Good Manners (1/2)

Cleanliness

Were it not for fear of troubling my disciples, verily I would order them to clean their teeth before every prayer. God is pure and loves purity and cleanliness.

Compassion

There is reward of Paradise for a Muslim who suffers with patience when the soul of his affectionate friend is taken away.

Contentment

When you see a person who has been given more than you in money and beauty; then look at those who have been given less.

Look at those inferior to yourselves; it is best for you, so that you may not hold God's benefits in contempt.

Courtesy

No father has given his child anything better than good manners. Respect people according to their eminence.

Envy

If envy were justifiable, two persons would be the proper objects of it; one, a man to whom God has given riches, and command him to bestow in charity; the other, one to whom God has granted the knowledge of religion, and who acts thereon himself and imparts instruction to others.

Keep yourselves far from envy; because it eats up and takes away good actions as fire eats up and burns wood.

Repentance

Abu Hurairah has related that he heard the Holy Prophet say:

"By Allah! I seek Allah's Forgiveness and return to Him in repentance more than seventy times in a single day."

Gentleness

Verily, God is mild, and is fond of mildness, and He gives to the mild what He does not to the harsh. God is gentle and loves gentleness.

 ‘Aisha said: "A party of Jews asked permission to see Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and said, 'Death upon you!' And I answered their salutation by saying 'Rather upon you be death and curse!' Then the Prophet said, 'Be mild, O ‘Aisha! and make a point of being kind, and withhold yourself from speaking harshly’: I said, 'Did you not hear what they said!' He said, “Verily, I do always say, 'Be the same to you:"

Hospitality

It is not right for a guest to stay so long as to cause inconvenience to his host.

Humility

The servants of the Beneficent are they who walk on the earth in humbleness. Humility and courtesy are acts of piety. Whoever is humble to men for God's sake, may God exalt his eminence!

Do not praise me too enthusiastically, as the Christians do in praising Jesus, the son of Mary, by calling him God, and the Son of God; I am only the Lord's Servant, then call me the servant of God and His Messenger.

Kindness

Who is the most favoured of God? He from whom the greatest good comes to His creatures. Whoever is kind to His creatures, God is kind to him; therefore be kind to man on earth, whether good or bad; and being kind to the bad is to withhold him from evil, thus in Heaven you will be treated kindly.

He who is not kind to God's creatures and to his own children, God will not be kind to him. Kindness is a mark of faith; and whoever has no kindness has no faith.

He is not of us who is not affectionate to his young ones, and does not respect the old; and he is not of us who does not practise what is good, and prohibit what is bad.

Beware! Verily there is an organ in the body of man, which, when good, the whole body is good but, when bad, the whole body is bad, and that is the heart.

Malice

Muhammad (Peace be upon him) once said to Anas, "Son! if you are able, keep your heart, from morning till night and from night till morning, free from malice towards anyone." Then he said, "O my son! this is one of my commandments and he who loves my commandments verily loves me."

Mercy

Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah relates that the Holy Prophet said: "He who is not merciful to others will not be shown mercy;' Ibn ‘Abbas said, "The Messenger of Allah said; 'He is not of us who does not show mercy to our young ones and respect to our elder ones,’"

Modesty

True modesty is the source of all virtues. All kinds of modesty are good.

Peace

Shall I not inform you of better acts than fasting, giving alms and prayers? Make peace between one another; enmity and malice tear up rewards by the roots.

Pride

Poverty is my pride. The haughty will not enter Paradise, nor a violent speaker.

Piety

Verily my heart is veiled with grief and sadness for my followers; and verily I ask pardon of God one hundred times daily.

(Continued)