On the authority of al-Nawwaas ibn Samaan (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) who said, “Righteousness is good character. And sin is that which wavers in your soul and which you dislike the people finding out about.”
Recorded by Muslim.
On the authority of Waabisah ibn Mabad (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he said, “You have come to ask about righteousness and sinfulness?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Consult your heart. Righteousness is that which makes the soul feel tranquil and the heart feel tranquil. And sin is that which makes the soul waver and the breast uneasy, even if the people have given you (their] verdict on it and [continue] to give you [their] verdict.” (Ahmed)
- ”Righteousness is good character.”
- “Sin is that which wavers in your soul and which you dislike..
- “Consult your heart.”
- “even if the people have given you [their] verdict on it..
- Other Points Related to This Hadith
General Comments About the Hadith: This is another important and comprehensive hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), wherein he has explained the essence of righteousness and sinfulness.
1.”Righteousness is good character.”
lbn Uthaimeen explains this portion of the hadith to mean that good character is one aspect of righteousness. However, this does not seem to capture the essence of the Prophet’s statement. It seems, instead, that the meaning of this phrase is similar to the meaning of the phrases discussed earlier, “The pilgrimage is Arafah,” and “The religion is naseehah.” The meaning here is, “The main or essential aspect of righteousness is good character. ” As noted below, depending on how one understands the meaning of the word birr (“righteousness”), the hadith could be left in its literal sense. The religion is truly and completely “good character” in the sense explained below.
( Note: The importance of good character has been discussed in the commentary to Hadith Number 17. The attempt here will be to stress or discuss what was not discussed earlier. By now the reader has probably already noted how many or the hadith in this small collection are related to the behavior and character of a believer. This should not come as a surprise. In fact, ibn al-Qayyim once stated, “All of the religion is behavior and character (khuluq). What increases you in [good] behavior, increases you in your religion.” See ibn al-Qayyim, Madaarij, vol. 2, p. 294)
1.1 The Meaning of al-Birr (“Righteousness”):
The word birr is used in two senses. The first is treating others in a good fashion. In particular, one should treat one’s parents in a good manner. This is known as birr al-waalidain. The word, though, is used in a more general sense to behave well toward anyone, not just one’s parents. Sometimes the word birr is used in conjunction with the word taqwa. For example, Allah says in the Quran, “Help you one another in al-birr and al-taqwa” (al-Maaidah 2). lbn Rajah states that in this verse al-birr refers to dealing with others while al-taqwa refers to dealing properly with Allah by obeying His commands.
If this is the usage intended by Prophet (peace be upon him) in this particular statement, then the hadith must be understood to mean, “Good character is essential to righteous dealings with others.” The second sense in which birr is used refers to all acts of worship and obedience to Allah, both inward and outward. This usage is found in the following verse of the Quran, “It is not al-birr (piety, righteousness) that you turn your faces toward east or west [in prayers]; but al-birr is [having] belief in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, the prophets, and giving one’s wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, to the poor, to the wayfarer, to those who ask and to set slaves free; [it also includes those who] establish the prayer, give the zakat, fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment and at the time of fighting. Such are the people of the truth and they are the pious” (al-Baqara 177). If this is what the Prophet (peace be upon him) meant in this hadith, it can be understood as, “Righteousness is good khuluq,” in the general sense of khuluq as explained below.
Conclusion Concerning the Meaning of the First Phrase: In these two hadith, al-birr is juxtaposed with “sin”. So, it seems clear that the meaning of al-birr in this sentence is “righteousness.” Therefore, either the Prophet (peace be upon him) meant, “Righteousness is good character,” or he meant, “The most essential aspect of righteousness is good character.” When one keeps in mind the all-essential nature of khuluq in Islam (which is discussed below), either of the two possibilities are plausible. Allah knows
best.
1.2 The Meaning of al-Khuluq (“Character”)
Throughout the history of Islam, the word khuluq has been defined in different ways. For example, ibn Miskawaih has given the following as a definition for khuluq, It is a situation of the soul that calls it to perform certain deeds without any thought or pondering. This situation can be divided into two parts. One part is that which is naturally in a person from the time of his creation, like the person who becomes angry at the slightest provocation … Another part is that which is achieved through customary performance and practice. At first, it might be with pondering and thought but the person continues those acts until they become part of his being and nature.
