The quality of a Muslim is dependent upon how much of our Beloved Prophet’s personality we make part of our own personality. m.a.Ibrahim
The following points are the Essence of the Sunnah ! They address the state of your heart in order to impact your character, not your far less-important physical appearance.
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“The Sunnah of our Beloved Prophet is Honesty, Truthfulness, Pondering, Reflecting and Thinking.”
Sh. Hassan Farhan al-Maliki
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1. Truthfulness:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَقُولُوا قَوْلًا سدِيدًا وصادِقًا
"O you who believe! keep your duty to Allah and speak straight, true words." (Holy Quran 33:70)
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مِعَ الصّٰدِقِين
"O you who believe, keep your duty to Allah, and be with the truthful people." (Holy Quran 9:119)
كونوا حفظة للعدل وشهودًا حقيقيين لله، حتى وإن كان الحق يتعارض مع أنفسكم، أو آبائكم، أو أقاربكم، أو شخص غنيًا أو فقيرًا
"Be maintainers of justice and bearers of true witness for Allah, even if it (the truth) goes against your own selves or parents or relatives or someone who is rich or poor." (Holy Quran 4:135)
2. Sincerity:
اعبد الله وكن صادقًا له في الطاعة
"Serve Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience." (Holy Quran 39:2)
أنها أكثر الأشياء المكروهة في نظر الله أن تقول ما لا تفعل
"It is most hateful in the sight of Allah that you say things which you do not do." (Holy Quran 61:3)
ويلٌ لأولئك الذين يصلون ولكنهم غافلون عن صلاتهم، الذين يعملون الخير ليُشاهَدوا
"Woe to those who pray but are unmindful of their prayers, who do good to be seen." (Holy Quran 107:4-6)
3. Unselfishness:
لَن تَنَالُوا۟ ٱلْبِرَّ حَتَّىٰ تُنفِقُوا۟ مِمَّا تُحِبُّونَ وَمَا تُنفِقُوا۟ مِن شَىْءٍ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ بِهِۦ عَلِيمٌ
"You cannot attain to righteousness unless you spend (in charity) out of those things which you love." (Holy Quran 3:91)
يُوفُونَ بِٱلنَّذْرِ وَيَخَافُونَ يَوْمًا كَانَ شَرُّهُۥ مُسْتَطِيرًا وَيُطْعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ مِسْكِينًا وَيَتِيمًا وَأَسِيرًاإِنَّمَا نُطْعِمُكُمْ لِوَجْهِ ٱللَّهِ لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمْ جَزَآءً وَلَا شُكُورًا
"They (the true believers) give food, out of love for Allah, to the poor, the orphan and the slave, saying: We feed you only for Allah's pleasure - we desire from you neither reward nor thanks." (Holy Quran 76:8-9)
وَلَا تَمْنُن تَسْتَكْثِرُ
"Do no favour seeking gain." (Holy Quran 74:6)
4. Humility:
وَعِبَادُ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ
"The servants of the Beneficent (Allah) are those who walk on the earth in humility." (Holy Quran 25:63)
وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ
"Do not turn your face away from people in contempt, nor go about in the land exultingly." (Holy Quran 31:18)
فَلَا تُزَكُّوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنِ ٱتَّقَىٰٓ
"Do not ascribe purity to yourselves. Allah knows best who is righteous." (Holy Quran 53:32)
5. Patience:
وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ
"Allah loves those who are patient." (Holy Quran 3:145)
وَبَشِّرِ ٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَٱلَّذِينَ إِذَآ أَصَـٰبَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّآ إِلَيْهِ رَٰجِعُونَ
"Give good news to the patient, who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: We are Allah's and to Him do we return." (Holy Quran 2:155-156)
