By Sadaf S

The importance of akhlaaq with a main focus on examples of the righteous predecessors.

Don’t underestimate that, the price of which will cost you eternity. From the stories of our pious predecessors, we learn the importance they gave to good akhlaaq, whether it was in their private or public lives. Their no compromising attitude in having good akhlaaq reflected from the hadith of Prophet Muhammad salAllahu Alayhee wasSallam, where Abu Umamah Al-Bahili reported him saying,

“I guarantee a house in Jannah for one who gives up arguing, even if he is in the right; and I guarantee a home in the middle of Jannah for one who abandons lying even for the sake of fun; and I guarantee a house in the highest part of Jannah for one who has good manners” [Abu Dawood].

So what exactly did they do to ensure that Allah becomes pleased with their akhlaaq and by His mercy they enter the eternal abode of Jannah? One of the stories Shaykh Muhammad ibn Faqih mentioned during the Rules of Engagement seminar was of a man who was stuck in a cave with two other companions. It was decided they would do dua’ to Allah, entreating Him to open the cave through their good deeds. A prime example of adaab with Allah subhanawat’aala was of one of the men who were in love with his female cousin. He invited her to be with him but due to fear of Allah, she refused. Once she was in need of financial help and she asked him for his help. Consequently he made a deal with her to let him do as he pleased with her and he would give her the money. When he got close to her, she said, “Fear Allah and do not do this (without marriage).” He got away from her, gave her the money and let her walk away for the sake of Allah subhanawat’ala. Because of his fear of Allah and His judgment upon him, the fear of entering hell fire overpowered him. When she reprimanded him at that moment, it was as if his goal became clear to him, his goal of entering jannah, of not giving in to temptations when it seems no one else is watching. He knew the All Knower would also be aware of what he was about to do in the privacy of his home.

Another story Shaykh Muhammad mentioned was of the time of Prophet Muhammad salAllahu Alayhee wasSallam. It’s a comprehensive incident of the basic rights and obligations of a person towards His Lord, himself, and his family:

When Salman al Farsi, a muhaajir from Mecca, and Abu Darda, an Ansaari from Madinah, were paired up in Madinah, Salman radiAllahu anh came to Abdu Darda’s house finding her in a disheveled state (this was before the commandments of hijab were revealed). He questioned her state and reprimanded her to look good for her husband to which she replied, “he has no interest in me, anything I do doesn’t effect him. He’s indulgent in ibaadah.” Right away Salman knew there was an imbalance in the way Abu Darda was leading his life. That night, he went to sit with Abu Darda, who gave him food and in turn Salman offered him some food to which Abu Darda declined saying he was fasting. Salman forced Abu Darda to eat his food (since Abdu Darda was fasting a nafl fast, he was allowed to break it). At night, Abu Darda brought a mat for Salman to sleep on and he sat next to him. When Salman asked him where his own mat was, Abu Darda said he was going to do qiyaam. However Salman didn’t let him do qiyaam until the last third of the night when they did it together. The next morning after fajr, Salman reported the previous days’ happenings to the Prophet to which the Prophet replied, “Your Lord has a right over you, your family has a right over you, and your self. has a right over you!”

From the examples above, the reason for the importance of akhlaaq highly emphasized in Islam becomes clear. Contrary to thinking that akhlaaq are limited to being nice to others, they are about doing what’s right, abstaining from what’s wrong, fulfilling your obligations and in essence, doing what the most beneficial thing is, according to the Qur’aan and Sunnah. By understanding the dynamics of how we behave, we can lead a balanced life, beneficial to us and those around us and most importantly, one pleasing to our Rabb.