Al-Hulaibi points out that their definitions have some common defects, most importantly, that they neglect any aspect of intent in the deeds. They state that deeds come about without any thought or consideration on the part of the doer. That is not quite correct, for if that were the case, there would be no reward from Allah as those deeds were done without any intention. The intention behind the deeds is definitely there, even if is an intention that does not take much thought or wavering in the mind.
Al-Hulaibi also points out that these definitions of khuluq, in general, neglect the actual deeds that are performed. They have made khuluq like a state of mind that is independent of the deeds that are performed. Indeed, such was specifically stated by al-Ghazzaali. Ibn al-Qayyim, on the other hand, sees khuluq as being made up of knowledge, will and action. Actions are the result of the knowledge and will possessed by a person. In conclusion, one’s khuluq is a combination of understanding, intention and deeds, with the last two aspects playing the most important role. If a person has good intentions followed by good deeds, it is said that he has good character or good morals. If a person has bad intentions followed up by evil deeds, it is said that he has bad character or bad morals.
1.3 The All-Inclusive Nature of Khuluq
Among many Muslims today, there is a misconception concerning khuluq. If a person is kind, nice and sweet, they say that he has a good character or khuluq. They may say this even if the person does not pray or fast, for example. One may even hear the statement, “He does not pray but he has a good character.” This demonstrates a lack of understanding of the Islamic concept of khuluq and its all-inclusive nature.
Khuluq is often divided into three categories:
khuluq (behavior) with respect to the Creator,
khuluq with respect to other humans and
khuluq with respect to oneself.Two other categories should be added to the commonly mentioned three categories: khuluq with respect to all the other creatures that Allah has created, and khuluq with respect to the Earth and all of its natural resources. These last two, although sometimes neglected, also have guiding principles that are taught by the religion of Islam.
All of these categories comprise a person’s khuluq. For a person to have good khuluq, as stressed in many hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he must have good khuluq with respect to all of the different categories of khuluq. It is not sufficient to be good in one category and then fail with respect to the other categories.
The First and the most important category of khuluq is behavior with respect to the Creator. lbn Uthaimeen states that this category is made up of the following three necessary aspects:
(A) One must sincerely believe in whatever Allah has revealed without any doubt or wavering. Allah has said in the Quran, “And who is truer in speech than Allah?” (al-Nisaa 87). For example, when Allah makes a statement about the Day of Judgment, about what will happen to this creation at that time, about the rewards of Paradise and the punishment in Hell, the believer believes in them completely and has no doubt about them, even those these are all rilaters that are beyond the realm of human experience. This acceptance and belief is part of good behavior toward Allah.
(B) One must accept the commands of Allah and do his best to fulfill them in his life. Obviously, it is good behavior toward the Creator that when He commands a person to do something, the person does it; and when He commands a person to refrain from something, the person does so. The person does not reject or arrogantly refuse to obey what Allah has commanded. Included in this is the attitude toward obedience. The person not only obeys Allah but does so willingly with an open heart.
On this point, ibn Uthaimeen gives an example of the prohibition of interest (riba). He says that a believer (in other words, the one who behaves toward Allah in the proper manner) accepts that command with an open heart and with full submission. He has no problem submitting to that command. However, the non-believer (the one who is not behaving properly toward Allah) has difficulty accepting that. He becomes uneasy and will find any means to get around that prohibition, because he knows that interest is easy money without any risks involved. This person is lacking in his behavior toward Allah. In returning to the example mentioned above, if a person is not performing the prayers, then he is demonstrating bad behavior toward Allah. How could one say that he is a person of good character when his behavior is so deficient toward his Creator and Lord? Is it of much significance that he is behaving well toward other human beings while completely ignoring the One who created him and gave him all of his abilities? This person is missing the most important ingredient that makes up good character.
(C) One should bear Allah’s decrees with pleasure and patience. Not everything that occurs to a human in this world is pleasing and joyful. Allah tries humans through various means. It is part of proper behavior toward Allah that one have patience with what Allah has decreed by His wisdom. In other words, one refrains oneself from doing anything that is displeasing to Allah while going through such trials. Even better than that is to realize that what is occurring is according to Allah’s wise plan. In that case, one will be pleased with everything, “good” or “bad”, that he encounters in this world.
