"The Content of Character" (Part 8)

"The Content of Character: Ethical Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)"
Translation and Introduction by Hamza Yusuf
Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazrui

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A final few notes.

I didn't intend to highlight the last section of the book, and I won't, unless someone specifically requests it. The post-hadith section of the book first discusses the classification of hadith (in regards to strength) and then more specifically talks about many of the weaker hadith included in the compilation. Sh. Hamza contends (while quoting various scholars who agree with this opinion) that the use of weaker hadith is permitted for various reasons, specifically:

- If a hadith is weak in its chain of narration, it can be strengthened by numerous different chains narrating a similar hadith.
- It is in line with already proven principles of Islam.
- The hadith is not extremely unreliable.
- Those who act on the hadith do so "without believing it is absolutely established" [Imam Suyuti summarization; p. 55 in Content of Character]

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Finally, Sh. Hamza includes a biography of many of the narrators/collectors of the hadith included in his compilation. What absolutely amazed me while sifting through the stories was how far these men and women traveled in their acquisition of knowledge. In the biographies, it wasn't uncommon to hear about them traveling through Syria, Iraq, Egypt and even so far as China (particularly striking, considering the hadith "Pursue knowledge even to China, for its pursuance is the sacred duty of every Muslim." [Ibn 'Abdal-Barr]) in order to collect hadith or to learn from the most knowledgeable scholars.

The second striking quality that was common in all the narrators was their strong memory. There were narrators who had memorized THOUSANDS of hadith and were able to recall not only their exact phrasing, but also their chains of narration off the top of their head. One man was reported to have such a strong memory that he could memorize an entire book after just one reading. Imam Tirmidhi's memory was extraordinary, even late in his life when he had gone blind; it's said that once, after his blindness set in, he was walking down a path and bent low at one section to avoid a low tree branch he had once encountered there before.

All in all, it's really an amazing small and simple book. Go buy it. Seriously.
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"The Content of Character" (Part 7)

"The Content of Character: Ethical Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)"
Translation and Introduction by Hamza Yusuf
Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazrui

last part:

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120. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "He who sins laughing enters Hell crying." [Abu Nu'aym]

122. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Whoever pleases his parents has pleased God, and whoever angers them has angered God." [Ibn an-Najjar]

123. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Anyone who sees a believer degraded, and, being able to defend him, does not, is degraded by God on the Day of Judgement."

124. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "One aspect of manliness is for a fellow to listen attentively to his brother should he address him." [Al-Khatib]

129. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "God removes faith from one who engages in illicit sex or consumes intoxicans just as a man removes his shirt when pulling it over his head." [Al-Hakim]

"The Content of Character" (Part 6)

"The Content of Character: Ethical Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)"
Translation and Introduction by Hamza Yusuf
Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazrui

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103. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "The most complete in faith are those best in character and kindest to their families." [At-Tirmidhi]

105. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Speak the truth even though it be bitter." [Ibn Hibban]

107. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Fulfillment is not plenty of goods; rather, it is self-fulfillment." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

108. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Gentleness never accompanies anything without enhancing t, nor is it ever removed from anything without demeaning it." [Al-Bayhaqi]

110. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Never do in private what you would conceal from others in public." [Ibn Majah]

115. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Beautiful Islam entails minding one's own business." [At-Tirmidhi]

117. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Whoever does you a favor, repay him; and if you are unable to, then at least pray for him." [At-Tabarani]

119. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "A person who teaches goodness to others while neglecting his own soul is like an oil lamp, which illumines others while burning itself out."

"The Content of Character" (Part 5)

"The Content of Character: Ethical Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)"
Translation and Introduction by Hamza Yusuf
Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazrui

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76. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "A Muslim never gives a fellow Muslim a better gift than wisdom through which God increases him in guidance or turns him away from harmful behavior." [Al-Bayhaqi]

77. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "If a Muslim consoles his brother during some crisis, God will adorn him in garments of grace on the Day of Judgement." [Ibn Majah]

81. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Veiling the faults of the faithful is akin to restoring life to the dead." [At-Tabarani]

89. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "If a man's actions slow him down, his good name will not speed him up." [Muslim]

90. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "A person's spiritual practice is only as good as that of his close friends; so consider well whom you befriend." [At-Tirmidhi]

97. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Recall the good qualities of your dead, and refrain from mentioning their shortcomings." [At-Tirmidhi]

98. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Do not drink liquor, for it is the key to every evil." [Ibn Majah]

99. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Never strike your maids over broken dishes, for dishes, like people, have pre-determined life spans." [Abu Nu'aym]

"The Content of Character" (Part 4)

"The Content of Character: Ethical Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)"
Translation and Introduction by Hamza Yusuf
Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazrui

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53. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Every Muslim has five rights over every other Muslim: The right to a reply, should he greet him; an acceptance, should he invite him; a visit, should he fall ill; a prayer, should he sneeze; a presence at his funeral, should he die." [Ibn Majah]

56. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "He who directs others to a good deed is as the one who did it; and, assuredly, God loves the act of aiding the distressed." [Ibn Abi ad-Dunya]

58. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Those who show mercy have God's mercy shown to them. Have mercy on those here on earth, and the One there in Heaven will have mercy on you." [Imam Ahmad]

62. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Prayer is the central pillar of religion; prayer is the key to every good." [Al-Hakim]

72. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "A believer is not one who eats his fill while his next door neighbor goes hungry." [Al-Bukhari]

73. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Whoever fails to care for our youth, respect our aged, enjoin right, and denounce wrong is not counted among us." [Imam Ahmad]

"The Content of Character" (Part 3)

"The Content of Character: Ethical Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)"
Translation and Introduction by Hamza Yusuf
Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazrui

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27. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "True spiritual excellence is devotion to God as if you see Him; and though you do not see Him, you at least know that He sees you." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

33. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Reliability enriches, and treachery impoverishes." [Ad-Daylami]

36. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "The servants God loves most are those most sincere with God's servants." [Imam Ahmad]

40. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "God loves a servant who, when performing a task, does so skillfully." [Al-Bayhaqi]

46. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Practice humility until no one oppresses or belittles another." [Muslim]

50. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Paradise lies beneath the feet of mothers." [Imam Ahmad]

"The Content of Character" (Part 2)

"The Content of Character: Ethical Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)"
Translation and Introduction by Hamza Yusuf
Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazrui


1. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Islam is clean, so cleanse yourselves, for only the cleansed shall enter Paradise." [At-Tabarani]

4. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Keep God in mind wherever you are; follow a wrong with a right that offsets it; and treat people courteously." [At-Tirmidhi]

6. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Love for humanity what you love for yourself." [Al-Bukhari]

9. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Should you become eager to mention another's faults, recall your own." [Ar-Rafi'i]

16. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "If your good deeds delight you and your foul deeds distress you, you are a believer." [Ad-Diyya]

22. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "Pursue knowledge even to China, for its pursuance is the sacred duty of every Muslim." [Ibn 'Abdal-Barr]

24. The Messenger of God (saw) said, "The most virtuous behavior is to engage those who sever relations, to give to those who withhold from you, and to forgive those who wrong you." [At-Tabarani]

"The Content of Character" Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazrui (Part 1)

"The Content of Character: Ethical Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (saw)"
Translation and Introduction by Hamza Yusuf
Collected by Shaykh Al-Amin Ali Mazrui

First, jazakAllah khair to Huma for the book :) I love it! The book is mainly a collection of hadith about characteristics befitting of a Muslim. In the back, there's a section about hadith as well as short biographies of some of the narrators.

When I first started reading, my initial intention had been to mark off a few of my favorite hadith and post them here... but as I whizzed through the book, I realized there's usually 3 or 4 from EVERY page that I loved and wanted to share, but i know if I put them all up, barely anyone will take the time to read them all. Rather than dwindle those down even farther, I'll split up this post in segments. Enjoy and benefit, inshaAllah :)

Introduction (by Hamza Yusuf)

Can we change by listening? Can we be so touched and inspired by words that we are moved to renew and remake ourselves as better, nobler, and more merciful human being? the impact that good words have had on humanity throughout history resoundingly declares that we can.

"Whether you are a Muslim, a practitioner of another faith, or even someone who has no religious belief, these saying have much to teach us."

"Perhaps even more importantly for us as individuals, the hadiths are also a way to know our own selves better. They function as mirrors -- by looking into them, we may come to see ourselves more clearly. We may come to see our humanity, the best and worst of ourselves. And through this seeing, this reflection, we may be moved to change ourselves to be more conformed to principled behavior."

"Each saying is also a way to know more intimately the man who first uttered them. They can provide an opening into the one who, for Muslims is the embodiment of impeccable character; the Prophet says, "I was only sent to perfect noble character." These sayings are more than just words; they are the verbal expressions of his personal conduct. As one of his companions, 'Amr bin Al-'As said, "We saw everything the Prophet taught us embodied in his own character."

"Following the Prophet means following his kindness to animals, his gentleness with children, his concern for the weak and oppressed, his care of the orphan and the widow, and his deep practice of justice always tempered with mercy. It means modeling oneself on his character."

"Ironically, this dire need to listen to the Prophet Muhammad applies as much to some misguided Muslims as it does to peoples of other faiths and creeds. Perhaps if we in the West made greater efforsts to remove the historical ignorance we have inherited by taking the Prophet as seriously as he deserves to be taken, many people in the troubled East might reevaluate their own shortcomings in grasping his universal message of mercy and compassion. The 13th century Egyptian poet, Ibn al-Farid, said,

"If the fragrance of his remembrance radiates in the West
And a sick man resides in the East, he will recover."

"Read each [of the sayings] slowly, contemplatively, letting it reveal its wisdom to you. As the Prophet reminded us, "Consideration is from God, and haste is from Satan." Find one that speaks to you and listen to it. Let it permeate you, and then in the example of the Prophet Muhammad, try to implement it in your life. And then return to them now and again as continual source of guidance and wisdom."