Importance of Good Character
Importance of Good Character
Importance of Good Character
In Islam we earn for our livelihood and the remaining is given to those poor and
needy below us. The wealth we have is bestowed to us by Allah and it is a test of
our kindness and generosity. Greed removes kindness and mercy from our heart.
Spending from what Allah has given makes us realize and sympathize with the
poor and bring humility. The companions of the prophet ﷺwould give all of their
wealth for the sake of Allah and leave with nothing for themselves and families
except Allah and His messenger. We think our wealth decreases by spending but
Allah is the one who spends on those who spend for His sake.
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said that:
He heard the Prophet ( )ﷺsaid: "There were three men among the Banu Israel, one
leper, one bald and one blind. Allah wanted to test them. He therefore, sent to them
an angel who came to the leper and asked him what he would like best. He replied:
"A good colour, a good skin and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people".
He (the angel) rubbed him and his loathsomeness vanished and he was given a
good colour and a good skin. He then asked him what type of property he would
like best. The leper replied that he would like camels - [or perhaps he said cattle,
for Ishaq (one of the subnarrator of the Hadith) was uncertain, either said: 'Camels,'
or: 'Cattle']. He was given a pregnant she-camel. The angel invoked for Allah's
Blessing on it. The angel then went to the bald man and asked him what he would
like best and he replied: "Good hair and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to
people". The angel ran his hand over him and he was given good hair. He then
asked him what property he would like best. He replied that he would like cattle, so
he was given a pregnant cow. The angel invoked Allah's Blessing on it. The angel
then went to the blind man and asked him what he would like best, and he replied:
"I wish that Allah restore my sight to me so that I may see people." Thereupon the
angel ran his hand over him and Allah restored his sight. The angel then asked
what property he would like best. He replied that he would like sheep, so he was
given a pregnant ewe. Flocks and herds were produced for the three men, the first
having a valley full of camels, the second one, a valley full of cows and the third
one full of sheep. Then the angel came in the form of a leper, to the one who had
been a leper, and said: "I am a poor man and my resources have been exhausted in
my journey, and my only means of reaching my destination are dependent on Allah
and then on you, so I ask you by Him Who gave you the good colour, the good
skin and the property, for a camel by which I may get to my destination". He
replied: "I have many dues to pay." The angel then said: "I think I recognize you.
Were you not a leper whom people found loathsome and a poor man to whom
Allah gave property?" He replied: "I inherited this property through generations".
The angel said: "If you are telling a lie, may Allah return you to your former
condition". The angel went in the form of a bald man to the one who had been
bald, and said the same as he had said to the former and received a similar reply.
So he said: "If you are telling a lie, may Allah return you to your former
condition". The angel then went to the one who had been blind and said: "I am a
poor traveller and my resources have been exhausted in my journey. My only
means of reaching my destination are dependant on Allah and then on you, so I ask
you by Him Who restored your eyesight for a sheep by which I may get to the end
of my journey". He replied: "Yes, I was blind. Allah restored my eyesight, so take
what you wish and leave what you wish. I swear by Allah that I shall not argue
with you today to return anything you take, as I give it for Allah's sake". The angel
said: "Keep your property. You have all simply been put to a test, and Allah is
pleased with you and displeased with both of your companions".
A believer, when he walks, he walks with humility and when an ignorant speaks
to them he says peace!.
٦٣ س ٰلَ ٗما
َ ْطبَ ُه ُم ۡٱل ٰ َج ِهلُونَ قَالُوا ِ علَى ۡٱۡل َ ۡر
َ ض ه َۡو ٗنا َوإِذَا خَا ُ ۡٱلر ۡح ٰ َم ِن ٱلَّذِينَ يَم
َ َشون َّ َُو ِعبَاد
63. And the servants of the Beneficent Allah are they who walk on the earth in
humbleness, and when the ignorant address them, they say: Peace. Surah furqan
25:63
When you walk, talk, and interact with people be as if you are student and seeker of
knowledge and behave lesser or equals to common people. Work with others serve
and do not expect others to serve and talk to you, be the first to say salam. Do not
show your knowledgeable there are those more knowledgeable than you and
knowledge alone does not take you to Jannah and do not show off your wealth and
Allah does not like the arrogance nor the one who boasts of his status. The more we
are humble the more Allah will raise us.
Kindness and mercy
Kindness is an opener to harsh and soft hearts and a means of humbling oneself.
What can be done with kindness cannot be done with harshness and being impolite.
علَى ِ الر ْف
َ ق َما الَ يُ ْع ِطي ِ علَى َ الر ْفقَ َويُ ْع ِطي َّ شةُ إِ َّن
ٌ َِّللاَ َرف
ِ ُّيق ي ُِحب َ َّللاِ صلى هللا عليه وسلم قَا َل " يَا
َ ِعائ َّ سو َل
ُ َر
" ُعلَى َما ِس َواه ْ
ِ العُ ْن
َ ف َو َما الَ يُ ْع ِطي
'A'isha, the wife of Allah's Apostle ()ﷺ, reported that Allah's Messenger ( )ﷺsaid:
'A'isha, verily Allah is kind and He loves kindness and confers upon kindness which
he does not confer upon severity and does not confer upon anything else besides it
(kindness). Sahih Muslim 2593
We should not loose our temper over daily small things and use the words to our
dear relatives of harshness. It maybe a great sin if we do so with our parents. Who
likes a person who uses harshness and bad language all the time. People think several
times to approach him and if they have to work with him they run away.
The prophet was so kind to the worst of his enemies. They tortured him stoned him
and spoke ill of him. We are not better than the prophet and our enemies are not
worse than the kuffar of Makkah! So imagine how kind we should be!
ٱست َۡغ ِف ۡر لَ ُه ۡم َوشَا ِو ۡر ُه ۡم
ۡ ع ۡن ُه ۡم َو
َ ف
ُ ٱع ِ ظ ۡٱلقَ ۡل
ۡ َب َلَنفَضُّواْ ِم ۡن َح ۡول ِۖكَ ف َ غ ِلي
َ ظا ًّ َٱَّللِ لِنتَ لَ ُه ۡۖم َولَ ۡو ُكنتَ ف
َّ َفَ ِب َما َر ۡح َم ٖة ِمن
١٥٩ َٱَّللَ ي ُِحبُّ ۡٱل ُمت ََو ِكلِين ْۚ َّ علَى
َّ ٱَّللِ إِ َّن َ عزَ مۡ تَ فَت ََو َّك ۡلَ فِي ۡٱۡلَمۡ ۖ ِر فَإِذَا
159. Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that you deal with them gently, and had you
been rough, hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you;
pardon them therefore and ask pardon for them, and take counsel with them in the
affair; so when you have decided, then place your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves
those who trust. (Surah imran 3:159)