THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD CHARACTER IN ISLAM
All Praise are due to Allah, We praise Him and we seek help from Him. We ask forgiveness from Him. We repent to Him; and we seek refuge in Him from our own evils and our own bad deeds. Anyone who is guided by Allah, he is indeed guided; and anyone who has been led astray, will find no one to guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, the only one without any partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad, SAW, is His servant, and His messenger. May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon the last Messenger, Habibi Muhammad, his family members, his companions and all those who follow his guided path till the Day of Judgement.
Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh. Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem!
O You who believe, “Fear Allah, as He should be feared, and die not except as Muslims.”
O You who believe, “Be aware of Allah, and speak a straightforward word. He will forgive your sins and repair your deeds. And whoever takes Allah and His Prophet as a guide, has already achieved a mighty victory.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The character of a Muslim is one of the most important aspects of Islam. While acts of worship hold great significance, Islam is a complete way of life. Everything in a Muslim’s life, including manners and personality, should be in line with Islam. Thus, proper Islamic values and traits are extremely important, not to mention relevant, in the daily lives of Muslims, even though they are unfortunately neglected at times.
The Holy Quran, teaches us the various Islamic values. One of the best examples is found in the chapter of “Luqman” in which Allah says:
“_We endowed Luqman with wisdom: ‘Be thankful to Allah: whoever gives thanks benefits his own soul, and as for those who are thankless––Allah is self-sufficient, worthy of all praise.’ Luqman counseled his son, ‘My son, do not attribute any partners to Allah: attributing partners to Him is a terrible sin.’
We have commanded people to be good to their parents … If however they strive to make you associate with Me anything about which you have no knowledge, then do not obey them. Yet keep their company in this life according to what is right, and follow the path of those who turn to Me_… (Q31:12-15)
The very first virtue mentioned in this passage is thankfulness. Too often we hear complaints, and no one is innocent of this charge. Too many times, the voice of “I want…” or the question of “Why me? Why now?” consume us. In this verse, we are reminded that we should be grateful to Allah, at all times, regardless of the situation.
There are always those who are worse off than us, and no matter what is happening to us, we should constantly keep this in mind. We are the ones that need to be thankful to God; if we are not, it is our own loss. Thus, gratefulness is a significant aspect of Islamic character.
Verily Allah is Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. So I seek forgiveness from Allah for me and you from every sin.
Second Khutbah
All praise is to Allah, and peace and blessings upon the Messenger of Allah, and I bear witness that there is no deity other than Allah and I bear witness that Mohammad is His slave and messenger.
Oh Brothers and Sisters in Islam: Luqman the Wise then counsels his son to worship the One God. Faith in Allah alone is the single most important value in Islam: it is the first pillar of Islam, and joining others in worship with Allah is the only unforgivable sin. This verse reiterates the importance of this as an Islamic value. Next, Allah reminds us to be respectful to our parents so much so that we are commanded to be kind and considerate to them even if they try to make us associate partners with Him. Prophet Abraham (AS) is a prime example of this: he remained caring and gentle towards his father even though he rejected idolatry. This exemplifies the absolute importance of always being respectful towards our parents.
After that, Luqman offers further advice to his son:
_‘My son, if even the weight of a mustard seed were hidden in a rock or anywhere in the heavens or earth, Allah would bring it [to light], for He is all subtle and all aware. Keep up the prayer, my son; command what is right; forbid what is wrong; bear anything that happens to you steadfastly: these are things to aspired for. Do not turn your nose up at people, nor walk about the place arrogantly, for Allah does not love the arrogant or boastful people. Go at a moderate pace and lower your voice, for the ugliest of all voices is the braying of asses.’ _ (Q31: 16-19)
Here, Luqman warns his son that Allah is all-aware of even the tiniest of things which may seem hidden to our eyes. This awareness of Allah’s comprehensive knowledge is an essential characteristic of Islam. This world and all it contains is Allah’s creation and He is conscious of everything within it. Similarly, Allah is always watching over us and every deed is recorded.