6. Forgiveness:
وَلْيَعْفُوا۟ وَلْيَصْفَحُوٓا۟ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
"Pardon (people) and overlook (their faults). Don't you love that Allah should forgive you." (Holy Quran 24:22)
وَٱلْعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱللَّهُ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
"(The dutiful are) . . . those who restrain their anger and pardon people. Allah loves those who do good to others." (Holy Quran 3:134)
وَٱلْفَوَٰحِشَ وَإِذَا مَا غَضِبُوا۟ هُمْ يَغْفِرُونَ
"And [they avoid] obscene speech and when they are angry, they forgive." (Holy Quran 42:37)
وَلَمَن صَبَرَ وَغَفَرَ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ لَمِنْ عَزْمِ ٱلْأُمُورِ
"But, if one is patient in adversity and forgives - this, behold, is indeed something to set one’s heart upon!" (Holy Quran 42:40, 43)
When the Holy Prophet Muhammad defeated his enemies in Makka and returned to that city as its conqueror, he forgave them in the following words:
لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ يَغْفِرُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ
"No reproof be against you this day; Allah may forgive you, and He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy." (Holy Quran 12:92)
7. Purity and cleanliness:
قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَن تَزَكَّىٰ وَذَكَرَ ٱسْمَ رَبِّهِۦ فَصَلَّىٰ
"He indeed is successful who purifies himself (in mind and body), and remembers the name of his Lord, then prays." (Holy Quran 87:14-15)
وَثِيَابَكَ فَطَهِّرْ وَٱلرُّجْزَ فَٱهْجُرْ
"Purify your garments and shun uncleanness." (Holy Quran 74:4-5)
8. Honesty:
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا۟ مَالَ ٱلْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِى هِىَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُۥ وَأَوْفُوا۟ بِٱلْعَهْدِ إِنَّ ٱلْعَهْدَ كَانَ مَسْـُٔولًا وَأَوْفُوا۟ ٱلْكَيْلَ إِذَا كِلْتُمْ وَزِنُوا۟ بِٱلْقِسْطَاسِ ٱلْمُسْتَقِيمِ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
"Don't go near the property of an orphan, except in a goodly way, till he attains maturity. And fulfil the promise (you make) . . .. Give full measure when you measure out, and weigh with a true balance." (Holy Quran 17:34-35)
وَلَا تَأْكُلُوٓا۟ أَمْوَٰلَكُم بَيْنَكُم بِٱلْبَـٰطِلِ وَتُدْلُوا۟ بِهَآ إِلَى ٱلْحُكَّامِ لِتَأْكُلُوا۟ فَرِيقًا مِّنْ أَمْوَٰلِ ٱلنَّاسِ بِٱلْإِثْمِ وَأَنتُمْ تَعْلَمُونَ
"Do not swallow up your property among yourselves by false means, nor offer it as a bribe to the officials so that you may swallow up other people's property unlawfully while you know." (Holy Quran 2:188)
9. Goodness and kindness to others:
إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَـٰنِ وَإِيتَآئِ ذِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ وَٱلْبَغْىِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ
"BEHOLD, God enjoins justice, and the doing of good, and generosity towards [one's] fellow-men; and He forbids all that is shameful and all that runs counter to reason, as well as envy; [and] He exhorts you [repeatedly] so that you might bear [all this] in mind." (Holy Quran 16:90)
Three degrees of doing good are mentioned here: "justice," which means returning any good that someone has done you with equal good; "do good to fellow-men”, which means taking the initiative in doing good to others; and doing good to people instinctively and naturally just as one does good to one's close relatives.
