By
Dr. Muhammad ‘Ali Al-Hashimi
Translated by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab and Revised by
Ibrahim M. Kunna and Abu Aya Sulaiman Abdus-Sabur
Copyright and published by the International Islâmic Publishing House (IIPH), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 1999.
Contents
Abbreviations, Symbols
and Notes
Expectations
Chapter
1: The
Muslim and His Rabb
The believer is alert
Obedient to the commands of his Rabb
He has a sense of responsibility for those under his authority
He accepts the will and
decree of Allah
The one who turns to
Allah
in repentance
His main concern is the pleasure of his Rabb
He
regularly performs the duties and good deeds required by Islam
He is a true slave of
Allah
He often reads the Qur’an
Chapter
2:
The
Muslim and His Own Self
Introduction
1-His Body
Moderation in food and drink
He exercises regularly
His body and clothes are clean
Good appearance
2-
His Mind
Knowledge is an obligation and an
honor
for the Muslim
Continuously seeking knowledge until death
What a Muslim needs to know
The Muslim should be proficient in his specialty
The Muslim exposes himself to information about
other fields
The Muslim is proficient in a foreign language
3-The Muslim’s Soul
The Muslim polishes his soul through worship
He keeps company with righteous people and joins religious gatherings
He frequently repeats du‘as and supplications described
in Ahadith
Chapter
3: The Muslim and His Parents
He recognizes their status and knows his duties towards them
He is kind and respectful towards them even if they are not Muslim
He is extremely reluctant to disobey them
His mother comes first, then his father
He treats his parents’ friends well
How does he show kindness and respect towards them?
Islamic view of marriage and woman
The ideal Muslim’s wife
He follows the guidance of Islam in his married life
The true Muslim is an ideal husband
One of the most successful husbands
He understands his wife and respects her feelings
He helps her to make up for her failings and weaknesses
He knows how to strike a balance between pleasing his wife and treating his mother with due kindness and respect
He fully understands his role as a protector and maintainer (qawwam) of his wife
Chapter
5: The Muslim and His Children
Introduction
He understands his great responsibility towards his children
He uses the best methods in bringing them up
He demonstrates his love and affection for them
He spends on them, willingly and generously
He does not discriminate between sons and daughters in his affection and
spending
He is alert to everything that may have an influence on them
He equally treats all his children
He instills good behavior and attitudes in them
Chapter 6: The Muslim and His Relatives (Arham)
Islamic view of kinship ties
The Muslim upholds the ties of kinship according to the teachings of Islam
He maintains the ties of kinship even if his relatives are not Muslim
He fully understands the meaning of upholding the ties of kinship
He maintains the ties of kinship even
if his relatives fail to do so
Chapter
7: The
Muslim and His Neighbors
He is the best of people in his dealings with his neighbors
He is aware of the Islamic teachings concerning good treatment of neighbors
The true Muslim is tolerant towards his neighbor
He likes for his neighbor what he likes for himself
The misery that befalls humanity because of the lack of true Islamic morals and manners
The Muslim treats his neighbor in the best way he can
His generosity is directed towards both Muslim and non-Muslim neighbors
He starts with the neighbor whose home is closest to his own
The true Muslim is the best neighbor
Bad neighbors
The bad neighbor is a person who is deprived of the blessing of faith
The bad neighbor is a person whose good deeds are not accepted
The true Muslim is careful to avoid falling into sin where his neighbor
is concerned
His good treatment of his neighbor is not lacking
He puts up with his neighbor’s mistakes and bad treatment
He does not give tit-for-tat
He knows his neighbor’s rights over him
Chapter 8: The Muslim and His Friends and Brothers in Islam
He loves them for the sake of Allah
The status of two who love one another for the
The effect of love for the sake of Allah
on
the life of the Muslims
He does not forsake or abandon his brother
He is tolerant and forgiving towards them
He meets them with a smiling face
He is sincere towards them
He has a natural inclination towards kindness
He is kind to his brothers
He does not gossip about them
He avoids arguing with them, making hurtful
He is generous and prefers his brothers over himself
He prays for his brothers in their absence
Chapter
9
Introduction
He is truthful
He does not cheat, deceive or stab in the back
He is not envious
He is sincere
He keeps his promises
He has a good attitude towards others and treats
He is characterized by shyness (Haya’)
He is gentle towards people
He is compassionate and merciful
He is tolerant and forgiving
He is easy-going in his business dealings
He is of cheerful countenance
He has a sense of humor
He is patient
He avoids cursing and foul language
He does not falsely accuse anyone of fisq or kufr
He is modest and discreet
He does not interfere in that which does not concern him
He refrains from backbiting and slander
He avoids giving false statements
He avoids suspicion
He keeps secrets
He does not converse privately with another
He is not arrogant or proud
He is humble and modest
He does not make fun of anyone
He respects elders and distinguished people
He mixes with people of noble character
He strives for people’s benefit and seeks to protect them from harm
He strives to reconcile between Muslims
He calls people to the truth
He enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil
He is wise and eloquent in his da‘wah
He is not a hypocrite
He does not show off or boast
He is straightforward and consistent in his adherence
He visits the sick
He attends funerals
He repays favors and is grateful for them
He mixes with people and puts up with their insults
He tries to make people happy
He guides others to righteous deeds
He is easy on people, not hard
He is fair in his judgment of people
He does not oppress or mistreat others
He loves noble things and always aims high
His speech is not exaggerated or affected
He does not rejoice in the misfortunes of others
He is generous
He does not remind the beneficiaries of his charity
He is hospitable
He prefers others to himself
He helps to alleviate the burden of the debtor
He is proud and does not beg
He is friendly and likeable
He checks his customs and habits against
He follows
Islamic manners in the way he eats and drinks
Spreading the greeting of salam
He does not enter a house other than his own
He sits wherever he finds room in a gathering
He avoids yawning in a gathering as much as he can
He follows the Islamic etiquette when he sneezes
He does not look into other people’s houses
He does not imitate women
Conclusion
“These are Verses of the Wise Book, a Guide and
a Mercy to the Doers of Good,
(Qur‘an 31:3)
`Abdullah
ibn `Amr narrated that
Allah’s
Messenger
(sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
neither
talked in an insulting manner nor did he ever speak evil intentionally.
He used to say, “The most beloved to me amongst you is the one who
has the best character and manners.”
(Bukhari 5/104)
Allah’s
Messenger (sallallahu
‘alayhi wa sallam)
said,
“Verily
Allah is kind and He loves kindness and confers kindness which he does not
confer upon severity and does not confer upon anything else besides it
(kindness).”
(Muslim 4/6273)
Abu Hurairah (r.a.) narrated that the
Prophet
(sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
said: “The most perfect believer in respect of faith is he who is
best of them in manners.”
(Abu Daud 4665)
Abu Umamah and
Sa‘d ibn AbuWaqqas narrated that Allah’s Messenger
(sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
said,
“A believer is stamped with all the characteristics except treachery and
falsehood.”
(Tirmidhi 4860, Ahmad and
Bayhaqi)
Abu Hurairah
(Tirmidhi
Hadith 33 and Nasa‘i)