Four Keys to Good Character

Imaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah stated:

Good character is established upon four pillars; it cannot be attained except based on them. They are: patience, chastity, courage and justice.

Patience will make one to endure, suppress anger, abstain from harming others, and have forbearance, tolerance, and kindness and not be thoughtless and hasty.

Chastity will cause one to abstain from despicable and vile things of speech and action; and it will make one to have modesty, which is the head of every good and prevent one from illegal sexual intercourse, miserliness, lying, backbiting and slandering.

Courage will make one to have sense of honor, give preference to high standard of characters and traits, to give generously, which is the courage of the soul and its strength to give out what is beloved and separate from it. It will also make one to suppress anger and have forbearance, because through the strength of one’s soul and its courage, one will withhold its trouble and restrain it from incitement to evil and violence as stated by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “The strong is not the one who overcomes the people by his strength, but the strong is the one who controls himself while in anger.”[1]  That is the reality of courage. It is the special ability with which a person defeats his opponent.

Justice will make one’s character to be upright and balanced between the two extremes of immoderation and negligence. It will spur one towards the character of selflessness and generosity, which is the middle cause between humbleness and brazenness, and the character of courage, which is the middle cause between cowardice and rashness; and towards the character of patience which is the middle cause between anger and humiliation. The origin of all these virtuous characters is from these four things.

Source: Madaarij as-Saalikeen Bayna Manaazil (Iyyaaka Na‘bud wa Iyyaaka Nasta‘een) by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

---

[1]  Recorded by al-Bukhaaree (6113) and Muslim (2609)

STRENGTHEN YOUR FOREARM

Imaam Ibn Qayyim said: 

Supplications and fortifications are like a sword and (the impact of a) sword depends on the swordsman, not purely its blade. Therefore, if a sword is perfect without any flaw, the forearm aids the strength and obstruction is nonexistent; it causes subdual for the enemy. 

However, if one of these three things is lacking, the effect will be lacking. Therefore, if a supplication is not appropriate on its own, or the supplicant did not combine between his heart and his tongue in the supplication or there was a hindrance to the acceptance, the effect will not take place.

Source: Al-Jawaab al-Kaafee Liman Sa’ala ‘an ad-Dawaa’ ash-Shaafee by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

Giving Priority to Knowledge of the Qur’aan

Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen said:

It is obligatory upon the student of knowledge to be devoted to reciting the Noble Qur’aan, memorizing it, understanding it and acting upon it. This is because the Qur’aan is the strong Rope of Allaah. It is the foundation of knowledge… It is unfortunate that some students of knowledge do not memorize the Qur’aan. In fact, some of them cannot recite the Qur’aan properly with tajweed. This is a great drawback in the methodology of seeking knowledge. As such, I reiterate that it is obligatory upon the students of knowledge to be devoted to memorizing the Qur’aan, acting on it, inviting to it and understanding it in accordance with the understanding of the pious predecessors.”

Source: Kitaab al-‘Ilm, p. 30 by Shaykh Muhammad Saalih al-Uthaymeen

Hereunder are some of the sayings of the Salaf on the need to give priority to the knowledge of the Qur’aan:

Al-Maymoonee said: “I asked Abū ʿAbdullāh Imām Aḥmad: Which is more beloved to you, that I should I begin teaching my son, the Qur’aan or the hadeeth? He said: “No!  The Qur’aan.”  I said: Shall I teach him all of it?  He replied: “Unless that is difficult, in which case teach him some of it.”  Then he said to me: “If he begins reciting first, then he will learn correct recitation and will persevere in it.” [1]

Ibn Taymīyyah (d.718H) – raḥimahullāh – said: “As for seeking to memorize the Qur’aan then this is to be given preference over many of the things that the people consider to be knowledge, but are – in reality – either totally useless or having little benefit. It is also to be given precedence in learning especially by those who wish to acquire knowledge of the Religion, its principles and its particulars.  Since what is prescribed for such a person at this time is that he should begin by memorizing the Qur’aan, as it is the foundation of the branches of knowledge of the Religion.  This is contrary to what is done by many of the people of innovation, in that one of them will pre-occupy himself with superfluous parts of knowledge; such as kalām (theological rhetoric) and argumentation; or very rare matters of differences; and blind following, which there is no need for; or very strange and rare aḥādīth which are not established, nor of benefit; and many discussions do not establish proofs.  And he abandons memorizing the Qur’aan which is more important than all of this.”[2]           

Al-Khatīb al-Baghdādī (d.463H) – raḥimahullāh– said: “It is fitting for a student that he begins with memorization of the Book of Allāh – since it is the greatest of the branches of knowledge and that which should be placed first and given precedence.”[3]

Al-Ḥāfiẓ al-Nawawī (d.676H) – raḥimahullāh– said: “The first thing he should begin with – is memorization of the mighty Qur’aan, which is the most important of the branches of knowledge. And the Companions and those that follow them did not use to teach hadeeth or fiqh except to one who had memorized the Qur’aan When he has memorized it, let him beware of preoccupying himself from it with hadeeth, fiqh or other things, to the extent that it leads him to forget anything of the Qur’aan, or makes that likely."[4][5]

---

[1] Related by Ibn Muflih in al-Ādāb-Shar’iyyah.

