By  Dr. Muhammad ‘Ali Al-Hashimi

Translated by Nasiruddin Al-Khattab and Revised by Ibrahim M. Kunna and Abu Aya Sulaiman Abdus-Sabur

Introduction

The Muslim who is aware of the teachings of his religion is a social person, because he has a mission in life, and those who have a mission in life have no choice but to be in contact with people, mixing with them, dealing with them and engaging in give-and-take.

The Muslim is social in the best way, according to his understanding of the true religion and the noble human values that it advocates and encourages in the field of social interaction.

The social personality of the Muslim, which is infused with the guidance of the Qur’an and Sunnah, is a unique personality that cannot be compared to the social personality developed by any contemporary manmade system, or by any of the ancient laws devised by philosophers and thinkers. It is a social personality of the highest quality, composed of a great number of noble characteristics which are mentioned in the Qur’an and hadith. Islam has made adherence to these characteristics a religious duty for which a man will be rewarded, and will be called to account if he neglects it. In this way, Islam was able to make the personality of the true Muslim a brilliant example of a good, clean-living, pious, well-mannered social individual.

The Islamic references which speak about social relations are quite amazing in their abundance, comprehensiveness and precision. These sources do not ignore any aspect of social interaction, and they point to the high and pure level that Islam wants the Muslim to reach. No doubt the Muslim will reach it, when the reality of Islam is firmly entrenched in his heart and soul, pervading his entire being.

The soundness of the Muslim’s social personality is based on his adherence to the laws of Allah (S.W.T.) in his interaction with people. From this major basic feature of Islamic belief stem the social manners and morals that the pious, sincere Muslim adheres to in his dealings with others. On this firm foundation, the true Muslim establishes his social relationships.

He is truthful

He is truthful with all people, because the guidance of Islam with which his very being is infused has taught him that truthfulness is the chief of virtues. Truthfulness naturally leads to goodness, which will admit the one who practices it to Paradise, while falsehood leads to iniquity which will send the one who practices it to Hell. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“Truthfulness leads to piety (birr), and piety leads to Paradise. A man continues to speak the truth until he is recorded in the sight of Allah (S.W.T.) as a sincere lover of truth (siddiq). Falsehood leads to iniquity and iniquity leads to Hell. A man will continue to speak falsehood until he is recorded in the sight of Allah (S.W.T.) as a liar.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

Therefore the Muslim is a sincere lover of truth, striving to be true in word and deed. This is a high and noble status indeed, to be recorded in the sight of one’s Rabb as a sincere lover of truth.

He does not cheat, deceive or stab in the back

The truthful Muslim who has attained this status does not cheat, deceive or stab in the back, because the requirements of truthfulness are sincerity, purity, fairness and loyalty. This leaves no room for cheating, deception, unfairness and betrayal.

The sensitive, sincere Muslim will not tolerate cheating, indeed he will have a complete aversion to it, because he is aware that doing this evil deed will put him beyond the pale of Islam. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) stated, in a hadith narrated by Muslim:

“Whoever bears arms against us is not one of us, and whoever cheats us is not one of us.”

In another report also narrated by Muslim, the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) passed by a pile of food (in the market), put his hand in it and felt dampness (although the surface of the pile was dry). He said, “O owner of the food, what is this?” The man said, “It was damaged by rain, O Messenger of Allah (S.W.T.).” He said, “And you did not put the rain-damaged food on top so that people could see it! Whoever cheats us is not one of us.”

The community of Muslims is a community built on love and sincerity, whose individual members are endowed with piety, truthfulness and faithfulness. So there is no room in this community for cheats, swindlers, double crossers, tricksters, ungrateful wretches or traitors.

The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) severely condemned cheats, swindlers and traitors, but it was not enough to denounce them and exclude them from the Muslim community in this world; he went on to announce that on the Day of Resurrection, every traitor would be raised carrying the flag of his betrayal and a caller will cry out in the vast arena of judgment, pointing to him and drawing attention to him:

“Every traitor will have a banner on the Day of Resurrection, and it will be said, ‘This is the betrayer of so-and-so.’” (Bukhari and Muslim)

How great will be the shame of those traitors who thought that their betrayal was long since forgotten, and now here it is, spread out for all to see and carried aloft on banners held by their own hands.

