Good mannerism and Sahifeh Saijadieh

The significant issue of good characters and good mannerism has been among the teachings of the first Prophet appointed by God. Imam Sadiq(s), in a narration, enumerates ten traits of the good mannerism of the Great Prophet of Islam. He says: Try to see if you possess these ten. If you have them, be thankful to God and be more inclined to get them:Conviction, patience, gratitude, forbearance, good-temper, generosity, zeal, bravery, manliness, and contentment. In “land of lovers” Professor Hossein Ansarian comments on this issue. See the present text.

In order to possess good characters, one has to correct and prune his spirit and soul. For this purpose, firstly we have to identify virtues and vices; secondly, we have to equip our souls with good deeds, and thirdly, we have to be steady in keeping doing what is right.

Without good characters we are not able to resolve our individual, family and social problems. A bad-tempered servant of God is worthless in the presence of God. However, a good-tempered God's servant is the best among God's obedient servants. Good-temper strengthens one's faith. On the other hand, bad-temper jeopardizes a believer's conviction.

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ3: لَمّا خَلَقَ اللهُ تَعالى الإيمانَ قالَ: اللّهُمَّ قَوِّني، فَقَوّاهُ بِحُسْنِ الْخُلْقِ وَالسَّخاءِ. وَلَمّا خَلَقَ اللهُ الْكُفْرَ قالَ: اللّهُمَّ قَوِّني، فَقَوّاهُ بِالْبُخْلِ وَسُوءِ الْخُلْقِ.

It is narrated from the Prophet(s): when faith was created, it asked God: give me power. Then God provided it with good mannerism, good-temper and generosity. And when blasphemy appeared, it asked God to strengthen it. Then God provided it with jealousy and ill-temper.

قالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ3: الإسْلامُ حَسْنُ الْخُلْقِ.

The generous Prophet(s) of Islam has stated:

By Islam is meant good-temper.[1]

Good-temper has such a lofty place in our life that Imam Mojtaba(s), in a unique narration, has called it the best of the best.

أبُوالحَسَنِ عَليُّ بنُ عَبدِاللهِ الأسُواريُّ، عن أحْمدِ بْنِ محمَّدِ بنِ قَيْسٍ، عن عبدِالعزيز بنِ عليٍّ السَّرْخَسِيُّ، عن أحمدَ بنِ عِمرانَ البغداديَ، قال: حَدَّثنا أبو الحسنِ قالَ: حَدَّثَنا أبو الحسنِ، قال: حَدَّثنا أبو الحسنِ قالَ: حَدَّثنا الْحَسَنُ، عنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنِ الْحَسَنِ: إنَّ أحْسَنَ الْحَسَنِ، الْخُلْقُ الْحَسَنُ. [2]

Narrators have narrated from Abu Al-Hassan, and he has narrated from Abu Al-Hassan who has narrated it from Abu Al-Hassan who has said good-temper is the best of the best.

In the above narration the first Abu Al-Hassan is identified as Mohammad Ibn-e Abdol Rahim Shushtari and the secondly-mentioned Abu Al-Hassaan refers to Ali Ibn-e Ahmad Basar Tammar and the third Abu Al-Hassan is identified as Ali Ibn-e Mohammad Waqedi.

The values of good temper is so high that Imam Baqir(s) has considered the perfect conviction as a reflection of good-temper.

إنَّ أكْمَلَ الْمُؤمِنينَ إيماناً أحْسَنُهُم خُلْقاً. [3]

It is claimed that good temper is the product of a moderation against going to extremes in the traits of lust and anger.

In the Prophet's recommendations we will read:

“Treat people kindly.” خالِقِ النّاسَ بِخُلْقٍ حَسَنٍ [4]

The significance of good-temper for God is so great that Imam Sajjad(s) narrates from the Prophet(s) that good-temper is regarded as a supreme criterion at the Doom's Day.

قالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ3: ما يُوضَعُ في ميزانِ امْرِءٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ أفْضَلُ مِنْ حُسْنِ الْخُلْقِ. [5]

عَنْ أبي عَبْدِاللهِA قالَ: أرْبَعٌ مِنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ كَمُلَ إيمانُهُ، وَإنْ كانَ مِنْ قَرْنِهِ إلى قَدَمِهِ ذُنُوباً لَمْ يَنْقُصْهُ ذلِكَ، قالَ: وَهُوَ الصِّدْقُ، وَأداءُ الأمانَةِ، وَالْحَياءُ وَحُسْنُ الْخُلْقِ. [6]

Imam Sadiq(s) has stated: One who has the following four traits: honesty, trustworthiness, modesty, and good-temper shall have a complete conviction and nothing may deduct anything from it.

Staying awake at night, especially against the daily fatigue, is a hard job indeed. For this reason the reward for the vigilantes at nights is tremendous. This is considered so great that we will read the following God's statement in many books on narration:

أعْدّدْتُ لِعِبادِيَ الصّالِحِينَ مالا عَيْنٌ رَأتْ، وَلا اُذُنٌ سَمِعَتْ، وَلا خَطَرَ عَلى قَلْبِ بَشَرٍ.

For My deserving and worthy servants I have prepared something which has been seen with no eyes and has been heard with no ears and has not accrued to any human heart.

Although there is a huge reward for a fasting person, especially if he stays awake at night, is it narrated from the Prophet(s) in well-known narrations that the reward of a good-tempered person is as high as that of a fasting man who stays awake at night.

إنَّ صاحِبَ الْخُلْقِ الْحَسَنِ لَهُ مِثْلُ أجْرِ الصّائِمِ الْقائِمِ. [7]

The issues of virtue which means a good relation with Allah and good-temper which menas treating people kindly are so significant that the Prophet(s) has stated: The most significant factors which will lead my ommah towards the paradise are piety and good-temper.

أكْثَرُ ما تَلِجُ بِهِ اُمَّتِي الْجَنَّةَ: تَقْوى اللهِ، وَحُسْنُ الْخُلْقِ. [8]

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The spiritual heat of good-temper is so great that Imam Sadiq(s) has said: Good-temper will eradicate the sins registered in one's records in the same way that the sun melts away the ice.

إنَّ الْخُلْقَ الْحَسَنَ يَميثُ الْخَطِيئَةَ كَما تَميثُ الشَّمْسُ الْجَليدَ. [9]

The significance of good-temper for God is so great that Imam Sadiq(s) has stated: “God will give the same reward to a good-tempered man as He gives to the religious warriors: those who are engaged in holy wars.”

This interpretation of the word “good-tempered” is correct because for a man to be good-tempered he should engage in the greater warfare, which is a war against one's soul.

عَنْ أبي عَبْدِاللهِA قالَ: إنَّ اللهَ تَبارَكَ وَتعالى لَيُعْطِي الْعَبْدَ مِنَ الثَّوابِ عَلى حُسْنِ الْخُلْقِ كَما يُعْطِي الْمُجاهِدَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ يَغْدُو عَلَيْهِ وَيَرُوحُ. [10]

The importance of good-temper is so high that it can make up for the low level of one's prayer. This is also stated by the Great Prophet(s):

إنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَبْلُغُ بِحُسْنِ خُلْقِهِ عَظِيمَ دَرَجاتِ الآخِرَةِ وَشَرَفَ الْمَنازِلِ وَإنَّهُ لَضَعِيفُ الْعِبادَةِ. [11]

A God's servant could reach high degrees of status in the other world inspite of the fact that he has been weak in his prayers.

