In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

The Description of Good Character (1) (In the Light of Hadith)

“Hazrat Abdullah bin Amr bin al-‘As (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was neither obscene in speech nor one who used foul language deliberately, and he ﷺ used to say: The best among you is the one who is best in character.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim)

In this there is a description of the noble character and perfect dignity of the Prophet ﷺ, along with the statement that the one who possesses the highest character will be the best among people. Moreover, the Prophet ﷺ was neither habitually nor deliberately obscene in speech in any way.

“Hazrat Abu al-Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said: On the Day of Resurrection, nothing will be heavier in the scale of a believing servant than good character, and indeed Allah dislikes the one who is foul-mouthed and obscene.” (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi)

Good character will be the most beneficial on the Day of Resurrection, because it will be heavier than all other deeds—but only for the one who is a believer; for the disbelievers there will be no weighing of deeds:

Qur’anic ayah:

Arabic text:
فَلَا نُقِيمُ لَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَزْنًا

Transliteration:
Falā nuqīmu lahum yawma al-qiyāmati waznā

Translation: “So We shall not assign to them on the Day of Resurrection any weight.” (Surah Al-Kahf 18:105)

Likewise, the one who possesses bad character and uses obscene speech is disliked by Allah; this means that such a person will remain unsuccessful and deprived in the Hereafter.

“Hazrat Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was asked: Which deeds will cause people to enter Paradise most frequently? He ﷺ said: Fear of Allah and good character. And he was asked: Which things will cause people to enter Hell most frequently? He ﷺ said: The mouth and the private parts.” (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi)

This hadith is also comprehensive. Through fear of Allah, a person’s relationship with Allah is properly established, and through good character he does not fall short in the rights of people. Therefore, these two deeds will certainly lead many people to enter Paradise. Likewise, it is through the mouth that a person utters words of disbelief; backbiting, slander, abuse, and obscene speech are all actions of the tongue, and the private parts become the cause of immorality. In this respect, these two things will be the greater causes of people entering Hell. Therefore, it is necessary for every person to adorn himself with piety and good character and to protect himself from the trials of the tongue and the private parts so that his Hereafter is not ruined.