Their shame of the Day of Judgment will increase when they see the Prophet (s.a.w.s.),  who is the hope of intercession on that great and terrible Day, standing in opposition to them, because they have committed the heinous crime of betrayal which is a crime of such enormity that it will deprive them of the mercy of Allah (S.W.T.) and the intercession of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.):

“There are three whom I will oppose on the Day of Resurrection: a man who gave his word then betrayed; a man who sold a free man into slavery and kept the money; and a man who hired someone, benefited from his labour, then did not pay his wages.” (Bukhari)

The Muslim who has true Islamic sensitivities avoids deceit, cheating, treachery and lies no matter what benefits or profits such activities might bring him, because Islam considers those who are guilty of such deeds to be hypocrites. Hypocrites will be in the lowest level of Hell, and there will be no-one to help them on the Day of Judgment:

[The Hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire: no helper will you find for them.] (Qur’an 4:145)

The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“There are four features, whoever has all of them is a true hypocrite and whoever has one of them has one of the qualities of a hypocrite until he gives it up: when he is trusted, he is unfaithful; when he speaks he tells lies; when he makes a promise, he proves treacherous; and when he disputes, he resorts to slander.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

He is not envious

Another evil characteristic which does not befit the true Muslim is envy (hasad[1]). The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) issued stern warnings against it and advised that faith and envy do not belong together:

“Faith and envy do not go together in the heart of the servant.”[2]

Samurah ibn Tha‘labah (r.a.) said:

“The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, ‘The people will be fine as long as they do not envy one another.’” [3]

One of the qualities of the true Muslim is that his soul is free from deceit, envy, treachery and malice. This purity of heart will grant him entry to Paradise, even if he is not one of those who perform many acts of worship, spending nights in prayer and fasting during the day. Imam Ahmad reported with a hasan isnad and al-Nisa’i reported from Anas ibn Malik (r.a.) who said:

“We were sitting with the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and he said, ‘One of the people of Paradise will now come to you,’ and a man of the Anasr came along, his beard dripping from his wu¼u’ and carrying his sandals in his left hand. The next day, the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said the same thing, and the same man appeared, looking the same as he had on the previous day. On the third day, the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) again said the same thing, and the same man appeared again. When the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) left, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-’s followed the man and said, ‘I have fallen out with my father and sworn that I will not enter his house for three (days), and I thought that I could stay with you until this time is up.’ He said, ‘Fine’.” Anas (r.a.) said: “‘Abdullah used to tell how he stayed with him for those three nights and never saw the man get up to pray at night, but when he awoke and turned over in his sleep he would mention Allah (S.W.T.) and say ‘Allahu akbar,’ until he got up for salat al-fajr. ‘Abdullah said: “But I never heard him say anything but good. When the three days were over and I had begun to think that his deeds were nothing remarkable, I said, ‘O servant of Allah! There was no quarrel between me and my father, but I heard the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) say three times, ‘one of the people of Paradise will come to you,’ and you appeared each time, so I wanted to come and stay with you to see what you did, so I could follow your example, but I did not see you do anything out of the ordinary. What is it that has raised you to such a great status as the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said?’ The man said, ‘It is only what you have seen.’ When I turned away, he called me back and said, ‘It is only what you have seen, but I do not hold anything against any Muslim in my heart, and I do not envy anyone for the blessings that Allah (S.W.T.) has bestowed on him.’ ‘Abdullah said: ‘This is what raised you to that great status, and this is what we could not achieve.’”

This hadith indicates the effects of having a heart that is free of hatred, envy, malice and treachery, and its impact on deciding a person’s fate in the Hereafter, raising his status in the sight of Allah (S.W.T.) and making his deeds acceptable, even if they are few. These effects can be clearly seen in the example of this man whose acts of worship were few, but he would enter Paradise because of the purity of his heart and the fact that people were safe from harm on his part. These effects are in direct contrast with the woman about whom the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was asked; although she spent her nights in prayer and her days fasting, she used to insult her neighbors, so the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said, “She will be in Hell.” ^[4]

The one who weighs heavily in the balance of Islam (i.e., is successful) is the sincere man whose heart is free from deceit, treachery, envy and hatred, even if his acts of worship are few. Despite the paucity of his worship, he is like a pure, solid brick in the structure of the Islamic community. The one whose heart is filled with hatred, envy, deceit and malice towards people, weighs lightly in the balance of Islam (i.e., is a failure), even if his acts of worship are many, because he is like a weak brick in the structure of the community; this weak link and others like it, may be the cause of its collapse. The ideal Muslim as Islam wants him to be combines faithful worship, purity of heart and good treatment of others, so that his inward character is in accordance with his outward appearance and his deeds confirm his words. Through this Muslim and others like him, the structure of the Muslim community will be reinforced and strengthened, until it is as the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) described it: “like a wall, parts of which support other parts” (Muslim). This is the pure, cohesive community that deserves to carry the message of Allah (S.W.T.) to mankind.

