It is possible for all Muslims to rid themselves of vile attributes and adorn themselves with praiseworthy and beautiful attributes. This is possible if they are sincere and firmly resolve to achieve this. They must then seek to perfect their inner form by paying particular attention to their every word and action as well as to their interaction with others.
We see many people spending money and undergoing great hardship in order to beautify their outward appearance, all of which amounts to nothing in comparison to the perfection of noble character. A believer must recognise this fact. An eminent Yemeni scholar of the sixth century Hijrī (twelfth century CE) said: “Whoever gives the nourishment of his body priority over the nourishment of his soul then let him seek his reward from the fish and worms which devour his body!” This is because such people live in servitude to their bodies.
Their efforts are directed towards the nourishment of their bodies to the detriment of the nourishment of their souls and the refinement of their character. They are thereby in servitude of those worms and fish which will eventually eat away at their bodies. Imām al-Ḥaddād, may Allah be well pleased with him, described the physical form of a human after death who had lived oblivious of his inward state and character. He said:
There are those graves whose inhabitants have become decayed bones,
After having been corpulent and obese,
After craving and devouring the good things in life;
Worms proceed to devour them beneath dust and mud bricks.
Their colour has changed and effaced are The beauties of the face, the eyes and the cheeks.
Loathed are they by all those who formerly displayed fondness for them,
Amongst their relatives, spouses and confidantes
It is thus clear that virtue in this life and the attainment of the optimal reward in the Hereafter revolves around noble character. It is obligatory for Muslims to cultivate noble character traits in themselves, their families and in all those for whom they are responsible. Whatever duties believers perform in their lives should be connected to the divine message and to its bearer s who was sent to perfect noble character. Let us look at how Allah praises the character of his Beloved in the Qur’an: When the disbelievers described the Prophet s as being mad, Allah responded by saying: Nūn. By the Pen and what they record, you are not, by the favour of your Lord, a madman. You shall have a reward that is unlimited. Yours is indeed a tremendous character.
Allah thus refutes them through pointing to his tremendous character, which the disbelievers witnessed and which everyone acknowledged. Tremendous character pre-supposes great intelligence. Thus, if the Prophet s really was a madman, it would have been inconceivable for him to possess such a tremendous character. The intellect has been defined as “a faculty that lies in the soul which prevents a person from committing foul acts.” Thus, the essence of the intellect is its ability to restrain a person from committing shameful acts. A person of expansive intellect is therefore someone who is able to control their anger and to acquire excellent character traits. The more expansive a person’s intellect is, the more they are capable of controlling themselves and the keener they are to guard themselves from falling into that which is inappropriate and unbecoming.
May Allah grant us the ability to rid ourselves of base attributes and to adorn ourselves with noble character traits. O Allah, instil in our souls fearful awareness of You, and purify our souls, as You are best able to purify them, You are the soul’s Guardian and Master! O Allah, guide us to the best of actions and the best of character, for no-one but You may do so, and rid us of evil actions and character, for no-one but You may do so, by Your mercy, O Most Merciful, and through Your generosity, O Most Generous!
May peace and blessings be upon our Master Muhammad and upon his Family, Companions and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Recompense. All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ مَكَارِمَ ٱلْأَخْلَاقِ
"I was sent only to perfect noble character."