The second category of khuluq is behavior toward other humans, including being kind, generous, persevering and forgiving toward others. It also includes refraining from harming others. Greeting one’s brother with a smiling face is also part of good behavior as it immediately brings joy and happiness to others. This aspect of good character should not be ignored. Such behavior is pleasing to Allah and it is pleasing to Allah’s creatures. Indeed, responding to bad character with good character is one of the greatest ways to bring the hearts of individuals together. Allah says in the Quran, “The good deed and the evil deed cannot be equal. Repel [the evil] with [a deed] that is better. [If you do that] then verily he, between whom and you there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a close friend” (Fussilat 34)
The Third category is good behavior toward one’s own soul. A person’s soul has a right upon him to treat it kindly and to do what is best for it. A person should do what he can to keep his soul from being destroyed. This is achieved by exerting oneself to do what is pleasing to the Lord. An important aspect is to seek and attain knowledge necessary to know the Straight Path.
The fourth category is good behavior toward all other living creatures on earth as well as all that Allah has placed on this earth. The behavior toward these creatures is closely related to one’s behavior toward Allah and even other humans. This fact was not lost on the early Muslims as can be seen in the statement of al-Fudhail ibn Iyaadh, “By Allah, it is not allowed for you to harm a dog or a pig without just cause, how then can you harm a Muslim?”
Al-Ruhaili states that the one who is closest to Allah will also be the one who is furthest away from doing wrong to any of Allah’s creation. If one behaves in a good manner toward Allah, he should then behave in a good manner toward all of Allah’s creation, as Allah has not created anything without a purpose or a wisdom to it. Al-Ruhaili gives the following guidelines with respect to how one should treat animals and other creation of Allah.
First, one must abide by the laws of Allah and must behave properly without doing any wrong to any part of the creation.
Second, one must use them and benefit from them only in ways that are permitted by the shareeah, without any excess or extreme.
Third, if one must interact with such creations of Allah, he must learn how he is supposed to behave toward that creation according to the shareeah. Fourth, the person must have a strong feeling that such creatures or creation are all part of the creation of Allah and that, in general, they must be considered things that are submitting to Allah and His purpose. He must realize that Allah has said about these other parts of His creation, “The seven heavens and the earth and all that is therein glorify Him. There is not a thing but glorifies His praise, but you understand not their glorification. Truly, He is ever forbearing, oft-forgiving” (al-Israa 44). In this sense, all things are deserving of respect and proper behavior.
Fifth, the Muslim must realize that all what is in the heaven and the earth has been created for his use, as Allah says, for example, He [Allah] is the one who created for you all that is in the earth” (al-Baqara 29). This, however, is a great responsibility. It is now upon the Muslim’s shoulders to use those resources properly and in a beneficial manner, and not waste them, destroy them or use them in a way that is harmful. Finally, the Muslim should realize that his worldly needs are met through all of these creatures and resources created by Allah.
All of the above categories have some minimum levels that one must achieve. These are the obligatory acts related to each category. For example, that would include the minimum rights of brotherhood due the other members of the Muslim community. Beyond that are other levels that one could try to achieve but they are not obligatory.
1.4 How to Attain Good Character
A person is born and grows with certain characteristics and qualities. If these are good characteristics, the person should be thankful to Allah that Allah has placed those qualities in him. He should continue to use those qualities for the sake of Allah. These natural good qualities are a great blessing from Allah. They are with the person at all times and, in general, they flow from him without much effort or concentration. If a person naturally has some bad qualities, such as a quick temper or miserliness, they can be changed. Bad qualities are not necessarily fixed or permanent. If that were the case, Allah would not oblige Muslims to have good character since there would be no means to develop such character.
By effort, practice and constant self-reminder, a person can change his character and behavior. He can choose a character that he wishes to have, such as remaining calm instead of being quick-tempered. He can work on himself until practice and effort manifest into a good nature and character. lbn Uthaimeen offers the following means by which one may improve his character:
First, the person should study the Quran and hadith to understand exactly how important good character is. Upon seeing this, the person should be moved to strive for having good character. It will become utmost on his mind and he will do whatever he can to achieve it.
