Good manners (Akhlaq) are the strongest foundation of every religion. A person’s behaviour with others shows what kind of character and spiritual training he has. In today’s world, many problems and fitnah spread because of harsh speech and bad language. Hurting someone through words is a major sin and even destroys homes. Let’s bring good manners back into our society by following some simple and practical steps.

Speaking The Truth

Speaking the truth is the identity of a true Muslim. Truth keeps a person satisfied and gives him courage. On the other hand, lying removes the brightness from a person’s face and keeps him restless all the time. In the Holy Qur’an, Allah has said that the curse of Allah is upon those who lie.

Therefore, always speak the truth, even if it goes against you. And children must be taught and corrected about this matter regularly.

Why Truthfulness Is Important in Islam?

Speaking the truth is very important for every person. A truthful person is never considered weak; rather, they are seen as brave because they have the courage to stand with the truth. Some reasons why truthfulness is important are:

• Allah’s mercy and pleasure: A truthful person receives the mercy of Allah, and Allah is pleased with those who speak the truth.
• Warning against lying: Those who lie face the displeasure of Allah, and the Quran warns strongly against falsehood
• .Trust in society: Truthfulness is necessary because if a person lies, people will stop trusting them and their respect in society will be lost.
• Good character: To become a person of good character, it is essential to deal with matters truthfully and avoid lying.

Respecting Parents

Good character begins with treating parents with kindness. Serving them, obeying them, and fulfilling their wishes with happiness is actually an honour for us. From childhood until we grow up, parents spend their wealth, time, and energy on us — and we can never repay what they have done.

The Prophet ﷺ said: “Paradise lies under the feet of the mother,” and “The father is the gate of Paradise.” This shows that parents are like a direct path to Jannah for us.

Allah says in the Qur’an: “Do not even say ‘uff’ to your parents.”
From this command, we learn how important it is to respect and serve our parents with full sincerity.

Simple Ways to Show Respect to Parents

Respecting parents is very important in Islam, and there are some simple ways through which we can show them love and honor. Some of these ways are listed below:

• Look at them with love: When you wake up in the morning and look at your parents with love and respect, it brings great reward from Allah.
• Never speak harshly to them: The Quran even forbids saying “uff” to parents, so we should never become irritated with them and should listen to them with kindness.
• Speak gently and obey them: Avoid disobedience, speak softly in front of them, and always talk to them with love and respect.
• Accept their guidance: If they stop you from doing something, accept it calmly because parents usually want what is best for their children. However, if they ask something against faith, then it should not be followed.

Helping Others

After serving and obeying one’s parents, the next important duty is kindness towards relatives, because blood relatives are closest to us and must be treated well regardless of how they treat us. The Prophet ﷺ said: “Maintain ties with the one who connects with you, and even if someone breaks ties with you, you still maintain ties with them,” showing that keeping family ties is a righteous act. We should also help people in their difficulties, whether financially or emotionally, and avoid insulting or mocking anyone’s appearance, height, or color, as this brings Allah’s displeasure. Allah created every person with wisdom, so no one has the right to look down on or hurt others. If you cannot help someone, refuse politely and gently rather than with anger or harshness, as this noble character reflects the true spirit of Islam.

Controlling Anger by Sunnah

Anger is one of the most harmful and destructive things in today’s world; people ruin their own and their loved ones’ lives because of anger, and a single angry sentence can destroy an entire home. Anger is the strongest weapon of Shaytan, who whispers, “They insulted your honor — how can you stay silent?” If two people are arguing and even one of them controls their anger, the biggest fight can end immediately. Islam teaches several Sunnah methods to control anger:

• when anger rises, leave the place immediately to cool the mind
• recite A‘oodhu billahi min ash-shaytaanir-rajeem to seek Allah’s protection;
• if standing, sit down, and if sitting, lie down, as this reduces pressure on the mind;
• the best Sunnah method is to perform wudu which cools both the body and the mind — and if some anger still remains, pray two Nafil.

InshaAllah, acting upon these Sunnahs will surely bring benefit.

Why Anger Can Be Harmful?

Anger can lead a person to many harms in both worldly life and the Hereafter. If it is not controlled, it can damage a person’s character, health, and relationships. Some reasons why anger is harmful are:

• Hardens the heart and mind: Excessive anger can make a person harsh and insensitive toward others.
• Leads to regret: If anger is not controlled at the right time, it can destroy important parts of life, and later a person only feels regret for their actions.
• Affects mental and physical health: Anger harms both the mind and body and can even lead to various illnesses.
• Causes wrong decisions: Decisions made in anger can create lifelong regret and can severely damage a person’s life.