We, as Muslims, tend to focus on big things, big important things like salah, and zakat and saum which are all extremely extremely important but its also important that we spend some time remembering the little things that are part of a Muslim's character or akhlaq. Here are some of the 'little things', simple not hard to do rules to add to your daily life to improve our aklaqh:
Be Kind
Be Honest
Be Genrous
Be Thankful
Today, its as if these basic, most basic of manners and rules have vanished. We've lost hayaa' in our speech. We've lost the etiquette on how to properly address our own brothers and sisters. We, as an Ummah, are becoming more and more harsh with one another.We claim to love the Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wasalam and we claim to follow his sunnah, but then we publicly humiliate our own brethern. We publicly pass rude, offensive comments by them. We slander our own blood, we curse them, we eat their flesh through our words.What kind of love is that?
Sometimes when it comes to Islamic work or community activism whether it may be at school or masajid or MSA’s, I’ve noticed that some people think that being harsh and rude and assertive
is the way to change, that being harsh is the way to create change but wrong.
Allah is telling his Messenger, salla Allahu alayhi wasalam in Surah Ali-Imran that,
“So by mercy from Allah , [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah . Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].”[3:159]
Allah is reminding his Messenger, salla Allahu alayhi wasalam that the people would leave if he had been rude and harsh. When Allah is telling this to the most perfect of creation, where do you think we stand?
Our Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wasalam, was so kind even to those that threw trash at him, how do we justify creating just rifts with our own bretheren? When someone is going through something tough, why do we feel like we need to make them feel stupid cause we don’t see things like that? Why do feel like we need to make someone feel inferior if our levels of religiosity are not the same? Why are we always so harsh, so jerk-like when Islam should make us soft, should make our hearts soft which should reflect from us?
This issue of akhlaq is something that we set aside, and don't stress too much but bad manners, bad character is a huge issue. We think that this is ‘extra’ but actually it is essential. It’s a foundation for who we are. This matter of Akhlaq is so so so important supported by so many hadiths but we are mistaken when we think that this is just extra. If we are rude to people, if we are offensive, if we are mean, if we hurt other people's feelings, we actually create more difficulties for ourselves than we may think. The thing is, when your hurt someone else, when you gossip about someone else, when you sin that involves someone else like backbiting about that person, you are not forgiven unless that person forgives you. So you actually make it more difficult on yourself.
At some point or another, our bad manners may catch up to us. The journey of the hereafter is a long journey...there is the grave, the test, the bridge, and the place right before the gates of Jannah where all the people we've every wronged will be there and they will start taking from your good deeds and if your good deeds get bankrupt, then they start giving their bad deeds to us, SubhanAllah what a scary scary thought. We need to watch what we say and be very careful not to offend of belittle or hurt our brothers and sisters. May Allah protect us from getting bankrupt from our good deeds.
It's really not hard to be nice. It's sometimes hard to tell the truth but honesty is always the best way out, though it may not be the easiest. Be generous, always give a little even if its just a smile, hey, its sunnah :) And always, always be grateful to the Creator of you and I and May Allah help us in developing good akhlaq and forgive us for our misdeeds.
Be Kind
Be Honest
Be Genrous
Be Thankful
Today, its as if these basic, most basic of manners and rules have vanished. We've lost hayaa' in our speech. We've lost the etiquette on how to properly address our own brothers and sisters. We, as an Ummah, are becoming more and more harsh with one another.We claim to love the Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wasalam and we claim to follow his sunnah, but then we publicly humiliate our own brethern. We publicly pass rude, offensive comments by them. We slander our own blood, we curse them, we eat their flesh through our words.What kind of love is that?
Sometimes when it comes to Islamic work or community activism whether it may be at school or masajid or MSA’s, I’ve noticed that some people think that being harsh and rude and assertive
is the way to change, that being harsh is the way to create change but wrong.
Allah is telling his Messenger, salla Allahu alayhi wasalam in Surah Ali-Imran that,
“So by mercy from Allah , [O Muhammad], you were lenient with them. And if you had been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have decided, then rely upon Allah . Indeed, Allah loves those who rely [upon Him].”[3:159]
Allah is reminding his Messenger, salla Allahu alayhi wasalam that the people would leave if he had been rude and harsh. When Allah is telling this to the most perfect of creation, where do you think we stand?
Our Prophet, salla Allahu alayhi wasalam, was so kind even to those that threw trash at him, how do we justify creating just rifts with our own bretheren? When someone is going through something tough, why do we feel like we need to make them feel stupid cause we don’t see things like that? Why do feel like we need to make someone feel inferior if our levels of religiosity are not the same? Why are we always so harsh, so jerk-like when Islam should make us soft, should make our hearts soft which should reflect from us?
This issue of akhlaq is something that we set aside, and don't stress too much but bad manners, bad character is a huge issue. We think that this is ‘extra’ but actually it is essential. It’s a foundation for who we are. This matter of Akhlaq is so so so important supported by so many hadiths but we are mistaken when we think that this is just extra. If we are rude to people, if we are offensive, if we are mean, if we hurt other people's feelings, we actually create more difficulties for ourselves than we may think. The thing is, when your hurt someone else, when you gossip about someone else, when you sin that involves someone else like backbiting about that person, you are not forgiven unless that person forgives you. So you actually make it more difficult on yourself.
At some point or another, our bad manners may catch up to us. The journey of the hereafter is a long journey...there is the grave, the test, the bridge, and the place right before the gates of Jannah where all the people we've every wronged will be there and they will start taking from your good deeds and if your good deeds get bankrupt, then they start giving their bad deeds to us, SubhanAllah what a scary scary thought. We need to watch what we say and be very careful not to offend of belittle or hurt our brothers and sisters. May Allah protect us from getting bankrupt from our good deeds.
It's really not hard to be nice. It's sometimes hard to tell the truth but honesty is always the best way out, though it may not be the easiest. Be generous, always give a little even if its just a smile, hey, its sunnah :) And always, always be grateful to the Creator of you and I and May Allah help us in developing good akhlaq and forgive us for our misdeeds.
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