Second, the person should try to be in the company of people of good character. It is not easy to have good character when the surrounding people are of bad character. In the midst of people of good character, one learns from their example and behavior. Furthermore, their good character passes on to the people around them. For example, it is much easier to get mad when others are mad than when the others remain calm, peaceful and, in addition, try to calm the person down himself. The influence of one’s associates and friends was clearly indicated by the Prophet (peace be upon him) when he said, “A person is on the religion of his close friend. Therefore, you should look to see [that is, be careful about] who you take as a close friend.“
Third, the person should consider the negative results of bad character. In this life, bad character can lead to grave consequences, including the break up of one’s family or friendships. In the Hereafter, it can be displeasing to Allah who may punish the person for his behavior. When a person seriously considers these matters, this should be a strong incentive for him to change his ways.
Finally, the person should always try to keep in mind the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), whose character was par excellence. The person should try to emulate the Prophet in his behavior as much as possible.
In addition to what ibn Uthaimeen wrote, one should also force oneself and train oneself to do the acts associated with good character. For example, if a stingy person wishes to become generous, he should begin by forcing himself to give to others little by little. Slowly but surely, he will begin to realize that his world is not going to come to an end if he gives charity to others. His heart begins to accept that reality and over time he truly becomes generous.
A factor that ibn al-Qayyim stresses that would help one in changing behavior and character is the fear of Allah. Ibn al-Qayyim stated that fear of Allah and being conscious and dedicated to one’s noble purpose are the foundations for all of the excellent characteristics and manners that one should possess. It follows, then, that improving those two primary traits in one’s soul should lead to a great improvement in one’s character and personality. Finally, the person should turn to Allah, as always, to seek Allah’s help in becoming a person of good character. It is recorded by Ahmad in different narrations from both ibn Masood and Aisha that the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to say, “O Allah, You made my physical being beautiful, so [also] make my character beautiful.'”‘ This last point is of extreme importance. Everyone should realize that good character is truly a great gift from Allah and it is only Allah who can bestow such a gift. Thus, the Prophet (peace be upon him) also used to make the following supplication,
1.5 How Does one Know if He Has Good Character?
The first source for knowing proper manners and good character is the revelation from Allah. In the Quran and sunnah, many qualities are stated and shown to be praiseworthy. The blameworthy qualities are also pointed out in numerous verses and hadith. A person should go to those verses and hadith and judge himself in the light of those teachings. What about particular deeds? What about deeds that are not specifically covered in the Quran and sunnah? How can he judge his own deeds on a day-to-day basis and discover whether they are of good character or not? Al-Teebi has brought together two hadith that offer an answer to this question.
In one hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Righteousness is good character.” In the other hadith, he said, “Righteousness is that concerning which the soul feels tranquil and the heart feels tranquil.” So, good behavior is that behavior concerning which the soul is at rest and pleased. Therefore, whenever a believer performs a deed or is considering doing an act, he should study that act. If he finds that his soul is at rest with that act, he will realize that the act is an act of good and proper character. Similarly, if the believer thinks about an act and his soul feels very good about that act, he should perform it as it is part of the good character that every Muslim should try to possess.
2. “Sin is that which wavers in your soul and which you dislike the people finding out about.”
Ithm or sin is defined as an act for which its performer is deserving of blame and censure. Al-Haitami states that it encompasses every form of evil deed, whether large or small. In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave two very important signs of a sin. The first sign is a completely internal sign within the human being. It is the feeling of the soul with respect to that act. The second sign is also regarding an internal feeling but deals with the outward reaction to the act itself.
Sin causes an otherwise wholesome soul to be uneasy and troubled. The soul is unhappy and worried about sin and its consequences. It cannot rest with the idea of committing a sin. The soul also hates that anyone should find out about the sin that it has committed. The commentators on this hadith stress that the meaning of “the people” in this hadith is the respected or religious people. The hadith is not in reference to all or any people. In other words, sin is that act which a person wishes the people he respects or the religious people should not witness. There are some people whose opinions simply do not matter when it comes to sin. For example, a person does not care if other evildoers see him commit a sin. They may not have much effect on him. They are all doing the same and their opinion is not worth much in his eyes. However, it is from the people that he respects and the people of honor that he would wish to hide his sins and bad deeds.
