Sayyidi al-Habib Umar bin Hafiz (may Allah preserve him) was expounding on the topic of noble character.[1]He said: “We have to always remember and remind each other that our closeness to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in the next life is according to the level of our character. He said (may Allah bless him and grant him peace): “The most beloved of you to me and the closest of you to me on the Day of Judgement are the best of you in character.”[2]Only the one who possesses noble character is fit to be in the presence of the Possessor of Awesome Character (may Allah bless him and grant him peace).

نَبِيٌّ عَظِيْمٌ خُلْقُهُ الخُلُقُ الَّذِي

        لَهُ عَظَّمَ الرَّحمنُ فِيْ سَيِّدِ الكُتْبِ

“An awesome Prophet, whose character the All-Compassionate has venerated in the Master of all Books”[3]

Good character is inextricably linked to knowledge and to one’s connection to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). This link dictates that the one who possesses noble character invokes abundant blessings upon the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Look at the relationship between these three hadiths:

“The most beloved of you to me and the closest of you to me on the Day of Judgement are the best of you in character.”

“The closest people to me on the Day of Judgement are the ones who invoke the most blessings upon me.”[4]

“The closest people to the station of prophet-hood are the scholars and the martyrs. The scholars guide others to that which the Messengers brought, and the martyrs sacrifice their lives for that which the Messengers brought.”[5]

The heart of anyone with good character is connected to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and this connection drives such a person to spend a portion of his time invoking blessings upon the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). Likewise anyone that invokes abundant blessings upon him will receive a portion of that Prophetic character. When a person possesses this character and connection Prophetic knowledge will be made clear to him so that he sacrifices himself for the sake of the religion and busies himself conveying and clarifying the message that the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) brought.

 

[1] Dar al-Mustafa after Fajr 8th Ramadan 1432/8th August 2011, translated by Ustadh Amin Buxton (Allah preserve him and his teachers).

[2] Narrated by Ahmad, al-Tabarani, Ibn Hibban, who classified it as sahih.

[3] From a poem by Imam al-Haddad. This verse was inscribed on the wall of the enclosure in which lies the grave of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)

[4] Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and Ibn Hibban

[5] Narrated by Abu Nu`aym