The most perfect believer in faith is the one who is best in moral character. The best of you are those who are the best to their spouses in manners.” (al-Tirmidhi 1082)

Morality is an important aspect of Islam. In the Islamic terminology it is called “khuluq” and its plural is “akhalaq”. There are two aspects of a human being: one is “khalq” that is the physical aspect and the appearance. The other is “khuluq” and that is character, behaviour and inner dispositions. Islam emphasizes that we take care of our physical appearance by keeping it clean, properly covered, healthy and nourished with Halaal food and drinks. In a similar way it tells us that we should take care of our spirituality, character and behaviour.

After belief (Imaan),the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) has laid great stress upon on the cultivation of good manners and the development of noble qualities, both of the mind and character. Morals form an integral part of a Muslims daily life, encompassing his personal, social and religious obligations, both to his creator and the rest of creation. Morals are what define a person and assign a value to him.

This can be understood from the Hadith of the Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him):

“The best amongst you are those who possess the best manners.”

The importance of moral and spiritual regeneration is vital and proven from the Holy Quran. Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta'aala states that whenever he sent a Prophet to a nation for its guidance, one of the main priorities would be to cleanse them physically and spiritually. This was done to ensure that their morals and ethics were corrected or reinstated, because without this their link with their creator would be very weak or nonexistent.

The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) stated”

I have been sent to raise moral virtues to the highest perfection.”

He was not vulgar nor did he make allowances for vulgarity, and he was not one to shout in the market place. He did not reward evil with evil, rather, he would forgive and overlook. He never in his life struck anything with his hand except when he was fighting in the name of Allah.

And to emphasise the greatness of good morals he proclaimed in a Hadith narrated by Hazrat Abdullah Ibn Amr “Nearest to me amongst you are those who have best manners.”

But the question arises ‘What do morals entail?’ does it only refer to being nice to other people, or is there more to the picture!

In reality good morals include fulfilling the rights of all those people who have rights on you, i.e. Huqooq Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta'aala (Allah Subhaanahu Wa Ta'aala’s rights) and Huqooq Al Ebaad (People’s rights).. They include being respectful to your parents and teachers, looking after your neighbours, being kind to youngsters etc. On the whole you are required to show mercy and kindness to all.

We observe good morals and manners to obey Allah and His Messenger. This is part of our faith. Our faith leads to good morals and manners and they in their turn reinforce our faith. On the other hand, we should also keep in mind the best da’wah is to live among people with good morals and manners. Before listening to our message people see our behaviour and us. Non-Muslims sometimes say when they see the bad example of Muslims, “If your religion has not made you a good person, how can it be a good religion for us. ” We have a big responsibility and we must take our actions seriously.

Mahboob Hussain Al Azhari