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Thread: Islamic Ethics (al-Adab al-Shar’iyya)

  1. #1
    Islamic Ethics (al-Adab al-Shar’iyya)

    A study of
    Mandhumat al-Adab – A didactic poem on ethics
    By Ibn ‘Abd al-Qawi (d. 699)


    Allah praise be to Allah, who gifted us to Islam and guided us to the path of His Prophet – SallAllahu ‘alaihi wa-sallam. Surely, without His guidance we would be in complete loss.

    May the peace and the blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet, His companions, His family and all those who followed them in righteousness until the Day of Judgement.

    Welcome to our online lessons on Islamic Ethics, known in Arabic as al-Adab al-Shar’iyya (?????? ???????).

    The science of Adab refers to the sayings and actions of a person, inwardly and outwardly, for which one deserves praise, and therefore, something one ought to have.

    This science, therefore, concentrates on a person’s inward dimensions, keeping his heart, soul and mind in a healthy state; as it also focuses in on one’s outer dimensions keeping his statements, actions, behaviour, and conduct in a healthy condition.

    The early scholars would urge a person to begin with Adab before learning Hadeeth or other sciences.

    Al-Nakh’i says of the early scholars (even though he himself is from the early scholars): ‘When they would approach a person to seek knowledge, they would first look at his manners, his prayers and his state, and only then would they take from him’

    ‘Umar would say: ‘Seek Adab, and then learn knowledge’

    ‘Abd Allah b. al-Mubarak would say: ‘One does not become noble by acquiring a type of science, until he beautifies it with Adab’

    Hence, the Salaf would acquire Adab by accompanying the scholars, before seeking knowledge. Only after learning Adab on a satisfactory level, would their teachers impart to them the understanding of religion (fiqh), and only after that one of them would become a leading authority and a reference point for the Muslims.

    Unfortunately, in our age the process has been reversed. One often becomes a leading authority before having gained the understanding of religion (fiqh), let alone Adab. Only by Allah’s grace do some of these leaders realise their errors, and turn to the fiqh of religion, only to realise that their leadership has already caused much irreversible harm, and that they are now too old to learn.

    Adab is a science that teaches one how to behave internally and externally; How to react inside when some good comes, or some calamity befalls, and how to react externally when faced with trials, tribulations. Therefore, this science tames the soul and keeps it in balance and firm like a lofty mountain firmly rooted in the earth, unshaken by earthquakes of whatever magnitude.


    Was-salamu ‘alaikum



  2. #2
    Some of the Prophet's Ethical Manners:

    1. The Prophet's close relations with his Companions: This is well-known due to the fact that we have detailed reports about the Prophet's biography. The Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, is the example which we should emulate in all our matters. Jareer b. Abdullah, with whom Allah is pleased, said: 'The Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, did not prevent me from sitting with him, since I accepted Islam. He always smiled when he looked at me. I once complained to him, that I could not ride a horse and he hit me in my chest and supplicated Allah, saying:

    'O Allah! Steady him, and make him a person who guides others and a source of guidance.' (Bukhari #5739)

    2. The Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, would entertain his Companions and joke with them: Anas b. Malik, with whom Allah is pleased, said the Messenger of Allah , may Allah exalt his mention, was the most well mannered person. I had a young brother whose name was Abu Umair - he would play with a small bird called 'An-Nughair'. The Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, said to him:

    'O Abu Umair, what did the Nughair do?!' while he was playing with it. (Muslim #2150)

    The Prophet , may Allah exalt his mention, did not only entertain and joke with his companions by word of mouth; rather, he sported and amused them as well. Anas b. Malik, with whom Allah is pleased, said:

    'A Bedouin named Zahir b. Haram would give gifts to the Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, and he would prepare things for him as well. The Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, said: 'Zahir is our desert, and we are his city.'