He is sincere

The true Muslim is not only free of those negative characteristics, but he is also endowed with the constructive, positive attitude of true sincerity towards every Muslim in his community, believing that his religion is essentially sincerity, as the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) described it:

“Religion is sincerity.” The Saahbah asked, “To whom?” He said, “To Allah (S.W.T.),  to His Book, to His Messenger, to the leaders of the Muslims and to their common folk.” (Bukhari and Muslim)

When the Saahbah swore allegiance (bay‘ah) to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.),  they would pledge to observe salat and zakat, and to be sincere towards every Muslim, as is shown in the statement of Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah (r.a.):

“I swore allegiance to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) with the pledge that I would establish regular prayer, pay zakat and be sincere to every Muslim.” (Bukhari and Muslim) 

The fact that sincerity (nahisah) was mentioned in conjunction with salat and zakat in the oath of allegiance given by this great Saahbi to the Prophet (s.a.w.s.), is an indication of its importance in the Islamic scheme of things and in deciding a person’s fate in the Hereafter. Therefore it is a basic characteristic of the true Muslim who is concerned about his destiny on the Day of Judgement.

The importance of sincerity in deciding the fate of a Muslim in the Hereafter increases when he is given some responsibility over other Muslims. Then it becomes his key to eternal Paradise: if he does not attain it in this world, he will be denied access to Paradise in the Hereafter. The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“There is no slave whom Allah (S.W.T.) entrusts with the care of those under his authority and he dies having been insincere or deceitful in his duty, but Allah (S.W.T.) will deny Paradise to him” (Bukhari and Muslim). According to another report, he (S.W.T.) said: “If he has not surrounded them with his sincerity, he will not even smell the perfume of Paradise.”

According to a report given by Muslim, the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“There is no leader entrusted with the affairs of the Muslims, and then does not do his best for them and is not sincere towards them, but he will not enter Paradise with them.”

How great is the responsibility of the ruler in Islam and of everyone who has been entrusted with some of the affairs of the Muslims! How great is the impact of sincerity in fulfilling this duty, on the ultimate fate of the one who has been entrusted with it, on the Day when mankind will be resurrected to face the Rabb of the Worlds. Our attention is drawn to the responsibility of each one of us in his own social circle by the words of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.): 

“Each of you is a shepherd, and each of you is responsible for his flock (i.e. those under his care).”

This clearly demonstrates the comprehensiveness of that responsibility in the Muslim society: hardly anyone can evade it. Hence the true Muslim community, which is based on these divine principles and values, is the most civilized, secure and moral of all human societies.

He keeps his promises

The true Muslim who is endowed with a positive Islamic attitude, also keeps his promises faithfully. It is no exaggeration to say that this attitude is one of the most important factors in a person’s success in his community, and is one of the clearest indicators of his high level of civility and superior standing in his community.

The Muslim is one of these civil types of people who keep their promises: indeed, he is the best of them, if he is a true Muslim, because this attitude of faithfulness in keeping promises is at the heart of Islamic morals and manners, and is one of the most indicative signs of the soundness of a Muslim’s faith and Islam. Many ayat and ahadith  encourage the fostering of this attitude and indicate that it is one of the signs of faith. In contrast, seeking to avoid fulfilling promises is an attitude that is condemned and viewed as a sign of hypocrisy:

[O you who believe! Fulfil [all] obligations.] (Qur’an 5:1)

[... And fulfil [every] engagement, for [every] engagement will be enquired into [on the Day of Reckoning]] (Qur’an 17:34)

A promise is not an empty word to be uttered casually with no intention of fulfillment, as too many Muslims do nowadays. It is a serious responsibility, for which we will be called to account:

[Fulfill the Covenant of Allah, when you have entered into it…] (Qur’an 16:91)

A promise is a covenant with Allah (S.W.T.),  which gives it a measure of dignity and sanctity: fulfilling it is an obligation, regardless of the circumstances:

[O you who believe! Why say you that which you do not? Grievously odious is it in the sight of Allah that you say that which you do not.] (Qur’an 61:2-3)

Breaking promises is one of the odious sins that Allah (S.W.T.) abhors in His believing servants; He does not want them to sink to such a level. There is no ambiguity in the interrogative structure at the beginning of this ayah, where the breaking of promises is so soundly condemned that the true believer would strive to avoid this sin and would tremble with fear of his Rabb.

