Virtues and Manners

Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man ate with his left hand in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), whereupon he said: "Eat with your right hand." The man said: I cannot do that. Thereupon, he said: "May you not be able to do that." It was only arrogance that prevented him. He said: He could not raise it up to his mouth afterward.

Jundub ibn ‘Abdullāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A man said: 'By Allah, Allah will not forgive so-and-so.' Thereupon, Allah said: 'Who is that who swears that I will not forgive so-and-so? Indeed, I have forgiven him and rendered worthless your deeds.'" In a similar Hadīth reported by Abu Hurayrah: ''The sayer was a worshiper.'' Abu Hurayrah said: ''He said a word that ruined his life and Hereafter.’'

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: “When one of you sneezes, he should say 'alhamdu-lillāh' (praise be to Allah) and his brother or companion should say to him: 'yarhamuk Allah' (may Allah have mercy on you). When he says so to him, the sneezer should reply: 'yahdīkum Allah wa yuslih bālakum!' (may Allah guide you and grant you well being).”

Usayr ibn ‘Amr (another said Ibn Jābir) reported: Whenever reinforcements from the people of Yemen came to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) he would ask them: "Is Uways ibn ‘Āmir amongst you?" This continued till he met Uways (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: "Are you Uways ibn ‘Āmir?" He said: ‘Yes.’ ‘Umar asked: "Are you from the Qarn branch of the tribe of Murād?" He said: ‘Yes.’ He further asked: "Did you suffer from leprosy and then you were cured but for the spot of a dirham?" He said: ‘Yes.’ Then, he asked: "Is your mother still alive?" He said: ‘Yes.’ ‘Umar said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'There would come to you Uways ibn ‘Āmir with reinforcements from the people of Yemen. He would be from Qarn, of Murād. He had been suffering from leprosy from which he was cured but for the spot of a dirham. He has a mother to whom he is dutiful. If he were to take an oath in the name of Allah, Allah would fulfill his oath. If it is possible for you, ask him to ask forgiveness for you.' So, ask forgiveness for me." He asked forgiveness for him. ‘Umar asked: "Where do you intend to go?" He said: "To Kufah." He said: "Shall I write a letter for you to its governor." Uways said: "It is dearer to me to live amongst the poor people." The following year, a person from among the elite (of Kufah) performed Hajj and met ‘Umar, who asked him about Uways. The man replied: "I left him in an old house and with little means of sustenance." Thereupon, ‘Umar said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'There would come to you Uways ibn ‘Āmir with reinforcements from the people of Yemen. He would be from Qarn, of Murād. He had been suffering from leprosy from which he was cured but for the spot of a dirham. He has a mother to whom he is dutiful. If he were to take an oath in the name of Allah, Allah would fulfill his oath. If it is possible for you, ask him to ask forgiveness for you.'" So, the man went to Uways and asked him to ask forgiveness for him. Uways said to him: "You have just returned from a blessed journey; so, it is you who should ask forgiveness for me." Then, he asked: "Did you meet ‘Umar?" The man said: ‘Yes.’ Uways asked forgiveness for him. Hence, the people recognized the status of Uways, and so he quickly went away from that place. In another narration also reported by Usayr ibn Jābir: "A delegation from Kufah came to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him). Among them was a man who used to mock Uways. ‘Umar asked: 'Is there anyone among you who is from Qarn?' This man stepped forward. Then, ‘Umar said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'A man will come to you from Yemen named Uways. He will be leaving in Yemen none but his mother. He was suffering from leucoderma and supplicated Allah, the Exalted, Who cured him from it except for a space the size of a dinar or dirham. Whoever of you meets him should ask him to ask forgiveness for you.'" Another narration reported by him reads: "‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'The best one among the Tābi‘is is a man called Uways. He has a mother and was suffering from leucoderma. So, ask him to ask forgiveness for you.'"

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever visits a sick person or a brother of his for Allah's sake, a caller calls out: 'May you be glad, may your footsteps be blessed, and may you dwell a home in Paradise!'"

‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No soul gets killed wrongfully without the first son of Adam taking guilt for its blood because he was the first to institute the practice of murder."

