The Prophet Muhammad : Pearls from His Sayings 1. Righteousness is Good Character An-Nawwas ibn Sam’aan reported that Prophet Muhammad said: Righteousness is good character, and sin is whatever bothers you and you do not want people to know. (Saheeh Muslim) An-Nawwas ibn Sam’aan is a famous companion of Prophet Muhammad. He belonged to the Arab tribe of Killab and settled in Syria after the death of the Prophet. His report is collected by a scholar of hadeeth named Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj, who was born in 817 CE in the city of Naishapur, in north-eastern Iran, and died there at the age of 58, in 875 CE. Muslim began studying the science of Prophetic hadeeth at the age of 15 and traveled to Iraq, Hijaz (Western Saudi Arabia), Syria, and Egypt to study under great hadeeth masters like al-Bukhari, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, and others. He compiled a book containing some 9,200 hadeeths which is known as Saheeh Muslim. Muslim scholars consider it to be the most authentic compilation of Prophetic hadeeths after Saheeh al-Bukhari. This narration is important in that it sheds light on some of the more subtle aspects of righteousness and sin, helping to define them both. Since Islam gives so much importance to the belief in and worship of One God, one may incorrectly think that this alone is enough to be righteous. This hadeeth, however, shows that one of the main consequences of correct and true belief is good character, and that it is an intrinsic aspect of the meaning of righteousness. It emphasizes some of the meanings found in the saying of God which mentions that righteousness, as well as a being a combination of correct belief and prescribed worship, is also proper conduct in human relations: Righteousness is not that you turn your faces to the east and the west [in prayer]. But righteous is the one who believes in God, the Last Day, the Angels, the Scripture and the Prophets; who gives his wealth in spite of love for it to kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, the wayfarer, to those who ask and to set slaves free. And (righteous are) those who pray, pay alms, honor their agreements, and are patient in (times of) poverty, ailment and during conflict. Such are the people of truth. And they are the God-Fearing. (Quran 2:177) Rather than being an end in itself, one of the main purposes of worship is to bring about traits beneficial to the self and society. God says about the salah (prayer): Surely, the salah prevents lewd acts and bad deeds… (Quran 29:45) Hence one can say without any qualms that Islam as a whole came to perfect good manners, as did the Prophet himself: Indeed I was only sent to complete the most noble character traits. (Saheeh Muslim) As Islam is not a mere religion but a complete way of life, incorporating all of its various facets and aspects, good manners is actually regarded as a means of worship by which one may achieve the same reward of doing other more obvious voluntary acts of worship. The Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, stated: Through his manners and good conduct, the believer can attain the status of a person who frequently fasts and prays at night. (Abu Dawud) Rather, the Prophet even stated it to be one of the best forms of worship, second to none but the obligatory mandates of Islam: On the Day of Resurrection, nothing will be heavier in the scale (of good deeds) of the believer than good conduct. God hates the one who swears and hurls obscenities. (Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhi) Through maintaining good conduct, one becomes one of the beloved servants of God. The Prophet said: The most beloved slaves of God to God are those who have the best manners. (Al-Hakim) When one realizes the importance of good character and its essentiality in defining righteousness, an aspect which is the goal of Islam, this exhorts Muslims to fulfill this aspect of faith as well, since one can not become righteous through mere belief and devotion to God in themselves without good character. But what is regarded as good character? We find that the Quran and Sunnah in various texts define it to be any trait that is beneficial to humans, both to oneself as well as to others, at the same time not being generally or specifically prohibited by Islam. For example, God says: Those who suppress their anger, and forgive other people – assuredly, God loves those who do good. (Quran 3:134) Righteousness is dealing fairly, justly and politely with one’s family. The Prophet said: The believers with the most perfect faith are those with the most perfect conduct and manners. And the best ones amongst you are those who are best to their families. (Al-Tirmidhi) Truthfulness is an essential aspect of good character which leads to Paradise. The Prophet said: Indeed truthfulness is righteousness, and indeed righteousness leads to Paradise. (Saheeh Muslim) These are but a few examples of the numerous texts which define and exhort Muslims to excel in their character and manner. Although righteousness is those deeds which are naturally pleasing to the conscience of humans, religion plays a vital role in defining what it is. For example, anything of which its harm is greater than its good cannot be defined as righteousness, even if it may be otherwise regarded as goodness and righteousness. The Prophet said: It is not righteousness that you fast during travel. (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) Although fasting is one of the most meritorious of deeds, here it is not considered righteousness due to the harm it may incur to the individual and his comrades during a journey. Also, to steal from the rich in order to give to the poor may not be regarded as righteousness, as stealing has been specifically prohibited in the religion. At the same time, a deed which may sometimes be seen as harsh may also be considered good character at times, such as striking a child at a certain age as a means of education. The Prophet said: Command your children to pray when they are seven, and strike them [if they do not] when they are ten… (Abu Dawud) For this reason, we look to divine guidance in order to define for us good manners and character, exemplified by the Prophet, as God said: Surely, you (O Muhammad) are upon a high standard of moral character. (Quran 68:4) God also said: Indeed in the Messenger of God you have a beautiful example of conduct to follow… (Quran 33:21) Aisha, the wife of the noble Prophet, was asked about his character. She replied: His character was that of the Quran. (Saheeh Muslim, Abu Dawud) 2. Sin and Human Conscience In the second part of this narration, the Prophet mentioned another subtle aspect of sin, which is that sin is anything which bothers a righteous person’s conscience and which a person seeks to hide from others. An array of actions comes into a person’s mind once they hear these words. God has inspired within each soul the ability, although limited, to recognize truth from falsehood. “He inspired it (the soul) to know its sin and its piety.” (Quran 91:8) As long as a person seeks righteousness, they will know when they have done something wrong through their conscience, even though they might find numerous ways to excuse themselves for what they are doing. They would never like anyone to come to know of that thing, for they are ashamed of it; their religion is enriched with shyness, shame and bashfulness. The Prophet said: “Shame and bashfulness is from the perfection of faith.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) Shame is something which can prevent a person from committing evil. The Prophet said: “If you have no shame, then do as you please.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) Shame, the highest level being shameful in front of God from committing sins, is a key factor is avoiding sin, and this standard may also be used to judge whether or not an act is a sin. These sentiments of conscience and shame are a natural consequence to true belief and faith, and this is what the religion of Islam seeks to create within an individual, an Islamic conscience which guides humans through their lives. This inner conscience is what tells the state of the heart of the individual, whether it is alive seeking the truth, or dead, filled with the desires of this worldly life. Lack of religiosity and indulging in sin causes a person to lose one’s conscience, and it can no longer be used as a source of guidance. “…why then did they not believe with humility? But their hearts became hardened, and Satan made fair seeming to them that which they used to do.” (Quran 6:43) “Have they not traversed through the land, and have they heart with which they perceive, or ears with which they hear? Indeed it is not the sight which is blinded, but rather what is blinded is the hearts which are in the breasts.” (Quran 22:46) The heart can be used as a guide, in conjunction with the intellect and revelation, in order to ease the search for the truth. The heart of one who is searching for the truth is indeed one which is alive, for it is this life and yearning which causes them to search for it. This type of person will never find peace at heart in any other religion except the religion which God ordained for humanity, and as long as their yearning for the truth exists, their conscience will continue to bother them until they find the true religion of God. Indeed if the person is sincere, God will guide them to the truth: “And those who desire Guidance, He (God) will increase them in Guidance, and inspire them with [the way to] piety.” (Quran 47:17) 3. Actions and Intentions: Purity of Intention in the Religious Realm It is narrated on the authority of Umar ibn al-Khattab who said: I heard the Messenger of God say: “All actions are judged by motives, and each person will be rewarded according to their intention. Thus, he whose migration was to God and His Messenger, his migration is to God and His Messenger; but he whose migration was for some worldly thing he might gain, or for a wife he might marry, his migration is to that for which he migrated.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim) Background This hadeeth is indeed one of the greatest and most important of the sayings of Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, as it sets one of the most important principles in the religion of Islam, specifically in regards to the acceptance one’s religion and deeds by God, and generally to all other normal every day activity in which a person involves himself. This principle is that in order for any action to be accepted and thus rewarded by God, it must be done purely for his sake. This concept is often called “sincerity to God”, but the most exact meaning would be “purity of intention”. At one of the stages of the life of the Prophet, God ordered all the Muslims to migrate from Mecca to the newborn Islamic state of Medina. In this hadeeth, the Prophet gave an example of two types of people in regards to this religious service of migration: • The first example was that of the person who migrated to Medina purely for the sake of God, seeking His Pleasure and seeking to fulfill His command. The Prophet stated that the deed of this type of person will be accepted by God and he will be rewarded in the fullest. • The second example was of a person who fulfilled this religious service outwardly, but his intention was not the pleasure of God nor fulfilling His Command, and so this type of person, although he may achieve what he was intending in this life, will not receive reward for it from God, and the deed is not one which is considered acceptable. In Islam, there are two realms to a person’s life, the religious and the mundane. Although there is a clear separation between the two in regards to religious jurisprudence, they are in fact inseparable, as Islam is a religion which legislates in matter family, society and politics as well as the belief and worship of God. Thus, although this saying of the Prophet appears to apply to the religious aspect of a persons’ life, it actually applies to both. Purity of Intention in the Religious Realm As mentioned earlier, this hadeeth sets the first principle for one’s deeds to be accepted by God, which is that they should be done purely for God. In regards to those deeds which have been commanded as a form of religious devotion, known as worship, one must do them for God Alone, for it is God who commanded the service or deed to be done and loves it. These deeds include the likes of prayer, (Salah), Fasting, the offering of the Compulsory Charity (Zakah), the performance of the Lesser or Grater Pilgrimage to Mecca (Umrah and Hajj), and all other service which have been ordained in the religion. Even though the deeds may appear outwardly, as in this hadeeth, to be one accepted, of pivotal importance is the intention which the person has when performing them. A person who directs any of these or other religious service to other deities other than or alongside God will never be accepted, and one who commits this heresy is deemed as committing the greatest sin against God, polytheism: to associate