the ‘Ifrît (strong one from the Jinn) said to
Solomon when he asked the chiefs of his slaves to
bring him Builqis' throne before they come to him
surrendering themselves in obedience
A ‘Ifrît (strong one) from the jinn said: "I will bring
it to you before you rise from your place (council).
And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy for
such work (An-Naml “The Ants”,39).

173
Jinn: A creation created by Allah from fire, like human beings
from dust, and angels from light.

051
Shu'aib's daughter described Moses (may Allah be pleased with
him) before he was sent as Allah's Messenger as,

And said one of them (the two women): "O my

father! Hire him! Verily, the best of men for you to
hire is the strong, the trustworthy (Al-Qasas “The
Narration”,26).

The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, was so

trustworthy and faithful in delievering Allah's Divine
Message, that ‘Âish'a (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Had
Muhammad concealed any part of the divine
revelation, he would have concealed Allah's Saying:
But you did hide in yourself (i.e. what Allah has
already made known to you that He will give her to
you in marriage) that which Allah will make
manifest, you did fear the people (i.e., their saying
that Muhammad married the divorced wife of his
manumitted slave) whereas Allâh had a better right
174
that you should fear Him (Al-Ahzâb “The Confederates”,37).
It is really frightening that the Trust will be raised from
earth among ten jewels Jibrîl (Gabriel) will raise
before the Hour is established as the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers
and Peace be upon him, said: "A man will go to sleep whereupon

honesty will be taken away from his heart, and only its

174
As At-Tirmidhi narrated

050
trace will remain, resembling the traces of fire. He
then will sleep whereupon the remainder of the honesty
will also be taken away (from his heart) and its trace
will resemble a blister which is raised over the surface
of skin, when an ember touches one's foot; and in fact,
this blister does not contain anything. So there will
come a day when people will deal in business with
each other but there will hardly be any trustworthy
persons among them. Then it will be said that in such-
and-such a tribe there is such-and-such person who is
honest, and a man will be admired for his intelligence,
good manners and strength, though indeed he will not
175
have belief equal to a mustard seed in his heart."
A true Muslim should watch all his deeds with Allah,
and when treating people. Also, he should observe his
deeds with himself so that trustworthiness would be
attributed to him in all his affairs and in order to
protect himself against Allah's Hatred. Allah, the
Almighty, says: Certainly Allâh likes not the
treacherous (Al-Anfâl “The Spoils of War”,58).
There are types of trusts all of which we should keep
and preserve to be a divine light that lights the road of

175
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

052
life to everyone in all trusts one will be questioned by
Allah of them.
1- The Trust of Knowledge: Knowledge is a divine
blessing and boon Allah bestows upon those He would
choose of His slaves. Whoso is endowed knowledge by
Allah and is blessed with the ability to call people to
Allah, enjoining Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism
and all that Islâm orders one to do) and forbidding
Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islâm
has forbidden), should preserve this blessing by
continuous reading and studying. Moreover, he should
abstain from being partial or biased to a certain
opinion, and finding the truth should be his main aim.
He should also be lenient and gentle with those whom
he is educating, adorning his knowledge with
forbearance. In addition, he should be trustworthy in
conveying knowledge and attribute it to its original
sources, without ever denying his mentors' graces. One
should attribute the knowledge to its source and watch
well all what one says and narrates of the Prophet's
sayings. In fact, the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
said: "Lying in my name is unlike lying in the name of

053
any other. So whoever purposely lies in my name, let
176
him occupy his place in the Fire (of Hell)."
He should abstain from twisting the meanings of the
Qur'anic verses to prove his opinion, and refrain from
selecting Prophetic sayings that do not contradict with
his opinion. Rather, his opinion and intellect should be
subject to truth. Moreover, he should be open-minded
to all sects and opinions without attacking others for
having different opinions. The sea of knowledge is so
vast and the Noble Qur'an has many interpretations. He
should rid his heart of malice, spite and envy.
He should remember the saying of Imâm Mâlik: I have
been informed that on the Day of Resurrection the
Muslim scholars will be questioned of their knowledge
just as the Prophets. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon
him,, said to Ali Ibi Abu-Tâlib on the day of Khaybar:

“By Allah! If a single person embraces Islam at your

hands (i.e. through you), that will be better for you
177 178
than the red camels "
2- The Trust of treating and having transactions
with people: You should be trustworthy for all what
people have entrusted you with, such as secrets

176
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
177
Red camels were considered the best property of Arabs at that time.
178
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

054
disclosed to you in friendship or for consultation, or
known through your profession, as with doctors and
lawyers, you should never disclose them, nor tell them
to any person no matter how close he is.
If you are a merchant, beware of cheating and betrayal
as the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Whoever
179
cheats us is not one of us.” And he said: "The buyer
and the seller have the option of cancelling or
confirming the bargain unless they separate; and if
they spoke the truth and made clear the defects of the
goods, then they would be blessed in their bargain, and
if they told lies and hid some facts, their bargain would
180
be deprived of Allah's Blessings."
Beware of devouring into people's money unjustly for
the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said, "Whoso
takes the right of a Muslim with his oath, Allah will
ordain for him hellfire and forbid him to enter
181
Paradise" . A man asked the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and
: O Allah's Messenger, what if it is a small
Peace be upon him

thing? He, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Even if it is a
182
rod of Arâk!"

179
As Muslim narrated
180
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
181
As Muslim narrated
182
Arâk: Is a plant from which Siwâk is taken, which is used as a
toothbrush

055
Don't borrow money from people except in case of dire
need, and you should be certain of your ability to pay
them back, and have the sincere intention to do this.
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Whoever
takes the money of the people with the intention of
repaying it, Allah will repay it on his behalf, and
whoever takes it in order to spoil it, then Allah will
183
spoil him."
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "An Israeli
man asked another Israeli to lend him one thousand
Dinars. The second man required witnesses. The
former replied: Allah is sufficient as a witness. The
second said: I want a surety. The former replied: Allah
is sufficient as a surety. The second said: You are
right, and lent him the money for a certain period. The
debtor went across the sea. When he finished his job,
he searched for a conveyance so that he might reach in
time for the repayment of the debt, but he could not
find any. So, he took a piece of wood and made a hole
in it, inserted in it one thousand Dinars and a letter to
the lender and then closed (i.e. sealed) the hole tightly.
He took the piece of wood to the sea and said: O
Allah! You know well that I took a loan of one

183
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

056
thousand Dinars from so-and-so. He demanded a
surety from me but I told him that Allah's Guarantee
was sufficient and he accepted Your guarantee. He
then asked for a witness and I told him that Allah was
sufficient as a Witness, and he accepted You as a
Witness. No doubt, I tried hard to find a conveyance so
that I could pay his money but could not find, so I hand
over this money to You. Saying that, he threw the piece
of wood into the sea till it went out far into it, and then
he went away. Meanwhile he started searching for a
conveyance in order to reach the creditor's country.
One day the lender came out of his house to see
whether a ship had arrived bringing his money, and all
of a sudden he saw the piece of wood in which his
money had been deposited. He took it home to use for
fire. When he sawed it, he found his money and the
letter inside it. Shortly after that, the debtor came
bringing one thousand Dinars to him and said: By
Allah, I had been trying hard to get a boat so that I
could bring you your money, but failed to get one
before the one I have come by. The lender asked: Have
you sent something to me? The debtor replied: I have
told you I could not get a boat other than the one I
have come by. The lender said: Allah has delivered on
your behalf the money you sent in the piece of wood.
057
So, you may keep your one thousand Dinars and
depart guided on the right path"184
You should know that the judicial sentences do not
make the unlawful lawful as the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and
Peace be upon him, said: "Verily, you come to me and ask me

to judge between you, and I am but a human being,

and possibly some of you are more eloquent in
mentioning his argument. In fact, I judge between you
as per the arguments I hear from you. If I judged
anyone to take the right of his brother, he should
abstain from taking it, as this is, as if I am giving him a
piece of hellfire he will bring on the Day of
185
Resurrection!"
Moreover, if you hire a person or a labourer abstain
from oppressing him or delaying his payment as the
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "Pay the
186
labourer his due before his sweat dries!"
Furthermore, if you are a craftsman you should not
overrate your due, or be careless in you work as the
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, brought glad tidings
to the labourers who are faithful and perfect their work
by saying: "Seeking lawful gains is similar to sword

184
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
185
As Ibn Magâh narrated
186
As Ibn Magâh narrated

058
fighting of the heroes for the sake of Allah, whoso
spends the night fatigued from seeking lawful gains,
187
spends the night while Allah is content with him!"
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, commanded us to
perfect all what we do as he said: "Verily, Allah loves
that when anyone of you does a job he should perfect
188
it" .
If you are an employee responsible for people's affairs
and carrying out their needs beware of negligence
because it is a violation of trustworthiness. Moreover,
beware of inflicting harship upon them for the Prophet,
, said: "O Allah! Whoever is
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him

invested with any of the affairs of my Ummah and

treats them kindly be kind with him; and whoever is
invested with any of the affairs of my Ummah and
inflicts hardship upon them, inflict hardship upon
189
him.!"
Beware of asking for a bribe as the briber, the bribee,
and the one who goes between them are all in hellfire.
And know for sure that the gifts endowed to you for
the position you are holding are considered a bribe for

187
As Al-Bayhaqî narrated
188
As Abû Ya’li narrated
189
As Muslim narrated

059
which the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, threatened
those who accept it with entering hellfire.
If you are a ruler or a leader you should remember the
Prophet's saying about being appointed in the office of
a leader as he, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “It is a
trust, and on the Day of Resurrection, it is a shame and
regret; except for the one who gives it its due and
190
performs all the duties incumbent upon him!"
It suffices us to know that Umar Ibnl-Khattab, who
was known for his fairness and the prevalence of
justice during his reign, picked up a straw and said: I
wish I were that straw, I wish I were nothing, I wish
my mother had not given birth to me, I wish I had been
191
forgotten and out of sight.” . And when he was asked
to nominate a successor after he was stabbed and his
insides were injured, he said: I wish I could be free
from its responsibility in that I would receive neither
reward nor retribution I won't bear the burden of the
192
caliphate in my death as I do in my life."
Everyone, whatever position he holds, should be
trustworthy on dealing with people. This is shown best
in the Prophet's saying: "Everyone of you is a

190
As Muslim narrated
191
As Al-Bayhaqî narrated
192
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

061
guardian, and responsible for what is in his custody.
The ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible
for them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is
responsible for it; a lady is a guardian of her
husband's house and is responsible for it, and a
servant is a guardian of his master's property and is
responsible for it."193
3- To be Trustworthy with one's ownself:
One's ownself is a trust as Allah, the Almighty, says
about it: Indeed he succeeds who purifies his
ownself (i.e. obeys and performs all that Allâh
ordered, by following the true Faith of Islâmic
Monotheism and by doing righteous good deeds).
And indeed he fails who corrupts his ownself (i.e.
disobeys what Allâh has ordered by rejecting the true
Faith of Islâmic Monotheism or by following
polytheism or by doing every kind of evil wicked
deeds) (Ash-Shams “The Sun”,9-10).
And one's senses and organs are but a trust of which he
will be questioned as Allah, the Almighty, says:
Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of
each of those one will be questioned (by Allâh) (Al-Isrâ’
“The Journey by Night”,36 ).

