Understanding The Prophet's Life
From Issue: 852 [Read full issue]
Behave
The Prophet (peace be upon him) showed the way, by his day-to-day behaviour to love, bounty, generosity and justice. He tirelessly repeated to his Companions that they be good to one another, that they respect life, other human beings, animals, nature and, above all, that they be fair with all Muslims or non-Muslims, men or women, young or old. "Righteousness is a good way of life" (khuluq, morality) [Muslim] said he, and "The most perfect in Faith among the Believers are those who possess the best way of life (morals), and the best among you are those who are kindest to their wives." [Tirmidhi] In another hadith, one reads: "The best of you is he who is best to his family, and I am the best among you towards my family," [Bukhari, Muslim] and "No one among you attains true Faith, until he likes for his brother what he likes for himself," [Bukhari, Muslim] and "He is not a true Believer who eats fill while his neighbour is hungry." [Bayhaqi]
Many other traditions of this kind of moral teaching could have been quoted here and all direct the Believer to the same course: one has to behave in a good way in order to perfect one's faith.
Compiled From:
"To Be A European Muslim" - Tariq Ramadan