The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah [The Exalted] says:
يَٰبَنِىٓ ءَادَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَٰرِى سَوْءَٰتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا وَلِبَاسُ ٱلتَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ ءَايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

O Children of Ādam, We have sent down (water whereby we create materials for those) garments which conceal your private parts and (which serve) as adornment. However, the garment of piety—(faith with modesty and awe)—that is better (than those physical garments). That (such materials are created for you) is from the signs of Allāh that perhaps they—(the Pagans who shamelessly circumambulate the Kaʿbah while naked)—may remember (that He alone deserves to be worshipped and obeyed). https://www.thenoblequran.com/q/#/search/7_26

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “Allah informed us that the garment of piety is far superior to wealth, leadership and outward beautification. Allah created His slaves and beautified their outward appearance in the best form, and He beautified their hearts and souls by guiding them to the right path. Thus He granted mankind two types of beautification: beautification of the body by way of clothing and beautification of the heart by way of Taqwah- outward beautification and inner beautification, outward perfection and inner perfection”. [1]

Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud [may Allah be pleased with him] reported that the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] supplicated: [اللهم كما حَسَّنْت خَلْقِي فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقِي – O Allah! Just as You made my external form beautiful, make my character beautiful as well].

Al-Allaamah Saalih Al-Fawzaan [may Allah preserve him] said, “The human is composed of two images: the body, which is the visible image, and the manners, which are the unseen image. The first image is called Al-Khalq, and the second is called Al-Khuluq. Some people have both a beautiful visible image and good manners, like Allah’s Messenger and some Muslims whom Allah blessed with it. There are those whose visible image and manners are both evil, and they are the most repugnant of people. There are people whose visible image is unattractive, and others do not consider them important; however, their unseen image is good. This person is also good, and their unattractive appearance does not harm them if they have goodness within them. There are people whose visible image is good looking but his unseen image is ugly. This person resembles a hypocrite, and Allah’s Refuge is sought (from this). This person is repugnant. The Prophet Muhammad supplicated for both a beautiful appearance and a beautiful character, saying, “O Allah! Just as You made my external form beautiful, make my character beautiful as well”. He was the most perfect person in both appearance and manners. Therefore, one should follow his example and a Muslim should supplicate to Allah with this supplication. He should not consider himself perfect and say, “I do not have shortcomings”, but instead he turns to Allah and asks for the beautification of his visible and invisible image. Allah knows best. [2]

An Amazing Response: Imam Dhahabee mentioned in the biography of Abdul Azeez Bin Yahyaa Al-Kinaanee Al-Faqee that he had a rather unsightly appearance. Abee Aynaa said, “When Abdul Azeez approached Al-Mamoon, his appearance was quite unsightly, which made Abu Ishaaq Al-Mutasim burst into laughter.” He (Abdul Azeez) then said to Al-Mamoon, “O leader of the believers! Why is this person laughing? After all, Allah did not select Yusuf [peace be upon him] based on his good looks; rather, He chose him for his faith and wisdom.” Al-Mamoon couldn’t help but laugh and was truly amazed by Abdul Azeez’s response. [3]

Good Manners

Abu Dardaa [may Allah be pleased with him] reported that the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “The heaviest (deed) on the scale [i.e. the scale of good deeds on the day of Judgement] is good manners”.

Al-Allaamah Zayd Bin Haadee al-Madkhalee [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: This hadeeth contains proof regarding the virtue of good manners and that it is obligated (to a person) to be goodmannered. The knowledge of the Shariah is the basis of good manners and it is the means to (acquiring it). If Allaah favours a person with knowledge of the Shariah, it will lead him to good manners, and thus a Muslim servant of Allah becomes well-mannered towards people through good dealings – helpful to the weak, honours guests, greets people with the Salaam, teaches, command good and forbid evil. All these deeds are fruitful outcomes of good manners. A person cannot be well-mannered until he is from those who are obedient to Allah [The Blessed and Exalted] and distances himself from acts of disobedience, meaning, his manners should conform with what the Shariah has obligated. He fulfils Allah’s commands and feels shy – in the presence of Allah – of falling short in that which Allah has commanded him, abandons acts of disobedience, forbidden deeds and evil doing out of shyness in the presence of Allah, and out of being merciful to himself because these acts are a cause of punishment in this life and the next. Also, this is what he does concerning everything that Allah has obligated to him and distances himself from what Allah forbids and hates.

Being well-mannered towards family – first and foremost to one’s wife, son, daughter and others in the family, so that harmony, mutual co-operation and a good feeling towards one another exists between everyone, and there exists neither splitting nor separation. Being well-mannered towards parents, be dutiful to them and refrain from being undutiful; merciful to them and supplicate for them, treat them kindly -whether they are alive or have passed away- by supplicating for them, giving charity on their behalf and mentioning them in a good manner. Being well-mannered towards extended blood relatives – those who are related to you from your father’s side and mother’s side.

Being well-mannered to neighbours; even if the neighbour is a disbeliever, he has rights. and if he is a Muslim, he has the rights of a Muslim and a neighbour. If he is a relative, he has three rights – the rights of a Muslim, the rights of a neighbour and the rights of a relative.

Being well-mannered towards one’s companions by pleasantly speaking to them and fulfilling the rights of companionship. Being Well-mannered to one’s Shuyookh – those Shuyookh of Ahlus Sunnah from whom you seek knowledge by honouring them, dealing with them in a good manner and always supplicating for them because a teacher provides tremendous good to his students. As for the proponents of misguidance and innovation in the religion, even if some of them study from others, there is no benefit in their instructions and learning.

Good manners between fellow students, whether they are together in the schools, specific gatherings, a specific lesson in the Masjid or a specific place designated for that purpose.

A person should be well-mannered, and this should be manifested in good speech, good deeds, good dealings, truthfulness in one’s promises, loving one another based on that love legislated in the Shariah and loving one another for the sake of Allah. This is why the virtue of this lofty deed [good manners] has been mentioned, as stated in the hadeeth, “The heaviest thing on the scales is good manners” – meaning the heaviest deed on the scale of good deeds is good manners because it leads to every virtuous deed and opposes all different types of evil. [4]

Perfect Shyness

Abdullah Bin Mas’ud [may Allah be pleased with him] said that the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “Be shy of Allah (in a manner) shyness should be”. They (the Sahaabah) said, “We do feel of Allah, and all praise and thanks be to Allah”. The prophet said, “It is not like that; rather the one who is truly shy of Allah, let him safeguard his head and what it carries, safeguard the stomach and what it carries, remembers death and affliction. He who wants the Hereafter should do away with the adornments of this life, then indeed he is truly shy of Allah [The Mighty and Majestic]”.

Brief Commentary

“Be shy of Allah (in a manner) shyness should be”. Al-Allaamah Al-Mubaarakfooree [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, meaning a firm, abiding and truthful shyness. “We do feel shy of Allah”; meaning, “O Messenger of Allah! We do feel shy of Allah and all praise and thanks be to Allah”, but they (Sahaabah) did not say, “We are truly shy of Allah” due to their acknowledgement of the fact that they are unable to do so. “All praise and thanks be to Allah”; meaning, all praise and thanks be to Allah for granting us Tawfeeq [guiding and enabling us to perform righteous deeds]. “It is not like that”; meaning, true shyness is not what you think, rather it is to safeguard all the limbs against what is not pleasing to Allah. “Rather the one who is truly shy of Allah, let him safeguard his head and what it carries, safeguards the stomach and what it carries, remembers death and affliction. He who wants the Hereafter should do away with the adornments of this life, then indeed he is truly shy of Allaah [The Mighty and Majestic]” – Meaning, safeguard the head by refraining from utilising it in disobedience to Allah. Do not make Sujood to other than Allah, refrain from Riyaa whilst praying, do not lower your head for other than the sake of Allah, nor raise it out of pride. Regarding what the head carries, such as the tongue, the eyes and the ears, do not utilise them for Haraam. Safeguard the stomach by refraining from eating Haraam as well as safeguarding what is connected to it, such as the private parts, the legs, the two hands and the heart” (i.e. do not commit Haraam through them). Remember death and your abode in the grave. “He who wants the Hereafter should do away with the adornments of this life”– Meaning, that is because the two cannot be combined perfectly, even those who are strong (in Iman) cannot do so [i.e. perfect desire for the Hereafter has to be combined with abandoning some of those enjoyable things of the worldly life which a person can do without]. Whoever does this [i.e. the things mentioned this hadeeth], then indeed he is truly shy of Allah. [5]

[1] An Excerpt From ‘Badaa’i At-Tafseer Al-aami Limaa Fassarahu AlImaam Ibnul Qayyim. 1/ 383-384

[2] An Excerpt from “Tasheelul Ilmaam Bi-Fiqhil Ahaadeeth Min Bulooghil Maraam”. 6/318-319

[3] Tareekh Al-Islaam. 17/231

[4] An Excerpt from “At-Ta’leeqaat Al-Maleehah Alaa Al-Ahaadeeth As-Saheehah”. 1/38-39

[5] An Excerpt from “Tuhfah Al-Ahwadhiy. 7/131