193
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

060
The same applies to one's money, eminence, wife,
offspring and all what Allah, the Almighty, has
endowed upon us; they are but a trust of which you
will be asked on the Day of Resurrection as the
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “The feet of a
servant will not move on the Day of Judgment until he
has been questioned about four things: his life, how he
spent it, his youth, what he achieved in it, his wealth,
where he earned it from and how he spent it, and his
194
knowledge, how he acted upon it."
People have different shares of these trusts and
everyone will be questioned within the limits of what
he has been endowed with. Even the human mind is a
trust and part and parcel of one’s provision and one’s
share of his endowments.
4- One’s Trust before his Lord: This is represented
in the integrity of one’s creed and faith, nothing
whatsoever (whether manifest or hidden polytheism)
should blemish it. Verily, Allah, the Almighty had
taken a pledge from His slaves and made them testify
as to themselves that He is their Lord then He
reminded them of this by saying in the Noble Qur’an:
And (remember) when your Lord brought forth

194
As At-Tirmidhi narrated

062
from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their
seed (or from Adam’s loin his offspring) and made
them testify as to themselves (saying): "Am I not your
Lord?" They said: "Yes! We testify," lest you should
say on the Day of Resurrection: "Verily, we have
been unaware of this." Or lest you should say: "It
was only our fathers afortime who took others as
partners in worship along with Allâh, and we were
(merely their) descendants after them; will You then
destroy us because of the deeds of men who practised
Al-Bâtil (i.e. polytheism and committing crimes and
sins, invoking and worshipping others besides
Allâh)? (Al-A‘râf “The Heights or The Wall with Elevations”,172-173).
Moreover, observing your trust toward Allah, the
Almighty, is best represented in establishing the
testimony without ever concealing, hiding or distorting
it as Allah, the Almighty, says: And if you are on a
journey and cannot find a scribe, then let there be a
pledge taken (mortgaging); then if one of you entrust
the other, let the one who is entrusted discharge his
trust (faithfully), and let him be afraid of Allâh, his
Lord. And conceal not the testimony for he, who
hides it, surely his heart is sinful. And Allâh is All-
Knower of what you do (Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,283).

063
Moreover, it is best represented in fulfilling the
Covenant, as Allah, the Almighty, says: And fulfil
the Covenant of Allâh (Bai‘ah: pledge for Islâm)
when you have covenanted, and break not the oaths
after you have confirmed them - and indeed you have
appointed Allâh your surety. Verily! Allâh knows
what you do (An-Nahl “The Bees”,91).
One should also fulfil other people’s pledge if they
swore you to do something, as long as it is not a sin.
The same applies to all what you do before Allah,
Exalted be He, and all His Rights and your duties
toward Him. You should be trustworthy, preserving the
trusts Allah, the Almighty, has entrusted you with,
including the intact fitrah (natural disposition).

064
 15-Forbearance

Forbearance is great patience and self-control. It is a

moral excellence either granted by Allah or acquired
by trial and strenuous efforts. Anyone who seeks
righteousness is granted thereof.
Ashag (may Allah be Pleased with him) came to the Prophet, Allah's
so he made his she-camel kneel
Prayers and Peace be upon him,

down then fettered it and cast away two garments he

was putting on and took out of his bag two exquisitely
embroidered garments and put them on. All this was
took place in front of the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon
him, then he waked his way to the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and

Peace be upon him, who said to him: “You have two moral

excellences best beloved by Allah”.. So the man asked:

What are they, let my father and mother be sacrificed
for you, O Messenger of Allah?! The Prophet, Allah's
Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Forbearance and great
195
patience” The man asked: Are these two moral
excellences acquired by me or was I naturally disposed
to them? The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“No, you were naturally disposed to them”.

195
As Abû Dawûd narrated that Ibn ‘Abbâs (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

065
So the man said: All the praises and thanks be to Allah
Who ordained me to be naturally disposed to such two
moral excellences best beloved by Him and His
Messenger!
Forbearance is one of the Prophet’s most excellent
traits, for Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, described
Abraham’s son, Ishmael, as gentle and forbearing even
before he was born: So We gave him the glad tidings
of a forbearing boy.(As-Sâffât “Those Ranged in Ranks”,101).
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, described Shu‘aib,
as the Holy Qur’an related to us that Midian, Shu‘aib’s
people had described as gentle and forbearing:
They said: O Shu‘aib! Does your Salât (Prayer)
command that we give up what our father used to
worship, or that we give up doing what we like with
our property? Verily, you are the forbearer,
right-minded! (They said this sarcastically). (Hûd “Prophet
Hûd”,87).

The Prophets’ forbearance enabled them to endure

their peoples’ obstinacy and maltreatment till they
revealed the Message of Allah, so that the believers’
hearts were delighted and opened to faith. That is why,
it was said: Forbearance is the chief moral excellences.
Also forbearance is the moral excellence of the
righteous as Allah said: …and when the foolish
066
address them (with bad words) they reply back with
mild words of gentleness. (Al-Furqân “The Criterion”,63).
And those who turn away from Al-Laghw (dirty,
false, evil vain talk, falsehood, and all that Allâh has
forbidden) . (Al-Mu’minûn “The Believers”,3).
And when they hear Al-Laghw (dirty, false, evil vain
talk), they withdraw from it and say: To us our deeds,
and to you your deeds. Peace be to you. We seek not
(the way of) the ignorant. (Al-Qasas “The Narration”,55).
A human being should keep a tight rein on his fury and
have self-control. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
said: “The strong is not the one who overcomes the
people by his strength, but the strong is the one who
196
controls himself while in anger” .
Suppressing one’s passion (anger) has a great reward
because it implies assiduous striving against one’s
volition for the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“No worshipper has ever gulped anything could incur
great reward upon him than a gulp of anger he stifled
197
seeking Allah’s Countenance” .
A man came to the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, he
told him: I have relatives with whom I establish good

196
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.
197
As Ahmmad narrated

067
relationship yet they sever relations with me; and I
behave benevolently towards them yet they maltreat
me. They insult me yet I treat them with patience.” The
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “In case what
you have said is true, it will be as if you make them
swallow cinders and still Allah endows you with a
198
supporter so long as you adhere to this” .
Alî Ibn ‘Abou Tâlib, may Allah be Pleased with him, said: Good is
not the increase of money and progeny; but good is the
increase of knowledge, the augmentation of your
forbearance and not priding yourself on worshipping
Allah; and if you do a righteous deed you will praise
Allah and if you misbehaved you will ask Allah for
His Forgiveness.
Wahb Ibn Monabeh said: Whoever shows mercy will
be shown mercy; whoever is silent will gain; whoever
is ignorant will lose; whoever rushes will err; whoever
cares for evil will not gain; whoever argues will be
insulted; whoever does not abhor evil will be sinful;
whoever hates evil will be rescued; whoever follows
Allah's Advice will be saved; whoever fears Allah will
be safe; whoever seeks refuge with Allah will be

198
As Muslim narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.

068
protected; whoever does not ask Allah will become
poor; whoever is not with Allah will not succeed, and
whoever seeks Allah's Support will triumph.
Luqman told his son: Three merits are not known
except in three situations; a tolerant person is not
known except at the time of his rage; a brave person is
not known except at the time of war when he meets the
enemy; and a true brother is not known except at the
time of need.
Nevertheless, we should not respond to others’ insults
by insulting them, for the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon
him,said: “If someone taunts you a default in you, do
199
not reproach him with own defaults” .
Forbearance is one of Allah’s Characters, one of
Allah’s Names is the Most Forbearing who said:
…And know that Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Forbearing. (Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,235).
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, witnesses the
disobedience of the human being but does not hasten to
punish him yet He grants the disobedient a respite. If
he repents all his sins will be forgiven and Allah
overlooks his flaws.

199
As Ahmmad narrated that Jabir Ibn Muslim (may Allah be Pleased
with him) said.

069
Allah, sustains the disobedient, and veils the sins of
the wrongdoers and is forbearing to them although He
could devastate them if He would:
And if Allâh were to punish men for that which they
earned, He would not leave a moving (living)
creature on the surface of the earth;… (Fâtir “The Originator
of Creation, or The Angels”,45).

071
 16 – Generosity

It is the moral excellence of Prophets, apostles and the

righteous. The antithesis of generosity is stinginess as
the antithesis of liberality is greediness. The zenith of
liberality is altruism. This was the moral excellence of
Al-ansâr (the Muslim supporters of the Prophet in
Madina): Abû Huraira, may Allah be Pleased with him, said: A
guest stopped at the Prophet’s, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
house but found nothing edible therein. Then, a man
from Al-Ansâr came to them and took the guest into
his house. He put food before him and ordered his wife
to put off the night light. He stretched his hand to the
food as if he had been eating till the guest ate all the
food. In the morning, the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon
him, told him: "Allah was pleased with (or He bestowed

His Mercy) on so-and-so and his wife (because of their

200
good deed)" . Thereupon, the divine verse
descended: .. and give them (emigrants) preference
over themselves even though they were in need of
that. And whosoever is saved from his own
covetousness, such are they who will be the

200
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

070
successful.(Al-Hashr “The Gathering”,9). ‘Umar Ibn Al-Khattâb,
, reported: One of the Companions
may Allah be Pleased with him

of the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, was presented
with an ewe’s head but he said: My brother (In Islam)
is more necessitous of it than me! So he sent it to him
who, in his turn, sent the present to a third one and so
on till it passed from hand to hand till it was circulated
from one house to another till it reached seven houses
and eventually it returned to the first one.
Hudhayfah Al-Adaway said: In the battle of
Al-Yarmûk, I searched for a cousin of mine, and I bore
with me some water. I said to myself: If there is spark
of life in him I will give him some water and wipe his
face with my wetted hand! When I found him, I told
him: I will give you some water! He accepted but all of
a sudden a man said: Oh! Ah! So my cousin beckoned
me to head to him.. So when I reached him I found that
he was Hishâm Ibn Al-‘Aâs so I said to him: I will
give you some water! So another man said: Oh! Ah!
So Hishâm beckoned me to go in a hurry to that man. I
went to him but I found him dead, then returned to
Hishâm who was also dead and so too was my cousin..
May Allah bless all souls!
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, exhorted us to be
generous and brought glad tiding to the generous and
072
the open-handed and warned against miserliness, so
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, says: O you who
believe! Spend of the good things which you have
(legally) earned, and of that which We have produced
from the earth for you, and do not aim at that which
is bad to spend from it, (though) you would not accept
it save if you close your eyes and tolerate therein. And
know that Allâh is Rich (Free of all needs), and
Worthy of all praise. Shaitân (Satan) threatens you
with poverty and orders you to commit Fahshâ (evil
deeds, illegal sexual intercourse, sins); whereas Allâh
promises you Forgiveness from Himself and Bounty,
and Allâh is All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs,
All-Knower.(Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,267-268).
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, shows us
conspicuously the path to Al-Birr (piety and
righteousness) which is the moral excellence of the
righteous believers He, Praise and Glory be to Him
says: By no means shall you attain Al-Birr (piety,
righteousness- here it means Allâh’s Reward, i.e.
Paradise), unless you spend (in Allâh’s Cause) of that
which you love; and whatever of good you spend,
Allâh knows it well.(Âl-‘Imrân “The Family of Imran”,92).
It is one of Allah’s innumerable favours that Allah,
Praise and Glory be to Him, multiplies tenfold the
073
righteous deed; and this applies to all deeds of Birr
except anything given in charity for the one charity is
multiplied seven hundred times and Allah gives
manifold to whom He wills: The likeness of those
who spend their wealth in the way of Allâh, is as the
likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and
each ear has a hundred grains. Allâh gives manifold
increase to whom He wills. And Allâh is
All-Sufficient for His creatures’ needs, All-
Knower.(Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,261).
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, shows us the
impact of generosity on the entire society: “What
blessed money owned by a blessed man!”201
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, warns Muslims
against covetousness: “Beware of covetousness, for
covetousness annihilated those created before you: It
forced them to shed their blood and violate the
forbidden”202.
One of the examples of generosity was what Ibrâhîm
(Abraham), may Allah be Pleased with him, did to his guests: And
verily, there came Our messengers to Ibrâhîm
(Abraham) with glad tidings. They said: Salâm

201
As Ahmmed narrated that ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘Aâs (may Allah be Pleased
said.
with him)
202
As Muslim narrated that Jabir (may Allah be Pleased with him) said.

074
(greetings or peace!) He answered, Salâm (greetings
or peace!) and he hastened to entertain them with a
roasted calf. (Hûd “Prophet Hûd”,69).
Notice that he brought his guests a calf although they
were only four. True is the word of the Prophet, Allah's
Prayers and Peace be upon him, as he said: “Whoever believes in

Allah and the Last Day, should serve his guest

generously”203..
The Noble Qur’an finds fault with those who do not
honor their guests as in what happened with Mûsâ
(Moses) and Khidr: Then they both proceeded, till,
when they came to the people of a town, they asked
them for food, but they refused to entertain them.
Then they found therein a wall about to collapse and
he (khidr) set it up straight. [Mûsâ (Moses)] said: If
you had wished, surly, you could have taken wages
for it!.(Al-Kahf “The Cave”,77).
One of the seven individuals Allah shelters on
Doomsday when there will be no shade but His is a
man who gives a charity and conceals it so that his left
hand does not know what his right hand has given. The
generous do not fear on Doomsday when everybody
fears and do not grieve when people grieve because

203
Narrated by Al-Bukhârî.

075
Allah says: Those who spend their wealth (in
Allâh’s Cause) by night and day, in secret and in
public, they shall have their reward with their Lord.
On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.(Al-
Baqarah “The cow”,274).

