The Muslim Personality

*He meets his brother with a smiling face*

The Prophet said: "Do not think little of any good deed even if it is just greeting your brother with a cheerful countenance [face] {MUSLIM}

The Prophet said: "Your smiling at your brother is an act of charity {sadaqah}" {al-TIRMIDHI who said it is hasan gharib}

The Muslim should always be pure of heart and should have a cheerful and friendly face. He should meet his brother with warmth and smiles. There's no excuse--Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) always had a warm smile on his face even though he went through hardships, torture, and suffering in this life.

* He Restrains from anger and is forgiving*

"... [those] who restrain anger and pardon {all} men- for Allah loves those who do good." [Translation of the Qu'ran-Al-Imran 3:134]

The true Muslim restrains his anger and is forgiving. He does not see any shame in doing so, rather he sees it as a good deed which will bring him closer to Allah (SWT).

*He has a good attitude towards others and treats them well*

Anas (RA) said : "I served the Messenger of Allah (Saws) for ten years, and he never said to me 'UFF!'. If I did something, he never said, "Why did you do that?" And if I did not do something, he never said , "Why did you not do such-and-such? [Agreed Upon]

The Prophet said: "Among the best of you are those who have the best attitude (towards others)". [Agreed upon]

He (SAWS) also said: "Nothing will weigh more heavily in the balance of the believing servant on the Day of Resurrection than a good attitude (towards others). Verily Allah hates those who utter vile words and obscene speech." [al-Tirmidhi, hasan sahih hadith]

The true Muslim has a good attitude. He is humble and soft and gentle in his speech. He does not use bad language or insult others. He is patient, gentle, forgiving, tolerant, cheerful, and sincere towards others.

*He avoids cursing and foul language*

The Prophet (SAWS) said: "The believer is not a person who hurts others with words, or curses, or swears, or is foul-mouthed." [Al- Bukhari]

Anas (RA) said: "The Prophet (SAWS) never used foul language or cursed, or swore. When he wanted to rebuke someone, he would say , 'What is wrong with him? May his forehead be covered with dust!" [Al-Bukhari]

Note: May his forehead be covered with dust means 'may he perform many sujud [prostrations in prayer]

The True Muslim's tongue will refrain from uttering curses or foul language. He does not swear, curse, or use bad language; he also does not bear to hear such words.

*He has shyness [hayaa]*

Abu Sa'id al Khudri said: "The Messenger of allah was more shy than the virgin hiding away in her own room. If he saw something that he disliked, we would know it only from his facial statement. [Agreed upon]

The prophet (SAWS) said: "Shyness brings nothing but good" [Agreed upon]

A true Muslim is shy, polite, gentle, and sensitive to the feelings of others He never does any bad deed that may harm others. The attitude of shyness protects him from many errors, not only because he feels shy in front of people, but because he also feels shy before Allah (SWT).

*He has a sense of humor*

The Sahabah said to the Prophet (SAWS) : "You are joking with us." The Prophet said: "But I never say anything but the truth". [Al- Bukhari]

The Muslim has a sense of humor, as the prophet (SAWS) did. This makes people like him. He jokes around with hem when it is appropriate, without going to extremes. Similarly, when he is serious, he does not go to extremes of harshness and strictness.

*Avoids Arguing , making hurtful jokes, and breaking promises*

The Prophet (SAW) said: "Do not argue with your brother, do not joke excessively with him, do not make a promise to him then break it" [BUKHARI]

Among the good manners of a true Muslim are: he does not exhaust his brothers and friends with arguments, he does not annoy them with hurtful jokes, and he does not break a promise that he has made to them.

ARGUING: NO BENEFITS; HURTFUL JOKES: LEADS TO HATRED AND LOSS OF RESPECT, BREAKING PROMISES: UPSETS PEOPLE AND DESTROYS LOVE. The true Muslim should be above all of that.

*He is compassionate and Merciful*

The Prophet (SAWS) said: "Compassion is not taken away except from the one who is doomed." [Bukhari]

He also has been reported to have said: "Have compassion on those who are on earth so that the One Who is in heaven will have mercy on you." [Tabarani; its men are rijal al-sahih]

The true muslim is compassionate and merciful. He knows that the compassion of people on earth will cause the mercy of heaven to be showered on him.

*He keeps promises*

"O you who believer! Fulfill (all) obligations" [Al-Ma'idah 5:1]

"O you who believe! Why say you that which you do not? Grievously odious is it in the sight of Allah that you say that which you do not." [Al-Saff 61-2-3]

The true Muslim keeps his promises faithfully. Breaking promises is one of the 'odious' or horrible sins that Allah (SWT) hates in his believing servants.

*He is truthful*

The Prophet (SAWS) said: "Truthfulness leads to piety [birr[, and piety leads to Paradise. A man continues to speak the truth until he is recorded in the sight of Allah as a sincere lover of truth [siddiq]. Falsehood leads to iniquity and iniquity leads to Hell. A man will continue to speak falsehood until he is recorded in the sight of Allah as a liar."

