The Character of a Muslim

The Qur'an names patience among the most important virtues and promises those who are patient a reward without measure (in meaning, surah 39:10). Patience is advised together with prayer: «Seek help through patience and prayer» (2:153).

Scholars distinguish three kinds of sabr: patience in obedience to Allah (carrying out the commands), patience in refraining from the forbidden, and patience in hardships and trials.

Sabr is neither passivity nor indifference: a person makes an effort and prays, but accepts the inevitable without despair or complaint, trusting in Allah's wisdom.

The Qur'an calls: «O you who believe! Fear Allah and be with the truthful» (in meaning, 9:119). Truthfulness leads to good, and good leads to Paradise (by a hadith).

Sidq is not only avoiding lies but being sincere within: that words, deeds and heart align. Its opposite is hypocrisy — one thing outwardly, another within.

Truthfulness matters even in small things: by the Sunnah, one who grows used to lying is in the end recorded before Allah as a liar. So honesty is guarded from the small.

The Qur'an commands: «Indeed, Allah orders you to return trusts to their owners» (in meaning, 4:58). Amana is property, and a word, and an office, and faith itself, entrusted to a person.

Betraying a trust is a mark of hypocrisy: by a hadith, the hypocrite, «when trusted, betrays». So a Muslim keeps their word even with one who betrayed them.

The greatest amana is the duties towards Allah and towards people: honest work, just authority, a kept secret. All of this a person will carry to the Judgment.

The Qur'an closely ties gratitude to the increase of blessings: «If you are grateful, I will surely give you more» (14:7). Ingratitude, by contrast, drives good away.

Gratitude is not only the words «Alhamdulillah»: it is also using a gift for its purpose — health for good, wealth for benefit, knowledge for service.

The Prophet ﷺ was a model of gratitude: he prayed much at night, and when asked, said: «Should I not be a grateful servant?» Gratitude makes the heart calm and generous.

Mercy runs through the whole Qur'an: nearly every surah opens with «In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy». Allah says: «My mercy encompasses all things» (in meaning, 7:156).

The Qur'an calls the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ a mercy to the worlds: «We sent you only as a mercy to the worlds» (in meaning, 21:107). His example is gentleness even towards enemies.

Mercy towards people is the condition of Allah's mercy: by a hadith, «whoever does not show mercy to people, Allah will not show mercy to him». It extends to animals and to nature too.

The Qur'an commands justice as the basis of society: «Indeed, Allah commands justice and good conduct» (in meaning, 16:90). And even hostility towards people must not turn one from the truth (5:8).

Justice begins with oneself and one's kin: the Qur'an orders bearing witness by the truth, «even against yourselves, or parents and relatives» (in meaning, 4:135).

Adl is not only in court but in speech, in the treatment of children, in trade, in measure and weight. Injustice the Qur'an calls darkness, and justice is near to God-consciousness.

The Qur'an praises those «who restrain anger and pardon people» (in meaning, 3:134). By a hadith, the strong one is not he who overcomes others in wrestling, but he who controls himself in anger.

Hilm is neither weakness nor indifference but the strength to bear an offence for the sake of peace. The Prophet ﷺ was a model of gentleness even towards those who wronged him.

The Sunnah's counsel in anger: fall silent, change posture (sit, lie down), make ablution — so as not to say or do what you will later regret.

The Qur'an describes the servants of the Merciful as those «who walk upon the earth humbly, and when the ignorant address them, say: peace» (in meaning, 25:63). Humility is a beauty of faith.

By a hadith, «whoever humbles themselves for Allah, Allah raises them», and «none will enter Paradise who has in their heart pride the weight of a speck». Pride was the first sin (of Iblis).

Tawadu is not self-abasement but a sober view of oneself: to accept the truth from whomever it comes, to greet ordinary people, not to disdain work. It does not make a person less but elevates them.

By a hadith, «haya is a part of faith», and «if you feel no shame, do as you wish» (that is, it is shame that restrains from evil). This is not timidity but a sensitivity of conscience.