وَلَا تُلْقُوا۟ بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى ٱلتَّهْلُكَةِ وَأَحْسِنُوٓا۟ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
"And let not your own hands throw you into destruction, do good to others, surely Allah loves those who do good to others." (Holy Quran 2:195)
10. Consideration and respect for others:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَدْخُلُوا۟ بُيُوتًا غَيْرَ بُيُوتِكُمْ حَتَّىٰ تَسْتَأْنِسُوا۟ وَتُسَلِّمُوا۟ عَلَىٰٓ أَهْلِهَا ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ فَإِن لَّمْ تَجِدُوا۟ فِيهَآ أَحَدًا فَلَا تَدْخُلُوهَا حَتَّىٰ يُؤْذَنَ لَكُمْ وَإِن قِيلَ لَكُمُ ٱرْجِعُوا۟ فَٱرْجِعُوا۟ هُوَ أَزْكَىٰ لَكُمْ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ عَلِيمٌ
O YOU who have attained to faith! Do not enter houses other than your own unless you have obtained permission and greeted their inmates. This is [enjoined upon you] for your own good, so that you might bear [your mutual rights] in mind. Hence, [even] if you find no one within [the house], do not enter it until you are given leave; and if you are told, “Turn back,” then turn back. This will be most conducive to your purity; and God has full knowledge of all that you do." (Holy Quran 24:27-28)
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ ٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ كَثِيرًا مِّنَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ ٱلظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلَا تَجَسَّسُوا۟ وَلَا يَغْتَب بَّعْضُكُم بَعْضًا أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَن يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتًا فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيمٌ
"O you who have attained to faith! Avoid most suspicion [about one another] for, behold, some of [such] guesswork is [in itself] a sin; and do not spy upon one another, and neither allow yourselves to speak ill of one another behind your backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would loathe it! And be conscious of God. Verily, God is an acceptor of repentance, a dispenser of grace!" (Holy Quran 49:12)
وَإِذَا حُيِّيتُم بِتَحِيَّةٍ فَحَيُّوا۟ بِأَحْسَنَ مِنْهَآ أَوْ رُدُّوهَآ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَسِيبًا
"When you are greeted with a greeting, greet with one better than it, or return it (in the same terms at least)." (Holy Quran 4:86)
11. Moderation:
وَكُلُوا۟ وَٱشْرَبُوا۟ وَلَا تُسْرِفُوٓا۟ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُحِبُّ ٱلْمُسْرِفِينَ
"Eat and drink, but do not be immoderate." (Holy Quran 7:31)
وَلَا تَجْعَلْ يَدَكَ مَغْلُولَةً إِلَىٰ عُنُقِكَ وَلَا تَبْسُطْهَا كُلَّ ٱلْبَسْطِ فَتَقْعُدَ مَلُومًا مَّحْسُورًا
"Do not chain your hand to your neck (so that you are stingy in spending), nor stretch it out to the utmost limit (so that you waste everything)." (Holy Quran 17:29)
Regarding the performance of religious duties, the Holy Prophet has given the following advice:
الدين سهل، ولكن أي شخص يبذل جهده الكامل في التفاني الديني سوف يتغلب عليه؛ لذا يجب أن تتصرف بشكل صحيح وتعمل على الوسطية، وأن تكون مبتهجًا وأن تطلب مساعدة الله في الصباح والمساء وجزء من الليل
"Religion is easy, but any one who exerts himself too much in religious devotions will get overcome by it; so you should just act rightly, and keep to the mean (the middle course), and be of good cheer, and ask for Allah's help morning, evening, and a part of the night." (Bukhari.)
12. Cheerfulness:
"Be of good cheer." كُن مُبتهجاً (Holy Prophet in Bukhari.)
"It is an act of charity to meet your fellow with a cheerful face." إنه عمل خير أن تلتقي بزميلك بوجه مبتسم (Holy Prophet in Mishkat.)
Finally, we give a verse of the Holy Quran mentioning a number of qualities a Believer, man or woman, should try to acquire:
إِنَّ ٱلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَٱلْمُسْلِمَـٰتِ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتِ وَٱلْقَـٰنِتِينَ وَٱلْقَـٰنِتَـٰتِ وَٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰدِقَـٰتِ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرَٰتِ وَٱلْخَـٰشِعِينَ وَٱلْخَـٰشِعَـٰتِ وَٱلْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ وَٱلْمُتَصَدِّقَـٰتِ وَٱلصَّـٰٓئِمِينَ وَٱلصَّـٰٓئِمَـٰتِ وَٱلْحَـٰفِظِينَ فُرُوجَهُمْ وَٱلْحَـٰفِظَـٰتِ وَٱلذَّٰكِرِينَ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرًا وَٱلذَّٰكِرَٰتِ أَعَدَّ ٱللَّهُ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةً وَأَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
"The truthful men and the truthful women, the patient men and the patient women, the humble men and the humble women, the charitable men and the charitable women, the fasting men and the fasting women, the men who guard their chastity and the women who guard their chastity, the men who remember Allah much and the women who remember Allah much - for all these Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward." (Holy Quran 33:35)