others with God in those things which are specific to Him. Islam is a religion which believes and practices true and strict monotheism. This monotheism not only entails that that there is only One Sole God and Creator, but also that this God has the right that all worship and acts of deed be done solely for His sake and none else. This concept is once which God ordered all His Prophets to preach, as He says in the Quran: “And they were not commanded except that they should worship God, keeping the religion pure for Him, and worship none but Him Alone, and establish the Prayer and offer the Compulsory Charity, and that is the upright religion.” (Quran 98:5) Here we see that even though a person may seem to be performing acts of devotion and worship to God outwardly, if they associate any other being in this worship, whether they be angels, prophets, or righteous people, then this deed is not accepted by God. Moreover, they fall in to the great sin of polytheism. Another aspect of this purity of intention is that a person should never seek any worldly gains through religious service and acts of worship, even if that worldly gain be something permissible. In the hadeeth mentioned above, the second person did not perform this religious obligation of migration for other deities besides or alongside God, nor did he intend something intrinsically evil. Rather his intention was something deemed permissible in the religion. Still, however, the act was not accepted by God, and the person may or may not have received what he intended from this worldly life. Thus, if a person seeks any permissible worldly gain though an action, the reward of the deed diminishes. If a person desires something deemed as impermissible by Islam from religious service and worship, this is considered as a sin. Islam is a religion which encourages humbleness and selflessness, reprimanding those who seek praise of others and status in this worldly life. Thus, if one seeks the praise of others through religious service and worship, not only is it not accepted by God, but the person is deemed liable for punishment in the afterlife. The Prophet mentioned the first people to be sentenced to the Hellfire in the afterlife, and from them is the following: “A person learned [religious] knowledge and taught it [to others], as well as reciting the Quran. He will be brought [to the presence of God], and God will mention to him all the favors he granted him, and he recognized them. God will ask him, ‘What did you do with them?’ He will answer, ‘I learned [religious] knowledge and taught it [to others], and I recited the Quran purely for Your sake.’ God will say, ‘You have lied! Rather you learned [religious] knowledge to be called a scholar, and you recited the Quran to be called a recitor, and it was said of you!’ Then it was commanded [to punish] him. So he was dragged on his face and he was thrown into the Fire.” (an-Nasa’i) Purity of Intention in the Mundane Realm Since the wording of the hadeeth discussed in Part One is general, it is understood that a person may even be rewarded for their everyday normal activity which they perform, as long as their intention is correct and that act is not prohibited by the religion. The religion of Islam has encouraged and sometimes even placed the obligation upon humans of specific manners and mores in regards to life outside worship. It has legislated various methods in performing every day activities, from sleeping to eating. If a person performs the various activities in conformity to its legislation, they will be rewarded for it. This aspect of intention allows one’s entire life to become an act of worship, as long as the objective of that life is the pleasure of God, Whose pleasure is achieved by doing good and refraining from evil. A person can turn everyday activities into acts of worship by purifying his or her intention and sincerely seeking God’s pleasure through these activities. God’s Messenger, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said: “Helping a person or his belongings onto his mount is an act of charity. A good word is charity. Every step taken on the way to performing prayers is charity. Removing an obstacle from the road is charity.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari) Earning a living can be rewarded as well. The Companions saw a man and were astonished by his hard work and industry. They lamented: “If he were only doing this much work for the sake of God…” God’s Messenger replied: “If he is working to support his small children, then it is for the sake of God. If he is working to support his elderly parents, then it is for the sake of God. If he is working to occupy himself and keep his desires in check, then it is for the sake of God. If, on the other hand, he is doing so to show off and earn fame, then he is working for the sake of Satan.” (al-Mundhiri, as-Suyuti) One may gain reward even for the most natural acts, if of course they are accompanied by the proper intention: God’s Messenger said: “When one of you sleeps with his wife, it is an act of charity.” (Saheeh Muslim) The same can be said for eating, sleeping, and working as well as traits of good character, such as truthfulness, honesty, generosity, courage, and humbleness. These can become worship through sincere intention and deliberate obedience to God. In order for these otherwise mundane actions to be deserving of divine reward, the following conditions must be met: A. The action must be lawful in and of itself. If the action is something prohibited, its perpetrator deserves punishment. God’s Messenger said: “God is pure and good, and He accepts only what is pure and good.” (Saheeh Muslim) B. The dictates of Islamic Law must be completely observed. Deception, oppression, and iniquity must be avoided. God’s Messenger said: “He who deceives us is not one of us.” (Saheeh Muslim) C. The activity should not keep the person from performing his or her religious obligations. God says: “O you who believe, do not let your wealth and children distract you from the remembrance of God…” (Quran 63:9) From this discussion, we can see the greatness of this hadeeth and how important it is in forming the concept of the acceptability of deeds and reward from God. We also see from this hadeeth that the concept of worship and service in Islam is not limited to performing certain legislated ritual acts, but rather encompasses the whole life of the Muslim, making him a true slave to God.
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 23:38:16 +0000
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