Haya shows in modesty of dress, speech and conduct, in respect for oneself and others. The Prophet ﷺ was described as more modest than a maiden in her chamber.

True haya is first of all before Allah: to be ashamed to do evil even in private, knowing that He sees. This guards both a person's honour and the purity of the heart.

By the hadith on intentions, every deed is judged by its intention — so it is ikhlas that turns an everyday act into worship, while show-off worship is left without reward. The Qur'an commands to worship Allah, «sincere to Him in faith» (98:5).

The opposite of ikhlas is «riya», doing things for show. So scholars advised concealing good deeds just as one conceals sins, to protect sincerity.

Ikhlas is the inner work of a whole life: to check the heart again and again — for whom exactly are you doing this.

Islam begins with intention: by the well-known hadith, «deeds are judged by intentions, and each person has what they intended». The same action with a different intention carries a different weight before Allah.

Intention is in the heart, not on the tongue: it need not be spoken aloud, a sincere aim suffices. A good intention turns the everyday — food, work, sleep — into worship, if done for the sake of Allah.

Niyyah is distinct from ikhlas: intention is for what and towards what an act is directed, while ikhlas is for whom (for Allah alone). Together they are the basis of an accepted deed.

Taqwa is one of the key concepts of the Qur'an; it is often described as a «shield» that protects a person from what harms them in this world and in eternity. The Qur'an says that the most noble before Allah is the most God-conscious (49:13).

God-consciousness is not about dread, but about attentiveness and love: a person does not want to grieve the One who created and sustains them. So they choose good even when alone.

Taqwa is cultivated gradually — through prayer, fasting, dhikr, and honesty in small things; it is this, and not outward rites in themselves, that Allah accepts.

Tawakkul does not mean inaction: by tradition, when a man wished to leave his camel untied «relying on Allah», the Prophet ﷺ said: «Tie it — and put your trust in Allah». First the effort and the means, then the trust of the heart.

The Qur'an promises: «Whoever relies upon Allah — He is sufficient for him» (65:3). This lifts excessive anxiety about the future: the outcome is in Allah's hands, and from a person come the intention and the effort.

Tawakkul gives peace: the believer does their part and accepts the result, knowing that Allah will arrange what is best.

The Qur'an assures that the door of repentance is always open: «O you who believe! Repent to Allah with sincere repentance» (66:8), and that Allah loves those who repent (2:222). No sin is greater than Allah's mercy for the one who sincerely returns.

The conditions of sincere tawba: to abandon the sin, to regret what was done, and firmly to intend not to repeat it; and if the wrong concerned a person — to make amends or ask forgiveness where possible.

Repentance is not a one-time phrase but a living movement of the heart; even if a person stumbles again, the way back to Allah is always open.

The Qur'an places goodness to parents right after the oneness of God: «Your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him, and be good to parents» (in meaning, 17:23). One is forbidden even to say «uff» to them in irritation.

The mother is given special honour: by a hadith, asked «who is most deserving of good treatment?», the Prophet ﷺ answered «your mother» three times, and then «your father».

Honour towards parents does not depend on their faith; only in disobedience to Allah are they not obeyed, and even then they are treated well. One prays for them even after their death.

The Qur'an places goodness to parents and relatives alongside the worship of Allah (in meaning, 4:1, 17:26). The severing of kinship ties the Qur'an condemns as corruption on earth.

By a hadith, «whoever wishes for abundance in provision and a long life, let them keep their kinship ties». Mercy (rahma) and the very word «rahim» (womb, kin) share one root.

Silat ar-rahim is to give to the one who refused you, and to reconcile with the one who cut you off: to keep the tie not in return, but first. This extends to distant relatives too.

The Qur'an likens sadaqa to a grain: «Those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah are like a grain that grows seven ears, in each ear a hundred grains» (in meaning, 2:261).

Sadaqa is not only money: by the Sunnah, a kind word, a smile, removing an obstacle from the road, even giving water to the thirsty — these too are charity. It is given both secretly and openly.

A special form is sadaqa jariyah (ongoing): that which keeps benefiting after death — a well dug, a tree planted, beneficial knowledge, righteous children.