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Whenever the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) spoke a word, he would repeat it thrice until it is understood from him. Whenever he greeted a group of people, he would greet them thrice.

Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Two men from the Companions of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) left his house on a dark night and were led by two lights like lamps, illuminating the way before them. When they parted, each of them was accompanied by one of these lights until he came to his family.

Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Never have I heard ‘Umar saying about something: "I think it to be so-and-so", but it proved to be as he had thought.

Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Take no companion except a believer and let no one eat your food except an Allah-fearing person.’"

Sahl ibn Sa‘d (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever gives me a guarantee to safeguard what is between his jaws and what is between his legs, I will guarantee him Paradise."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever Allah saves from the evil of what is between his jaws and the evil of what is between his legs will enter Paradise."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "One may utter a word thoughtlessly and, as a result of this, he will fall down into Hellfire for a distance greater than the distance between the east and the west."

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: 'A man came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I intend to go on a journey, so give me provision." He said: "May Allah grant you piety as your provision!" He said: "Give me more." He said: "And may He forgive your sin!" He said: "Give me more." He said: "And may He make goodness easy for you wherever you are!"

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man from the Bedouins met him on his way to Makkah. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar greeted him, made him ride on a donkey that he was riding, and gave him a turban that was wrapped around his head. Ibn Dinār said: "We said to him: 'May Allah grant you righteousness! These people are Bedouins and they are pleased with much less.'" ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar said: "This man’s father was a dear friend of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb (may Allah be pleased with him) and I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: 'The finest form of dutifulness is maintaining relations with those whom one’s father loved.'" In another narration by Ibn Dinār, he reported that when Ibn ‘Umar set out to Makkah, he kept a donkey with him that he would ride when he became tired of riding his camel, and had a turban that he would tie around his head. One day, while he was riding this donkey, a Bedouin passed by him. Ibn ‘Umar asked him: "Aren’t you so and so the son of so and so?" He said: 'Yes.' So he gave him his donkey and said: "Ride this," and he gave him his turban and said: "Tie this around your head." Some of his companions said to him: "May Allah forgive you! You gave this Bedouin a donkey that you would rest on, and a turban that you would tie your head with?" He said: "I heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The finest form of dutifulness is maintaining relations with those whom one’s father loved after his death”, and his father was a friend of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

Thābit reported that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) came to me while I was playing with some boys, and he greeted us. Then he sent me on an errand. I was late for my mother, and when I came to her, she said: 'What held you up?' I said: 'The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sent me on an errand.' She said: 'What was that errand?' I said: 'It is a secret.' She said: 'Do not tell anyone the secret of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).'" Anas said: "By Allah, if I were to tell anyone about it, I would have told you about it, O Thābit."

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever says (upon leaving his house) 'In the name of Allah; I rely on Allah; there is no might and no power save in Allah', it will be said to him: 'You are guided, sufficed, and protected', and the devil will go far away from him." The narration by Abu Dawūd has the following addition: "So he (the devil) says to another devil: How can you approach a man who has been guided, granted relief, and protected?”

Hudhayfah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: When we attended a meal with the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him), we would not extend our hands until the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) would start and extend his hand. Once we attended a meal with him, and a little girl came in rushing as if she was being pushed forward. She was about to put her hand into the food when the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) caught her hand. Then a Bedouin came in rushing as if he was being pushed forward. He (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) caught his hand too. Then the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Verily, the devil can eat from any food upon which the Name of Allah is not mentioned. He (the devil) brought this little girl to be able to eat, but I caught her hand. Then he brought this Bedouin to be able to eat, but I caught his hand too. By the One in Whose Hand my soul is, his hand is in my grasp along with her hand."

Abu ’Umāmah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) delivering a sermon in the Farewell Hajj saying: "Fear Allah your Lord, pray your five, fast your month, give the Zakah due on your wealth, obey your rulers, and you will enter your Lord's Paradise."

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When any of you meets his brother, let him greet him with peace. If a tree, a wall, or a rock comes between them and then he meets him, let him greet him with peace again."