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Good Conduct - By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Good Conduct
By Shaykh Ashraf Salah
Dear
Brothers and sisters in Islam:
Allah (SWT) placed the noble trait of
good conduct the high ranks (in the Hereafter). For such noble conduct, the
rewards are raised to degrees of honour. Noble conduct has this place with
Allah (SWT) because it is one of the three elements that Islam contains (i.e.,
Confederate, Shariah and Conduct). In fact the noble conduct is the base of the
Islamic law, it’s reliability, it’s ultimate object and aim.
The Prophet Mohammad
(PBUH) is the best example of noble trait of good conduct as it is stated in
the Holy Quran: Allah (SWT) says:
“And you (Mohammad) are
on an exalted standard of character”. (68:4).
We can thus understand that the noble trait of good character is the
best act of the pious, and the spiritual sport of worshippers. Good manners
stand as a part of Islam and they constitute the core of the mission of the
prophet Mohammad (PBUH) who said in a Hadith reported by Imam Ahmed and
Tabarani: “I have been sent for the completion of noble trait of good conduct”.
Also, Imam Ahmed, Altabarani and Albukhari narrated that the prophet (PBUH)
said: “There is nothing more heavier on the balance of the believer in the day
of judgement rather than the noble acts of good conduct, and Allah hates the
excessive; the ruffian”.
Also, Albaihaqi and Altabarani narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “
Good conducts melt wrong acts similar to what water does to snow, and bad
conducts spoil good deeds similar to what vinegar does to honey if mixes with”.
Albaihaqi narrated that Ayisha (RAA) once was asked how was the
character of the Prophet (PBUH)? She said: “His conduct was the Quran, he
pleases by it’s pleasure and displeases by it’s displeasure”.
One of the testaments of Rasulullah (PBUH) that is narrated by Razien
(RAA) was that Rassulullah (PBUH) said: “Allah enjoined on me nine commandments
to enjoin on you: He (SWT) enjoined on me to be sincere in secret and in
public, to be just in satisfaction and in anger, to be economized in wealth and
in poverty, to forgive he who oppresses me, to give he who deprives me, to
connect (to keep good relation) with he who disconnects me, my silence is to be
thinking, my speak is to be remembrance, my sight is to be an instructive
admonition.”
In my today’s Khutbah I will try to explain the nine characteristics of
good conduct stated in the aforementioned Hadith.
Dear Muslims:
1. Sincerity
is to obey the commands of Allah and His prophet (PBUH). In the Holy Quran
there are many verses in different surahs that explain the importance of
sincerity. In Surat Azzumar verse 11 Allah (SWT) says:
“Say, O Mohammad, I am commanded to worship
Allah alone by obeying Him and doing religious deeds sincerely for His sake
only”.
In Surat Albayenah verse 5 Allah (SWT) says:
“And they are commanded
not but that they should worship Allah and worship none but Him alone, and
perform As-Salat and give Zakat, and that is the right religion”.
In Surah Ghafir Verse 14 Allah (SWT) says:
“So call you (Mohammad and
the believers) upon Allah making your worship pure for Him alone”.
Brothers and sisters in Islam:
Sincerity is a secret between the slave and his master (Allah SWT).
Sincerity was described as unrecordable by the two angels who record down all
our acts; unspoilable by the devil and invisible to nay mankind.
2. The second commandment mentioned in our Hadith is to be just in
satisfaction and anger. If man isn’t aware to be just then he loses his balance
of good deeds in the Hereafter because he has to compensate his opponents whom
he oppressed during his lifetime, and he is going to lose his deeds. Imam
Muslim narrated that Rasulullah (PBUH) asked his companions: Do you know who is
the bankrupt? The bankrupt is the one of us who has no money (a penniless) and
has no properties, the prophet (PBUH) said: The bankrupt of my Ummah is the one
who comes in the Hereafter with deeds of prayers, fasting and giving Zakat, but
he oppressed such and such, unlawfully took a property of such and such,
assaulted such and such, so his good deeds will be taken away from him and will
be given to his plaintiffs, and if he runs short of his good deeds then he will
be given of his opponents bad deed and will be thrown in Hellfire.”
2. The
third commandment is to be economical in wealth and in poverty. It means to
distant away of waste and extravagance in order to fulfil the command of Allah
(SWT) Who hates extravagance. In Surat
“And eat and drink but waste not by extravagance”.
He (SWT) also says in Surat
Al-Esraa verses 26 and 27:
“But spend not
wastefully in the manner of spendthrift, verily the spendthrift are brothers
devil, and devil is ever ungrateful to his Lord”.
Al-Bazzar and Al-Baihaqi narrated that the prophet (PBUH) said: “Three
things rescue and three things perish, the three things that rescue are:
justice in satisfaction and in anger; fear of Allah in secret and in public;
economization in wealth and in poverty, and the three things that perish are:
stinginess; following desires and arrogance”.
4. To forgive whoever oppresses you so that you become a man of an
excess favours on others. Asfahani narrated that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “In
the day of judgement a caller will call upon people and say where are those who
were of excess favour, so certain people will rush towards paradise, and other
angels will ask them how did they were granted that favour, they will say:
During our lifetime we used to forgive our oppressors.
5. The fifth trait the Prophet (PBUH) advises us to keep is to give who
deprives us, to remember the bounties of Allah on us and to give others who are
desperate, even those who refused to help us in any way, we should give them if
they ask us a favour. The Prophet (PBUH) said: “Give any one who asks you for
help in the name of Allah, and do not be of those do good deeds only to be seen
and who prevent small kindness”.
6. The sixth commandment is to connect who disconnect us, especially
relatives. Allah (SWT) says:
“Those who break Allah’s covenant after
ratifying it, and sever what Allah has ordered to be joined and do mischief on
earth, it they who are the losers”. (2:27 ).
7. The seventh one is that our silence is to be thanking of Allah, to
prevent talking nonsense, to hold up our tongues, and to think in Allah’s
greatness.
8. Our speak is to be remembrance of Allah and enjoying good and
preventing evil.
9. Our sight is to be directed to what pleases Allah (SWT) and to look
at His creations to see the greatness of Allah (SWT) within His kingdom.
We ask Allah (SWT) to Guide, bless and forgive us all. (Ameen).
