Inspiration: The Qur’aanic guide to good character

21 Oct Inspiration: The Qur’aanic guide to good character

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Assalaamu ‘alaykum wa Rahmatullah,

AlHamdulillah!

The blessed days of Dhul Hijjah provide the striving believer with an ideal opportunity to rejuvenate the heart, mind & soul ; it is a reminder and often, the backdrop in providing a realistic feeback on how well we have fared with our spiritual resolutions, post-Ramadaan ;  it provides the perfect catalyst to spur us onwards into the next Islamic year with replenished faith & renewed conviction.

As we reflect upon the many life lessons learnt from the Hajj, this post is a reminder of the many moral standards & values which al Qur’aan equips us with.

[The relevant Qur’aan chapter and verse(s) are given respectively in brackets at the end.]

• 01 – Respect and honour all human beings irrespective of their religion, colour, race, gender, language, status, property, birth, profession/job and so on [17/70]

• 02 – Talk straight, to the point, without any ambiguity or deception [33/70]

• 03 – Choose the best of words to speak and say them in the best possible way [17/53, 2/83]

• 04 – Do not shout. Speak politely keeping your voice low. [31/19]

• 05 – Always speak the truth. Shun words that are deceitful and ostentatious [22/30]

• 06 – Do not confound truth with falsehood [2/42]

• 07 – Say with your mouth what is in your heart [3/167]

• 08 – Speak in a civilised manner in a language that is recognised by the society and is commonly used [4/5]

• 09 – When you voice an opinion, be just, even if it is against a relative [6/152]

• 10 – Do not be a bragging boaster [31/18]

• 11 – Do not talk, listen or do anything vain [23/3, 28/55]

• 12 – Do not participate in any paltry. If you pass near a futile play, then pass by with dignity [25/72]

• 13 – Do not verge upon any immodesty or lewdness whether surreptitious or overt [6/151].

• 14 – If, unintentionally, any misconduct occurs by you, then correct yourself expeditiously [3/134].

• 15 – Do not be contemptuous or arrogant with people [31/18]

• 16 – Do not walk haughtily or with conceit [17/37, 31/18]

• 17 – Be moderate in thy pace [31/19]

• 18 – Walk with humility and sedateness [25/63]

• 19 – Keep your gazes lowered [24/30-31, 40/19].

• 20 – If you do not have complete knowledge about anything, it is better to maintain silence. You might think that speaking about something without full knowledge is a trivial matter. But it might have grave consequences [24/15-16]

• 21 – When you hear something malicious about someone, keep a favourable view about him/her until you attain full knowledge about the matter. Consider others innocent until they are proven guilty with solid and truthful evidence [24/12-13]

• 22 – Ascertain the truth of any news, lest you smite someone in ignorance and afterward repent of what you did [49/6]

• 23 – Do not follow blindly any information of which you have no direct knowledge. (Using your faculties of perception and conception) you must verify it for yourself. In the Court of your Lord subhaanahu wa Ta’ala, you will be held accountable for your hearing, sight, and the faculty of reasoning [17/36].

• 24 – Never think that you have reached the final stage of knowledge and nobody knows more than yourself. Remember! Above everyone endowed with knowledge is another endowed with more knowledge [12/76]. Even the Prophet [sallalaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam] was asked to keep praying, “O My Sustainer! Advance me in knowledge.” [20:114]

• 25 – The believers are but a single Brotherhood. Live like members of one family, brothers and sisters unto one another [49/10].

• 26 – Do not make a mockery of others or ridicule others [49/11]

• 27 – Do not defame others [49/11]

• 28 – Do not insult others by nicknames [49/11]

• 29 – Avoid suspicion and guesswork. Suspicion and guesswork might deplete your communal energy [49/12]

• 30 – Spy not upon one another [49/12]

• 31 – Do not backbite one another [49/12]

• 32 – When you meet each other, offer good wishes and blessings for safety. One who conveys to you a message of safety and security and also when a courteous greeting is offered to you, meet it with a greeting still more courteous or (at least) of equal courtesy [4/86]

• 33 – When you enter your own home or the home of somebody else, compliment the inhabitants [24/61]

• 34 – Do not enter houses other than your own until you have sought permission; and then greet the inhabitants and wish them a life of blessing, purity and pleasure [24/27]

• 35 – Treat kindly” Your parents, Relatives, The orphans, And those who have been left alone in the society [4/36]

• 36 – Take care of The needy, The disabled, Those whose hard earned income is insufficient to meet their needs, And those whose businesses have stalled, And those who have lost their jobs. [4/36]

• 37 – Treat kindly ” Your related neighbours, and unrelated neighbours ” Companions by your side in public gatherings, or public transportation. [4/36]

• 38 – Be generous to the needy wayfarer, the homeless son of the street, and the one who reaches you in a destitute condition [4/36]

• 39 – Be nice to people who work under your care. [4/36]

• 40 – Do not follow up what you have given to others to afflict them with reminders of your generosity [2/262].

• 41 – Do not expect a return for your good behaviour, not even thanks [76/9]

• 42 – Cooperate with one another in good deeds and do not cooperate with others in evil and bad matters [5/2]

• 43 – Do no try to impress people on account of self-proclaimed virtues [53/32]

• 44 – You should enjoin right conduct on others but mend your own ways first. Actions speak louder than words. You must first practice good deeds yourself, then preach [2/44]

• 45 – Correct yourself and your families first [before trying to correct others] [66/6]

• 46 – Pardon gracefully if anyone among you who commits a bad deed out of ignorance, and then repents and amends[6/54, 3/134]

• 47 – Divert and sublimate your anger and potentially virulent emotions to creative energy, and become a source of tranquillity and comfort to people [3/134]

• 48 – Call people to the Way of your Lord with wisdom and beautiful exhortation. Reason with them most decently [16/125]

• 49 – Leave to themselves those who do not give any importance to the Divine code and have adopted and consider it as mere play and amusement [6/70]

• 50 – Sit not in the company of those who ridicule Divine Law unless they engage in some other conversation[4/140]

• 51 – Do not be jealous of those who are blessed [4/54]

• 52 – In your collective life, make rooms for others [58/11]

• 53 – When invited to dine, Go at the appointed time. Do not arrive too early to wait for the preparation of meal or linger after eating. Such things may cause inconvenience to the host [33/53]

• 54 – Eat and drink [what is lawful] in moderation [7/31].

• 55 – Do not squander your wealth senselessly [17/26]

• 56 – Fulfil your promises and commitments [17/34]

• 57 – Keep yourself clean, pure [9/108, 4/43, 5/6].

• 58 – Dress-up in agreeable attire and adorn yourself with exquisite character from inside out[7/26]

• 59 – Seek your provision only by fair endeavour [29/17, 2/188]

• 60 – Do not devour the wealth and property of others unjustly, nor bribe the officials or the judges to deprive others of their possessions [2/188]

As bearers of al Qur’aan, may we continuously strive to perfect our manners & morals, following the best of all role models, Sayyidinaa Muhammad (sallalaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) – ameen – for this too, is part of our hifdh journey, dear sister.

Stay inspired!

Rayhaanah