Just as an organization is represented by its employees, a religion is represented by its followers. Observing the character and approach of the followers, one can deduce the teachings of their religion. A Muslim is a follower of Islam and Islam being the perfect religion, requires its followers to be exemplary in character. It is obligatory for a Muslim to be a depiction of the true teachings of Islam as he is a representatives of Allah for the non-believers. The true teachings of Islam can be understood by having a deep knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah, therefore it is extremely important that a Muslim not only reads the Quran and about the life of Hazrat Muhammad but also understands them and implements their teachings in life. If you want to learn Quran online please visit Online Quran Lessons. We provide online Quran classes to students of all age groups. Our online Quran teachers provide you the best online Quran Learning experience.
Islam being the religion of nature requires the human character to be such that it not only appeals to the non-believers but is also easily adopted by the believers. It defines those characteristics in a human to which a person is generally attracted to e.g. honesty, truthfulness, loyalty etc. Therefore it is not at all difficult to mold his character according to the Islamic teachings rather it is satisfying for a Muslim to acquire the characteristics of a good Muslim as taught by Islam.
IDEAL MUSLIM CHARACTER:
The ideal Muslim character is the encapsulation of the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet. An ideal Muslim takes after the lessons of the Book of Allah and the case of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in all issues, relations, and circumstances that is beginning with his association with his Lord, his own self, his family and the general population around him.
The most outstanding trait of a Muslim is his subtle confidence in Allah Almighty and the faith that everything that occurs in this Universe is according to the will of Allah. Therefore he trusts Allah with all his matters and maintains a firm association with the Almighty. His belief in the Supremacy of Allah is unshaken even when he faces impossible challenges and hopeless situations. Allah says in the Holy Quran:
VERILY, IN THE CREATION OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH AND (IN), THE DIFFERENCE OF NIGHT AND DAY ARE TOKENS (OF HIS SOVEREIGNTY) FOR MEN OF UNDERSTANDING. THEY REMEMBER GOD, STANDING, SITTING, AND RECLINING, AND CONSIDER THE CREATION OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, (AND SAY): OUR LORD! YOU DID NOT CREATE ALL OF THIS IN VAIN. FAR REMOVED ARE YOU FROM EVERY IMPERFECTION! PRESERVE US FROM THE PUNISHMENT OF THE HELLFIRE.
[Quran 3:190-191]
SOME TRAITS OF A GOOD MUSLIM:
A person once asked Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ:
HOW WILL I KNOW THAT I HAVE BECOME A MO’MIN (A TRUE MUSLIM)?
To which the Messenger ﷺ of Allah replied:
WHEN YOUR HEART FEELS SATISFIED BECAUSE OF ANY OF YOUR GOOD ACT AND MOURNS ABOUT ANY OF YOUR WRONG DOING, THEN KNOW, YOU HAVE BECOME A TRUE MUSLIM.
To us both Muslim and Mo’min usually mean one and the same thing but in reality there is quite a difference between the two terms. According to the Islamic definition, a Muslim is a person who has recited the Kalma e Tauhid i.e. he has acknowledged the oneness of Allah and the prophet-hood of Hazrat Muhammad ﷺ, but a Mo’min is one who has implemented the teachings of the Quran and the Holy Prophet ﷺ in his life and has developed an understanding of the true spirit of Islam.
Allah has mentioned Mo’mineen at various occasions, in the Holy Quran which we can determine by reading the Quran Some of the qualities of Mo’mineen described by Him in Surah Al-Furqan are as follows:
1) BELIEVER OF ALLAH:
It is said in Hadees e Qudsi:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING THAT ANY PERSON CAN GIVE YOU UNLESS ALLAH IMPUTES AND NO SUCH THING ANY PERSON CAN TAKE AWAY FROM YOU UNLESS ALLAH WILLS. NO GREATNESS OF ANY PERSON, WHATSOEVER, IS GREATER THAN THAT OF ALLAH AND NONE CAN SAVE YOU FROM EVIL DOINGS EXCEPT HIS MIGHT.
Thus the most prominent quality of a Mo’min is his firm and everlasting belief in Almighty Allah. We see many a times that people claim to trust Allah and acknowledge His wisdom in all situations but when they face a problem they turn to other people for help. This is a form of Shirk as one loses his faith in Allah and starts trusting mortal creatures for help and guidance.
A Mo’min never lets any calamity weaken his trust in Allah. He has a firm faith that all the events that are occurring and will occur are in accordance with the will of the Almighty. This faith strengthens his connection with Allah and makes him a firm believer.
2) HUMBLE:
As said in Hadees e Qudsi:
PRIDE IS MY CLOAK, AND WHOSOEVER TRIES TO STEAL IT FROM ME, I SHALL BE AT WAR WITH HIM
Man is mortal and he does not have control over any of the incidents occurring in the Universe, thus he has nothing to be proud of. Anyone who walks the Earth proudly is indirectly claiming to have authority over something in the Universe which is similar to denying Allah’s Supreme authority. Thus a firm believer adopts humbleness as a part of his character.
