Let's Read Surah Kahf Today (Friday) -- Upholding Good Manners (Adab) and Developing Noble Character

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

The four stories in Surah Kahf, among other things, is to show us good character and teaches us good adab -- the story of the youth of the cave teaches us to preservere in trials and tribulations (not give up or give in to the wrong), the story of the man with two gardens -- teaches us to be grateful and not arrogant, the story of Musa and al Khidr teaches us to be patient in seeking seeking knowledge, the story of Dhulkarnain teaches us to be a good leader.

Adab (good manners) is the right way of doing something. It is putting things in the right places. Every human dealings have an adab of doing it. Even in small matters, there is adab in doing them. Where does this adab come from? It comes from the Prophetic example, the one most praised for his character (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)

Character is the inward disposition that causes one to exhibit praiseworthy traits and acts in praiseworthy ways. Good character has a wide range of manifestation and one way is adab. We can consider adab is a subset of good character (khuluq). Our khuluq is the way you are and manifest in your conduct. The basis of good character is seeking the good pleasure of Allah, such as one's conduct is seeking of Divine mercy.

Some aspect related to our conduct with human being has many benefits. It teaches us restraint and restraint is a means of taqwa, of mindfulness of Allah. It makes you conscious of Allah, a way of being in state of consciousness of Allah. It will remind you of Allah and also awakens you to seeking of pleasure of Allah. It makes you feel beautiful. Allah is beautiful and loves beauty. Good manners is beloved to Allah and people. When you act with proper manners, people feel safe, honored, confortable, and it srengthen bonds between people.

The Prophet's character (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is defined as being tremendous. The basis of the Prophet's character (Allah bless him and grant him peace) is gentleness with people and honoring others. This is part of proper manners. They return to mercy. The one who is merciful is granted mercy by Allah.

Read the Quran attentively because the Quran gives details of the Prophet's character (Allah bless him and grant him peace).

May Allah grant us noble character and the company of people of adab and good character.

رَبَّنَا آتِنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً وَهَيِّئْ لَنَا مِنْ أَمْرِنَا رَشَدًا

Our Lord, grant us from Yourself mercy and prepare for us from our affair right guidance.

Ameen.

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