Good character

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You certainly cannot provide for (the needs of) all people with your wealth and riches, nor satisfy all of them by giving them money; so let the breadth and openness of a cheerful face and good character come from you to the people (so that they benefit from your character)."
Imam Abu Bakr bin Abi Shaybah narrated this hadith from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) through Abdullah bin Idris, Abdullah bin Sa'id and his grandfather; Imam Abu Ya'la also recorded it with the same text through the chain of Ahmad bin Imran al-Akhnasi, Muhammad bin Fudayl and Abdullah bin Sa'id.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) met Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Abu Dharr, shall I not tell you of two qualities which are very light on the back (in terms of burden) and the heaviest in the Scale (of deeds on the Day of Resurrection)?" He said: "Certainly, O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (please do tell me)." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Hold fast to good character and long silence. By the One in whose Hand is my soul, creation has not done any deed like these two (qualities)."
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded this hadith in his Musnad (3294) and Imam al-Tabarani in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat (6813), and Allamah al-Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it sahih (authentic) in 'Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah' (1938).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most complete of the believers in faith are those who are best of them in character, and indeed good character brings (a servant) to the rank of fasting and prayer."
Imam al-Bazzar (may Allah have mercy on him) says that Muhammad bin al-Muthanna also narrated this hadith to us with the same chain.
And Wahb bin Yahya bin Firgham al-Qaysi narrated this report to us likewise through Zakariyya; Imam al-Bazzar also said that, to our knowledge, no one other than Zakariyya narrated it in this way (with these chains and words).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most complete of the believers in faith is the one who is the best and finest of them in character."
This hadith is sahih (authentic) on the basis of other reliable supporting reports, and reports with this meaning are found in the books of Sunan.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked (Sayyidah Umm Abd (may Allah be pleased with her)): "O Umm Abd, do you know who is the most excellent of the believers in faith?" She said that Allah and His Messenger know best. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Those who are the best in their character, who are very gentle, humble and courteous. And no servant can attain the true essence of faith until he loves for other people what he loves for himself, and until his neighbour is safe and secure from his mischief, harm and calamities."
The chain of this hadith contains the narrator Kawthar bin Hakim, who is matruk (abandoned) and very weak, on account of which this report is weak in its chain; however, its various parts and meanings are established by other sahih hadith and supporting reports.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he saw a man who was abusing another man in a loud voice; (seeing this) he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Obscene and foul speech is meanness, and treating one's subordinates and servants badly is also meanness."
In the chain of this hadith, Abdullah bin Arradah is matruk al-hadith (abandoned in hadith) and Sulayman bin Abi Dawud is a weak narrator; moreover, since it is not established that Makhul heard from Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him), this chain is munqati' (broken) and weak.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty has one hundred and seventeen qualities (excellent attributes); whoever comes before Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, having adopted even one of them, will enter Paradise."
Imam al-Tayalisi, Imam al-Bazzar and Imam Abu Ya'la narrated it through this same route, while Imam al-Bazzar stated explicitly that we do not know any other route for this hadith besides this one, and that Abd al-Wahid (a narrator in its chain) is not strong, while Abdullah bin Rashid is a majhul (unknown) narrator.

It is narrated from Abu Mijlaz (may Allah have mercy on him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Sayyidah Asma bint Umays (may Allah be pleased with her) was given the choice: 'Which of your husbands would you prefer to choose?' She said: 'I choose so-and-so.' He was the husband who had died while married to her, and he was the best of them all in character, while two of her husbands had been killed (in the way of Allah)."
This report is mursal, and Imam Musaddad (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated it in his Musnad; it has been recorded in al-Matalib al-'Aliyah.

It is narrated from a Companion (may Allah be pleased with him) of the tribe of Juhaynah that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The best thing given to a believing servant is good character, and the worst thing given to a person is a bad heart hidden behind a handsome exterior."
Imam Abu Ya'la recorded in his narration the addition that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And whatever deed you would dislike people to see you doing in your house, do not (ever) do such a deed."

