Can you explain the statement "Religion is high ethics (good manners)"?

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is not possible to separate ethics from belief in Islam. For, it is the necessity of belief to obey all orders of the Quran. The highest ethics is achieved by obeying those orders.  The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) said,

"The best among the believers are those who have the best manners and character." (Bukhari, Adab, 39)

Accordingly, a person who does not have a perfect understanding and behavior in terms of ethics cannot attain perfection in belief. The Prophet states the following in another hadith:

"Faith has over seventy branches, the most excellent of which is the declaration that there is no god but Allah, and the humblest of which is the removal of a bone from the road. And modesty is a branch of faith." (Abu Dawud, Sunnah, 14)

"None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself." (Bukhari, Iman, 7; Muslim, Iman, 71-72)

"I guarantee a house in the surroundings of Paradise for a man who avoids quarrelling even if he were in the right, a house in the middle of Paradise for a man who avoids lying even if he were joking, and a house in the upper part of Paradise for a man who made his character good." (Abu Dawud, Adab, 7)

"Nothing is placed on the Scale (Mizan) that is heavier than good character. Indeed the person with good character will have attained the rank of the person of fasting and prayer." (Tirmidhi, Birr, 62 )

The Prophet mentioned the superiority of high ethics in the hadiths above and similar ones. He described a good Muslim as follows:

"A Muslim is he from whose hand and tongue the Muslims are safe." (Muslim, Iman, 14)

"The best person among people is the one with a long life and good deeds."

A Companion asks the Messenger of Allah,

- What is the best deed in Islam? The Prophet answered him as follows:

"Giving people food, greeting the people you know and you do not know."

When Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, one of the notables of Companions, asked the Messenger of Allah a similar question, he said,  

"Prayer at its proper time, kindness (birr) to parents, jihad in the Way of Allah."

A community that does only the deeds mentioned above as the basic principles of Islamic ethics and acts in accordance with those principles can always stand upright. 

It is necessary to treat people mildly, to remind them their mistakes by using soft words and a style that will not offend them. It should be a principle of a Muslim to warn people by using the same style. The practical ethics of Islam seen in the life of people includes all of the duties of man toward himself, other people, his environment and Allah.  When all of them are viewed, it is seen that Islamic ethics are based on respect, service, mercy, good manners, modesty, controlling one's soul, humbleness, justice and similar traits.

In addition, Islam states that it definitely prohibits feelings and deeds like telling lies, swearing, cursing, mocking, arrogance, tale-bearing, backbiting, hypocrisy, stinginess and jealousy, telling Muslims that they must avoid these feelings and deeds. 

(Ahmed AĞIRAKÇA)

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