Good Character Alone Is Not Enough

“The Chapter Concerning Good Character, on Condition [People] Have Understanding [of the Religion].” Good character, understanding, and comprehension of the religion: to these belong these virtues that you will hear about in the upcoming ḥādīths.

The first ḥadīth, which is authentic, is from the ḥadīth of Abū Hurairah, who said: The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: “Indeed, a man attains, through his good character, the rank of one who stands [in prayer] during the night.”

So this ḥadīth, as we have read, is a path for a Muslim to adopt good character, through which he can reach the level and rank of a man who stands [in prayer] during the night. And in some other ḥādīths: “and one who fasts during the day.”

“Indeed, a man attains, through his good character, the rank of one who stands [in prayer] during the night,” and in some authentic ḥādīths there is the addition: “and [one who fasts] during the day.”

So this is an explicit text showing that a Muslim, when he improves his character, making it good, reaches the rank of devoted worshipers, even if he himself were not, in his worship, at the level of those devoted worshipers.

That is to say: indeed, a Muslim who keeps to that which is binding upon him [in Islam] while keeping away from that which is prohibited—when he makes his conduct and manners good with his family, his children, his neighbors, and with everyone who mixes with him from among the people—he reaches, through his good character, the level of worshipers who stand [in prayer] during the night and fast during the day.

So then there is nothing better than a Muslim man or a Muslim woman improving their character, making it good, and attaining thereby the rank of worshippers who stand [in prayer] at night or fast by day.

However, this—as we hinted in our commentaries on the chapter—is conditional upon one gaining understanding of his religion.

And this condition, which the compiler [of Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Imām Al-Bukhārī] worded in his saying, “The Chapter Concerning Good Character, on Condition [People] Have Understanding [of the Religion],” [is something] he only extracted from the second ḥadīth [to be discussed next].

This one, too, is authentic, and it is from Abū Hurayrah who said: I heard Abū Al-Qāsim ﷺ saying: “The best of you in Islām are those best of you in character—if they have gained understanding [of the religion].”

From here has come the condition [that I was referring to earlier]: “The best of you in Islām are those best of you in character”: [Is that to be taken] unrestrictedly, even if one were ignorant and knew nothing about Islām?

The answer is: No. “If they have gained understanding” means: if they have come to know the rulings of the Sharīʿah that are binding upon them, from the obligations, duties, and prohibitions, so that one might be upon insight regarding his religion, just as He, the Most High, says [that which in English means]: “Say: This is my way; I call to Allāh upon insight, I and whoever follows me.” (Yūsuf, 108)

So his saying ﷺ in this second ḥadīth, “The best of you in Islām are those best of you in character—if they have gained understanding [of the religion],” indicates that the virtue of having good character mentioned in the first ḥadīth—that a person [of good character] attains the rank of those who stand in prayer at night and fast by day—is only on condition that he be one who has gained understanding of the religion.

So then, in this second ḥadīth there is an encouragement for every Muslim to fulfill the obligation of gaining an understanding of the religion, and not to live his days in ignorance, not knowing what is obligatory upon him and what is forbidden to him.

And the essential point from these two ḥadīths that the compiler [Imām Al-Bukhārī] mentions in this chapter is urging Muslims, men and women, to improve their conduct and character: a man with his wife, a wife with her husband; a father with his child, a mother with hers; likewise, a neighbor with his neighbor; a merchant with his customers.

All of these, in these ḥadīths, are being urged to improve their character, and their improving their character necessitates that they improve their conduct and dealings with one another.

So whoever among them has the best character is the best among them with Allāh the Most High, and the highest among them in rank, due to his statement ﷺ: “Indeed, a man attains, by his good character, the rank of one who stands in prayer during the night.”

Meaning: [he attains] the level of one who stands in prayer at night and fasts by day. And even though the wording of the ḥadīth outwardly appears specific to men, since he said: “Indeed, a man attains, by his good character, the rank of one who stands in prayer at night and fasts by day,” the intent is not to restrict this virtue and this merit to men alone due to what we have learned again and again in past lessons: his saying ﷺ, “Women are the counterparts of men,” and in another wording: “Indeed, women are but the counterparts of men.”

That is to say: every ruling that applies to men, the like of it applies to women; everything forbidden to men is forbidden to women; everything legislated for men is legislated for women, and likewise with all rules and laws of the Sharīʿah.

“Indeed, women are but the counterparts of men”—other than in [some] exceptional cases in [Islamic] legislation, and [these] exceptional [cases] are very few; all among us know that, men and women.

So when the ḥadīth comes saying, “Indeed, a man attains, by his good character, the rank of one who stands in prayer at night and fasts by day,” we should keep in mind, in this situation, the previous ḥadīth: “Indeed, women are but the counterparts of men.”

So we know from that that a woman too, if she were to improve her character, making it good, would surpass devout worshipers who stand [in prayer] at night and fast by day, by way of her good character and good conduct with all whom she has dealings with. That is, of course, if that devout worshiper [that she was surpassing] were one who had bad character and conduct.

The reality is, very sorry to say, that we find many among men and many among women who, were any to be described [by others], would be described as a Muslim man [or woman] and a righteous man [or woman]. But if he were to be put to the test by some matter that exposed his [true] character, very quickly would his bad character come to light before people.

And it’s at [this] point that a man who only sticks to doing that which Allāh, All-Great and All-High, has made binding upon him in various circumstances and [only sticks to] keeping away from that which Allāh has prohibited from him—while, at the same time, retaining good character—[it’s at this point that such a man of good character] stands out above that other person [of devout worship but poor character], the one whose righteousness people attest to, that he stands at night and fasts by day, but exhibits poor conduct and character with people.

From here we come to know the extent and importance of good character in Islām. So it’s upon us to take heed of this ḥadīth, men and women alike, and for each one of us to improve his character and conduct with others, especially husbands with their wives, and wives with their husbands, due to the firm bond that Allāh, All-Great and All-High, has tied between them, between husbands and the wives.

Sharḥ Kitāb Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, tape 17.