Topics/Muslim Conduct

Muslim Conduct

6 items across 2 content types

Questions (1)

beginner

Theology & Belief

If Islam is the best religion, why are many of the Muslims dishonest, unreliable, and involved in corruption?

A religion should be judged by its teachings, not by the actions of its imperfect followers. If you want to judge a car, you evaluate the car's specifications and performance — not the skills of a bad driver. Islam's teachings are clear in their prohibition of dishonesty, corruption, and injustice. When Muslims act contrary to these teachings, they are violating Islam, not representing it.

Theology & Belief Common Misconceptions Ethics

Hadith (5)

Hadith

Sahih al-Bukhari 13

Sahih

لاَ يُؤْمِنُ أَحَدُكُمْ حَتَّى يُحِبَّ لأَخِيهِ مَا يُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِهِ

La yu'minu ahadukum hatta yuhibba li akhihi ma yuhibbu linafsihi

The Prophet said: 'None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.'

Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

This hadith encapsulates the Islamic ethic of empathy and solidarity. It defines faith not merely as ritual observance but as a state of moral consciousness that extends concern for others' well-being equal to one's own. The word 'brother' is understood by scholars to include all of humanity.

Hadith

Sahih Muslim 2564

Sahih

لاَ تَحَاسَدُوا وَلاَ تَنَاجَشُوا وَلاَ تَبَاغَضُوا وَلاَ تَدَابَرُوا وَلاَ يَبِعْ بَعْضُكُمْ عَلَى بَيْعِ بَعْضٍ وَكُونُوا عِبَادَ اللَّهِ إِخْوَانًا

La tahasadu wa la tanajashu wa la tabaghadhu wa la tadabaru wa la yabi' ba'dukum 'ala bay'i ba'd, wa kunu 'ibadallahi ikhwanan

The Prophet said: 'Do not envy one another, do not artificially inflate prices against one another, do not hate one another, do not turn away from one another, and do not undercut one another in trade. Be, O servants of Allah, brothers.'

Narrated by Abu Hurairah

This hadith lays out the ethical foundations of social interaction in Islam. It prohibits envy, market manipulation, hatred, social exclusion, and unfair competition — replacing them with a vision of brotherhood and mutual respect. It demonstrates that Islamic ethics extend deeply into economic and social life.

Hadith

Sahih al-Bukhari 2587

Sahih

مَثَلُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فِي تَوَادِّهِمْ وَتَرَاحُمِهِمْ وَتَعَاطُفِهِمْ مَثَلُ الْجَسَدِ إِذَا اشْتَكَى مِنْهُ عُضْوٌ تَدَاعَى لَهُ سَائِرُ الْجَسَدِ بِالسَّهَرِ وَالْحُمَّى

Mathal al-mu'minina fi tawaddihim wa tarahumihim wa ta'atufihim mathal al-jasad, idha ishtaka minhu 'udwun tada'a lahu sa'ir al-jasadi bis-sahari wal-humma

The Prophet said: 'The believers in their mutual kindness, compassion, and sympathy are like one body. When one limb suffers, the whole body responds to it with wakefulness and fever.'

Narrated by An-Nu'man ibn Bashir

This hadith uses a powerful biological metaphor to describe the ideal Muslim community: an interconnected organism where the suffering of any part triggers a collective response. It establishes communal solidarity and empathy not as optional virtues but as natural expressions of genuine faith.

Hadith

Sahih Muslim 161

Sahih

مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ

Man salima al-Muslimuna min lisanihi wa yadihi

A person asked the Messenger of Allah: Who amongst the Muslims is better? Upon this the Prophet remarked: 'From whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe.'

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As

When asked to define the best Muslim, the Prophet gave an answer that surprised his audience: not the most devout in prayer or the most generous in charity, but the one from whom others are safe. 'Hand' represents physical harm and 'tongue' represents verbal harm — the two primary instruments of human aggression. This hadith redefines religious excellence as the absence of harm to others, making peaceful coexistence the highest criterion of Muslim identity.

Hadith

Sahih Muslim 49

Sahih

مَنْ رَأَى مِنْكُمْ مُنْكَرًا فَلْيُغَيِّرْهُ بِيَدِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِلِسَانِهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَبِقَلْبِهِ وَذَلِكَ أَضْعَفُ الإِيمَانِ

Man ra'a minkum munkaran falyughayyirhu biyadihi, fa in lam yastati' fa bilisanihi, fa in lam yastati' fa biqalbihi, wa dhalika ad'af al-iman

The Prophet said: 'Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue; if he cannot, then with his heart — and that is the weakest of faith.'

Narrated by Abu Sa'id al-Khudri

This hadith establishes a three-tiered framework for social responsibility in Islam. The highest level is direct action (changing evil by hand — through authority or physical intervention), followed by verbal opposition (speaking against it), and finally internal rejection (condemning it in one's heart). The descending order reflects both capability and circumstance. Critically, even passive internal disapproval is presented as a minimum requirement of faith — no believer may be indifferent to injustice. Imam al-Nawawi included this as Hadith 34 in his famous 'Forty Hadith' collection, calling it 'a great foundation of Islam.' This hadith is one of the most frequently cited narrations in discussions of civic responsibility, social justice, and the obligation to speak truth to power.