Flour or Salt The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: I have not been sent as a Messenger, except to perfect character (Akhlaaq). [Malik Muwatta] Ibn Al-Mubaarak said, Mukhlid Ibn al-Husayn once said to me, We are more in need of acquiring Adab than learning Hadith.’ This highlights that knowledge alone is insufficient to build a sound and balanced Islamic personality. Vast amounts of knowledge and a severe lack in Aadaab, means a person is little more than a donkey laden with books. What use are books to a donkey that is not able to read? Similarly, what use is knowledge to a Muslim, without the practical mannerisms and etiquettes that really define us as Muslims? Traditionally, Adab was not taught but acquired and embodied in interactions between people. It has been narrated that Imaam Ahmed would have up to 5000 attendees at his gatherings, but perhaps 500 would write and learn while the rest (4500) would simply learn from his actions, his Aadaab. When Imaam Maalik was small his mother would place an Imaamah (turban) on his head and send him to his teacher Rabiah ibn Abdur-Rahman, to learn first from his manners and then his knowledge. Indeed the Deen of Islam is itself manners, where anyone that surpasses you in manners, is better than you in Deen. [Ibn al-Qayyim] Since the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said, The nearest of you to me on the Day of Judgement will be the one who is best in character [Bukhaari] so we find that all the books of Hadith have chapters on Aadaab (good behaviour, manners, dutifulness, ties of kinship). The topic of “Al-Aadaab Al-Mufrad” was tackled as a separate book by Imaam Al-Bukhari because he was aware of its great importance in everyday living. When we talk about Aadaab we must first begin with our Aadaab with Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) in terms of our sincerity, His obedience, the respect of His attributes and symbols (such as the Quran, Masaajid and everything connected to Him). Then we must purify our Aadaab with the Prophet (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam). Many Ulema have said that of inheritance parents leave behind there is no greater inheritance than Adab. Al-Walid ibn Numayr said that he heard his father say: They used to say, Righteousness is (a gift) from Allah, but Adab (right conduct) is from the parents. In pointing out the status of Adab in comparison to actions, Imaam al-Qarafi said: You should know that a little of good manners is better than a lot of good actions. Ruwaym, the righteous scholar, told his son: Oh my son, make your deeds salt and your manners flour. So much like the perfect dough, many good manners with a few good deeds are better by far than many good deeds with a few good manners.
Posted on: Sun, 09 Mar 2014 03:59:29 +0000