First 10 Days of Dhul-Hijjah -- Develop Good Character (Akhlaq)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate

One of the best things we can do during these blessed ten days of Dhul-Hijjah is to develop good character. Good character is a manifestation of the tenderness and the compassion of the heart, and the realization of loving for your brother what you love for yourself.

Allah mentions in the Quran that the true worshippers of Allah are humble, compassionate and forgiving.

وَعِبَادُ الرَّحْمَـٰنِ الَّذِينَ يَمْشُونَ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ هَوْنًا وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلَامًا ﴿٦٣

And the servants of the Most Merciful are those who walk upon the earth easily, and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace, (63) [Quran, Al Furqan 24:63]

The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, told us that having good character is of the most comprehensive blessing that Allah can give to any person. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, advised us to have good manners and be silent for a long period of time and to speak good or be silent.

Good manners is an essential part of having good Imaan. It is a sign of iman to have good akhlaq. You can reach the level of the person who prays tahajud every night and fast all the sunnah fasts if you have good manners. If you don't have good manners and you have the rituals you don't have good Imaan. If you have good manners but no rituals that is a problem.

Allah is beautiful and He loves beauty and He loves the best of akhlaq and despise the one with bad manners. If you want to really beautify yourself, beautify your inner before the outer. The real beauty is the beauty of manners.

The heaviest of thing on the Scale on the Day of Judgment will be good manners.

Everybody knows what good manners entails -- to show happiness, contentment and cheerfulness and to be helpful to others and control one's anger. You can get shortchanged but you cannot shortchange other people.

The most important group of people that deserve your good manners is your family.

There are three categories of manners:
Manners with Allah -- have good opinion of Allah and remember Allah often
Manners with creations of Allah -- loving for your brother what you love for yourself; protecting the environment
Manners with oneself -- give your body due right and don't do things that is going to harm yourself, physically and spiritually

May Allah grant us and noble character. Aameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam