The Most Perfect Of Believers
Many hadiths, such as “The most perfect of believers in terms of faith are those who have the best character. The best among you is the one who is most beneficial to his family.”1
“The best among you is the one with the best character.”2
and “The best thing given to people is good character”3 demonstrate that faith and good
character are two qualities that should go hand in hand or are inseparable.
In another hadith, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
“A person with good character, due to their character, reaches the rank of those who engage in prayer and fasting.”4
Let us share a few more hadiths from His ocean of wisdom related to this topic:
“The most beloved to me among you, and those who will be closest to me in rank on the Day of Judgment, are those with the best character. The most detested by me among you, and those who will be farthest from me in rank on the Day of Judgment, are the talkative, the boastful, and those who speak arrogantly.”
Some people in the gathering asked, “O Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him)! Who are those who speak arrogantly?” He replied, “They are the arrogant and prideful ones.”5
“On the Day of Judgment, there is nothing heavier on the scale of a believer than good character. God, may He be glorified and exalted, despises those who engage in vile and disgraceful speech and actions.”6
Narrated by the respected Nawwas ibn Sam’an: “I asked the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) about righteousness (birr) and sin. He replied: ‘Righteousness is a good character, and sin is that which troubles your heart and that you fear others discovering.’”7
“The most virtuous of the believers are those with pure hearts and truthful tongues.” The Companions asked, “O Messenger of God, what does it mean to have a pure heart?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) replied: “It is a heart that is free of sin, does not act unjustly, holds no envy toward anyone, and is pure and filled with piety.” The Companions then asked, “After them, who are the most virtuous?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Those who love the Hereafter and disregard the world.” They asked again, “And after them, who comes next, O Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him)?” He replied, “The believer with good character.”8
Yes, good character is, in a word, another name for faith. In the Qur’an and the hadiths, all the virtuous qualities expressed through concepts such as birr (righteousness), ma’ruf (good), and khayr (benevolence) are expected to be embodied by the believer, and these qualities constitute good character. By adhering to the hadith, “Adopt the character of God,” every Muslim individual is obligated to cultivate good character. The minimum level of good character is to be harmless to others and to protect people from one’s own evil. After this, it progresses step by step: first, being a normal, decent person in society, and beyond that, being beneficial to others according to one’s capacity. The opportunities to benefit others open up differently for everyone. What matters is that we represent good character starting from our closest circles—ourselves and our families—extending to the street, the workplace, and eventually to the
unexpected opportunities that God may place before us. It is also important to remember that good character is not something acquired all at once. It begins in the family and goes through many stages until it becomes a part of our nature. It is found in the tears of our parents, in the warm smile of an elderly uncle, or in the compassionate actions of another, and with proper upbringing, it becomes second nature for us.
In one of his hadiths, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I was sent to perfect good character.” When we look at the life of the Prophet as a whole, we see a world woven with good character, from his home to the streets, and even in his conduct during battles. There is no other person in history whose life has been documented in such detail as that of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When we examine the seerah (biographical accounts of the Prophet), there is not a single report of him ever hitting his wife. There is also no narration of him ever hitting his children. Likewise, there is no record or information of him becoming angry with someone for personal reasons. On the contrary, the books recount that he exemplified every aspect of good character. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would joke with children. An elderly woman once took him by the hand to help with her household chores, and he did not object.
Additionally, when a Bedouin rudely tugged at his cloak and boldly demanded, “Be just!” the Prophet did not become angry. Instead, he turned to his companions and said, “Give him what he wants.” We can find thousands of similar examples of good character in his blessed life.
Yes, a Muslim cannot be rude, cannot violate the rights of the people when waiting in line, and must avoid actions that disturb others. When speaking, Muslims should use their words carefully, adjust their tone, and stay within the boundaries of proper etiquette. In short, they view matters related to good character as a requirement of their faith. In this regard, they follow the path of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who was sent “to perfect good character.” They continuously create new acts and behaviors of good character, adding new depths and subtleties to the concept of good character.
Footnotes:
1.Tirmidhi, Rada’ 11; Abu Dawud, Sunnah 11, 14.
2.Bukhari, Adab 38, 39; Tirmidhi, Rada’ 11; Iman 6.
3.Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 4/278.
4.Abu Dawood, Adab 7.
5.Tirmidhi, Birr 77.
6.Tirmidhi, Birr 62; Abu Dawud, Adab 8.
7.Muslim, Birr 15; Tirmidhi, Zuhd 52.
8.Ali al-Muttaqi, Kanz al-Ummal, 1/157.