On Doomsday, Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him,

blames those who did not give their money in charity
to the needy. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
says: “Allah says: [O son of Adam! I have asked you
for food yet you fed me not], so the man would say: O
my Lord, how come I feed You, You the Lord of
worlds?! Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, says:
[My worshipper so-and-so asked you for food yet you
fed him not, did not you know that if you had fed him
you would have found this with Me?!.. O son of
Adam! I asked you to give Me water yet you gave Me
not], so the man said: O my Lord, how come I give You
water, You the Lord of worlds? So Allah, Praise and
Glory be to Him, says: [My worshipper so-and-so
asked you to give him water yet you gave him not, did
not you know that if you had given him water you
204
would have found this with Me!]” ..

204
Narrated by Muslim.

076
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, used to seek
Allah’s refuge from miserliness: “O Allah! I seek
refuge with You from miserliness; and seek refuge with
You from cowardice; and I seek refuge with You from
reaching senile old age!”205
Also, the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, says: “Two
traits never characterizes a believer, these are,
206
miserliness and ill manners.”
And says: “The worst that can combine in (the heart
of) a believer is dismayed covetousness and appalled
207
cowardliness” ..
Jubair bin Mut'im told me that while he was in the
company of Allah's Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
with the people returning from Hunain, some people
(Bedouins) caught hold of the Prophet and started
begging of him so much so that he had to stand under a
(kind of thorny tree (i.e. Samurah) and his cloak was
snatched away. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
stopped and said: "Give me my cloak. If I had as many
camels as these thorny trees, I would have distributed

205
As Al-Bukhârî narrated that Sa‘d (may Allah be Pleased with him) said.
206
As At-Tirmidhi naratted that Abi Sa‘îd (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.
207
As Aboû Dawûd narrated that Jabir (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.

077
them amongst you and you will not find me a miser or
208
a liar or a coward."
Hatim El-Tâîî was famed for his generosity in the
Pre-Islamic period. When his daughter was enslaved in
one of the invasions after the spread of Islam, she
asked for leave to meet the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be
upon him, and said: I am the daughter of Hatem El-Taîî.

The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, and said: “Your
father used to love the exalted ethics!”, and he ordered
his Companions who set her free.
‘Umar Ibn Abdel Aziz’s sister (Um Al Banin) said:
“Woe unto covetousness! If covetousness were a shirt I
would never wear it, and if it were a way I would never
walk! True is the word of the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace
be upon him, as he said: “Save yourself from Hell-fire even
209
by (giving) half a date-fruit (in charity)” .

208
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
209
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

078
 17- Loyalty

The antithesis of loyalty is perfidy, which is the sign of

hypocrites. Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “The
signs of hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks, he
tells a lie. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it
(his promise). If you trust him, he proves to be
dishonest. (If you keep something as a trust with him,
he will not return it)”210.. Moreover, he, Allah's Prayers and
Peace be upon him, said: “Whoever has the following four

(characteristics) will be a pure hypocrite and whoever

has one of the following four (characteristics) will
have one characteristic of hypocrisy unless and until
he gives it up. Whenever he is entrusted, he betrays.
Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie. Whenever he makes
a covenant, he proves treacherous. Whenever he
quarrels, he behaves in a very imprudent, evil and
insulting manner”211..
Loyalty is one of believers’ characteristics as Allah
ordered them to be loyal and be up to their
covenants and promises by saying: …And fulfil
(every) covenant. Verily, the covenant, will be
questioned about. (Al-Isrâ’ “The Journey by Night”,34).

210
As Al- Bukhârî narrated
211
As Al- Bukhârî narrated

079
And fulfil the covenant of Allâh (Bai‘ah: pledge for
Islâm) when you have covenanted, and break not the
oaths after you have confirmed them-and indeed you
have appointed Allâh your surety….(An-Nahl “The Bees”,91).
O you who believe! Fulfil (your) obligations….
(Al-Mâidah “The Table spread with Food”,1).

Fulfilling promises and executing the terms of

contracts are ultimate abidance by obligations even if
the other contracting party were an enemy. If someone
entrusted another person to take care of his children
after his death, the latter should abide by the trust.(A
contract is the law of the contracting parties!).
Our Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Believers
should abide by their stipulations (and terms of
contracts).”212
Of course, this is indicated provided that these
stipulations comply with the Allah’s Holy Book (the
Noble Qur’an) and the Sunnah213otherwise they will be
revoked.
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Why do
some people impose conditions which are not present

212
As Abû Dawûd narrated
213
Sunnah: The legal way or ways, orders, acts of worship and
statements of the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, that have
become models to be followed by the Muslims.

081
in the Allah’s Laws? Whoever imposes such a
condition as is not in Allah’s Laws, then that condition
is invalid even if he imposes one hundred conditions,
for Allah’s conditions are more binding and
reliable”214
There are certain matters that should be fulfilled and
carried out even if they were not written such as filial
piety. Moreover, fulfilling all the commitments one is
obliged to towards one’s offspring, as protecting and
caring for them, opting for a righteous wife that would
be a good mother in the future for his kids and opting
for suitable names for them. Furthermore, a man
should fulfil his duty towards his wife and shower her
with compassion, tenderness and good company. The
scope of loyalty widens so that it encompasses the
fulfillment of one’s duties towards one’ as kith and kin
and relatives on the maternal side, neighbors,
fellow-travelers, the tutors and the truthful.
Before all this, we have to fulfill the covenant of Allah
when He entrusted us with it as we made one and
professed that we believe in Him and take no partners
with Him, as Allah says:

214
As Al- Bukhârî narrated that ‘Âisha (may Allah be Pleased with her)
said.

080
And (remember) when your Lord brought forth
from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their
seed (or from Adam’s loin his offspring) and made
them testify as to themselves (saying): Am I not your
Lord? They said: Yes! We testify, lest you should say
on the Day of Resurrection: Verily, we have been
unaware of this. Or lest you should say: It was only
our fathers afortime who took others as partners in
worship along with Allâh, and we were (merely their)
descendants after them; will You then destroy us
because of deeds of men who practised Al-Bâtil (i.e.
polytheism and committing crimes and sins, invoking
and worshipping others besides Allâh)?. (Al-A‘râf “The
Heights or The Wall with Elevations”,172-173).

This covenant we had made before the creation of the

world. A sign of Allah’s Mercy is that He, Praise and
Glory be to Him, has informed us of it as in:
And remember Allâh’s Favour to you and His
Covenant with which He bound you when you said:
We hear and we obey….(Al-Mâidah “The Table spread with Food”,7).
Henceforth man should lead the straight path, the path
of Allah, and desert all vain desires and fulfill the
witness that there is no god to be worshipped hut
Allah. Faith is but a confession one states verbally,

082
and a belief lurking in the heart sincerely and deeds
one carries out faithfully.
Allah said: And verily, this is My Straight Path, so
follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will
separate you away from His Path…. (Al-An‘âm “The
Cattle”,153).

On the other hand, Allah said: …and who fulfil their

covenant when they make it, and who are patient in
extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time
of fighting (during the battles. Such are the people of
the truth and they are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious) .(Al-
Baqarah “The Cow”,177).

Those who break Allâh’s Covenant after ratifying it,

and sever what Allâh has ordered to be joined (as
regards Allâh’s religion of Islâmic Monotheism, and
to practise its laws on the earth and also as regards
keeping good relations with kith and kin), and do
mischief on earth, it is they who are the losers.(Al-
Baqarah “The Cow”,27).

It has been said that whoever commits one of the three

of the following characteristics will have their evil
impact upon them, these are: firstly, rebellion, as Allah
said: …O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to
Allâh) is only against your ownselves,…. (Yûnus
“Jonah”,23). Secondly, breaking one’s pledge, as Allah

083
said: …Then whosoever breaks his pledge, breaks it
only to his own harm;….(Al-Fath “The Victory”,10).
Thirdly, the evil plotting, as Allah said: …But the
evil plot encompasses only him who makes it….(Fâtir
“The Originator of Creation or The Angels”,43).

From the above we see that fulfilling promises is one

of believers’ ethics and morals as Allah rewards them
for it: Is there any reward for good other than
good?.(Ar-Rahmân “The Most Gracious”,60).
But breaking the covenant is the trait of the hypocrites
that would be reverted to them so that in this world
they will have shame and losses incurred on them and
in the Hereafter they will get severe torture and
humiliation.

084
 18-Forgiveness

To forgive is to say (or feel) that one is no longer about

something and wishing to give punishment to
someone. Forgiveness is the moral excellence of the
righteous. Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, urged
the importance of forgiveness and commanded His
worshippers to forgive:
…And to forego and give (her full Mahr) is nearer
to At-Taqwa (piety, righteousness)….(Al-Baqarah “The
Cow”,237).

And We ordained therein for them: “Life for life,

eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth,
and wounds equal for equal.” But if anyone remits
the retaliation by way of charity, it shall be for him
an expiation….(Al-Mâidah “ The table spread with Food”,45).
Hence, as it is clear from the aforementioned verse,
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, had prescribed
equitable retribution in the matter of the slain and
injuries, nevertheless He, Praise and Glory be to Him,
He urged on us the importance of forgiveness. The
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Three things I
would have sworn by had I been a swearer:
Almsgiving lessens no money, so give alms; Allâh
augments the dignity of the man who stopped nursing a

085
grievance and forgave it; and Allâh opens the gate of
poverty in the face of the man who opened the gate of
demand in his own face”.215
‘Âishâ, may Allah be pleased with her, said: I never found the
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, taking vengeance for
an injustice he had been treated with so long as the
forbidden sanctity was not violated; if the forbidden
sanctity was violated he used to be the most wrathful
of them all and whenever he was given the option
between two things he used to choose the easier choice
on condition that it was not evildoing.216
A man came to Umar Ibn Abdel Aziz complaining to
him about a man who had done an injustice to him, but
Umar told him: It is better to meet Allah with your
injustice as it is, than to meet Him with your reward
reduced (by revenging by yourself).
Some scholars said: The patient person is not the one
who when treated unjustly, bears till he has a chance to
take revenge, but it is the one who bears till he has a
chance to take revenge and then forgives.

215
As Muslim narrated
216
As At-Tirmidhi narrated

086
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, announced glad
tidings to those who forgive people and He, Praise and
Glory be to Him, exhorted believers to forgive people:-
…But forgive them and overlook (their misdeeds).
Verily, Allâh loves Al-Muhsinûn (good-doers).(Al-
Mâidah “The Table spread with Food”,13).

Show forgiveness, enjoin what is good, and turn

away from the foolish (i.e. don’t punish them).(Al-A‘râf
“The Wall with Elvations”,199).

…who repress anger, and who pardon men; verily,

Allâh loves Al-Muhsinûn (the good-doers).(Âl-‘Imrân “The
Family of Imran”,134).

…But forgive and overlook, till Allâh brings His

Command….(Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,109)..
…Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that
Allâh should forgive you? And Allâh is Oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful.(An-Nûr “The Light”,22).
Allah is the Most Forgiving, for He forgives sinners
and pardons those asking for His Pardon. The
Prophet's most recurring prayer was: “O Allah! Thou
art the Forgiver, Generous Effacer of sins, Thou love
forgiveness, so forgive me!”217.

217
As At-Tirmidhi narrated

087
Although Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, permitted
the wronged to revenge himself yet He announced glad
tidings to the forgiver:-
The recompense for an evil is an evil like thereof;
but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation, his
reward is with Allâh….(Ash-Shûra “The Consultation”,40).
Even if the worshipper avenged himself on the
wrongdoer, he would not attain Allah's promise and
reward, for all the worldly gains would be used up and
Allah's reward would be everlasting.

