“What would the Prophet do?” That is a question we often ask ourselves, but sometimes the answer is not clear to us. This course provides important and insightful glimpses into the Prophet’s inspirational personality and manners, empowering students to build their own Islamic manners by attempting to emulate that of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The course is an explanation and contextualization of Shaykh `Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah’s influential and celebrated book Islamic Manners.

This course provides a detailed explanation of Shaykh `Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah's celebrated book on Islamic Manners.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “I have not been sent (as a Messenger) except to perfect noble character.” He was also described in the Qur’an as, “Verily you are upon a vast ethos” (Qur’an 68:4). Ibn al-Mubarak said, “Mukhlid Ibn al-Husayn once said to me, ‘We are more in need of acquiring adab (good manners) than learning hadith.’” This statement was true several centuries ago, and it is even more true now. The acquisition of knowledge alone is insufficient to build a sound, balanced, and healthy Islamic personality. As Imam Zakariyya al-Ansari once said, “Knowledge without adab is like fire without wood, and adab without knowledge is like a spirit without a body.”

In the words of Sh. Abu Ghuddah: “Adab (good manners) is an integral part of the development of a sound Islamic personality. It is something that one is brought up with, sees around him and thus acquires. The beauty of a civilization is manifested in the values and manners embodied in the interaction of its members. The more dignified the manners, the more stable and vibrant the social fabric of a society. But sadly, we live in times where adab is lacking at all levels of society. We live in an "adab-less" society where parents are disrespected, teachers are not treated with due honor, elders are not given their due rights, and the basic manners of eating, visiting, appearance and conversation are not observed."

It is therefore important for all Muslims to learn the basic points of adab that are applicable in everyday situations in a way that was exemplified by the Prophetic sunnah. This course is designed to empower students in building their Islamic personality through self-improvement in the finer points of Islamic manners. After taking this course, the student, with Allah’s permission, will have a deeper awareness and appreciation for proper manners and etiquettes in a variety of everyday situations.

Shaykh `Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah (1917-1997 CE) is one of the foremost Muslim scholars of the 20th century. Born in Syria, he was a leading authority in the field of hadith and Hanafi jurisprudence.

Lesson 1: The Importance of Islamic Manners
Lesson 2: The Importance of Appearance
Lesson 3: Entering and Leaving the House
Lesson 4: The Manners of Visiting
Lesson 5: The Manners of Conversation
Lesson 6: Social Manners & Respect for Elders
Lesson 7: Respect for Parents & Communicating with Non-Muslims
Lesson 8: The Manners of Eating
Lesson 9: The Adab of Weddings
Lesson 10: Visiting the Sick
Lesson 11: Manners of Traveling
Lesson 12: Condolences

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"Enjoyed the course, was very relevant, now have the knowledge of knowing what is the sunnah way of doing things." (Fall 2010 Student)

"The course materials and structure along with Shaykh's explanation were excellent.
(Fall 2009 Student)