[2] Fatāwá al-Kubrā (2/54-55).

[3] Al-Jāmiʿ li-Akhlāqir-Rāwee wa Aadaabis-Saami’ (1/106).

[4] From the introduction to al-Majmūʿ Sharḥul-Muhadhhab (1/38)

[5] https://www.troid.org/quran/the-book-of-allah/additional-gems/235-giving-priority-o-the-quraan

Be Excellent in Everything You Do

Aboo Ya’laa Shaddaad bin Aws (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “Allaah has enjoined ihsaan in everything. So when you kill, kill in a good manner and when you slaughter, slaughter in a good manner. So each one of you should sharpen his knife and let his slaughtered animal die comfortably.” Collected by Muslim[1]

Commenting on the above hadeeth, Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan stated:

Al-Ihsaan (perfection, excellence) occurs between a servant and his Lord, between the servant and the people, and between the servant and animals. As regards Ihsaan between the servant and his Lord, it is the highest level of the religion; and it is that he should worship his Lord as if he is seeing Him without associating anything in worship with Him, and he should fear Him and have hope in Him.

It had preceded in the hadeeth of Jibreel that he asked the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) concerning Ihsaan and he said to him: “Al-Ihsaan is that you worship Allaah as if you are seeing Him; and if you cannot see Him, He certainly sees you.”[2] This is the Ihsaan between the servant and his Lord. The meaning of Ihsaan is perfection of worship. So perfect the worship between you and Allaah the Mighty and Sublime through sincerity to Allaah and emulation of the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam).

With regard to al-Ihsaan between the servant and the people, it is by rewarding the good doers among the people, overlooking the evil doers among them, giving charity to those in need of it, showing kindness to them in speech and action, dealing with them in the best manner and perfecting the relationship with them as commanded by Allaah and His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam).

Furthermore, al-Ihsaan between a person and animals is by feeding the hungry ones among the animals, giving the tasty ones among them water to drink, and alleviating pains from them. If they are afflicted with injury, one should treat them. This is with respect to animals that are not harmful including dogs. The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) said: “While a dog was moving around a well, and thirst would have killed it; then a prostitute from among the prostitutes of Banee Israa’eel saw it. So she removed her shoe and made it drink from it, and she was pardoned because of this.”[3] Al-Baghiyyu means a prostitute, and illegal sexual intercourse is the greatest and most abominable of crimes after shirk.

In another version, it reads: “While a man was walking he felt thirsty and went down a well and drank water from it. On coming out of it, he saw a dog panting and eating mud because of thirst. Then he said, ‘This (dog) is suffering from the same problem as that of mine. So he (went down the well), filled his shoe with water, caught hold of it with his teeth and climbed up and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for his (good) deed and forgave him.”

Source: al-Minhatur-Rabbaaniyyah fee Sharh al-Arba’een an-Nawawiyyah, p. 164- 165 by Shaykh Saalih bin Fawzaan

---

[1] Collected by Muslim (1955)

[2] Its reference had preceded

[3] Collected  by al-Bukhaaree (3467) and Muslim (2245) from  of Aboo Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)

Testing People in Order to Know Their ‘Aqeedah

Imaam Al Barbahaaree said: “Testing (people in order to know their belief) in Islam is an innovation. As for today, people should be tested with the Sunnah…”

Shaykh al-Fawzaan explained: The basic ruling regarding the Muslim is goodness and having good thought about him as long as the contrary is not known of him. This is the principle. The author (that is, al-Barbahaaree) is saying as long as nothing except good is known of the Muslim, we should accept the good from him including the hypocrite. The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) accepted open attitude of the hypocrites and left their secrets to Allah the Mighty and Sublime

So, as long as nothing (bad) manifests from him, you should think well of him. However, if hatred of the Sunnah and the people of Sunnah manifests from him, then beware of him. This is the meaning of the author’s saying: Testing (people in order to know their belief) in Islam is an innovation.” Meaning if evil does not manifest from a Muslim, do not test him.

 [As for today] that is, during his time, the tests were with the Sunnah because there were many misguided sects who were inviting (others) to Islam. So it is essential to know who is upon the truth and not to be deceived by their claiming Islam. Hence, the person who loves the people of Sunnah, it is the proof that he is among the good people and the person who loves the people of innovation, it is a proof that he is among the evil people.

Source: A Gift to the Reader in Annotation of Sharhus-Sunnah, vol. 2, p. 251-252 by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan