The following ahadeeth are from Ibn Hajr al-Asqalaanee’s Bulooghul-Maram (Attainment of the Objective according to Evidence of the Ordinances–page 480+ in the English translation). They touch on the importance of good Islamic character: being truthful, avoiding lying, the evil of a suspicious mind, heedlessness, not protecting each other’s honour, etc.
As a good reminder to the sincere heart, even if you have been blessed with guidance to the Sunnah and hold yourself to be from Ahlul-Haqq, the Shaytaan will not leave you alone. Perhaps he may destroy your deeds by wrecking your character and making you heedless and blinded by the fact that you ‘ascribe yourself to the correct way.’ We ask Allah to make us people of upright character, firstly with Allah, His Messenger, his companions, the scholars of Islam, our families, and our brothers and sisters in Islam.
Narrated Ibn Mas’ood (رضي الله عنه) Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “Adhere to truthfulness, indeed truthfulness leads to righteousness (editor’s note: birr) and righteousness leads to paradise, and if a man continues to speak the truth and makes truth his object, he will be recorded as truthful before Allah. Avoid falsehood, indeed falsehood leads to wickedness and wickedness leads to the hellfire, and if a man continues to speak falsehood and makes falsehood his object, he will be recorded as a liar before Allah.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Narrated Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه) Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “Avoid suspicion, for indeed suspicion is the worst form of false speech.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Narrated Abu Sa’eed al-Khudree (رضي الله عنه) Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “Avoid sitting by the roadside, they (the Companions) asked ‘O Allah’s Messenger, we cannot do without those meeting places in which we converse,’ so he said, “Well if you insist (on that), give the road its dues.” They asked, ‘what are the road’s due?’ He replied, “Lowering the eyes, abstaining from anything offensive, returning salutations, enjoining good, forbidding the evil.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Narrated Mu’aawiyyah (رضي الله عنه) Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “Whoever Allah wishes good for, he gives him understanding of the Religion,” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Narrated Abu ad-Dardaa (رضي الله عنه) Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “There isn’t anything, which will be put on the scales (on the day of resurrection), heavier than good character.” [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmidhi reported it, and the latter graded it saheeh]
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه) Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “Modesty is a part of Faith.” [Bukhari and Muslim]
Narrated Abu Mas’ood (رضي الله عنه) Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “One of the things people have learned from the earlier prophecies is, ‘If you do not feel any shame, do whatever you like.’” [Bukhari]
Narrated Iyaad Ibn Himar (رضي الله عنه) Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “Allah, the Most High, has revaled to me that you should be humble, so that no one transgresses against another, and no one boasts to another.” [Muslim]
Note: we see hear that both transgression and pride are blameworthy characteristics, it is reported in a hadeeth that the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) stated that transgression is one of the worst of the criminal acts that are punishable in this world as well as in the hereafter. Surely, a lack of humbleness fosters and breeds both transgression and pride.
- Narrated by Abu ad-Dardaa (رضي الله عنه), the Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “Whoever defends his brother’s honour in his absence, Allah will protect his face from the hellfire on the day of resurrection.” [At-Tirmidhi reported it, and graded it hasan. Ahmad has something similar from the hadeeth of Asmaa’, daughter of Yazeed]
Note: If someone backbites a third person before somebody, the listener must stop him on the spot; and if possible one should mention his virtuous deeds and qualities instead.
Narrated Tameem ad-Daree (رضي الله عنه) Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said three times: “The religion is naseehah (sincerity).” We asked, ‘who is it (directed) to, O Messenger of Allah?’ He replied, “To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims and their common-folk.” [Shaeeh Muslim]
Abu Hurayrah (رضي الله عنه); Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “The Fear of Allah and Good Character are the major things that lead to paradise.” [At-Tirmidhee reported it, and al-Haakim graded it saheeh]
Note: Good Character here includes treating people well, refraining from causes them any harm and maintaining a cheerful appearance whilst interacting with them. The Arabic word “taqwa” stands for one’s compliance with the divine commands and avoiding the prohibitions.
- Narrated Ibn ‘Umar (رضي الله عنه); Allah’s Messenger (صلي الله عليه وسلم) said: “The believer who mixes with the people and patiently endures their harms, is better than the one who does not mix with them and does not endure their harm.” [Ibn Majah reported it with hasan chain of narrations, and At-Tirmidhee also reported this hadeeth, but did not mention the name of the companion.]