088
 19-Overlooking Others’ Defaults

Islam is religion of mercy; Allah's worshipper should

have compassion on his fellowmen, this cannot be
attained without overlooking others’ defaults and
erasing their offences from the inmost corners of this
heart, hence
Safh that is, overlooking others' defaults gains a higher
rank than mere forgiveness Allah, Praise and Glory be
to Him, commands us to overlook others' defaults:
…But forgive them and overlook (their misdeeds).
Verily ,Allâh loves Al-Muhsinûn (good-doers).
(Al-Mâidah “The Table spread with Food”,13)

…but whoever forgives and makes reconciliation ,

his reward is with Allâh….(Ash-Shûra “The Consultation”,40).
And verily ,whosoever shows patience and forgives ,
that would truly be from the things recommended by
Allâh. (Ash-Shûra “The Consultation”,43).
…But forgive and overlook ,till Allâh brings His
Command….(Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,109).
…so overlook (O Muhammad, Allâh’s Prayers and
Peace be upon him) their faults with gracious
forgiveness.(Al-Hijr “The Rocky Tract”,85).

089
Overlooking others' defaults (Safh) is a matter of
strong determination that can be attained only by those
whose hearts are replete with faith in Allah: The
good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel
(the evil) with one which is better (i.e Allâh orders the
faithful believers to be patient at the time of anger ,
and to excuse those who treat them badly) then verily
he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will
become) as though he was a close friend. But none is
granted it (the above quality) except those who are
patient- and none is granted it except the owner of
the great portion (of happiness in the Hereafter i.e.
Paradise and of a high moral character) in this
world (Fussilat “They are explained in detail”,34-35).
Overlooking others' defaults is one of the moral
excellences of Prophets and worshippers granted
closeness to Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him,. The
best example is conspicuous in (Yûsuf) Joseph’s, Allah’s
peace upon him, story for he was envied by his brethren who

contrived a stratagem against him: They cast him into

the bottom of deep well. Then after the passage of
years when (Yûsuf) Joseph was granted the authority
over the resources of earth and his brethren came to
him during the period of famine asking him for

091
provision [NB: He had become superior to them then
and had power enough to avenge himself on them].
Nevertheless he forgave them and overlooked their
defaults, he even did not blame them but on the
contrary he asked Allah to forgive them: He said: No
reproach on you this day; may Allâh forgive you, and
He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!.
(Yûsuf “Prophet Joseph”,92).

The same was done by (Ya‘qûb) Jacob, Allah’s peace upon him,
their father will his sons who cast (Ya‘qûb) Joseph into
the well and made the father lose his beloved son for a
lot of years. (Ya‘qûb) Jacob grieved over his lost son,
his eyes welled up with tears and he lost his sight:
And he turned away from them and said: “Alas, my
grief for Yûsuf (Joseph)!” And he lost his sight
because of the sorrow that he was suppressing. (Yûsuf
“Prophet Joseph”,84).

Days passed and the sons admitted their guilt and

asked for the forgiveness of their father who pardoned
them and asked Allah to forgive them and have mercy
on them. They said: “O our father! Ask Forgiveness
(from Allâh) for our sins, indeed we have been
sinners”. He said: “I will ask my Lord for forgiveness
for you, Verily He! Only He is the Oft-Forgiving, the
Most Merciful”. (Yûsuf “Prophet Joseph”,97-98).
090
Our Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, after the conquest
of Makkah and submission of all Mekkans, he asked
them: “What do you think I shall do with you?” They
answered: You're a gracious brother, the son of a
gracious brother. He, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “To
your case and mine I will apply what Joseph did with
his brethren: I release you all, go on your own, you are
all free!”.218
So he, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, pardoned them and
overlooked their defaults despite all their wrongdoing
he even did not blame them. This is the generous
forbearance Allah had exhorted him to acquire.
Overlooking others' defaults (As-Safh) is the moral
excellence of the righteous. For instance, Abu Bakr, may
Allah be Pleased with him, the righteous had a poor relative

protected and kept by the former. When the story of

falsehood took place and it passed from mouth to
mouth, Muslims gossiped about the talk of the
hypocrites. Abu Bakr's poor relative was one of those
Muslims who waded in the talk of the hypocrites but
when Abu Bakr knew this, he flied into a rage and
swore to abstain from giving any more to that man
who rewarded his goodness with wrongdoing, hence

218
Narrated Ibn Kathîr.

092
the word of Allah descended on His Prophet regarding
this episode: And let not those among you who are
blessed with graces and wealth swear not to give (any
sort of help) to their kinsmen, Al-Masâkîn (the poor),
and those who left their homes for Allâh’s Cause. Let
them pardon and forgive. Do you not love that Allâh
should forgive you? And Allâh is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful. (An-Nûr “The Light”,22).
It seems that forgiving others leads to the forgiveness
of Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, when Abu Bakr,
may Allah be Pleased with him, heard those verses he said: Yes, of

course, I desire that Allah forgive me and so he did not

blame his poor relative and maintained him once again.
It was reported that an Arabian went to Abu Bakr, may
Allah be Pleased with him, and cursed him, yet Abu Bakr resorted

to silence as the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, was
present watching and listening to what was taking
place. The man indulged in his insults and so Abu Bakr
began to answer him back; the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace
be upon him, left the place, and Abu Bakr followed him and

said: O Messenger of Allah! The man indulged in

insulting me and when I started answering him back
you left!!. The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
"An angel descended from heavens disproving what he
said to you but when you avenged yourself the devil
093
hovered on the place and so I shouldn't stay in a place
the devil where hovered!”.219
It was reported that a man came to a righteous man and
insulted him, so the latter said: If you were truthful
may Allah forgive me, and if you were a liar may
Allah forgive you! Moreover, one day, a man came to
one of the Imams and insulted him, the Imam said: O
my brother, if you were truthful then I'm even worse
then you said; and if you were not then your words
would never ever harm me!.
Ali Ibn Abu Taleb, may Allah be Pleased with him, asked his
bondmaid to bring him water to perform the rite of
ablution; it was a cold day and she brought him the
water which when poured on his hands it happened to
be so hot that it pained him a lot and so flied into a
rage but the bondmaid reminded him of the word of
Allah: …who repress anger,.. (Âl-‘Imrân “The Family of
Imran”,134). So he said: I have controlled my anger!.. So

she continued by saying: .. and who pardon men;..

(Âl-‘Imrân “The Family of Imran”,134).. So he said: I have overlooked

your default!.. And she said: .. verily, Allâh loves

Al-Muhsinûn (the good-doers). (Âl-‘Imrân “The Family of

219
As Abû Dâwûd narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with
him) said.

094
 So he said: I have freed you, go on your own,
Imran”,134).

you are free!

A man came to the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
and said: O Messenger of Allah I join ties of blood
relations yet they sever these ties, and I am benevolent
to them yet they ill-treat me; I endue then yet they
stultify me!. So the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
said: “If the case is just as you have said then it is as if
you make then swallow cinders and still you have
Allâh succouring you as a helper so long as you
remain like this!”.220
True is the word of the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon
him, who said: “Allâh Augments the forgiver's
dignity!”.221

220
As Muslim narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.
221
As Muslim narrated that Abû Huraira (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.

095
 20 – Giving Advice

Advice is the sincere opinion given to a person for

his welfare, without expecting payback or
compensation, and it is recommended that every
Muslim gives advice. It has been reported that
Jareer Ibn Abdullah said: I have given a pledge of
allegiance to Allah's Messenger for to testify that
None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and
Muhammad is His Messenger, to offer prayers
perfectly, to pay Zakat, to listen to and obey (Allah's
and His Prophet's orders), and to give good advice
to every Muslim, and when the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers
and Peace be upon him, said: “Giving sincere advice is but the
core of Islam”222. And repeated it three times, his
Companions asked: O Messenger of Allah, to whom
shall we give advice? He said: “To Allah, His Book,
His Messenger, the leaders of Islam and the common
people”223.
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, said: There is
no blame on those who are weak or ill or who find no
resources to spend [in holy fighting (Jihâd)], if they
are sincere and true (in duty) to Allâh and His
Messenger. No ground (of complaint) can there be
against the Muhsinûn (good-doers). And Allâh is Oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful.(At-Taubah "The Repentance",91).
Giving advice is the core of the moral excellence of
Apostles and they all gave sincere advice to their

222
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
223
As An-Nasâ’I narrated

096
people.. As Nûh (Noah) said: O my people! There is
no error in me, but I am a Messenger from the Lord of
the ‘Âlamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!.I
convey unto you the Messages of my Lord and give
sincere advice to you. And I know from Allâh what you
know not.(Al-A‘râf “The Heights or The Wall with Elevation”,61-62).
And Hûd said: I convey unto you the Messages of my
Lord, and I am a trustworthy adviser (or well-wisher)
for you.(Al-A‘râf “The Heights or The Wall with Elevations”,68).
And Sâlih said: 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.(Al-A‘râf “The Heights or The Wall with Elevations”,79).
And Shu‘aib said: O my people! I have indeed
conveyed my Lord’s Messages unto you and I have
given you good advice. Then how can I sorrow for the
disbelieving people’s (destruction).(Al-A‘râf “The Heights or The
Wall with Elevations”,93).

Giving sincere mutual advice is the moral excellence

of believers that would deliver them on Doomsday,
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, said: By Al-‘Asr
(the time). Verily, man is in loss, Except those who
believe (in Islâmic Monotheism) and do righteous
good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth
[i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good
deeds (Al-Ma‘rûf) which Allâh has ordained, and
abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (Al-

097
munkar) which Allâh has forbidden], and
recommend one another to patience (for the
sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may
encounter in Allâh’s Cause during preaching His
Religion of Islâmic Monotheism or Jihâd) .(Al-‘Asr “The
Time”,1-3).

Giving advice is necessary to everybody and from

everybody. Imams should advise the public, the father
should advise his children, and brethren should advise
each other; exchanging advice instigates blessings to
everyone. Advice in religious matters is to enjoin on
people Al-Ma‘ruf (Islamic monotheism and all that is
good) and to forbid people from Al-Munkar (disbelief
in the Oneness of Allah and all that is evil), where the
Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “By Him, in
Whose Hand my soul is, you shall enjoin people to
Al-Ma‘ruf, and you shall forbid people from Al-
Munkar, or else Allah shall send upon you His
Punishment, then you shall supplicate to Him but He
shall not accept your prayers"224
The Qur’ân is full of examples of religious advice,
such as:

224
As At-Tirmidhi narrated

098
And there came a man running from the farthest
part of the town. He said: O my people! Obey the
Messengers. Obey those who ask no wages of you (for
themselves), and who are rightly guided.(Yâ-Sîn,20-21).
And a believing man of Fir‘aun’s (Pharaoh) family,
who hid his faith said: Would you kill a man because
he says: My Lord is Allâh, and he has come to you
with clear signs (proofs) from your Lord? And if he is
a liar, upon him will be (the sin of) his lie; but if he is
telling the truth, then some of that (calamity)
wherewith he threatens you will befall on you. Verily,
Allâh guides not one who is a Musrif (a polytheist, or
a murderer who shed blood without a right, or those
who commit great sins, oppressor, transgressor), a
liar! .(Ghâfir “The Forgiver or The Believer”,28).
And the man who believed said: O my people!
Follow me, I will guide you to the way of right
conduct [i.e. guide you to Allâh’s religion of Islâmic
Monotheism with which Mûsâ (Moses) has been
sent]. O my people! Truly, this life of the world is
nothing but a (quick passing) enjoyment and verily,
the Hereafter that is the home that will remain
forever.(Ghâfir “The Forgiver or The Believer”,38-39).
Giving advice in wordly matters is also necessary, as
related in the Qur’ân that Shu’aib’s daughter advised
099
her father saying: And said one of them (the two
women): O my father! Hire him! Verily, the best of
men for you to hire is the strong, the trustworthy.(Al-
Qasas “The Narration”,26).

And that a man advised Mûsâ (Moses), Allah’s Peace be upon

him, saying: And there came a man running from the

farthest end of the city. He said: O Mûsâ (moses)!

