224. They do not have the entire hadith but it is the hadith ofWaabisah. (cont.)

The next part of the verse states, "But do not help another in al-ithm or al-udwaan." lbn Rajah states that al-ithm (s)'I) could be in reference to sins a person commits while al-udwaan (,Ji.1) is in reference to doing wrong to others. Then he states that another possibility is that al­ ithm refers to what is a sin in and of itself, such as drinking alcohol, fornication and so forth. In that case, al-udwaan refers to going beyond the limits of what is permissible in the Shariah. He gives the example of killing both those who one is allowed to kill as well as those one is not allowed to kill in executing the punishment of retaliation. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi . ,, :_ 1.\ 4 \\" I A 1\ : •\" : ਱ ,,,,• ෻ ,,. •,., ,., ,,,. ,,,. ,., ,,,. ,,,. """ IJÄ IÅÆ Çã O_;;P1j æ)JI Ql;j R_µ1 SLiij yLI_:JI ,, ,, ,, J.. ,,. ,,,. J Ji. .OS ., ., ., ipS T.:JI ઼ji Ut;JI Tj tT.1yz1\j tCt;ll  .:flj ,,,. A ,,,. ,,,. ,,,. ,,,. ,,,. ,,. ,,,. J 5J ., ""' J J ,,,. ,,,. 0 ෺ .... uÈl ° ÉJIJ "It is not al-birr (piety, righteousness) that you turn your faces toward east or west [in prayers]; but al-birr is [having] belief in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, the prophets, and giving one's wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, to the poor, to the wayfarer, to those who ask and to set slaves free; [it also includes those who] establish the prayer, give the zakah, fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment and at the time of fighting. Such are the people of the truth and they are the pious" (al-Baqara 1 77). If this is what the Prophet (peace be upon him) meant in this hadith, it can be understood as, "Righteousness is good khuluq," in the general sense of khuluq as explained below. Conclusion Concerning the Meaning of the First Phrase In these two hadith, al-birr is juxtaposed with "sin". So, it seems clear that the meaning of al-birr in this sentence is "righteousness." Therefore, either the Prophet (peace be upon him) meant, "Righteousness is good character," or he meant, "The most essential aspect of righteousness is good character." When one keeps in mind the all-essential nature of khuluq in Islam (which is discussed below), either of the two possibilities are plausible. Allah knows best. The Meaning of al-Khuluq ("Character") Throughout the history of Islam, the word khuluq has been defined in different ways. For example, ibn Miskawaih has given the following as a definition for khuluq, It is a situation of the soul that calls it to perform certain deeds without any thought or pondering. This situation can be divided into two parts. One part is that which is naturally in a person from the time of his creation, like the person who becomes angry at the slightest provocation . . . Another part is that which is achieved through customary performance and practice. At first, it might be with pondering and thought but Hadith #27: "Righteousness is Good Character .. " the person continues those acts until they become part of his being and nature. 1 Al-Ghazzaali and al-Isfahaani have given definitions that are similar to the above.2 Al-Hulaibi points out that their definitions have some common defects, most importantly, that they neglect any aspect of intent in the deeds. They state that deeds come about without any thought or consideration on the part of the doer.3 That is not quite correct, for if that were the case, there would be no reward from Allah as those deeds were done without any intention. The intention behind the deeds is definitely there, even if is an intention that does not take much thought or wavering in the mind. Al-Hulaibi also points out that these definitions of khuluq, in general, neglect the actual deeds that are performed. They have made khuluq like a state of mind that is independent of the deeds that are performed. Indeed, such was specifically stated by al-Ghazzaali.4 Ibn al-Qayyim, on the other hand, sees khuluq as being made up of knowledge, will and action. Actions are the result of the knowledge and will possessed by a person. 5 In conclusion, one's khuluq is a combination of understanding, intention and deeds, with the last two aspects playing the most important role. If a person has good intentions followed by good deeds, it is said that he has good character or good morals. If a person has bad intentions followed up by evil deeds, it is said that he has bad character or bad morals. The All-Inclusive Nature of Khuluq Among many Muslims today, there is a misconception concerning khuluq. If a person is kind, nice and sweet, they say that he has a good character or khuluq. They may say this even if the person does not pray or fast, for example.