How to be a Pious Muslim?

In my second blog, I penned down my thoughts on another dimension of Islam which is very cardinal and engaging for each one of us. As we know, Islam is a way of life and hence, we will step up to understand one of the elemental human quality, “Character”. Good character is a significant trait of a person who endeavors to be a better Muslim. I would share a few attributes that are prominent to build a good character as per Islam.

Most of the Muslims around the world are born as a Muslim and I appreciate others who choose to be Muslim and accept Islam with all their hearts. But is it just enough to be born as a Muslim without being one? This is a question of Self- Introspection.

The first and foremost thing for a person who strives to be a better Muslim, is to build their character. The relevance of virtuous character is evident from the fact that Allah, the Almighty sent down all His Prophets to teach their respective nations to embrace moral and noble behavior. The Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said:

The best amongst you are those who have the best manners and character. [Bukhari]

The foremost qualities of a true Muslim are :

Being Honest and Trustworthy:

One of the most eminent traits as described in Islam is being honest and trustworthy. There is no better example than Our beloved Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) whose innocence and honesty won the hearts of even non-believers. Allah, the Almighty has repeatedly mentioned these qualities in the Quran to Momins(believers):

You who believe, be mindful of Allah: stand with those who are true.

Being truthful should be the very nature of a Muslim as it is a mark of a pure heart that will be admitted to the Paradise. The Prophet (PBUH) said:

You must be truthful. Verily, truthfulness leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise.

Respect:

Just as we should love ourselves, before loving others. Similarly, respect starts with respecting oneself. Respecting self might sound trivial but yes, it is important. Every individual need to love and respect themselves. Respecting others(including every human being) is of primal substance to get the respect in return. Showing gratitude to elders, benevolence to kids and compassion to your friends, relatives, and colleagues creates harmony as well as helps you develop patience.

Good Relations:

Your relationship with your kins very much defines your character. Islam strongly emphasizes on building and sustaining relations with one’s family.

It is moral to have good ties with every human being you meet and greet. But there is substantial insistence on treating relatives and friends with fondness. As per the sunnah of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH):

Whoever would like his rizq (provision) to be increased and his life to be extended, should uphold the ties of kinship. [Bukhaari]

The greater implication of the above Hadith is that not only we should maintain amicable relations with family, relatives, and friends but also try to make peace in case of conflict.

There are many instances where a person displays gentle behavior with others but not within their family.

To be a person of greater character, a person must be benign, respectful, and compassionate to their wife, husband, kids, brothers, sisters, and parents.

Being good to Parents:

Islam have given highest relevance to Parents since they are the ones who devote their lives selflessly for the upbringing of their children. There is no absolute measure to pay back the affection, love, and care we have received from our parents. Now, when I say parents it involves both Mother and Father.

The Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) used to say,

Paradise lies under the feet of mother

to show her prominence to us and

The father is the middle of the gates of Paradise, so keep to this gate or lose it.

Such is the greatness of parents that Allah, the exalted who directed us to worship Him alone, has ordered to serve our parents with greater respect and endearment.

All these qualities are noteworthy because we as a Muslim are the face of Islam. The image of our religion is directly proportional to our character and verily we do not intend to tarnish it. Following the aforesaid traits are as easy as breathing, eating, and sleeping. Therefore, we must inculcate them to build a pious character and be a better Muslim and a human being.