Al-Haitami also points out that what is meant here are the deeds that one does not wish others to know about from a religious and moral point of view. He says that there are some deeds that one may not wish others to know about out of extreme shyness, embarrassment, custom and so forth. These are not necessarily sins. This is not what this hadith is referring to. It is referring to the acts that one’s conscience feels bad about because the soul feels that they are morally wrong.
These are the two signs of a sin. These signs occur because a person is naturally disposed to favor what leads to good results and avoid what leads to negative results. However, sometimes one’s desires overtake a person, making him blind and dumb, and he does something even though he knows that the results can be very negative. When a Muslim commits fornication, for example, he knows that the result in this life could be the legal punishment while the results in the Hereafter could be the Hell-fire. The soul realizes that fact and, even though the person committed the sin, his soul cannot rest due to the negative consequences that it can expect from that act.
Similarly, the soul is naturally inclined to being pleased when people witness its good deeds and being saddened when people witness its evil deeds. It is this natural inclination, al-Haitami points out, that leads many people to be destroyed by the disease of al-riyaa (doing praiseworthy deeds for the sake of being seen by people instead of for the sake of Allah). Therefore, when a person does not wish to have people see him perform an act, he, in his soul, knows that such an act must be sinful. It seems clear from the hadith that if a person’s conscience does not feel bad about a deed and he does not mind that the deed be seen by others, it must not be a sin. It should, in fact, be either a permissible deed or a good deed. On the other hand, if a person has a doubt about an act, feels uneasy about a deed and hates for others to see it, then he should know for certain that that act is a sin.
But the following question now arises: Is just one of these two signs in itself an indication of a sin or are the two together at the same time a sign that an act is a sin? Based on the second hadith of Waabisah, the bad feeling in the soul is enough of a sign for it to be clear that an act is a sin. In other words, both signs do not need to be present. It seems– and Allah knows best-that the second sign mentioned here emphasizes or further indicates that the act is a sin. AlHaitami states that it is a necessary consequence of the first sign. In other words, by necessity, some say, if a person feels uneasy about a deed, it will be a deed that he does not wish to have others see.
He said, “You have come to ask about righteousness and sinfulness?”
This is one of the many miraculous acts of the Prophet (peace be upon him). Allah had informed him what Waabisah was coming to ask him about. Waabisah had not previously talked to the Prophet (peace be upon him) about this matter. In the narration in Ahmad, it states that the Prophet (peace be upon him) asked Waabisah to come forward and he came and sat with his knees up against the Prophet’s knees. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told him, “Shall I not inform you of what it is you are going to ask me?’
3. “Consult your heart.”
This is one of the many verses and hadith that demonstrate the importance of the heart and its purification. The heart is the true key to one’s salvation. Allah says in the Quran, quoting a prayer of the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), “And disgrace me not on the day [when all creatures] will be resurrected. That Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, except him who brings to Allah a clean heart” (al-Shuaraa 87-89).
This hadith demonstrates one of the functions of the heart that is filled with faith and knowledge. This is the heart that is alive and healthy. Ibn alQayyim once wrote, Whenever the heart becomes stronger these attributes [of loving what is good, hating what is evil and so forth] become even stronger. If its life is weakened, these attributes are weakened. The sound, live heart, if it is faced with evil, flees from it by its own nature and hates that evil. This heart does not turn to it at all; as opposed to the dead heart which does not distinguish between good and evil. As Abdullah ibn Masood said, “Destroyed is the one who does not have a heart that can
recognize what is good and recognize what is evil.”
3.1 “Righteousness is … And sin is … “
In this hadith, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stated, “Righteousness is that which makes the soul feel tranquil and the heart feel tranquil. And sin is that which makes the soul waver and the breast uneasy.” The Prophet (peace be upon him) mentioned both the soul and the breast, implying the heart. Obviously the two go hand and hand but are stated sequentially for emphasis. lbn Rajah states that this part of the hadith is evidence that Allah has created humans with a natural disposition to know the truth, be comfortable with it and accept it. The undistorted soul loves the truth and despises its opposite. This conclusion is supported by many verses and hadith. For example, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stated that Allah has said, “I created all of My slaves with sincere devotion to One God alone. But the devils came to them and drew them away from their religion.” (Recorded by Muslim.)
