Friday Sermon: Conduct (Adab) in Islam

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Lastprophet.info provides its readers with a weekly Friday sermon (khutbah), which may act as a supplemental guide for imams, hospital and prison chaiplains, Muslim organizations and societies (i.e. MSA), students and the general reader. All of our sermons have been prepared by imams, Islamic scholars and theologians in the Republic of Turkey. Please contact us if you would like to contribute or request a topic for a forthcoming sermon.

لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ لِّمَن كَانَ يَرْجُو اللَّهَ وَالْيَوْمَ الْآخِرَ وَذَكَرَ اللَّهَ كَثِيراً

Esteemed Muslims!

Almighty Allah, who created the universe with immaculate concordance and order, created man, from among all creatures, in the most beautiful of forms, making him responsible for good conduct in addition to faith and good deeds. One of the moral deeds that creates peace and trust in society and forms man’s identity while refining him is his good conduct.

Good conduct, which is the adherence to good manners and characteristics with regard to a person’s interaction with others, or in their daily lives, means to engage in pleasing conduct while interacting and to equip the self with a positive disposition. Good conduct is the jewel, adornment and greatest source of joy in a person’s behavior and actions. As good conduct was also a quality found in our Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.), Allah the Almighty says in the Qur’an: “Ye have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a beautiful pattern (of conduct) for anyone whose hope is in Allah and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah.”[1]

For he is a prophet whose tangible behaviors were taken as a model, who possessed exceptional conduct and bashfulness; he was a person described as “Uswa’ul-Hasanah” (a model person) and a person whose conduct was molded by Allah. Our Prophet says the following to this end: “My Creator has taught me good manners; he taught me great conduct and made my disposition beautiful.”[2]

Good conduct is a virtue that leads to the perfection of mankind and combines in itself all forms of goodness. Good conduct in human behavior allows man to remain clear of shameful attitudes and behaviors, of calamities and curses.

A poet said:

“Edep bir taç imiş nur-u Hüda’dan

Giy ol tacı emin ol her beladan.”[3]

(Good conduct is a crown from the light of the Creator. Don that crown and be safe from every calamity.)

Esteemed Muslims!

Good conduct is a person’s greatest treasure, which the generations after him will inherit; it is his greatest trust and his spiritual presence.

 Our Prophet said, “No father can leave his child a greater and more valuable inheritance than good conduct and manners.”[4]

The main source of good conduct and manners is the word of Allah, the Holy Qur’an, which is sufficient, everlasting and valid for all times and places. Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi said, “Open your eyes completely and look at the word of Allah. All of the verses of the Qur’an speak of good conduct.”[5]

The plural of the Arabic word for good conduct, “adab” is “a’adab.” Maintaining measured, careful and gentle behaviur in worship, social relations and human interaction, familial engagements, education and every realm of life, is Islamic adab -- which is what the Qur’an dictates and what the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h.) lived and adhered to in his life.

The virtue of following the rules of adab and good conduct is a trait peculiar to mankind. A person who keeps these traits alive, and becomes a person of value in the communities s/he is a part of will serve as an example of goodness and virtue.

Now more than ever, we are in need of obtaining the faculty known as good conduct, and ensuring that this is reflected in our behavior. Let us always protect our understanding of good conduct, which stems from our faith, so that we will be victorious both in this world and the next.