    The Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, approached him while he was selling his goods, and the Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, hugged him from behind, and he could not see him. He then said: 'Let me go!' When he knew that it was the Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, who was hugging him, he pressed his back towards the Messenger's chest! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, then said: 'Who will buy this slave from me?' Zahir said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I am worthless!' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, said:

    'You are not considered worthless by Allah!' or he said: 'You are valuable and precious to Allah.' (Ibn Hibban #5790)

    3. He would consult his Companions: The Prophet , may Allah exalt his mention, would consult his Companions, and take their opinions and points of view into consideration in issues and matters which no textual proofs were revealed. Abu Hurairah, with whom Allah is pleased, said:

    'I have not seen a person more keen for the sincere advice of his companions than the Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention.' (Tirmidthi #1714)

    4. Visiting the sick, whether he was Muslim or non-Muslim: The Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, was concerned about his Companions and would make sure that they were well. If he was told about a Companion who was sick, he would rush to visit him with the Companions that were present with him. He wouldn't only visit the Muslims who were sick; rather, he would visit even non-Muslims. Anas b. Malik, with whom Allah is pleased, said:

    'A Jewish boy would serve the Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, and he fell sick, so the Prophet , may Allah exalt his mention, said: 'Let us go and visit him.' They went to visit him, and found his father sitting by his head, and the Messenger of Allah , may Allah exalt his mention, said: 'proclaim that there is no true god worthy of being worshipped except Allah alone' and I will intercede on your behalf on account of it on the Day of Resurrection.' The boy looked at his father, and the father said: 'Obey Abul-Qasim!' so the boy uttered: 'There is no true god worthy of being worshipped except Allah alone, and Muhammad , may Allah exalt his mention, is the last Messenger.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, said: 'All praise is due to Allah, Who saved him from the Fire of Hell.' (Ibn Hibban #2960)

    5. He was grateful for people's goodness towards him, and would reward that generously: Abdullah b. Umar, with whom Allah is pleased, said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, said:

    'Whoever seeks refuge with Allah against your evil, then do not harm him. Whoever asks you by Allah, then give him. Whoever invites you, then accept his invitation. Whoever does a favor for you or an act of kindness, then repay him in a similar manner; but if you do not find that which you can reward him with, then supplicate Allah for him continuously, until you think you have repaid him.' (Ahmed #6106)

    A'ishah, with whom Allah is pleased, said:

    'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, would accept gifts, and reward generously on account of that.' (Bukhari #2445)

    6. The Messenger's love for everything which is beautiful and good: Anas, with whom Allah is pleased, said:

    'The hand of the Messenger of Allah , may Allah exalt his mention, was softer than any silk that I had ever touched, and his scent was sweeter than any perfume that I had ever smelt.' (Bukhari #3368)

    7. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, loved to help others by interceding on their behalf:

    Abdullah b. Abbas, with whom Allah is pleased, said:

    'The husband of Bareerah, with whom Allah is pleased, was a slave whose name was Mugheeth - I saw him walking behind her in the streets of Madinah crying, and his tears were falling off his beard. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, said to Al-Abbas: 'Doesn't it amaze you, how much Mugheeth loves Bareerah, and how much she hates Mugheeth!'

    The Prophet, may Allah exalt his mention, said to Bareerah: 'Why don't you go back to him?' She said to him: 'Are you commanding me to do so?' He said: 'No, but I am interceding on his behalf.' She said: 'I have no need for him.' (Bukhari # 4875)

    8. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, would serve himself: A'ishah, with whom Allah is pleased, said:

    'I was asked how the Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, behaved in his house.' She said: 'He was like any man; he washed his clothes, milked his sheep, and served himself.' (Ahmed 24998)

    The Prophet's excellent manners, not only made him serve himself; rather, he would serve others as well. A'ishah, with whom Allah is pleased, said:

    'I was asked how the Messenger of Allah, may Allah exalt his mention, behaved in his house.' She said: 'He would help out in the house with the daily chores, and when he heard the Adthan he would leave for the Masjid.' (Bukhari 5048)



  3. #3
    Still we need 2 learn a lot 4m the life of our hero...

  4. #4
    true..learning never stops...
    seek knowledge from cradle to death...



  5. #5
    It really is of fundamental importance to the methodology of spiritual perfection. This is so because the strict monotheism predisposes updating the mature disciples of the need to study and explore practically the multidimensional structure of the building and make their search for the Creator.

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