It seems it is not solely a matter of natural disposition that is at work here. This feeling in the heart, as al-Baitaar states, is not based on desires or lusts. Instead, it is based on the foundation that Islam has put into the heart of the believer. It is based on the belief in Allah as well as knowledge of what is permissible and what is forbidden. Likewise, it is based on taqwa which is in the heart. When these aspects are present in one’s heart, it is not surprising that the heart can act as a kind of filter. It can then distinguish good from that which is evil.
4. “even if the people have given you [their] verdict on it and [continue] to give you [their] verdict”
In Arabic, this expression stresses the fact that the people have given this verdict again and again. What this means is that even though the people have given a person a religious ruling or many religious rulings that an act is permissible, it still may be a sin if the person feels uneasy about it. In this case, for example, the people may not object to the act but the person himself does. Therefore, he should still abstain from it as it is a sin for him.
It should be noted that this is the case if the person giving the ruling does not have any strong evidence to support his conclusion. Perhaps, the ruling is simply based on opinion or desires. In that case, the Muslim should not listen to the ruling. If the one rendering a judgment has support for his ruling, then the Muslim must follow him unless he has stronger evidence against that conclusion. If he has no such evidence, then he follows the legal verdict. Ibn Rajah gives the examples of breaking one’s fast while traveling or sick and shortening one’s prayer while traveling. He said that some of the ignorant people do not feel comfortable doing these practices although there is sound evidence for their legality.
4.1 Are These Principles General for Everybody and All Deeds?
In the hadith of al-Nawwaas, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told him that sin is what makes the soul uneasy and which one does not want people to see. In the hadith of Waabisah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) told him to consult his heart for righteousness makes the soul tranquil and sin makes the soul uneasy. Are these general principles that anyone can apply and are they for all deeds? For example, can a person commit a sin, such as drinking alcohol, and then argue that it is not sinful since his soul is at rest with it and he does not mind if people see him doing it?
Al-Banna expressed the opinion that the rulings in these hadith were specific to both al-Nawwaas and Waabisah. This is the view that has been attributed to al-Ghazzaali. From a legal theory point of view, this opinion seems untenable. Except for the statement, “Consult your heart,” everything that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said was in a general sense and there is no evidence to restrict it to the individual personalities involved.
Al-Haitami states that such advice is only to be given to someone like Waabisah, who the Prophet (peace be upon him) knew to be a person of faith and understanding. Al-Haitami further states that the Prophet (peace be upon him) must have been inspired by Allah to know what kind of person Waabisah was to give him such advice. This, in fact, was the practice of the Prophet (peace be upon him), who would speak to everyone according to their level of understanding and he would give everyone their proper respect.
lbn Uthaimeen, like al-Haitami, does not say that the instruction here is simply for al-Nawwaas and Waabisah. He states that it is for the true believers and not the evildoers. Allah gives the believers light in their hearts and they are negatively affected by any sin they commit. On the other hand, evildoers are not very much affected by their sins. It is not important to them that people know about their sins. In fact, they perform them openly and they do not care. Even if people did not originally know about their sins, they will make it a point to tell them about their exploits. lbn Uthaimeen cites the example of those today who travel from Muslim lands to the lands of the disbelievers and then return giving accounts of all the sins they committed in those foreign lands.
The Quran explains why these evildoers take such a stance. They have been so blinded by their lusts, desires and Satan, that they are pleased with their evil deeds. Allah says in the Quran, “Is he, then, to whom the evil of his deeds is made fair-seeming, so that he considers it as good, (equal to one who is rightly guided)? Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills” (Faatir 8). The ruling of this hadith would not apply to such people whose moral conscience has become so dead and whose straying from the Straight Path is so great that they either cannot recognize what is evil or good, or that they believe what is clearly evil to be good.