The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“The signs of a hypocrite are three: when he speaks, he lies; when he makes a promise, he breaks it; and when he is entrusted with something, he betrays that trust” (Agreed upon). According to a report given by Muslim, he (s.a.w.s.) added: “Even if he fasts, prays, and thinks that he is a Muslim.”

The level of a person’s Islam is not only confirmed by the acts of worship he performs, like salah, sawm or hajj. Rather, it is confirmed by a personality that is characterized by devotion to the teachings of Islam, so that the person is distinguished by its noble values and attitudes, and you see him adhering to the limits set by Allah (S.W.T.),  obeying His commandments, avoiding that which He has prohibited, and following His guidance in all his affairs.

Thus the attitudes of falsehood, betrayal and breaking of promises will be eliminated from the life of the true Muslim, because they are diametrically opposed to Islamic attitudes and belong only to hypocrites.

Let this bitter reality be known to the many businessmen, craftsmen and employees who promise to complete their work within a certain time, then break their promises; to those who give their word then dissolve their pledges; to those who are entrusted with money, secrets or inheritances, and betray that trust. Let all of these people know that they are among the hypocrites, even if they fast, pray and claim to be Muslims, and that hypocrites will be in the lowest level of Hell.

He has a good attitude towards others and treats them well

The true Muslim has a good attitude in his dealings with others. He is humble, and is soft and gentle in his speech, following the guidance of Islam and the example of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.).

The Prophet (s.a.w.s.), as his servant Anas (r.a.) reported, was “the best of people in his attitude towards others” (Bukhari and Muslim). Anas (r.a.) was not exaggerating, nor did he let his love for the Prophet (S.W.T.) make him exaggerate. The attitude of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) that he witnessed was something unheard of.  Anas (r.a.) tells us of one aspect of that noble attitude of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.):  

“I served the Messenger of Allah (S.W.T.) for ten years, and he never said to me ‘Uff!’ (The mildest word of contempt in Arabic). If I did something, he never said, ‘Why did you do that?’ And if I did not do something, he never said, ‘Why did you not do such-and-such?’” (Bukhari and Muslim)

The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was not a person who used bad language or insulted others. ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Ass reported that the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) repeatedly told his Companions:

“Among the best of you are those who have the best attitude (towards others).” (Bukhari and Muslim)

He also said:

“Bad language and vile talk have nothing whatsoever to do with Islam. The best of people in Islam are those who have the best attitude (towards others).” [5]

And:

“The most beloved to me and the closest to me on the Day of Resurrection will be those of you who have the best attitudes. And the most hateful to me and the furthest from me on the Day of Resurrection will be the prattlers and boasters and al-mutafayhiqun.” The Saahbah said, “O Messenger of Allah (S.W.T.), we understand who the prattlers and boasters are, but who are al-mutafayhiqun?” He said, “The proud and arrogant.” [6]

The Saahbah used to hear the Prophet’s noble moral teachings, and they would see with their own eyes the excellent way in which he used to deal with people. So they would obey his words and follow his example. Thus was established their society which has never been equalled by any other in the history of mankind.

Anas (r.a.) said:

“The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) was merciful. Nobody came to him without receiving a promise of his help, which he would fulfill if he had the means to do so. On one occasion, the iqamah for prayer had been given, when a Bedouin came to him, took hold of his cloak, and said, ‘I still have some matter outstanding, and I do not want to forget it.’ So the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) went with him and resolved the matter, then he came back and prayed.” [7]

The Prophet (s.a.w.s.) did not see anything wrong with listening to the Bedouin and resolving his issue, even though the iqamah had already been given. He did not get upset with the man for pulling on his cloak, or object to resolving the matter before the prayer, because he was building a just society, teaching the Muslims by his example how a Muslim should treat his brother, and showing them the moral principles that should prevail in a Muslim community.