"The Hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire: no helper will you find for them." [Qur'an 4:145]

A true Muslim should be truthful with all people. He sincerely loves truth and strives to be true in word and deed.

*He is sincere*

The Prophet said: "Religion is sincerity." We asked, "To whom?" He said, "To Allah; to His Book; to His Prophet; to the rulers of the Muslims; and to their common folk" [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

The Prophet also said: "None of you truly believes until he likes for his brother what he likes for himself [Agreed upon].

The Prophet said: "The believer is the mirror of his brother. If he sees any fault in him he corrects it" [Bukhari]

A true Muslim should be sincere towards Allah; obeying him, and to the Prophet , respecting him and following him, he should be sincere to his brothers and not cheat them or mislead them.

*He spreads the greeting of salaam [peace]*

"A man asked the Prophet (SAWS), 'Which type of Islam is the best?' He said, 'To feed people, and to say salaam to those you know and those you do not know" [Agreed upon]

"The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) commanded us to do seven things: to visit the sick, to attend funerals, to bless someone when he sneezes, to support the weak, to help the one who is oppressed, to spread salaam, and to help people fulfill their oaths." [Agreed upon]

This is an distinctive aspect of the Muslim's social conduct. Salaam has effects in spreading brotherly love and is a means of uniting.

*He is Patient*

"And Allah loves the patient." (Qur'an 3:146)

The true Muslim is patient and not in the habit of complaining much. He is patient in this life; he is patient with the non-believers; he is patient with his friends; he is patient with his children; he is patient with his parents--for he knows that the next life is much better than this one.

*He Prays for his brothers in their absence*

"The quickest prayer to be answered is a man's supplication for his brother in his absence." [Bukhari]

A sincere Muslim who truly likes his brother that which he likes for himself doesn't forget to pray for his brother in his absence.

*He is Gentle, Kind and Faithful*

Allah (swt) describes the believers as being "...lowly [or humble] with the believers, mighty against the kafirun..." {AL-QURAN, Al- Ma'idah 5:54}

The Prophet said: " A man should help his brother whether he is a wrong-doer or is wronged. If he is a wrongdoer then he should stop him, and if he is wronged, then he should defend him" [MUSLIM]

The Prophet said: "There is no kindness in a thing but it adds beauty to it, and there is no absence of kindness but it disfigures a thing" {MUSLIM}

The prophet (Saws) said: "Verily Allah is kind and does kindness in all affairs [Agreed upon]

The Prophet (SAWS) said: "Make things easy, not difficult, and be cheerful, not threatening." [Agreed upon]

The true Muslim is kind to his brothers and is good-natured and easy going and helpful towards them. He should be gentle, faithful, and modest with them. He is gentle and kind towards people.

*Act Justly Between People*

"Be just, that is nearer to piety; and fear Allah." (Qur'an 5:8)

This is a characteristic of one who has TAQWAH {an all-encompassing, inner consciousness of one's duty towards god and the awareness of one's accountability toward Him}. He does not allow his personal feelings to hamper justice.

* He Loves his brother for the sake of Allah (swt)*

See: Love for the sake of Allah

*He does not gossip*

Allah (swt) says in the Holy Qur'an: "...Nor speak ill of each other behind their backs. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? Nay, you would abhor it. But fear Allah: for Allah is

Oft-Returning, Most Merciful." ( Al-Hujurat 49:12)

A Muslim does not talk behind his brother's back. He does not say anything that his brother would not like. A Muslim is straightforward and is not two-faced.

* Iman : Faith in Allah (swt)*

{ It is not fitting for a believer , man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His messenger to have any option about their decision: if anyone disobeys Allah and His messenger he is indeed on a clearly wrong path. (Al-Ahzab, 33:36}

Are you mad at anybody ?

The Breaking Of Ties

Anas bin Malik (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,

"Do not desert (stop talking to) one another, do not nurse hatred towards one another, do not be jealous of one another, and become as fellow brothers and slaves of Allah. It is not lawful for a Muslim to stop talking to his brother (Muslim) for more than three days.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,

"It is not lawful for a Muslim to desert (stop talking to) his brother beyond three nights, the one turning one way and the other turning to the other way when they meet, the better of the two is one who is the first to greet the other.'' [Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,

"People's deeds are presented before Allah on Mondays and Thursdays, and then every slave (of Allah) is granted forgiveness (of minor sins) if he does not associate anything with Allah in worship. But the person in whose heart there is rancour against his brother, will not be pardoned. With regard to them, it is said twice: `Hold these two until they are reconciled'.'' [Muslim].

Jabir (May Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) as saying,

"The Satan has despaired of being worshipped by those who engage in prayer in the Arabian Peninsula but (has not lost hope) in creating dissension among them.'' [Muslim].

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said,

"It is not lawful for a Muslim to forsake his (Muslim) brother beyond three days; and whosoever does so for more than three days, and then dies, will certainly enter the Hell.''

Are you still mad at anybody?

(2:186) "When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me: That they may walk in the right way. "