Therefore, this principle explained in the hadith cannot be considered general for anyone to apply. This is a teaching that is specifically for those who are true believers and who are knowledgeable of the shareeah. Even in the case of a true believer, one must ask as to what kinds of deeds is this principle to be applied. Al-Sindi has given one of the best answers to this question by stating that deeds are of three types: The first type of deed is one that is clearly good or permissible based on evidence from the Quran and sunnah. In this case, the person should feel free to perform that deed even if he feels some uneasiness in his soul. In this case, he must recognize that there is some shortcoming in his heart or, perhaps, Satan has been able to confuse him about a deed that is clearly permissible.
This principle is based on some examples that occurred during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself. There were occasions in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) told his Companions to perform a deed or he himself performed a deed as an example, but the Companions did not perform the deed because they felt some uneasiness in their hearts concerning it. In such cases, one ignores these feelings and follows what is firmly established in the Quran and sunnah, just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered his Companions to do.
The second type of deed is those that are clearly sinful according to the Quran and sunnah. This type of deed must be avoided. It is a sin regardless of whether the person feels bad about performing it or does not care if others see him performing it. Once again, the person must realize that he is facing a problem from within. There must be some disease in his heart that is not allowing his soul to feel the evil of that sin. He should examine himself, as this is a clear sign that there is something may be wrong with his faith. With respect to these first two categories, the principle is that the shareeah rules. A person must give up his own inclinations or feelings for what has been stated in the shareeah. This is clear from the following verses of the Quran: “It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any option in their decision. And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed into a plain error” (al-Ahzaab 36).
“But no, by your Lord, they have no faith until they make you (O Muhammad] judge in all disputes between them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions and they submit to them with a full submission” (alNisaa 65).
The third category concerns deeds that are neither clearly righteous nor clearly sinful. In these cases, the person has to determine whether he should or should not perform such an act. This is where the principle stated in this hadith comes into play. In these matters, the act would be considered proper if the believer did not feel any hardship in his soul concerning the act and if he did not mind if people witnessed him performing that act. However, if his heart was uneasy with the act, this would be a sign that it is sinful. Hence, the believer should remain away from it.
At this point, the following question must be addressed: What then is the relationship between this principle and the commentary to Hadith Number 6? That hadith stated that the permissible was clear and the forbidden was clear. But between them there were doubtful· matters. To safeguard one’s religion one should remain away from the doubtful matters. However, according to the majority of the scholars, those doubtful matters are not considered forbidden or sinful.
The relationship is clear and Hadith Number 6 should be understood in the light of this hadith. A matter is doubtful when there is some sign that it may be permissible as well as some sign that it may be impermissible. If the believer’s soul feels uneasy about the act, then it must be a sin and the believer must remain away from it. But, if the matter is doubtful in the sense just described and the believer also feels no hardship concerning it, it is still recommended to remain away from the deed in order to safeguard one’s religion. Finally, if there is no evidence that an act may be impermissible and, in addition, the believer’s heart feels no uneasiness about it, then the act may be performed and it should be considered a righteous or permissible act. Allah knows best.
4.2 Does this Hadith Lend Support to the Concept of Ilhaam?
Many Sufis believe in the concept of ilhaam. Ilhaam is defined as some knowledge being put into the heart, that the soul is at rest with, without any need to look for any supporting evidence from the Quran or sunnah. They claim that this knowledge is special to them, for Allah only gives it to special people of His chooses. 1 In lhyaa Uloom al-Deen, al-Ghazzaali states that the only difference between the ilhaam they receive and the revelation that the prophets received is the fact that the prophets physically saw the angel while in the case of ilhaam the angel goes directly to the heart without the person seeing him.
According to some Sufis, the person must follow the feeling or inspiration that he claims to have found in his heart. Ibn Taimiya, for example, said that some Sufi leaders he knew personally had requested their followers to seek help from them after they should die, basing that instruction on the basis of ilhaam that they supposedly had received. In other words, ilhaam is an unquestionable authority in the minds of some Sufis. Indeed, some of them consider what they receive through kashf (“spiritual unveiling”) and ilhaam (“inspiration”) to be definitive while the texts of the Quran and sunnah are speculative. Indeed, they are even known to use it to declare a specific hadith authentic or inauthentic.