If good attitudes and manners among non-Muslims are the result of a good upbringing and solid education, then among Muslims such good attitudes come, above all, from the guidance of Islam, which makes good attitudes a basic characteristic of the Muslim, one which will raise his status in this world and will weigh heavily in his favor in the Hereafter. No deed will count for more on the Day of Judgment than a man’s good attitude, as the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“Nothing will weigh more heavily in the balance of the believing servant on the Day of Resurrection than a good attitude (towards others). Verily Allah (S.W.T.) hates those who utter vile words and obscene speech.” [8]

Islam has made this good attitude towards others an essential part of faith, as those who have the best attitude towards others are the most complete in faith, as the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“The most perfect in faith of the believers are those who are best in their attitude towards others.” [9]

Islam also describes those who have the best attitude towards others as being the most beloved to Allah (S.W.T.) of His servants. This is seen in the hadith of Usamah ibn Shurayk, who said:

“We were sitting with the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) as if there were birds on our heads: none of us were talking. Some people came to him and asked, ‘Who is the most beloved to Allah (S.W.T.) of His servants?’ He said, ‘Those who are the best in attitude towards others.’” [10]

It comes as no surprise that the person who has the best attitude towards others should also be the one who is most beloved to Allah (S.W.T.) for good treatment of others is an important feature of Islamic law. It is the most significant deed that can be placed in the balance of the Muslim on the Day of Judgment, as we have seen. It is equivalent to prayer and fasting, the two greatest bases of Islam, as the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said:

“No greater deed will be placed in the balance than a good attitude towards others. A good attitude towards others will bring a person up to the level of fasting and prayer.”[11] According to another report, he (S.W.T.) said: “By virtue of his good attitude towards others, a person may reach the level of one who habitually fasts (during the day) and stands in prayer (at night).”

So the Prophet (s.a.w.s.) repeatedly emphasized the importance of a good attitude and encouraged his Companions to adopt it, using various methods to instill it in their hearts by his words and deeds. He understood the great impact this good attitude would have in purifying their souls and enhancing their morals and manners. For example, he told Abu Dharr:

“O Abu Dharr, shall I not tell you of two qualities which are easy to attain but which will weigh more heavily in the balance?” He said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah (S.W.T.).” He said, “You should have a good attitude towards others and remain silent for lengthy periods. By the One in Whose hand is my soul, nothing that people have ever attained is better than these two.” [12]

And he said:

“A good attitude is a blessing and a bad attitude is a calamity. Piety (birr) lengthens life, and charity will prevent a bad death.” [13]

One of his du‘as was:

“Allahumma ahsanta khalqi fa ahsin khulqi (O Allah (S.W.T.),  You have made my physical constitution good, so make my attitude and behavior good also).” [14]

The prayer of the Prophet (s.a.w.s.),  asking Allah (S.W.T.) to make his attitude better when Allah (S.W.T.) had described him in the Qur’an as being […on an exalted standard of character] (Qur’an 68:4), is a clear indication of his deep concern and earnest desire that the Muslims should continue to seek to increase in good attitudes, no matter what heights they had already scaled, just as their Prophet (s.a.w.s.) continued to seek to increase in good attitudes through this du‘a’. “Good attitudes” is a comprehensive term which includes all the good characteristics that human beings may acquire, such as modesty, patience, gentleness, forgiveness, tolerance, cheerfulness, truthfulness, trustworthiness, sincerity, straightforwardness, purity of heart, and so on.

The one who sets out to explore the Islamic teachings on social issues will find himself confronted with a host of teachings that encourage every single one of these noble attitudes. This is an indication of the intense concern that Islam has to form the social personality of the Muslim in the most precise fashion. So it does not stop at mentioning generalities, but it also deals with every minor moral issue that may form individual aspects of the integrated social personality. This comprehensiveness does not exist in other social systems as it does in Islam.

The researcher has no alternative but to examine all of these texts, and to understand the guidance and legislation contained therein. Only then will he be able to fully comprehend the noble social personality that is unique to the true Muslim.

We have examined above some of these texts which explain aspects of the personality of the Muslim who is following his religion and adhering to the commandments and prohibitions of his Rabb. From this study, it is clear that the true Muslim is truthful and faithful, he does not cheat, deceive, betray or envy, and he treats all people well. Now we will examine a number of other texts which define the characteristics of the Muslim social personality in all its aspects.

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