Verily, the chiefs are taking counsel together about
you, to kill you, so escape. Truly, I am one of the
good advisers to you.(Al-Qasas “The Narration”,20).
Dishonesty and deceitfulness in advice is similar to
giving a false testimony, and refraining from giving
advice to whoever needs it is similar to hiding
testimony, Allah, the Almighty, said:
…And conceal not the evidence for he, who hides it,
surely his heart is sinful. And Allâh is All-Knower of
what you do.(Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,283).
Advice should be given with wisdom and in a manner
appropriate to the one addressed, discreetly and not in
public, and with the sole intention of seeking Allah’s
reward; neither trying to show the other’s faults nor
one’s own wisdom and good judgment. Among the
examples to follow is the advice of Ibrahîm
(Abraham), Allah’s Peace be upon him, to his father, and
Luqmân’s teachings to his son.Early scholars used to
211
request to meet the rulers in order to advise them in
private so as not to cause any unrest in the community,
or reveal their shortcomings. On the other hand, rulers
chose the companionship of scholars to benefit from
their advice. This was demonstrated by the Prophet,
Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, as he used to go out to his

Companions and say: “Advise me”225, whether in

matters concerning life or combat. He, Allah’s Prayers and Peace
be upon him, accepted the suggestion of Salman Al-Faresy

of digging the Khandaq (the trench) around Al-

Madînah in the battle of Al-Ahzâb (the Confedarates),
just as he accepted another’s advice in Badr battle and
changed the location where the army settled.The
Qur’ân relates the story of the Queen of Saba’ (Sheba)
when she asked for her people’s advice and said:She
said: O chiefs! Advise me in (this) case of mine. I
decide no case till you are present with me (and give
me your opinions) .(An-Naml “The Ants”,32).
Whereas ‘Umar Ibn-Al-Khattâb kept the Company of
the Prophet’s Companions refering to them in matters
of the nation and doing as they advise. For that it has
been said that ‘Umar used to stop (be very cautious

225
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

210
and scrupulous) in matters mentioned in Allah's
Book226
The Muslim must accept the advice of his Muslim
brother without being arrogant as the one described in
the Qur’ân: And when it is said to him, “Fear
Allâh”, he is led by arrogance to (more) crime. So
enough for him is Hell, and worst indeed is that place
to rest!. (Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,206).
Refusing to accept an advice is sinful, as well as
refraining from providing it, where the Prophet, Allah’s
Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Whoever seeks Allah’s

Guidance will not go astray, and whoever consults will

have no regrets”227

226
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
227
As At-Tabarâni narrated

212
 21-Justice

The Just is one of the attributes of Allah, Praise and

Glory be to Him: O you who believe! Stand out
firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allâh, even though
it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin,
be he rich or poor, Allâh is a Better Protector to both
(than you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts),
lest you avoid justice; and if you distort your witness
or refuse to give it, verily, Allâh is Ever Well-
Acquainted with what you do. (An-Nisâ’ “The Women”,135).
An oppressed person should not be induced by his
enmity to any person to act unjustly towards people; in
other words, we have to disregard all the circumstances
that develop the person in question for justice is justice
and injustice leaves us in a manifold darkness out of
which we can see no way of deliverance on doomsday.
O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allâh as
just witnesses; and let not the enmity and hatred of
others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer
to piety; and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Well-
Acquainted with what you do (Al-Mâidah “The Table spread with
Food”,8)

213
It is evident that injustice will incur calamities and
blows of evil on the head of the unjust.
..O mankind! Your rebellion (disobedience to Allâh)
is only against your own-selves, - a brief enjoyment of
this worldly life, then (in the end) unto Us is your
return, and We shall inform you of that which you
used to do. (Yûnus “Jonah”,23).
And has the news of the litigants reached you?
When they climbed over the wall into (his) Mihrâb (a
praying place or a private room);. When they entered
in upon Dâwûd (David), he was terrified of them.
They said: “Fear not! (We are) two litigants, one of
whom has wronged the other, therefore judge
between us with truth, and treat us not with injustice,
and guide us to the Right Way. Verily, this my
brother (in religion) has ninety-nine ewes, while I
have (only) one ewe, and he says: “Hand it over to
me, and he overpowered me in speech”. [Dâwûd
(David)] said (immediately without listening to the
opponent): “He has wronged you in demanding your
ewe in addition to his ewes. And, verily, many
partners oppress one another, except those who
believe and do righteous good deeds, and they are
few.” And Dâwûd (David) guessed that We have tried
him and he sought Forgivenes of his Lord, and he
214
fell down prostrate and turned (to Allâh) in
repentance (Sâd, 21-24).
It seems -and Allah knows best- that Dâwûd (David),
Allah’s Peace upon him, accused the owner of the ninety-nine

ewes of injustice, without listing to his viewpoint, for

maybe the man had his pretext but was not given the
chance to plead his own case. Since Dâwûd (David)
was an Apostle, Allah’s Peace upon him, he realized at once that
he had been at fault, so he asked forgiveness of Allah.
Hence we find the Qur’anic comment on whole
situation: O Dâwûd (David)! Verily! We have placed
you as a successor on the earth; so judge you between
men in truth (and justice) and follow not your
desire-for it will mislead you from the Path of Allâh.
Verily, those who wander astray from the Path of
Allâh (shall) have a severe torment, because they
forgot the Day of Reckoning.(Sâd,26).
Hence, -and Allah knows best- as it seems from the
aforementioned verses, Dâwûd (David) pitied for the
poor man, -the owner of one ewe-, and his pity and
compassion led him astray from perfect examination of
the case.
He believed that the rich one yearned to take the only
one’s ewe and this (al-Hawa) or the vain desires that
may lead one astray. Apostles are void of any vain
215
desires, but Dâwûd (David) felt pity and compassion
for the poor one, the owner of one ewe. That’s why
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, said: .. be he rich
or poor, Allâh is a Better Protector to both (than
you). So follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest you
avoid justice;.. (An-Nisâ’ “The Women”,135)
A just leader has all his prayers accepted in this world;
moreover, he will be among those sheltered by Allah`s
Shade on doomsday when there will be no shade but
Allah’s.
Some preferred the just leader even if he is a
debauchee for the oppressing leader and said: (The
justice of the leader to his subjects and his perverted
behaviour with his own self and the injustice of the
leader to his subjects and his perfect behaviour towards
himself.. The permanence of sovereignties accords
with justice). For justice is the base of sovereignty and
the destruction of sovereignties accords with injustice.
These are their houses in utter ruin, for they did
wrong. Verily, in this is indeed an Ayâh (a lesson or a
sign) for people who know.(An-Naml “The Ants”,52).
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, permitted the
wronged to exact due retribution:
And indeed whosoever takes revenge after he has
suffered wrong, for such there is no way (of blame)
216
against them. The way (of blame) is only against
those who oppress men and rebel in the earth without
justification; for such there will be a painful
torment.(Ash-Shûra “The Consultation”,41-42).
Allah destroyed many corrupt cities for the injustice of
their inhabitants; for instance, Midian, Shu’aib`s
people used to defraud people by making short
delivery, so their prophet, Shu’aib, advised them to
give full measure and full weigh with justice but they
refused so Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him,
destroyed them. Prophet Muhammad, Allah`s Prayers and Peace be
warned us against injustice and said: “What
upon him,

destroyed the nations preceding you, was that if a

noble amongst them stole, they would forgive him, and
if a poor person amongst them stole, they would inflict
Allâh’s Legal punishment on him”.228
Whosoever does righteous good deed, it is for (the
benefit of) his ownself; and whosoever does evil, it is
against his ownself. And your Lord is not at all
unjust to (His) slaves.(Fussilat “They are explained in detail”,46).
Hence, doing evil to oneself leads to utter perdition so
we have to be not only just to people but to ourselves
as well.

228
As Al- Bukhârî narrated

217
..Allâh wronged them not, but they wronged
themselves.(Âl-‘Imrân “The Family of Imran”,117).
…And We wronged them not, but they used to
wronged themselves.(An-Nahl “The bees”,118).
Indeed he succeeds who purifies his ownself (i.e.
obeys and performs all that Allâh ordered, by
following the true Faith of Islâmic Monotheism and
by doing righteous good deeds). And indeed he fails
who corrupts his ownself (i e disobeys what Allâh has
ordered by rejecting the true Faith of Islâmic
Monotheism or by following polytheism or by doing
every kind of evil wicked deeds).(Ash-Shams “The Sun”,9-10).
Only by purifying one’s souls of sins, by letting it sip
from springs of obedience, one can be fair to one’s
own soul. And the one who imbues from sins, letting
his soul be led astray by vain desires, does wrong
himself.

218
 22-Truthfulness

The antithesis of truthfulness is falsehood:

Truthfulness empowers the human being to resuscitate
the ability to proceed in the straight path thereby
protecting him against reluctance and withdrawal.
Certain Phases of Truthfulness:
1- Truthfulness In Belief:
It is the acknowledgment and belief that Allah is
Existing, The One, no partner has He; He is the
Omnipotent Whose Power overwhelms everything;
nothing occurs opposite to His Will; He is the
Accomplisher of whatever He wants. No suspicion
over-coasts this belief.
One should know for sure that whatever of good comes
to one is from Allah; and whatever of ill befalls one is
from oneself. Sufficient is Allah as a Witness. If we
are afflicted with adversity we should endure; and if
we are blessed with prosperity we must thank Allah.
Do people think that they will be left alone because
they say: “We believe” and will not be tested. And We
indeed tested those who were before them. And Allâh
will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those
who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the
falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allâh

219
knows all that before putting them to test) .(Al-'Ankabût
"The Spider",2-3).

Do you think that you will enter Paradise before

Allâh tests those of you who fought (in His Cause)
and (also) tests those who are As-Sâbirûn (the
patient)?.(Âl-‘Imrân “The Family of Imran”,142).
And among mankind is he who worships Allâh as it
were, upon the edge (i.e. in doubt): if good befalls
him, he is content therewith; but if a trial befalls him
he turns back on his face (i.e. reverts to disbelief after
embracing Islâm). He loses both this world and the
Hereafter. That is the evident loss.(Al-Hajj “The Pilgrimage”,11).
We believe that: Allah does not wrong His Creatures.
Of mankind are some who say: “We believe in
Allâh”. But if they are made to suffer for the sake of
Allâh, they consider the trial of mankind as Allâh’s
punishment; and if victory comes from your Lord,
(the hypocrites) will say: “Verily we were with you
(helping you)”. Is not Allâh Best Aware of what is in
the breasts of the ‘Âlamîn (mankind and jinn) .(Al-
'Ankabût "The Spider",10).

The deeply-rooted love of Allah and His Messenger in

the heart of the believer is the proof of true sincere
belief; this love supersedes and excels any other love,
the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Whoever
201
possesses the following three qualities will taste the
sweetness of faith: The one to whom Allah and His
Messenger become dearer than anything else. Who
loves a person and he loves him only for Allah’s sake.
Who hates to revert to disbelief (Atheism) as he hates
to be thrown in fire after Allah has brought (saved)
him out from it”229..
Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, describes true
faith: Only those are the believers who have believed
in Allâh and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not
but strive with their wealth and their lives for the
Cause of Allâh. Those! They are the truthful.(Al-Hujurât
“The Dwellings”,15).

2- The Truthfulness In Intention:

An individual’s intention must be true, sincere,
wholehearted and unblemished by selfish gains. It was
reported that the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said:
“A worshipper might do (a lot of) righteous deeds, so
angels ascend with them in sealed sheets and put them
before Allah, Praise and Glory be to Him, Who would
say: [Put this sheet aside, he never did this seeking
My Countenance]”230..