The end-product of good-temper is the paradise and the result of bad-temper is the hell. This is a fact that Imam Reza(s) narrates from his ancestors:

عَنِ النَّبيِّ3 قالَ: عَلَيْكُمْ بِحُسْنِ الْخُلْقِ، فَإنَّ حُسْنَ الْخُلْقِ فِي الَْجَنَّةِ لا مَحالَةَ، وَإيّاكُمْ وَسُوءَ الْخُلْقِ فَإنَّ سُوءَ الْخُلْقِ فِي النّارِ لا مَحالَةَ. [12]

In the interpretation of the following sacred verse:

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً [13]

“Our Lord! Grant us good in this world and good in the hereafter, and save us from the chastisement of the fire,” Imam Sadiq(s) states: “Good-temper leads one to the paradise in the hereafter and causes abundant subsistence in this world.”[14]

Imam Sadiq(s) has stated: once some prisoners of war were brought to the God's Messenger. He ordered the death of all of them except for one. That freed one asked the Prophet(s): How come you did not ask for my murder? The Prophet(s) answered: Jibreel [Gabriel] informed me that you have five traits which Allah loves in you: You are zealous towards your wife, you are generous, you are good-tempered, you are honest and you are brave.

When the prisoner-in-war heard these facts he converted into a Moslem, a good Moslem. Later, he took part in a holy war with the Prophet(s) and got martyred.[15]

In a narration, the Prophet(s) has counted good-temper parallel to half of the religion.

الْخُلْقُ الْحَسَنُ نِصْفُ الدّين. [16]

Imam Ali(s) has considered good-temper as one's best companion.

حُسْنُ الْخُلْقِ خَيْرُ قَرِينٍ. [17]

The closest people to the Holy Prophet(s), in his view, are those who are good-tempered and are kind towards their family.

أقْرَبُكُمْ مِنّي مَجْلِساً يَوْمَ الْقِيامَةِ أحْسَنُكُمْ خُلْقاً وَخَيْرُكُمْ لأهْلِهِ. [18]

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Once Imam Sadiq(s) was asked: what is the limit of good temper? He replied: good temper, elegance in discourse, and kind relations with one's brethren.

قالَ: قُلْتُ لأبي عَبْدِاللهِA: ما حَدُّ حُسْنِ الْخُلْقِ، قالَ: تَلينُ جانِبَكَ، وَتُطِيبُ كَلامَكَ، وَتلْقى أخاكَ بِبِشْرٍ حَسَنٍ.[19]

The Prophet(s) once told Abuzar: the following traits are unique: wisdom to manage the affairs, temperance in abstaining from the forbidden affairs, and prestige to be good-natured.

يا أبا ذرٍّ، لا عَقْلَ كالتَّدبِيرِ، وَلا وَرَعَ كَالكَفِّ، وَلا حَسَبَ كَحُسْنِ الْخُلْقِ. [20]

The fourth Imam(s) has said: Three idolaters rowed to murder the Prophet(s). Imam Ali(s) rushed to wards them and killed one of them, taking the other two to the Prophet(s).

The Prophet(s) said: Dear Ali, bring one of these two to me. Then the Prophet(s) told the would-be murderer: witness to the monotheism and to my Prophet-hood. That silly man replied: It is much easier for me to carry the Abu Qobais mountain than repeating such words. Then the Prophet(s) ordered him to be beheaded.

Then the Prophet(s) ordered his men: Bring the other one. The Prophet(s) told him to comfess to the uniqueness of God and to his Prophet hood. But the man refused, saying: let me join my friend. The Prophet(s) ordered his murder. Ali(s) rose to murder the man. But suddenly the angel of revelation came to the Prophet(s), telling him: God sends you His regards and says: “Do not kill this man, because he is both good-tempered and generous with his tribe.”

The Prophet(s) called Ali(s): Do not kill him since Jibreel has informed me of his good-temper and generosity and has ordered me not to kill him. The infidel, while under Ali's sword, said: Are you serious that your God's envoy said so? The Prophet(s) replied: yes. The man said: you are right. I swear to God I have never possessed even one derham, thinking my brethren might need it. Neither have I ever evaded taking part in wars. Now I confess that God has no companion and that you are His Messenger.

