As a Muslim, you have an obligation to maintain decorum and behaviors that are in accordance with the fundamental teachings of your deen. Islam is a way of life, complete with a pristine culture that puts a lot of emphases not just on your relationship with Allah but also with other human beings.
Your character and conduct with people is a yardstick that measures your status as a believer. At all times, you are required to be an ambassador of Islam and Muslims by relating decently and humanely with members of the community and with the rest.
There are some threshold of good character and ethics in Islam where morality and decency play key role. How you conduct and carry yourself as a Muslim sends either a positive or negative signal to the outside world. It is your duty to draw the correct line.
In Islam, we say “if you feel no shame do as you wish”. This means that a Muslim must embrace high level of integrity in order to keep away from shameful behaviours. And since ‘hayaa’ is an integral part of faith, Islam preaches self-respect in relation to Allah, to oneself, and to members of the public.
Imam Ibn Jawzi said:
“An evidence for the perfection of body figure is good appearance and having good manners. And the proof for the goodness of one’s inside is having good habits and manners”
Guard your chastity
Plant and keep on watering the flower of chastity in your garden of life. It is all about your own respect and respect for your family and community. Once chastity is lost, it becomes had to build it again.
Chastity is the glory of guarding one’s respect. Losing chastity is the deathbed of personality. A Muslim must remain pious and guard his chastity in this era of moral decay. And the only way to guard your chastity in this era of Fitnah is to carefully watch out your organs and control how you use each one of them.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Whoever can guarantee (the chastity of) what is between his two jaw-bones and what is between his two legs (i.e. his tongue and his private parts), I guarantee Paradise for him.”
Be honest
These days it is very rare. Honest people are far and few. The messenger of Allah warned us that as we approach the end of the world honest people will be rare to find. It seems we are already into it.
Honesty is a golden characteristic that a Muslim has no choice but to build and strengthen. You must have an unshaken spirit of saying the truth all the time, living by it and defending it.
The Messenger of Allah said truthfulness is piety and piety leads to Jannah. A person endeavors to be truthful and continue to do so till Allah records him in the list of the truthful. Abstain from lying because it constitutes sin and vice, which leads one to Jahannam. A person continues to lie until he is recorded in the list of liars.
Keep your promises
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“The signs of a hypocrite are three: Whenever he speaks he tells a lie; whenever he is entrusted he proves dishonest; whenever he promises he breaks his promise.”
A hypocrite is the one who outwardly displays Islam but inwardly conceals disbelief. It must concern you that not keeping your words is a degeneration of your faith.
When you don’t keep your words you degrade yourself to the lowest level of humanity. It means you are insensitive to others or it may mean that you are simply careless to keep your promise.
People who don’t keep their promises eventually lose respect. People who know them will never trust them anymore. Keeping your promise is simply a universal passport that you will need forever.
