Behaviour
is displayed daily in our interactions with family, friends, colleagues, and people
in general. It’s a tool utilized in every aspect of our lives and represents
and defines us as individuals. Good behaviour exercised during all situations
is a result of good character, which is the manifestation of our deep down
beliefs, principles, and core values – or lack of them.
This
is why good conduct holds such a high status in our religion. The Prophet has
been reported to have said:
“I have been sent to perfect good character” [Muwatta, Imam Malik]
And
he said,
“Nothing will be
heavier on the Day of Resurrection in the Scale of the believer than good
manners. Allah hates one who utters foul or coarse language. [Tirmidhi]
If good conduct holds a high status in our religion, then behaviour management should be of equal importance. A Muslim exhibiting bad behaviour is nothing more than a reflection of weak belief.
This is something re-affirmed by the statement of Aisha in which she said that the first verses to be revealed were regarding Paradise and Hell. Only after belief had entered the hearts were the verses pertaining to Halal and Haraam revealed. She stated that if the first verse was a command to not drink alcohol or commit adultery, the people would have said, 'We will never give it up' (Bukhari)
The Qur’an further enforces this meaning through a parable in
(14:24-25):
“See you not how Allah sets forth a parable? - A goodly word
as a goodly tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its branches (reach) to the
sky (i.e. very high).”
“Giving its fruit at all times, by the Leave of its Lord
and Allah sets forth parables for mankind in order that they may remember.”
“…So is the tree of faith. Its root of knowledge and belief is
firmly fixed in the heart of the believer, and its branches of good words, good
deeds, pleasing conduct, and good morals are always ascending to Allaah in
the heavens. The believer benefits from the actions and words that the tree of
faith produces and he benefits others from it..” (As-Sa’di)
From this we learn that good behaviour is a natural consequence
of belief, and in order to instill the former, we should give importance to the
latter.
Another way Islam administers good behaviour is through reward
and punishment.
“Children decide to
behave appropriately because they are influenced by the consequences of their
appropriate behaviour” (Sandall et al., 2005)
Ordering and prohibiting while mentioning the consequences of
both actions is a consistent pattern in the Qur’an. For example, Allah says,
“O you who believe [in Musa (Moses) (i.e. Jews) and 'Iesa
(Jesus) (i.e. Christians)]! Fear Allah, and believe too in His Messenger
(Muhammad SAW), He will give you a double portion of His Mercy, and He will
give you a light by which you shall walk (straight), and He will forgive you.
And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”(Quran 57:28)
And
He said:
“O you who believe! Let not your properties or your
children divert you from the remembrance of Allah. And whosoever does that,
then they are the losers” (Quran 63:9)
But
it doesn’t end there. Islam is a religion which recognizes human weakness and
we find many ahadith in which the Prophet encourages us to display good behaviour
and provides the means for combatting bad behaviour within
ourselves. If we were to take a look at
anger, for example, The Prophet said,
“Narrated Abu Dharr: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to us: When one of you becomes angry while standing, he
should sit down. If the anger leaves him, well and good; otherwise he should
lie down.” (Sunan Abi Dawud)
Abu Hurairah narrated that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: “The strong man is
not the good wrestler; but the strong man is he who controls himself when he is
angry.” (Agreed upon)
Perhaps
one of the greatest ways Islam enforces good behaviour is through inciting the
individual to take account of his or herself. This goes back to the first point
of belief. The person who believes with certainty that he will stand in front
of Allah one day, and have to answer for each and every one of his actions,
with no translator or intermediary between himself and Allah, will undoubtedly
watch his sayings, thoughts, and actions. Allah says:
“And
be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah. Then every person
shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly.”
(Quran 2:281)
The
Prophets are examples of people who actualized this, so it is only fitting that
we conclude with an example from them. On the tongue of Ibrahim:
"Who has created me, and it is He Who guides me;
And it is He Who feeds me and gives me to drink.
And when I am ill, it is He who cures me." (26:78-80)"
Islam
doesn’t superficially correct behaviour – so that it’s shown to certain people
and not to others – or shown in actions and limbs but void of a heart. It
corrects the entire individual, so that good conduct is exercised in every
instance of his life. It teaches us that good conduct isn’t limited to your
image in front of people, but something that applies to even the way we deal with knowledge,
the teachings of our religion, and more importantly – Good conduct in the way we interact
with Allah.
References:
As-Sa’di. Available
from http://www.islamweb.net/emainpage/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=230344 [30th
December 2015]
Imam Malik, Muwatta, 1614. Available from: http://dailyhadith.abuaminaelias.com/2011/02/01/the-prophet-was-sent-to-perfect-good-character/ [30th
December 2015]
Qur’an.
Available from: http://legacy.quran.com/26 [30th
December 2015]
S.A Raver, Principles of Behaviour Management. Available at: http://www.education.com/reference/article/principles-behavior-management/ [30th December 2015]
Sunnah. Available
from: http://sunnah.com
[30th December 2015]
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