27th Hadith - Righteousness is in Good Character (Muslim: 2553)

الحديث السابع و العشرون 

عَنْ النَّوَّاسِ بنِ سَمْعَانَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : الْبِرُّ حُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ وَاْلإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ وَكَرِهْتَ أَنْ يَطَّلِعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ

[رَوَاهُ مُسْلِم]

  وَعَنْ وَابِصَةَ بْنِ مَعْبَد رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : أَتَيْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ : جِئْتَ تَسْألُ عَنِ الْبِرِّ قُلْتُ : نَعَمْ، قَالَ : اِسْتَفْتِ قَلْبَكَ، الْبِرُّ مَا اطْمَأَنَّتْ إِلَيْهِ النَّفْسُ وَاطْمَأَنَّ إِلَيْهِ الْقَلْبُ، وَاْلإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي النَّفْسِ وَتَرَدَّدَ فِي الصَّدْرِ، وَإِنْ أَفْتَاكَ النَّاسُ وَأَفْتَوْكَ 

[حديث حسن رويناه في مسندي الإمامين أحمد بن حنبل والدارمي بإسناد حسن]

27th Hadith - Translation

Al-Nawwas Bin Samaan (R.A.) reported that the Prophet (S.A.W.) said:

“Righteousness is in good character, and wrongdoing is that which wavers in your soul, and which you dislike people finding out about.” (Muslim: 2553)

And on the authority of Wabisah-Bin-Mabad (R.A.) who said: I came to the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) and he (S.A.W.) said, “You have come to ask about righteousness.” I said, “Yes.” He (S.A.W.) said, “Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels at ease and the heart feels tranquil. And wrongdoing is that which wavers in the soul and causes uneasiness in the breast, even though people have repeatedly given their legal opinion [in its favour].”

(A good hadeeth transmitted from the musnads of the two imams, Ahmed bin Hambal and Al- Darimi, with a good chain of authorities.)

Brief Narration

Ibn Rajab states that the term 'Bir' which is used in this hadith is actually used in two senses:

(a) Treating others in a good manner, and

(b) All acts of good deeds and worshipping Allah.

Based on this, the first statement in the first hadith can be interpreted as meaning the most essential aspect of righteousness is good character. And Ibn Rajab extends this meaning by saying that good character can be interpreted as all good manners mentioned in the Quran. Consequently, according to Ibn Rajab, the two meanings of bir are there.

Allah has created us with a pure innate or natural disposition that is called ‘fitra’, as mentioned in other hadiths. This means to love the truth and the good and to hate falsehood and evil. Consequently, good believers with pure ‘fitra’ should never confuse truth with falsehood.

The second hadith guides us to consult our heart regarding doubtful matters. If the heart is in tranquility that implies that it is ‘bir’ or righteousness. If the heart is not tranquil, one should abstain from carrying out such an act or doubtful matter. However, it should be noted that ‘fitra’ is subject to corruption and can be spoiled due to the influence of bad environment - a person may start to like and appreciate what is bad or evil and dislike truth and goodness. Here, the heart is diseased or even dead. Such a person cannot use his heart as a measure to judge what is good and bad because the ‘fitra’ is already corrupted. 

(Reference: Commentary of Forty Hadiths of An-Nawawi by Dr. Jamal Ahmed Badi)