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الادب المفرد
Adab al-Mufrad
كتابBook of Mutual Love Among People
بَابُ حُسْنِ الْخُلُقِ إِذَا فَقِهُواChapter: Good Character When They Have Understanding
Hadith 295
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْمُنْذِرِ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ نَوَّاسِ بْنِ سَمْعَانَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الْبِرِّ وَالإِثْمِ؟ قَالَ: ”الْبِرُّ حُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ، وَالإِثْمُ مَا حَكَّ فِي نَفْسِكَ وَكَرِهْتَ أَنْ يَطَّلِعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ.“
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Nawwas bin Sam'an Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that he asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about virtue and sin. He (peace be upon him) said: "Virtue is good character, and sin is that which troubles your heart and you dislike that people become aware of it."
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Usman Muneeb
Benefits and Issues:
➊ By "birr" is meant all acts of obedience that bring one closer to Allah, and serving one’s parents is also included in this. Likewise, fulfilling all obligatory and supererogatory acts (nawafil) to the extent of one’s ability is included. In other words, good character (husn al-khulq) is the name for the sum of all the above-mentioned qualities. Therefore, a person who displays good character towards people but forgets the Creator does not deserve to be called someone with good character.
➋ In this hadith, two methods for recognizing sin are mentioned:
1. If a person is sound in nature (salim al-fitrah), not overpowered by desires, and his heart has not died due to committing sins, then if he feels regret or unease in his heart upon doing something, he should understand that this act is sinful.
2. By nature, a person wants his good deeds to be known to people, but in the case of sin or a shameful act, he prefers that people do not find out. Therefore, the second sign of a sin is that if a person prefers to hide an act from people because of its shameful nature, and not for any other reason, then that act is also a sin.
➌ Ibn Rajab rahimahullah has said that truth and falsehood do not become confused for a believer; rather, due to the light of his insight, he recognizes them: his heart accepts the truth and feels aversion towards falsehood.
➍ This applies in cases where there is no clear ruling from the Qur’an and Sunnah. However, when a clear ruling is present, it is necessary to accept it. In this, personal dislike or preference has no role. Due to natural dislike, a permissible (mubah) act may be left, but it cannot be declared unlawful (haram). Similarly, if an act is prohibited according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, it will remain prohibited, even if people issue a fatwa permitting it.
➊ By "birr" is meant all acts of obedience that bring one closer to Allah, and serving one’s parents is also included in this. Likewise, fulfilling all obligatory and supererogatory acts (nawafil) to the extent of one’s ability is included. In other words, good character (husn al-khulq) is the name for the sum of all the above-mentioned qualities. Therefore, a person who displays good character towards people but forgets the Creator does not deserve to be called someone with good character.
➋ In this hadith, two methods for recognizing sin are mentioned:
1. If a person is sound in nature (salim al-fitrah), not overpowered by desires, and his heart has not died due to committing sins, then if he feels regret or unease in his heart upon doing something, he should understand that this act is sinful.
2. By nature, a person wants his good deeds to be known to people, but in the case of sin or a shameful act, he prefers that people do not find out. Therefore, the second sign of a sin is that if a person prefers to hide an act from people because of its shameful nature, and not for any other reason, then that act is also a sin.
➌ Ibn Rajab rahimahullah has said that truth and falsehood do not become confused for a believer; rather, due to the light of his insight, he recognizes them: his heart accepts the truth and feels aversion towards falsehood.
➍ This applies in cases where there is no clear ruling from the Qur’an and Sunnah. However, when a clear ruling is present, it is necessary to accept it. In this, personal dislike or preference has no role. Due to natural dislike, a permissible (mubah) act may be left, but it cannot be declared unlawful (haram). Similarly, if an act is prohibited according to the Qur’an and Sunnah, it will remain prohibited, even if people issue a fatwa permitting it.
Source: Fadlullah al-Ahad: Urdu Commentary on al-Adab al-Mufrad, Page: 295