229
As Al- Bukhârî narrated
230
As Dara Qutnî narrated that Anas (may Allah be Pleased with him) said.

200
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Anyone
whose intention is the Hereafter, Allah will make his
wealth in (that is, enrich) his heart and bestow upon
him his reuniting family and the harvest of this world
will prosper and flourish; and anyone whose intention
is this world, Allah will make his poverty betwixt his
eyes, disuniting him from his family and he will attain
from the harvest of this world nothing but what has
been ordained for him”231..
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, reported that:
“An army will invade the ka‘bah and when the
invaders reach Al-Baidâ’, all the ground will sink and
swallow the whole army”! ‘Âishah, (may Allah be Pleased with her)
asked him: How will they sink into the ground while
amongst them will be their markets (the people who
worked in business and not invaders) and the people
not belonging to them? So he, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him,
said “All of those people will sink but they will be
resurrected and judged according to their
intentions”232
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “When two
Muslims fight (meet) each other with their swords,

231
As At-Tirmidhi narrated that Anas (may Allah be Pleased with him)
said.
232
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

202
both the murderer as well as the murdered will go to
the Hell-fire” It was said: It is alright for the murderer
but what about the murdered one?.. The Prophet, Allah's
Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “He surely had the intention

to kill his companion”233

So the intention is the backbone of everything. The
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: "The reward of
deeds depends upon the intention and every person
will get the reward according to what he has
intended"234
A true sincere intention describes the state of the heart
of a true believer; the fruitful upshot of this
unprivileged intention is good deeds. The great
significance of the true unaffected intention is
underscored by the well known Prophet’s saying that
emphasizes the tale of the three men who were sent to
hell although the first was a martyr, the second an
almsgiver and the third a man of learning: This was
because the intention deeply rooted in their hearts was
not devoted to the cause of Allah; on the contrary they
sought worldly praise and glory amongst people.. To
the first one it was said: You fought so that people

233
As Al- Bukhârî narrated
234
As Al- Bukhârî narrated

203
might say: He is courageous! And so did people. To
the second it was said: You spent your money in
charity so that people might say: He is generous! And
so did people. To the third one it was said: You learned
the Qur’an so that people might say: He is a man of
learning!. And so did people. Henceforth they found
no reward in the Hereafter but the chastisement of
hypocrites.
3- Truthfulness in speech:
One has to be true in reporting, communicating and
informing about the past and the future. The Prophet,
, said: “Truthfulness leads to
Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him

righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise.

And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes
a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajoor (i.e.
wickedness, evil doing), and Al-Fajoor wickedness)
leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling
lies till he is written before Allah, a liar”235..
Truthfulness is the moral excellence of believers and
of Allah as well: …and whose words can be truer
than those of Allâh? (Of course, none) .(An-Nisâ’ “The
women”,122).

235
As Al- Bukhârî narrated

204
… And who is truer in statement than Allâh? .(An-
Nisâ’ “The women”,87).

Truthfulness is the moral excellence of the

Messenger’s of Allah no one of them lied, Allah says:
… it is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses
(the Qur’ân) of Allâh that the Zâlimûn (polytheists
and wrong-doers) deny.(Al-An‘âm “The Cattle”,33).
When Heracules asked Aboû Sufyân about the
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, He said, Had you ever
blamed him for telling lies before he claimed what he
claimed? Aboû Sufyân said: No.. Heracules said: so I
took it for granted that a person who did not tell a lie
about (others) the people could never tell a lie about
Allah.236
It was awe-inspiring that Ibrâhîm (Abraham) forbad
himself to be an intercessor on Doomsday saying: I
had told three lies 237.
Glory be to Allah!. Only three lies in his long life.
They were not lies but claims, he said for noble
reasons:

236
As Al- Bukhârî narrated
237
As Al- Bukhârî narrated

205
The first lie was when he said to his people: …Nay,
this one, the biggest of them (idols) did it. Ask them,
if they can speak!.(Al-Anbiyâ’ “The Prophet”,63).
That was when he broke the idols and left the principal
one so that they might return to it.
The second lie was: And he said: Verily, I am sick
(with plague). [He did this trick to remain in their
temple of idols to destroy them and not to accompany
them to the pagan feast] .(As-Sâffât “Those Ranged in Ranks”,89).
And that he said so that they would turn away without
him and avail himself of the situation and break nearly
all the idols.
As for the third one, it was when he said to his wife: O
Sarah! There are no believers on the surface of the
earth except you and I. This man asked me about you
and I have told him that you are my sister, so don't
contradict my statement. This was for fear of the wrath
of a tyrant who if had known that Ibrâhîm (Abraham)
was her husband he would have killed him.
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, was asked: Does
a believer lie?. He said: “No”. Then he mentioned the
Qur’an verse: It is only those who believe not in the
Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs,
revelations, etc.) of Allâh, who fabricate
falsehood,….(An-Nahl “The Bees”,105).
206
4- Truthfulness in deeds:
This dictates that the ostensible deeds should accord
with the covert core of things; and that things in secret
coincide with those in public:  Among the believers
are men who have been true to their covenant with
Allâh [i.e. they have gone out for jihâd (holy
fighting), and showed not their backs to the
disbelievers]; of them some have fulfilled their
obligations (i.e. have been martyred); and some of
them are still waiting, but they have never changed
[i.e. they never proved treacherous to their covenant
which they concluded with Allâh] in the least.(Al-Ahzâb
“The Confederates”,23).

The Qur’an relates to us about those who were true:

And of them are some who made a covenant with
Allâh (saying): If He bestowed on us of His Bounty,
we will verily give Sadaqâh (Zakât and voluntary
charity in Allâh’s Cause) and will be certainly among
those who are righteous. Then when He gave them of
His Bounty, they became niggardly [refused to pay
the Sadaqâh (Zakât or voluntary charity)], and
turned away, averse. So He punished them by putting
hypocrisy into their hearts till the Day whereon they
shall meet Him, because they broke that (covenant

207
with Allâh) which they had promised to Him and
because they used to tell lies. (At-Taubah “The Repentance”,75-77).
A best example of the true deed that accords with the
true intention is when the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon
him, sent ‘Asim Ibn Thâbit at the head of detachment

comprising nine soldiers who were besieged by the

disbelievers and were ordered to surrender on
condition that they would not be hurt. So some
surrendered but ‘Asim refused to be under the
protection of a disbeliever and he fought with arrows
till he was killed, when the disbelievers wanted to
carry his dead body to Makkah, a swarm of wasp
pounced on their way and shaded him in such a way
that the disbelievers could not get close to him so they
left intending to return on the morrow. On their return,
next morning they found that a flood drafted his body
far away to a place no body could ever know.
Allah ordered people to tell the truth so He said: O
you who believe! Be afraid of Allâh, and be with
those who are true (in words and deeds. (At-Taubah “The
Repentance”,119).

And mention in the Book (the Qur’ân) Ismâ‘îl

(Ismael). Verily he was true to what he promised, and
he was a Messenger, (and) a Prophet. (Maryam “Mary”,54).
208
And he (Muhammad, Allâh’s Prayer and Peace be
upon him), who has brought the truth (this Qur’ân
and Islâmic Monotheism) and (those who) believed
therein (i.e. the true believers of Islâmic
Monotheism), those are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious and
righteous persons). They shall have all that they will
desire with their Lord. That is the reward of
Muhsinûn (good-doers). So that Allâh may expiate
from them the evil of what they did and give them the
reward, according to the best of what they used to
do. (Az-Zumar “The Groups”,33-35).
Truthfulness is the proven freedom from enslavement
and devotion except to Allah; for lying is the upshot of
fear or greediness. A true worshipper does not fear but
Allah, He who knows Allah, should be truthful in his
belief, his intentions, utterances and deeds. He does not
fear but Allah and does not want but Him. Allah’s
Satisfaction is his aim, His Love is his goal and
meeting Him at the final end and looking eagerly
towards his Lord is the long sought after hope.

209
 23-Sincerity

And verily, In the cattle, there is a lesson for you.

We give you to drink of that which is in their bellies,
from between excretions and blood, pure milk;
palatable to the drinkers.(An-Nahl “The Bees”, 66).
This means that the drink is unblemished by

either blood or faces, on the contrary it is

white, clear and has a thickness of its own.

And they were commanded not, but that they should

worship Allâh, and worship none but Him Alone
(abstaining from ascribing partners to Him),…. (Al-
Bayyinah “The Clear Evidence”, 5).

Surly the religion (i.e. the worship and the

obedience) is for Allâh only….(Az-Zummar “The Group”, 3).
Say (O Muhammad, Allâh’s Prayers and Peace be
upon him):“Verily I am commanded to worship Allâh
(Alone) by obeying Him and doing religious deeds
sincerely for His sake only”. (Az-Zummar “The Group”, 11).
Say (O Muhammad, Allâh’s Prayers and Peace be
upon him):“Allâh Alone I worship by doing religious
deeds sincerely for His sake only (and not to show

221
off, and not to set up rivals with Him in worship”. (Az-
Zummar “The Group”, 14).

Hence, we find in the aforementioned verses, the two

words: Pure and sincere which are the English version
of the Arabic word: Ikhlas.
Al-Ikhlas as many interpreters said: Is the sincere
intention, or it is the unblemished attempt to approach
the cause of Allah. In other words, Al-Ikhlas is the
sincere obedience to Allah, that obedience
unblemished by hypocrisy, untarnished by anticipation
of glory or worldly praise.
Saying: “We feed you seeking Allâh’s Countenance
only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from
you”.(Al-Insân “Man or Time”, 9).
The Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “Seven
people will be shaded by Allâh under His shade on the
day when there will be no shade except His. They are:
A just ruler, a young man who has been brought up in
the worship of Allâh: (i.e. worship Allâh (Alone)
sincerely from his childhood), a man whose heart is
attached to the mosque (who offers the five compulsory
congregational prayers in the mosque), two persons
who love each other only for Allâh’s sake and they
meet and part in Allâh’s cause only, a man who
refuses the call of a charming woman of noble birth for
220
an illicit sexual intercourse with her and says: I am
afraid of Allâh, a person who practices charity so
secretly that his left hand does not know what his right
hand has given; (i.e. no body knows how much he has
given in charity), a person who remembers Allâh in
seclusion and his eyes get flooded with tears”.238
It was said that on doomsday the sun would approach
creatures' heads, so people would well nigh sink in
their sweat. Hence, on that day, those who would be
sheltered by Allah's Shade would be granted a large
share of good.
Ikhlas (Sincerity) are two kinds. The human being
receives from either of them according to his closeness
to Allah, there are the sincere and thechosen
The sincere: Acquired his sincerity according (by
virtue of) Allah’s Grace and his wish to have his deeds
unblemished and made them dedicated to Allah’s
Countenance, where as the guided (The chosen ones)
are the ones who acquired this rank according to the
trail and choice of Allah. It is a gift from Allah.. As
He said:
And remember Our slaves, Ibrâhîm (Abraham),
Ishâq (Isaac), and Ya‘qûb (Jacob), (all) owners of

238
As Al- Bukhârî narrated

222
strength (in worshipping Us) and (also) of religious
understanding. Verily, We did choose them by
granting them (a good thing,- i.e.) the remembrance
of the Home [in the Hereafter and they used to make
the people remember it, and also they used to invite
the people to obey Allâh and to do good deeds for the
Hereafter]. And they are with Us, verily, of the
chosen and the best!.(Sâd,45-47).
And mention in the Book (this Qur’an) Mûsâ
(Moses). Verily he was chosen and he was a
Messenger (and) a Prophet.(Maryam “Mary”,51).
The sincere obedient ones, mentioned above, are
elected by Allah. Satan (Iblîs) has no power over
them:
[Iblîs (Satan)] said: By Your Might, then I will surly
mislead them all,. Except Your chosen slaves
amongst them (i.e. faithful, obedient, true believers of
Islâmic Monotheism). (Sâd,82-83).
[Iblîs (Satan)] said: O my Lord! Because you misled
me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them
(mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all.
Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them .(Al-
Hijr “The Rocky Tract”,39-40).

223
Sincerity is deeply inter-linked with truthfulness and
this is emphasized by the Prophet's saying: “A
counselor is trustworthy”.239
Verily, the hyprocrites will be in the lowest depth
(grade) of the Fire: no helper will you find for them.
Except those who repent (from hypocrisy), do
righteous good deeds, hold fast to Allâh, and purify
their religion for Allâh (by worshipping none but
Allâh, and do good for Allâh’s sake only, not to show
off), then they will be with the believers. And Allâh
will grant the believers a great reward.(An-Nisâ’ “ The
women”,145-146).

Hence, the gate of repentance is widely open before

those who are not sincere.
Sincerity should envelop belief, faith, intention, words
and deeds. When asked about those people who would
be greatly blessed with the bliss of his intercession, the
Prophet, Allah's Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “The luckiest
person who will have my intercession on the Day of
Resurrection will be the one who said sincerely from
the bottom of his heart. None has the right to be
worshipped but Allâh”.240

239
As Al- Tirmidhi narrated

240
As Al Bukhârî narrated

224
The fruitful of sincere sayings is emphasized in the
following Qur’anic verse:
And let those (executors and guardians) have the
same fear in their minds as they would have for their
own, if they had left weak offspring behind. So let
them fear Allâh and speak right words.(An-Nisâ’ “ The
women”9).

