Purify your intention for the sake of Allah

A believer worships Allah by being well-mannered and dealing

pleasantly with all, not to attain status or wealth, or for people’s

praise, or to get married, etc., but only so that Allah may

love him and make him beloved to His creation. Yes! Whoever

considers exercising good manners as worship will deal courteously

with everyone, be he rich or poor, a manager or a tea-boy.

If one day a poor cleaner on the street stretches out his hand

for you to shake it, and then another day a director of some

company stretches his hand out in the same way, will you treat

them equally? Will you welcome them both, and smile at them

equally?

The Prophet \would certainly treat them both equally in

terms of welcoming them and showing them sincere conduct

and compassion. Who knows, perhaps the one you may belittle

and look down upon might actually be better in Allah’s sight than

he who you look up to and show honor and respect to.

The Prophet \said, “The most beloved of you to me, and

the closest of you to me on the Day of Resurrection are the best

of you in manners.” (al-Tirmidhi, Sahih)

The Prophet \also said to al-Ashaj bin ‘Abd Qays, “You have

two qualities that Allah and His Messenger love.” What are these

two qualities? Praying at night? Fasting all day?

Al-Ashaj became overjoyed and said, “What are the two

qualities, O Messenger of Allah?”

The Prophet \said, “Forbearance and patience.” (Ahmad

and Muslim)

The Prophet \was asked about piety, and he replied, “Piety

is to show good manners.” (Muslim)

He \was asked about the deed on account of which most

people will enter paradise, he \said, “Fear of Allah and good

manners.” (al-Tirmidhi, Sahih)

The Prophet \said, “The most complete in faith are those

best in their character, those who are easy to socialise with, and

those who get along with others and others get along with them.

There is no good in the one who cannot get along with others

and others cannot get along with him.” (al-Tirmidhi, Sahih)

The Prophet e said, “There is nothing heavier in the scales

than good manners.” (Abu Dawud, Sahih)

The Prophet e said, “A person by his good character reaches

the rank of the one praying at night and fasting all day.” (al-

Tirmidhi, Sahih)

The one who improves his character becomes successful in

both worlds. Consider the incident of Umm Salamah – may Allah

be pleased with her – when she sat with the Messenger of

Allah e and thought about the Hereafter and what Allah had

promised her.

She said, “O Messenger of Allah! A woman might be married

twice in this world. When she and her husbands die and they all

enter paradise, who is she going to be with?”

What did he e say in response? That she will be with the

one who prayed the longest? Or the one who fasted the most?

Or the most knowledgeable of them? No! Rather, he (e) said,

“She will be with the best of them in character.”

Umm Salamah was surprised. When the Prophet e noticed

this, he said, “O Umm Salamah! Good character makes one successful

in this life and the next.”

Yes! The best of both worlds. He achieves the best of this

world by earning people’s love, and the best of the next by gaining

immense reward. No matter how much good a person does,

his good deeds would always be marred by bad character.

Once it was mentioned to the Prophet e that a certain

woman prayed, fasted, gave in charity and did many other righteous

deeds, but at the same time harmed her neighbours by her

words (i.e., she was bad mannered). He e replied, “She will be

in Hell.”