Lesson 1 of 4
What does Islam teach about good character?
From the Quran
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٖ ﴿٤﴾
And indeed, you are of a great moral character.
۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنِ وَإِيتَآيِٕ ذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَيَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡيِۚ يَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ ﴿٩٠﴾
Indeed, Allāh orders justice and good conduct and giving [help] to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٖ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ شُعُوبٗا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتۡقَىٰكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٞ ﴿١٣﴾
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allāh is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Aware.
From the Sunnah
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most perfect believer in terms of his faith is the one who has the most excellent manners, and the best of you are those who are best to their womenfolk."
Explanation
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that the most perfect people in terms of their faith are those who possess excellent manners, have cheerful faces, do good, speak kind words, and refrain from hurting others.
And that the best believers are those who are kindest to their womenfolk - their wives, daughters, sisters, and other female relatives - for they are among the worthiest of good treatment.
Abu Hamzah Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him)—the servant of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)—reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "None of you believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself."
Explanation
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) pointed out that no Muslim attains complete Imān until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself, among the acts of worship and types of goodness in terms of the religion and the life of this world, and hates for his brother what he hates for himself. If he sees a deficiency in the religious commitment of his brother, he strives to reform it, and if he finds goodness in him, he guides and helps him and renders sincere advice to him as regards his religious and worldly matters.