What Does Having a Good Character with Allah (Most High) Mean?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
What does it mean for a person to have good character with their Lord, the Almighty?
Answer
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
If having good character with people is praiseworthy and commendable, then having good character with Allah (Most High) is among the most obligatory of duties. This means:
Contentment with Allah’s Decrees
Whether joyful or painful, a person with good character towards Allah accepts His decrees with an open heart, without complaint, objection, or dissatisfaction.
A person with good character accepts even what they dislike, submitting to Allah’s command, trusting that whatever Allah decrees is based on His wisdom. They say both in their heart and on their tongue: “I am pleased with what my Lord has chosen for me.”
Belief in Allah’s Wisdom
It is part of good character with Allah to be certain that whatever happens to a person is by Allah’s will and wisdom. As Allah (Most High) says:
“No calamity (or blessing) occurs on earth or in yourselves without being (written) in a Record before We bring it into being. This is certainly easy for Allah.” [Quran, 57:22]
Thankfulness for Allah’s Blessings
Being grateful to Allah for His blessings, whether they are small or great, is a part of having good character with Him. This includes recognizing His favors and generosity. Allah (Most High) says:
“…remember Me; I will remember you. And thank Me, and never be ungrateful.” [Quran, 2:152]
Steadfastness in Obedience
Good character with Allah means being steadfast in His obedience by adhering to His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, seeking His pleasure in all actions and words.
It is not from good character to disobey the One who grants us blessings and honor. This also drives the person to repent and seek forgiveness when they fall into error, humbling themselves before Allah and returning to Him with sincere repentance.
Sincerity in All Actions
Having a good character with Allah means dedicating every act of worship solely to Him, seeking His pleasure and not the approval of anyone else. It is poor etiquette to associate partners with Allah, the One who created you. The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) was once asked,
“Which sin is the greatest in the sight of Allah?” He said, “To set up a rival to Allah while He is the One who created you.” [Bukhari; Muslim]
It is also poor etiquette with Allah to direct acts of worship or obedience to anyone other than Him, as He says:
“…even though they were only commanded to worship Allah (alone) with sincere devotion to Him in all uprightness…” [Quran, 98:5]
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