It is narrated from a man of the tribe of Muzaynah that it was said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), what is the most excellent and superior thing among what a Muslim man has been given? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Good character." It was asked: Then what is the worst thing among what is given to a Muslim? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When you would dislike that some state or deed of yours be seen in the gathering of people, then do not do it when you are alone either."
Imam Abd al-Razzaq narrated this hadith in al-Musannaf; one narrator in its chain is unnamed, though its first part is supported by other reliable reports about good character.

It is narrated from Maymun that he said: I asked Sayyidah Umm al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with her) whether she had heard anything directly from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). She replied: Yes, I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The first thing that will be placed in the Scale of deeds on the Day of Resurrection is good character."
Imam Abd narrated it likewise from Ibn Abi Shaybah, while in the narration of Ahmad bin Mani' it is reported from a man of the people of Syria that he said: We said to Sayyidah Umm al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with her): Narrate to us a hadith which you yourself heard from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and not through someone else. So she narrated this same hadith.
There is disagreement about the chain of this report on the part of Khalaf bin Hawshab, while the more correct and mahfuz (preserved) narration is the one which Ata al-Kaykharani narrated through Sayyidah Umm al-Darda from Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him); and likewise the compilers of the Sunan, Ibn Hibban and other hadith scholars recorded it.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, a person attains through his good character the high rank of one who keeps (voluntary) fasts and stands at night in worship; and indeed a person's name is written (with Allah) among the tyrannical and arrogant, even though he has no authority or power over anyone except his own family."
Imam al-Harith and Imam Ahmad bin Mani' narrated it in their respective Musnads through the chain of Isma'il bin Ayyash.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I am a person who loves to be praised," and it was as though he (while saying this) feared for himself (lest it be showing off). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "What prevents you from living a praiseworthy life (through good deeds) and dying in a state in which people feel your loss? Indeed, I was sent only to perfect the finest of manners."
Imam al-Bazzar narrated it through Yazid.

It is narrated from some of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about "the Imam of the muttaqin" (that is, the leader of the pious). He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He is the one who is pious and possesses excellent character."
Imam Ahmad bin Mani' recorded this report in his Musnad; however, its chain contains a narrator named Sa'id bin Abd al-Jabbar, who is weak according to the majority of hadith scholars.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Bad character and bad conduct corrupt and ruin a person's (good) deeds just as vinegar spoils the sweetness and quality of honey."
Harith bin Abi Usamah recorded this report in his Musnad; however, its chain contains a narrator named Dawud bin al-Muhabbar, who is weak and unreliable, on account of which this report is judged weak, although other reports with this meaning are narrated in the books of hadith through various chains.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the best and choicest of you are those who are the finest and most beautiful of you all in their character and manners."
Imam al-Bukhari narrated this hadith in al-Adab al-Mufrad, and according to the hadith scholars its chain is sahih (authentic).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever's character becomes bad, it is as though he puts himself in torment and inner anguish, increases his worry and grief, and makes his body sickly; and whoever stirs up wrangling and quarrels with people, his honour and dignity depart and his decency and humanity come to an end."
[Takhrij: Ibn Abi al-Dunya narrated it in 'Mudarat al-Nas' (21) and Imam al-Bayhaqi in 'Shu'ab al-Iman' (7645); there is weakness in its chain.]

It is narrated from Mutarrif bin Abdullah bin al-Shikhkhir (may Allah have mercy on him) that a man came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "Which level of faith is best?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Good character." The man asked the same question again, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) again said: "Good character." He repeated the question a third or fourth time, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) either made him stand or made him sit (to draw his attention) and said: "(Good character is) that you meet your brother with your face cheerful and joyful." The narrator said: Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) continued praising good character and saying: "It is a gift from Allah Almighty," and he (peace and blessings be upon him) would describe the evil of bad character and say: "It is from Satan." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him), pointing out the signs of anger, said: "Do you not see the redness of his eyes and the swelling of the veins of his neck?"
Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah: 2583, Musnad Abi Ya'la: 2893. The chain of this hadith contains a narrator named Abd al-Aziz bin Aban, who is matruk (abandoned); however, the importance and virtue of good character is established by other reliable hadith.