30 Days of Guidance: Cultivating the Character and Behavior of Islaam

COMPILER’S INTRODUCTION

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ll praise is due to Allaah alone, we praise Him, we seek His assistance and we ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Him from the evils of our souls and the evils of our actions. Whoever Allaah guides, no one can lead him astray and whoever is caused to go astray, there is no one who can guide him. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allaah alone with no partners. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His worshipper and Messenger, peace and salutations be upon him, his household, his Companions, and all those who follow his guidance until the day of Judgment. To proceed:

Perhaps there can be no better introduction to the subject of character and behavior in Islaam than considering an accurate and encompassing overview of our religion of Islaam, clarifying both its foundations and what it aims to accomplish in human life. Imaam Sa’adee, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said, [1] [1]

“The First Quality (of Islaam)

The religion of Islaam is built upon the foundation of faith in Allaah, as is mentioned in the statement of Allaah, the Exalted: ﴾ Say (Oh Muslims), We believe in Allaah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibraaheem , Ismaa’eel, Ishaaq, Ya’qoob, and to al-Asbat [the twelve sons of Ya’qoob], and that which has been given to Musaa and ‘Isaa , and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted in Islaam.﴿-(Surah al- Baqarah: 136)

So the tremendous fundamentals that Allaah has commanded His worshippers to adhere to are those essential fundamentals which all the prophets and messengers stood upon and called to.

What they contain is aimed towards bringing forth true understanding, true belief, and faith in every matter that Allaah Himself informed us of through the statements of His Messengers, as well as making every effort to encourage those outward behaviors that Allaah is pleased with.

Indeed, as the foundation of the religion is faith in Allaah, while the fruits of such faith are the striving towards every matter that Allaah loves and is pleased with, and undertaking those matters upon sincerity for His sake alone.

Can you conceive of a religion better, more valuable, or superior to this?

Islaam enjoins belief in everything that was revealed to the prophets, the affirmation that they were all indeed messengers, and the acknowledgement that the origin of the truth that they all came with is their one Lord. In addition, it prohibits making distinctions between them, as certainly all of them were truthful messengers of Allaah who believed in him sincerely.