It is as if sincerity in speech secures the future of

orphans; moreover it leads to the righteous path and
Allah's Forgiveness.
O you who believe! Keep your duty to Allâh and fear
Him, and speak (always) the truth. He will direct you
to do righteous good deeds and will forgive you your
sins….(Al-Ahzâb “The Confederates”,70-71).
Say (O Muhammad, Allâh’s Prayers and Peace be
upon him): Verily, my salât (prayer), my sacrifice, my
living, and my dying are for Allâh, the Lord of the
‘Âlamîn (mankind, jinn and all that exists). He has
no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and
I am the first of the Muslims.(Al-An‘âm “ The Cattle”,162-163).

225
 24-Patience

Patience is committing oneself to do what the mind

and Islamic Law require one to do. Some scholars said:
The meaning of patience differs with different
situations. If one submits to his Lord when an
affliction befalls him it is Sabr (i.e. patience), and it is
opposite to discontentment; if one is patient in fighting,
it is bravery, and it is opposite to cowardice; if one is
patient and tolerates bad things people say about him,
it is large-heartedness, and it is opposite to intolerance;
and if one abstains from talking, it is discretion, and it
is opposite to prattle.
All this is called patience. Moreover, one’s persistence
to be obedient to his Lord and observe all acts of
worship, striving with one’s own self and abstinence
from committing sins are all patience.
Allah commands us to perform all types of patience as
He, Exalted be He, says, O you who believe! Endure
and be more patient (than your enemy), and guard
your territory by stationing army units permanently at
the places from where the enemy can attack you, and
fear Allâh, so that you may be successful (Âl-‘Imrân “The
Family of Imran”,200).

226
Patience is a trait of the Muslim and is attributed to
Allah’s Messnger in its most perfect form, as Allah,
Exalted be He, says: And Verily, you (O
Muhammad) are on an exalted (standard of)
character (Al-Qalam or Nûn “The Pen”,4).
Moreover, it is one of the traits of Allah’s Messengers
as Allah, Exalted be He, says to his beloved Prophet,
Therefore be patient (O Muhammad) as did the
Messengers of strong will, (Al-Ahqâf “The Curved Sand-hills”,35).
This shows that their patience was the zenith of
patience.
In fact, a person can not be adorned with patience
except with Allah’s Help and Support as Allah,
Exalted be He, says: And endure you patiently (O
Muhammad), your patience is not but from Allâh.
And grieve not over them (polytheists and pagans),
and be not distressed because of what they plot (An-
Nahl “The Bees”,127).

Although Allah is the One Who guides to patience,

Allah, Exlated be He, has brought glad tidings to the
patient ones as He, the Almighty, says: …but give
glad tidings to As-Sâbirûn (the patient). Who, when
afflicted with calamity, say: "Truly! To Allâh we
belong and truly, to Him we shall return." They are
those on whom are the Salawât (i.e. who are blessed
227
and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and (they are
those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who are
the guided ones (Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,155-157).
Patience endows the worshipper with the ability to
persevere in observing acts of worship. For example,
the month of Ramadan is called the Month of Patience
as the Muslim abstains from eating and drinking
patiently during his fast, and refrains from fulfilling
desires which are lawful at times when he is not
fasting. That is why the reward of fasting is ample as
Allah, the Almighty, says in a Sacred Hadith: [All the
deeds of the son of Adam are for him, except fasting,
which is for Me and I shall reward for it]241.
Patience is intact only when one is sincere. The fasting
person in his seclusion is seen by no one except Allah,
Exalted be He. It is an act of worship that no one sees
or observes except Allah, the Almighty. That is why
the reward of fasting is not known to anyone save
Allah, the Almighty.

241
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

228
There are four types of patience:
1- Patience in performing good deeds:
By abiding by and obeying Allah's Commands and
Orders regardless of the hardship or efforts he exerts
for them, as for example being patient in fasting,
performing qyyam (the voluntary night prayers) and
performing various obligatory religious duties..
2- Patience in abstaining from sinful deeds:
By abstaining from comitting all the forbidden acts,
and all what subjects him to Allah’s Wrath and Anger
as Allah, the Almighty, says in the most
comprehensive Koranic verse:
Verily, Allâh enjoins Al-‘Adl (i.e. justice and
worshipping none but Allâh Alone - Islâmic
Monotheism) and Al-Ihsân [i.e. to be patient in
performing your duties to Allâh, totally for Allâh’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 Allâh has ordered you to
give them e.g., wealth, visiting, looking after them, or
any other kind of help), and forbids Al-Fahshâ’ (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), and Al-Munkar (i.e all
that is prohibited by Islâmic law: polytheism of every
229
kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds), and Al-
Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression). He admonishes
you, that you may take heed (An-Nahl “The Bees”,90).
And true is the the Prophet’s saying: Allah’s Prayers and Peace be
upon him: “The striver is the one who strives against one’s

desires and the immigrant is the one who migrates (i.e.

abandons) from sins and bad deeds!”242
3- Patience on being endowed with Allah's
Endowments and Graces:
By knowing and acknowledging that their only source
is Allah's Grace and obeying Him in utililizng them
lest the person endowed with them transgresses (in
disbelief and evil deeds). Allah, the Almighty says:
Nay! Verily, man does transgress (in disbelief and
evil deed). Because he considers himself self-
sufficient ( Al-‘Alaq “The Clot”,6-7).
And the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said: “The
sun has never risen except with two angels sent at its
two sides calling, making all creations to hear, except
mankind and jinns, saying: “Come forth to your Lord,
for what is little and sufficient is better than what is
ample and distracts one!”243

242
As Ibn Hyban narrated
243
As Ahmmad narrated

231
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, used to invoke
Allah, the Almighty, saying: "O Allah, I seek refuge
with You against the trial of Fire, and the torture of
Fire, and the trial of the grave, and the torture of the
grave, and the evil of the the temptation of richness
and the trial of poverty!"244
4- Patience through affliction
By being content with the Divine decree, without
complaining or being discontent, and asking Allah for
His Compensation for what is lost whether it is money,
son or health, etc. Allah, Exalted be He, says:
And certainly, We shall test you with something of
fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give
glad tidings to As-Sâbirûn (the patient) (Al-Baqarah “The
Cow”,155), and He says: And surely, We shall try you till

We test those who strive hard (for the Cause of Allâh)

and As-Sâbirûn (the patient), and We shall test your
facts (i.e. the one who is a liar, and the one who is
truthful) (Muhammad or Al-Qitâl “Muhammad, Allâh’s Prayers and Peace be upon
him, or The Fighting”,31).

The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, when asked about
the ones who are most hardly afflicted said: "The
people most prone to be tried with afflictions are the

244
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

230
prophets and then the most pious and then those next
in piety and so on. And a person is tried according to
the strength of his belief; if his belief is firm, his trial
will be harder, and if his belief is weak, he is tried
accordingly. And a person is tried till he walks around
bearing no sin!”245.
There are afflictions that will be rewarded by nothing
save Paradise. The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him,
said: "Allah, the Almighty, said:[If I deprive my
slave of his two beloved things (i.e. his eyes) and he
forbears patiently, I will let him enter Paradise in
compensation for them]246 and he, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be
upon him, said: “The greatness of the reward is in

accordance with the degree of suffering. Verily, when

Allah, Exalted be He, loves some people, He tries them
(with affliction ). Whoso is content (with Allah's Divine
Decree) is endowed with (Allah’s) Contentment, and
whoso is discontented (with Allah's Decree), the
Discontent (of Allah) will descend on him!”247
If a person is encounterd with what is contrary to his
wishes, with severe affliction and blights, he should be
content for the ample reward he will be endowed with

245
As Ibn Magâh narrated
246
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
247
As Ibn Magâh narrated

232
for his contentment; but if he cannot be content at least
he should forbear them with patience. Some scholars
said: "If Allah, the Almighty, wants any of His slaves
to return to His Obedience, He afflicts him with all
kinds of afflictions and cuts him off any means of help
in order to guide him back to his Lord"!
Whoso does not complain or repine, he will be
rewarded and endowed with Allah's Pleasure and
Ample Reward. On the other hand, Allah’s Discontent
and Wrath will descend on whoso complains, growls
or repines, being discontent with Allah’s Divine
Decree. Allah’s Divine Decree will inevitably occur as
per what is preordained in the Divine Tablet. There is
none who can repel Allah’s Divine Decree and there is
none who can put back His Judgement, He disposes all
affairs wisely even if His Wisdom is too hidden for
men of understanding.
Any evil is mantled in a mantle of good because Allah,
the Almighty, does not do or ordain but all good.
Allah, Exalted be He, says: and it may be that you
dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like
a thing which is bad for you. Allâh knows but you do
not know (Al-Baqarah “The Cow”,216).
Some pious people used to say that they found their
pleasure in afflictions. And some of them grieved
233
when they were endowed with the pleasures of life,
they feared Allah will tell them on the Day of
Resurrection, "You received your good things in the
life of the world, and you took your pleasure therein
(Al-Ahqâf “The Curved Sand-hills”,20).
It has been reported that the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be
upon him, said: “If Allah wants to do good to somebody,

He afflicts him with trials.”248 It has also been said: the

pious is never free of illness or scarcity or humbleness.
When the patient ones are tested in the life of this
world with afflictions and trials, these afflictions and
trials will be a hidden blessing and grace because they
resort to their Lord, having their sins expiated, or being
raised to degrees of honour or even having both
rewards.
It was reported that ‘Abdullah Ibn Salâm and Alî Ibn
Al-Hussain, may Allah be pleased with them, said that on the Day of
Resurrection a caller calls: “Let the people of patience
rise!” So some people rise and would then be
commanded to enter Paradise. The Angels will meet
them and say: Where to? They will reply: To Paradise.
The angels would ask: Before the accounting by
Allah? They will say: Yes, at that the angels will ask

248
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

234
them: Who are you? They will say: We are as-Saberun
(i.e.the patient ones), the angels will ask: And how was
your patience? They will say: We were patient in
obeying Allah’s Orders, patient in refraining from
doing what He forbade us to do, and patient during
hardships and afflictions of the wordly life. Alî Ibn Al-
Hussain said: The angels will then tell them: Enter
Paradise, how excellent is this reward for the doers
(who do righteous deeds according to Allah’s Order).
And ‘Abdullah Ibn Salâm said: The angels will say:
Salâmun ‘Alaikum (peace be upon you) for you
persevered in patience! Excellent indeed is the final
home!. (Ar-Ra‘d “The Thunder”,24).

235
Kinds of Patience:
The Sheikhs divided Patience into various kinds:
(Patience from Allah, Patience with Allah, Patience in
Allah, and Patience and Endurance of one’s longing to
Allah).
1- Patience from Allah:
The human being should attribute all might and power
to Allah, believing that nothing whatsoever can hinder
the afflictions from befalling him save Allah, the
Almighty, and that no one has the power to ordain him
to have benefits except Allah, the Almighty. He should
know that he can not repel any harm from befalling
him or gain any benefits.
He should resort to Allah, Exalted be He, imploring
Him to endow him with endurance and aid him to obey
Him, to hinder him from disobeying Him, and inspire
him to thank Him for His Graces by utilizing them in
all what He likes. He should resort to Allah, Exalted
be He, imploring Him to endow him with the power to
endure the afflictions that befell him, so that he never
complains or repines. These meanings are shown
manifestly in Allah’s Sayings,
I possess no power over benefit or harm to myself
except as Allâh wills (Al-A‘râf “The Wall with Elevations”,188).

236
 I possess no power over harm or benefit to myself
except as Allâh wills (Yûnus “Jonah”,49)
And if Allâh touches you with harm, there is none
who can remove it but He, and if He intends any
good for you, there is none who can repel His Favour
which He causes it to reach whomsoever of His slaves
He wills (Yûnus “Jonah”,107)
And if Allâh touches you with harm, none can
remove it but He, and if He touches you with good,
then He is Able to do all things (Al-An‘âm “The Cattle”,17).
Whatever of mercy (i.e. of good), Allâh may grant
to mankind, none can withhold it; and whatever He
may withhold, none can grant it thereafter. And He is
the All-Mighty, the All-Wise (Fâtir or Al-Malâ‘ikah “The Originator
of Creation, or The Angels”, 2).