This hadith stating, “Consult your heart,” and others like it form part of the evidence for the validity of ilhaam. There is some validity to the concept as a whole but not in the sense that it is applied by many Sufis, as the above references demonstrate. If a mujtahid or scholar is faced with an issue, he must first study the clear and manifest evidence related to that question as found in the Quran, sunnah and secondary sources. If there is such evidence, then it is the determining and overriding factor. Anything that contradicts them must be opposed or ignored.
It could be that the scholar sees no clear or decisive conclusion based on that evidence. However, his heart leads him to one conclusion that he feels is more pleasing to Allah. Then, according to ibn Taimiya, he is to follow that feeling for himself and only for himself. In other words, it is not a general ruling that he gives out to others. Ibn Taimiya says that such a feeling would be considered a stronger proof than a weak analogy, weak hadith and other rejected evidences that people sometimes rely on.
The reason that the conclusion is not to be applied to others is because it cannot be considered a judgment concerning the act and, more importantly, it is not based on clear evidences that other Muslims are required to follow. This is the ruling concerning such matters that one can find in a number of books on legal theory. For example, in his commentary to al-Muhilli’s work on legal theory, al-Attar stated that ilhaam is an authority over the person himself but not over others.
This does not imply that a person may follow his ilhaam without investigating a matter from the legal sources or in opposition to what the legal sources have stated. It is more concerned with could be called “a judgment call,” where one has to decide what ruling applies in the particular case that he is facing. He may have contradictory signs showing that something could be permissible or impermissible. It is in those types of cases that he consults his heart and follows the ilhaam that he receives there.
He says that ilhaam is a feeling that is put into the heart without any surrounding evidence or research into the matter under consideration. Here, the issue is of a different nature. Here, it is because of the appearance of some signs or evidences, perhaps very obscure, that a person has some doubt about a particular act. In that case, he turns to his heart. If it is uneasy about the act, he knows that he should not perform the act even if the people are claiming that there is no harm in it.
5. Other Points Related to This Hadith
- Before a believer performs any act that is not clearly righteous or sinful, he should look to his heart and see what he feels about that act. If his heart feels fine with it, he should do it. If his heart is uncomfortable with it, he should leave it.
- If a person is a true believer and is indifferent between having people see him perform an act or having it kept hidden from him, this is a sign that the act must be a righteous act or permissible act.
- Islam provides a strong, living internal factor that controls the behavior of believers. The question for a believer is not simply whether he can get away with an act or if there is nothing in the secular law, for example, that prohibits that act. He, instead, stands in front of the “higher authority” who knows what is in his heart. He will not perform an act, even if he could easily get away with it, if inside he does not feel it is righteous.
- This hadith could imply that simply considering the performance an evil deed is a sin in itself. The act of thinking about committing a sin may meet the two conditions stated: The soul feels uneasy about it and the person would not like others to know that he considered doing such a deed. However, other evidence demonstrates that this is not necessarily the case. Allah does not hold a person sinful for a wrongful deed that he thought about but did not speak about or act upon. Furthermore, if the person abandoned that evil thought and did not act upon it for the sake of Allah, he would be rewarded by Allah. On the other hand, the complete determination to do something evil, even though Allah may not have allowed the person to fulfill that intent, is a sin because it meets the above conditions
- The one who gives a religious verdict gives that verdict based on the external evidence related to an issue. In general, it is not his role to determine what is the most pious path to follow. Instead, he must give the general ruling of permissibility and non-permissibility for all to follow. Therefore, his ruling that something is legal may not be satisfactory for the one trying to follow the approach of taqwa and fear of Allah. Al-Nawawi gives an example of a person receiving a gift from another person whose wealth is mostly from a forbidden source. The one receiving the gift may not feel comfortable with that gift. The one making the legal ruling may look into the issue and conclude that such a gift is permissible to accept. However, the person himself may still not feel right with taking such a gift that could be derived from a forbidden source. Therefore, he should leave That gift.
Summary of the Hadith
• “The main or essential aspect of righteousness is good character.” Or, “Righteousness is good character.”
• Sin has a direct effect on a pious person’s heart. It makes his soul uneasy and wavering.
• Another sign of sin is that a person dislikes to have people witness the act.
• A believer should consult his heart before performing a deed. If his heart feels uncomfortable about it, he should avoid it, even if the people give him verdicts that there is nothing wrong with the act.
Books of Muslims 