Virtues and Manners

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) had a gold ring made for himself, and whenever he wore it, he used to keep the stone toward the palm of his hand. Consequently, the people made the same thing. Afterward, he sat on the pulpit and took it off, saying: "I used to wear this ring and keep its stone toward the palm of my hand." He then threw it away and said: "By Allah! I will never wear it." Thereupon, all the people threw away their rings. In another narration: "He wore it in his right hand.”

Al-Hasan reported: Jundab ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated to us in this mosque, and we have not forgotten since he narrated to us, nor do we fear that Jundub would have lied about the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). He said: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Among those who were before you, there was a man who had an injury. He was impatient, so he took a knife and made a cut in his hand and bled to death. Allah Almighty said: My slave hastened to bring about his demise; I have forbidden Paradise for him."

‘Abdur-Rahmān ibn Abi Layla reported that they were in the company of Hudhayfah, who asked for water, and a Magian brought him water. On placing the cup in his hand, he threw it at him and said, Had I not forbidden him more than once or twice—as if he were saying, I would not have done this—however, I heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Do not wear silk or brocade, and do not drink from gold or silver vessels, and do not eat in platters made therefrom, for they are for them in this world and for us in the Hereafter."

‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever wears silk in the life of this world will not wear it in the Hereafter."

‘Umar ibn Al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade wearing silk except for this much, and he raised his index and middle fingers to us. A narration by Muslim reads: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade wearing silk except for the width of two, three, or four fingers.”

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, teach me some words to recite in the morning and in the evening." He said: "Say: 'O Allah, Creator of the heavens and the earth, Knower of the hidden and the apparent, Lord of everything and its Possessor. I bear witness that there is no god but You. I seek refuge in You from the evil of my own self and from the evil of the devil and the evil of polytheism to which he calls, and from incurring any sin upon myself or upon any other Muslim.'" He added: "Recite them in the morning, in the evening, and when you go to bed."

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri reported: Mu‘āwiyah came upon a group of people sitting in a circle in the mosque and said: What has made you sit together? They said: We have sat together to remember Allah. He said: I adjure you by Allah, has nothing else made you sit together? They replied: By Allah, nothing else has made us sit together. He said: Indeed, I have not asked you to swear because I suspect you, and there was no one in the position I was in from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) who narrates fewer Hadīths from him than me. Verily, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came upon a group of his Companions sitting in a circle and said: "What has made you sit together?" They said: We have sat together to remember Allah and praise Him for having guided us to Islam and for bestowing favor upon us. He said: "I adjure you by Allah, has nothing else made you sit together?" They said: By Allah, nothing else has made us sit together. He said: "Indeed, I have not asked you to swear because I suspect you, but Jibrīl (Gabriel) came and told me that Allah Almighty is boasting about you before the angels."

‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: In the evening, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: "The evening has reached, and all the dominion belongs to Allah and praise be to Allah. There is no god but Allah, alone without any partner." The narrator said: "I believe he said along with them: 'To Him belongs the dominion, and to Him belongs praise, and He is Omnipotent over all things. My Lord, I ask You for the good of this night and the good of what follows it, and I seek refuge with You from the evil of this night and the evil of what follows it. My Lord, I seek refuge with You from laziness and woeful aging. My Lord, I seek refuge with You from torment of the fire and torment in the grave.' In the morning, he used to say: 'The morning has reached and all the dominion belongs to Allah.'"

Al-Miqdām ibn Ma‘di Karib (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When a man loves his brother, he should tell him that he loves him."

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, may anyone of us sleep while being ritually impure?" He said: "Yes, he may sleep if he makes ablution."

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is out of glorification of Allah, Almighty, to honor the grey-haired (old) Muslim, and the bearer of the Qur'an who neither exaggerates concerning it nor neglects it, and to honor the just ruler.”

Jābir ibn ‘Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that he heard the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) say: "When one mentions Allah's name upon entering his house and upon eating, the devil says (to his companions): 'There is no night shelter nor supper here for you.' However, when one does not mention Allah's name upon entering his house, the devil says: 'You have found yourselves a night shelter.' If one does not mention Allah's name when starting to eat, the devil says: 'You have found yourselves both a night shelter and supper.'"

Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Show reverence to Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) by honoring his family members."

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I went out with Jarīr ibn ‘Abdullāh al-Bajali on a journey, and he served me. I said to him: "Do not do that!" He said: "I saw the Ansār do something with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) after which I took a pledge upon myself that I would not accompany anyone of them without serving him."

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The major sins are associating partners with Allah, undutifulness to parents, murder, and intentional false oath."

‘Imrān ibn Husayn (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Modesty brings nothing but good." In another narration: "All of modesty is good."

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him and his father) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: "Allāhumma laka aslamt, wa bika āmant, wa ‘alayka tawakkalt, wa ’ilayka anabt, wa bika khāsamt. Allāhumma inni a‘ūdhu bi‘izzatika, la ilāha illa ant, an tudillani. Anta al-hayyu alladhi la yamūt, wal-jinnu wal-insu yamūtūn. (O Allah, I surrender to You, I believe in You, I rely upon You, to You I repent, and with Your help I dispute. I seek refuge in Your Might. There is no god but You, that You do not lead me astray. You are the Ever-Living Who never dies, but the Jinn and humans die)."

When a man was to set out on a journey, ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would say to him: "Draw near to me so that I may bid you farewell as the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) used to bid us farewell. He would say: 'I entrust Allah with your religion, your trusts, and your last deeds.'" ‘Abdullāh ibn Yazīd al-Khatmi (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would bid farewell to the departing army by saying: "I entrust Allah with your religion, your trusts, and your last deeds."

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he performed ablution in his house and then came out saying: "I would remain with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) the whole day long." He came to the mosque and asked about the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). They said: "He has gone in this direction." He (Abu Mūsa) said: "I followed his steps asking about him until I came to Bi'r Arīs (a well in the suburbs of Madīnah). I sat by its door until the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had relieved himself and then performed ablution. I went to him and he was sitting at the well in the middle of its elevated edge with his shanks uncovered up to the knees and his legs dangling in that well. I greeted him then came back and sat at the door saying: 'Today, I shall be the gatekeeper of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).' Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came and pushed the door and I said: 'Who is it?' He said: 'This is Abu Bakr.' I said: 'Wait, please.' I went and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, Abu Bakr seeks permission to come in.' He said: 'Let him in and give him glad tidings of Paradise.' I came and said to Abu Bakr: 'Come in, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gives you glad tidings of Paradise.' Abu Bakr went in and sat on the right side of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) on the elevated edge and dangled his feet in the well just as the Messenger of Allah had done, and he uncovered his shanks. I then returned and sat there, and I had left my brother performing ablution and he was to meet me, and I said: 'If Allah intends goodness for so and so (meaning his brother), He would bring him here.' As I was thinking of this, someone moved the door. I said: 'Who is it?' He said: 'This is ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb.' I said: 'Wait, please.' Then, I went to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, ‘Umar seeks permission to come in.' He said: 'Let him in and give him glad tidings of Paradise.' I came to ‘Umar and said: 'He gave permission, and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gives you glad tidings of Paradise.' He went in and sat on the edge on the left side of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and dangled his feet in the well. I then returned and sat and said: 'If Allah intends goodness for so and so (meaning his brother), He would bring him here.' Then, another person came and moved the door and I said: 'Who is it?' He said: 'This is ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān.' I said: 'Wait, please.' I then came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and told him, so he said: 'Let him in and give him glad tidings of Paradise along with an affliction that will befall him.' I came and said: 'Come in and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) gives you glad tidings of Paradise along with an affliction that will befall you.' He went in and saw that the edge of the well was fully occupied so he sat on the other side facing them." Sa‘īd ibn al-Musayyib said: "I interpreted this (order of sitting) as the way their graves would be arranged." Another version has the following addition: "and the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) ordered me to guard the door." It also says that when ‘Uthmān was given glad tidings of Paradise and an affliction, he said: "Praise be to Allah" and then said: "Allah helps!"

Abu Mūsa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One will be with those whom he loves." Another narration reads: "It was said to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): 'What about a man who loves some people but he cannot be as good as them?' He said: 'One will be with those whom he loves.'" ‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about a man who loves some people but cannot catch up with their good deeds?' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'One will be with those whom he loves.’"