3) SAYING SALAAM:
Ayat 63 of Surah Furqan quotes:
…AND WHEN THE FOOLISH ONES ADDRESS THEM ANSWER: SALAAM
Here Salaam does not refer to the daily praise we sent upon one another at meeting but rather it means promoting peace. Foolish people often have the habit of engaging in arguments and insisting upon being right but a wise person is one who avoids any conflicts with them. It is mentioned in the said Aayat that a Mo’min is a wise person who does not engage in futile discussions.
4) PRAYING AFTER MID-NIGHT:
Here praying after mid-night refers to offering Tahajjud. Though it is not mandatory for every Mo’min to possess this habit but any person who does shall be rewarded greatly for this action. Allah says is Surah Al-Furqan:
THE PIOUS FOLLOWERS OF ALLAH ARE THOSE WHO GET UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND PRAY, WHEN ALL THE WORLD IS SOUND ASLEEP
Thus it is an attribute of a Mo’min only that he gathers the will to get out of the comfort of his bed in the middle of the night for the sole purpose of worshipping his Lord.
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5) CHARY TOWARDS EXPENSES:
A Mo’min is defined as a person who maintains a balance in all matters of his life. Islam does not promote extravagancy but on the other hand it also condemns misery. A balanced lifestyle requires a person to spend his money carefully.
Some people are of the belief that Allah has given us money so we must spent it. Yes it is true that Allah has blessed us with good money but not for the purpose of wasting it but to spend it cautiously on ourselves our families and on those in need of our financial help. A Mo’min is neither a closefisted person nor an extravagant, rather a perfect balance of the two.
6) AVOID SHIRK:
Abstaining from shirk is not only a necessary condition for being a Mo’min but it is also a basic condition for being a Muslim. A Muslim is a person who believes in the oneness of Allah. He acknowledges the uniqueness of the Almighty in personality as well as His attributes.
Here it must be noted that Shirk does not mean only to associate a partner with Allah but it also involves performing acts – that are meant to be done solely for Allah, for another person’s pleasure. Though Islam encourages us to maintain a good relation with all humans and it advices us to maintain a good attitude towards others such that others are happy with us, but there are certain limits. A Mo’min never commits an act – to please another person, which is a source or displeasure of Allah
7) DON’T KILL ANYONE UNJUSTLY:
In the current conditions of the world, Muslims are widely seen as terrorists and Islam is considered a terrorist religion. Islam is actually quite the opposite of terrorism as it promotes peace and love. Islam condemns the unjustified killing of any human, be it Muslim or non-Muslim. In fact Islam commands its followers to be kind even to animals, thus it is pointless to say that Islam would promote any sort of unjustified killing.
A Mo’min spends his life trying to follow the teachings of Islam therefore it is in his character to avoid any sort of unjustified killing of another person. He acts kindly towards all avoiding any unjust behavior.
8) AVOID ADULTERY:
Another unique quality of a Mo’min is his abstinence from adultery. It is a trait not only desired by Allah in His followers but also appreciated by other people.
A true Mo’min avoids adultery as it is a sin that has no chances of apology because apology can be granted only if the loss can be fulfilled and in adultery the loss is un-recoverable.
9) AVOID LYING AND FRAUD:
It is a well-known hadith that once, a person came to the Holy Prophet ﷺ and asked:
“IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MUSLIM TO DRINK?”
The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied:
“YES, IT IS POSSIBLE.”
The person then asked:
“IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MUSLIM TO STEAL?”
The Prophet ﷺ answered:
“YES, IT IS.”
Finally the person asked:
“IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A MUSLIM TO LIE?”
To which the Messenger ﷺ of Allah replied:
“NEVER, A MUSLIM MAY BE WEAK OF IMAAN AND MAY INDULGE HIMSELF IN OTHER SUCH ACTS BUT HE CAN NEVER LIE TO ANYONE.”
Thus it is one of the basic qualities of a Mo’min that he does not engage in telling lies.
10) NOBLE AND GENEROUS:
Followers of Allah are very noble and generous that if they ever pass by evil gatherings, they just seek their Lord’s refuge and move on. But they never feel hatred for the ones who are in such gatherings nor do they degrade such persons in fact they pray for them to be shown guidance by Allah.
11) USE THEIR SENSES:
It is an attribute of a true believer that he does not question the commands of Allah. Whatever Allah asks him to do he does without any doubts and questions because he believes in Allah’s wisdom and supremacy. He uses everything in his power to fulfill Allah’s commands.
The only thing he does question is the source by which he was told to act. As long as the source is authentic and the command of Allah is clear, a Mo’min tries his best to act upon it.
12) WORRY ABOUT FAMILY:
Families are a gift from Allah to people and it is up to a Mo’min to take good care of his family. Taking care involves not only providing for their food and shelter but it also includes their spiritual guidance. It is the responsibility of a Mo’min to work on the spiritual education of his family and guide them to work on gaining Allah’s blessings.
13) FEAR ALLAH AND WORRY ABOUT HEREAFTER:
A true Mo’min always fears Allah and worries about the hereafter. He keeps himself indulged in such acts that are helpful for his afterlife. He prays for his forgiveness and reward in this world and the Hereafter.
These are some of the basic qualities of a Mo’min that Allah has listed in Surah Al Furqan of the Holy Quran.
May Allah Almighty make us all follow such straight path and make each of us have these qualities
(Ameen)