Addressing his followers, the Prophet(s) said: this is a man whose good-temper and generosity took him to the paradise.[21]

A man attended the presence of Mohammad(s) asking him: O messenger of Allah: what is religion? The prophet(s) replied: good temper. Then the man went on the right side of the Prophet(s), asking him the same question. The answer was the same. Then the man reached the Prophet(s) from the rear, asking the Prophet(s): what is religion? The Great, Glorious Prophet(s) of Islam replied: Did you not understand what the religion is? Religion means not to get upset or angry.[22]

There is the significant narration from the Prophet(s):

حُسْنُ الْخُلْقِ شَجَرَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَصاحِبُهُ مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِغُصْنِها يَجْذِبُهُ إلَيْها. وَسُوءُ الْخُلْقِ شَجَرَةٌ فِي النّارِ وَصاحِبُهُ مُتَعَلِّقٌ بِغُصْنِها يَجْذِبُهُ إلَيْها. [23]

Good behavior is a tree in the paradise to which its owner is attached: it will take its owner to the heaven. But bad behavior is a tree in the hell to which its owner is attached : it will take its owner directly to the hell.

One who avoids performing monetary, bodily or legal offenses and tries to earn his living through legal ways has got good mannerism. Imam Ali(s) has provided us with three senses of good behavior:

حُسْنُ الْخُلْقِ في ثَلاثٍ: اجْتِنابُ الْمَحارِمِ، وَطَلَبُ الْحَلالِ وَالتَّوَسُّعُ عَلَى الْعِيالِ.

Contentment is a significant and highly-valued capital; and good-mannerism is a worthy, and remarkable asset. The following truth, too, is reported from Imam Ali(s):

كَفى بِالْقَناعَةِ مُلْكاً، وَبِحُسْنِ الْخُلْقِ نَعيماً.

Imam Ali(s) considers good-temper as the best of all righteous things:

حُسْنُ الْخُلْقِ رَأسُ كُلِّ بِرٍّ.

Life is full of ups and downs; the downs in life will not always convey calamities and ups in life or sweet and happy things will not be based on lust or wealth. The Divine knowledge defines the sweet things in life in the context of good mannerism; in the same way, it defines unhappy and sad things in life in the context of bad-temper.

Regarding the issue of good temper and mannerism there is a significant narration reported in the narrations.

عَنِ النَّبيِّ3 إنَّهُ قالَ لأميرِ الْمُؤمِنِينَA: ألا اُخْبِرُكَ بِأشْبَهِكُمْ بي خُلْقاً؟ قالَ: بَلى يا رَسُولَ اللهِ. قالَ: أحْسَنُكُمْ خُلْقاً أعْظَمُكُمْ حِلْماً، وَأبَرَّكُمْ بِقَرابَتِهِ، وَأشَدَّكُمْ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ إنْصافاً.

The Great Prophet(s) told Imam Ali(s): I can not introduce to you anybody who is close to me in good manner. Imam Ali(s) asked: why, Prophet of God? The Glorious Prophet replied: the best-tempered among you are those among you who are the most sober, the kindest towards their tribe, and the fairest towards others.

Imam Ali(s) has commanded people to resort to good mannerism. Based on the verses of the Holy Quran, and according to the Prophet's emphasis on this topic during the Prophet's twenty three years of prophethood, and in accordance with our wisdom we all, men and women, have to obey Imam Ali(s) up to the Doom's Day. Based on the narrations reported by both Shiite's and Sonni's documents: Obeying Imam Ali(s) will lead one to the heaven and defying him will lead us to the hell. In his discourse, Imam Ali(s) says:

روضُوا أنْفُسَكُمْ عَلَى الأخْلاقِ الْحَسَنَةِ، فَإنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُسْلِمَ يَبْلُغُ بحُسْنِ خُلْقِهِ دَرَجَةَ الصّائِمِ الْقائِمِ.

“Train your spirit on the basis of good mannerism. This is because a good-tempered Moslem will reach to the status of a fasting night vigilant.”

There are many narrations in the books on narration which reveal to us that good-temper is the key to the hardships in this world and in the Hereafter and that it guarantees the continuity of faith; on the other hand, bad temper is the source of hardships and it demolishes faith and proper actions. As we have already observed, the eighth invocation refers to forty four issues related to bad-temper