After laying down the foundations of faith, we are reminded of essential Muslim values: praying, performing good acts, forbidding wrong, and being patient in all circumstances. These are basic Islamic obligations which enable people to beautify their relationship with Allah as well as those around them.
*Shunning pride and arrogance*
Luqman’s last lessons for his son teach him about communicating with others. Pride and arrogance are to be shunned. They are hateful traits not only in the Eyes of Allah, but in the eyes of other people as well. Everyone hates those who are arrogant: no one can stand to be around one who constantly boasts about him or herself. We are also reminded not to speak too loudly; shouting is compared to the braying of a donkey, the worst of all sounds.
These characteristics are not only relevant to Islam, they are also very dear to humanity at large. After all, historically, the guidance which has come to us, through different prophets and revelations, are from the same One God. Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them) all brought the same message: to worship the One God (Allah) and to live a morally upright life.
Allah (SWT) states in the Quran:_ “(Allah) created you from a single pair of male and female and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you_.” (49:13)
Hence, we all endorse common values. Let us pray to Allah (SWT) to enable us act on the knowledge that we have and to mutually uphold our shared values.
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW), taught us love, kindness and compassion to people, and was the most loving, kind, and compassionate of all of them. The Quran mentions his kind and gentle behavior in these words: “_O Messenger of Allah! It is a great Mercy of God that you are gentle and kind towards them; for, had you been harsh and hard-hearted, they would all have broken away from you_” (Q3:159).
He took a great interest in the welfare of all people and had great compassion for people in trouble. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) imitated the attributes of Allah, as contained in the Holy Quran and translated them into practice in the highest form possible for man. Kindness is an attribute of Allah, which has no limits. It is extensive and encompasses all things and all beings without discrimination. Likewise was the kindness of the Prophet (SAW). He extended it to all beings, both animate and inanimate and benefited all without measure.
O Allah! Bestow Your peace, prayers, and blessings upon our master and beloved prophet, Muhammad. O Allah! Be pleased with the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and Imams, Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, and ‘Ali, along with all Your Prophet’s family and Companions, and those who follow them in righteousness until the Day of Judgment.
Success comes from Allah, and Allah knows best.
O Allah, guide us among those whom You have guided, grant us well-being among those You have granted well-being, be an ally to us along with those whom You are an ally to, and bless what You have bestowed upon us, and save us from the evil of what You have decreed. For verily You decree and none can decree over You. He whom You support can never be humiliated. Glory is to You, our Lord, You are Blessed and Exalted
Glorious is Allah, as much as what is in His great scale, and as far as His knowledge extends, and to such a degree as it attains His pleasure, and to whatever weight may be His Throne; there is no refuge and no safety from Allah except in Him.
Glorious is Allah, as many as there be even (numbers) and as many as there be odd, and as many as there be perfect words of His; glory be to Him for them all. We ask Allah for sincerity, perseverance and safety, by His mercy. O Allah, the most merciful of all those who show mercy; Your Mercy is sufficient for us and is our best protection— the very best master and the very best help!
O Allah, We ask You for all that is good, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we seek refuge with You from all evil, in this world and in the Hereafter, what we know and what we do not know. O Allah, we ask You for the good that Your servant and Prophets have asked of You, and we seek refuge with You from the evil from which Your servant and Prophets sought refuge. O Allah, we ask You for Paradise and for that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed, and we seek refuge in You from Hell and from that which brings one closer to it, in word and deed. And we ask You to make every decree that You decree concerning us good.
Servants of Allah. Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
Remember Allah, the Great – He will remember you. Thank Him for His favors – He will increase you therein. And seek forgiveness from Him – He will forgive you. And be conscious of Him – He will provide you a way out of every difficulties and trials. And, establish the prayer.
Aameen!
Jummah Mubarak