All affairs are disposed by Allah, the Almighty. It is

Allah Who is Bringer of benefit and harm, and one
becomes patient owing to Allah’s Grace and as an
endowment from Allah. That is why Allah, Exalted be
He, says to His Prophet: And endure you patiently (O
Muhammad), your patience is not but from Allâh.
And grieve not over them (polytheists and pagans),
and be not distressed because of what they plot (An-
Nahl “The Bees”,127).

237
To reach this degree of faith you should implore your
Lord and ask Him, believing and acknowledging that
there is no might or power save in Allah and that all
affairs are in Allah’s Hand.
2- Patience with Allah:
By being with Allah, Exalted be He, in all what befalls
you. This means that all what you like accords with
what Allah likes, and all what you want accords with
what Allah wants, being content with Allah’s Divine
Decree without complaining or becoming discontent
with Allah’s Will and without expressing any
complaints verbally, or having inward discontent.
Hence, you will be in conformity with the description
of the believer as stated by the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace
be upon him, as he said: “The likeness of the believer is as

the likeness of a soft plant, wherever the wind blows it,

turns it over!”249
This is patience of the believer who is content with
Allah’s Will and Decree. And it is the zenith of
patience, and this is what is meant by “Patience with
Allah”.
There is the patience of those who are discontent with
Allah’s Will, where he endures what befalls him

249
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

238
against his will, while his heart is discontent with
Allah’s Will and Decree, or complains openly, as the
bed-ridden person who complains to his visitors about
his illness or the bereft father who is surprised at his
son’s death in a car accident for example, or even the
husband who marries a second wife because his wife
does not give birth except to girls.
Any complaints, or objections to the Divine Decree are
not considered patience with Allah. Patience with
Allah requires the believer’s firm belief in Allah’s
Divine Decree, the good and evil of it. And it requires
the believer’s belief in the fact that Allah brings
nothing but good and that any affliction is a hidden
grace, and that whatever has befallen you could never
have missed you, and that what has not befallen you
could never have befallen you, and that Allah is more
Merciful with His slave than the mother with her son.
3- Patience in Allah:
By striving for Allah’s Cause in all fields, and seeking
to be endowed with His Contentment by all means.
This includes all deeds that may involve hardships, or
what is contrary to one’s desire, or even being harmed,
such as striving so that Allah’s Word becomes the
uppermost, even if you are subject to being hurt,
injured, or even martyrdom. The Noble Qur’an relates
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many stories of the patient ones and has commanded
us to follow their example as in Allah’s Saying:
And when they advanced to meet Jâlût (Goliath)
and his forces, they invoked: "Our Lord! Pour forth
on us patience, and set firm our feet and make us
victorious over the disbelieving people (Al-Baqarah “The
Cow”,250).

And many a Prophet (i.e. many from amongst the

Prophets) fought (in Allâh’s Cause) and along with
him (fought) large bands of religious learned men.
But they never lost heart for that which did befall
them in Allâh’s Way, nor did they weaken nor
degrade themselves. And Allâh loves As-Sâbirûn (the
patient) (Âl-‘Imrân “The Family of Imran”,146).
Do you think that you will enter Paradise before
Allâh tests those of you who fought (in His Cause)
and (also) tests those who are As-Sâbirûn (the
patient)? (Âl-‘Imrân “The Family of Imran”,142).
So if there are of you a hundred steadfast persons,
they shall overcome two hundreds, and if there are a
thousand of you, they shall overcome two thousand
with the Leave of Allâh. And Allâh is with As-
Sâbirûn (the patient).(Al-Anfâl “The Spoils of War”, 66).
The same applies to what befell the Prophets and
Messengers from their Call to Allah and what befalls
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the righteous people and reformers who enjoin Al-
Ma‘rûf and forbid Al-Munkar in all times and places.
They endure patiently, seeking Allah’s Contentment
and propagating His Religion, elevationg Allah’s
Word. There are many examples of this in the Noble
Qur’an,
Verily, (many) Messengers were denied before you
(O Muhammad ), but with patience they bore the
denial, and they were hurt; till Our Help reached
them, and none can alter the Words (Decisions) of
Allâh. Surely there has reached you the information
(news) about the Messengers (before you) (Al-An‘âm “The
Cattle”,34).

And why should we not put our trust in Allâh while

He indeed has guided us our ways? And we shall
certainly bear with patience all the hurt you may
cause us, and in Allâh (Alone) let those who trust, put
their trust (Ibrâhîm “Abraham”, 12)
O my son! Aqim-As-Salât (perform As-Salât),
enjoin (on people) Al-Ma‘rûf - (Islâmic Monotheism
and all that is good), and forbid (people) from Al-
Munkar (i.e. disbelief in the Oneness of Allâh,
polytheism of all kinds and all that is evil and bad),
and bear with patience whatever befalls you. Verily,
these are some of the important commandments
240
(ordered by Allâh with no exemption) (Luqmân
“Luqmân”,17).

Allah, Exalted be He, has promised the patient ones to

be guided to His Paths, as He says: As for those who
strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide
them to Our Paths (i.e. Allâh’s religion - Islâmic
Monotheism). And verily, Allâh is with the Muhsinûn
(good doers) (Al-‘Ankabût “The Spider”,69).
4- Patience and Endurance of one’s longing to
Allah:
It is the kind of Patience of those loving Allah, the
Almighty, those who yearn for meeting Him, and
looking at their Lord, Exalted be He. Their spirits and
hearts long for the Divine Magnificence and
Perfection. They are waiting eagerly for their death
with patience, suffering from yearnings and
anticipation, and had it not been for their appointed
term that they have to complete, their spirits wouldn’t
have rested in their bodies for a moment. It is a kind of
patience known only to those who love and yearn for
their Lord, those whose hearts are replete with their
love for Allah.
There are many poems that dealt with this kind of love
as the poems of Umar Ibn Al-Fared, Dhul-Nun Al-
Masry and Rabi‘a Al-‘Adawyya. They dealt with this
242
kind of pure sincere love not known to many people.
These figures claimed that observing acts of worship,
if done while longing for Paradise and out of fear from
Hellfire, is like the work of a bad hired worker, who
will be content if given amply, and will complain if not
given what he expects. The motive for worship should
be out of the worshiper’s pure love for the Supreme
Self, not out of any fear or hope. Allah, Exalted be He,
is the Only One to be worshipped, the Only One
Whose Contentment should be sought even if there
were no Paradise and hellfire. In fact, Allah is the
absolute beauty, the absolute Magnificence and
Perfection. Worshipping and obeying Allah, Exalted
be He, endows the worshipper with pleasure and bliss.
The remembrance of Allah suffices the worshipper and
makes him dispenses with any companion.
Those people wondered: If Allah hadn’t created
Paradise and Hell, would those who are nearest to
Allah stop worshipping Him or seeking His Pleasure?
And what would it mean when the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers
said: “Endeared to me were women and
and Peace be upon him,

scent, and the prayer has been made the pleasure of

my eye!”250 Or why did the Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be

250
As An-Nasâ’I narrated
243
 , perform the voluntary night prayer (Qiyam al-
upon him

Leil) until his feet swelled although his sins of the past
and the future were forgiven? They cited the attributes
of those who love Allah, Exalted be He, as mentioned
in the Noble Qur’an as, They used to sleep but little
by night [invoking their Lord (Allâh) and praying,
with fear and hope]. (Adh-Dhâriyât “The Winds that Scatter”,17).
Hence, true love for Allah, and knowledge of His True
Attributes generate yearning and longing to meet Him,
where true lovers suffer from this love and manifest it
in obeying Allah, and finding all pleasure in
remembering Him, reciting His Qur'anic verses, and
being away from all distracting wordly matters. They
make use of the calmness of night to pray to their
Lord, trying to bear patiently the days and years left for
them until they die and meet Him, the Almighty.
That is why patience, in all its kinds, needs the
exertion of efforts until one reaches the most sublime
of all kinds of patience, that is: The most becoming
patience mentioned by Ya`cub (may Allah be pleased with him) as
the Noble Qur’an relates what he said when his sons
claimed that a wolf had devoured their brother Yusuf,
And they brought his shirt stained with false blood.

244
He said: "Nay, but your ownselves have made up a
tale. So (for me) patience is most becoming. And it is
Allâh (Alone) Whose help can be sought against that
(lie) which you describe (Yûsuf “Prophet Joseph”,18).
Ya`qub said it again when his sons came to him and
told him that his other son251 was taken as a
punishment for stealing, as he said: He [Ya‘qûb
(Jacob)] said: "Nay, but your ownselves have
beguiled you into something. So patience is most
becoming (for me). May be Allâh will bring them
(back) all to me. Truly He! Only He is All-Knowing,
All-Wise (Yûsuf “Prophet Joseph”,83). Scholars and interpreters
said that the most becoming and comely patience is:
the patience that is not accompanied with complaints.
The believer should be patient at the first stroke of a
calamity and not after the passage of a period of time
after its occurrence.
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, passed by a
woamn who was weeping beside a grave. He, Allah’s
Blessings and peace be upon him, told her: “Fear
Allah and be patient!” She said to him, not
recognizing who he was: Leave me alone, for you have

251
His son Benjiamin as mentioned in the explanation of, verse
69 Sûrah Yûsuf “Prophet Joseph”

245
not been afflicted with a calamity like mine. He, Allah’s
Prayers and Peace be upon him, left, and when she was informed

that he was the Prophet, she hurried to his house and

said to him apologetically, O Allah’s Messenger, I did
not recognize you. He said: "Verily, the patience is
most becoming at the first stroke of a calamity."252
The Prophet, Allah’s Prayers and Peace be upon him, said, “Whoever
seeks chastity Allah will make him chaste, and
whoever abstains (from any illegal or forbidden act),
Allah will endow him with His Bounty; and whoever
seeks patience, Allah will give him patience and
whoever seeks beneficence will be endowed
therewith"!253

252
As Al-Bukhârî narrated
253
As Al-Bukhârî narrated

246
Now, dear reader
These have been some glimpses at some of the morals
of Islam. In fact, it is hard for us to deal with or
elaborate on them in the most becoming and perfect
way, even if we write myriad volumes and books on
them. For these grand morals the divine messages were
revealed, and the everyday deals and transactions can
be carried out fairly. Through them, the most sublime
degrees of faith can be attained. It is not easy at all to
be adorned with these morals and ethics. This is
because the human soul if not preoccupied with the
Truth, it will preoccupy us with falsehood.
I ask Allah, the Almighty, to guide us to the most
perfect morals, no one can guide to the best thereof
except Allah!
I ask Allah, the Almighty to protect us against the
evil behaviors, no one can protect against them
except Allah!
And I ask Him to help our souls be pious, and I ask
Him to purify them!
For, truly, Allah is Only and Best One Who can
purify them,
For Him are the souls’ dying and living!

247
REFERNCES:

THE NOBLE QUR’AN - English Translation of the

meanings and commentary.

Dr. Muhammad Taqî-ud-Dîn Al-Hilâlî

Formerly Professor of Islamic Faith and Teachings
Islamic University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.

Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khân

Formerly Director, University Hospital Islamic
University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah.

(In this book Qur'anic verses are taken from

the above mentioned reference, what can be
considered the translation of Allah's Word
which was revealed to the Prophet, Allah's Prayers and
Peace be upon him, in the Arabic language.)

SAHIH AL-BUKHARI
Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khân
Islamic University, Al-Medinah Al-
Munawwara.

248
 Index

Subject Page
Introduction 2
Filial Piety 9
Joining Uterine and Blood Relations 22
Protecting Orphans 31
Protection of the Poor 38
Good Neighbourhood 48
Promoting Accord Between People 53
Fraternity for Allah's Sake 62
Marital Rights 73
Children Upbringing 92
Cleanliness 104
Bashfulness 110
Modesty and Humility To Allah 128
Chastity 137
Trustworthiness 146
Forbearing 165
Generosity 171
Loyalty 179
Forgiveness 185
Overlooking Others’ Defaults 189
Giving Advice 196
Justice 203
Truthfulness 209
Sincerity 220
Patience 226
End Page 247
Referance 248

249