ISLAMIC VIRTUES

ISLAMIC VIRTUES To Emulate F OR centuries the lives of the Prophet and his Companions have served as models of a truly God-fearing existence for all humankind, and will continue to do so. Hence God’s preservation of this page of history with such exactitude that anyone, who is sincere about learning from their example can know, even today, every detail of how they lived and died. The following are a few of the examples worth emulating. The Quran is for Admonition, not just for Recital Aishah, hearing of certain individuals who read the Quran all night, reading it right through once, or even twice in a night, remarked, “What is there in mere recitation?” "I used to stay up all night with the Prophet and, in his recitations of the chapters entitled ‘Cow’, ‘Family of Imran’, and ‘Women’, whenever he came to a verse which contained a warning, he would pray to God and seek refuge with Him, and whenever he came to a verse bearing good tidings, he would pray to God and express his longing for what was mentioned in the verse". Bear Hardship with Patience Abu Bakr once recited this verse of the Quran before the Prophet: “He that does evil shall be requited with it. There shall be none to protect or help him.” (4: 123) “How,” he asked, “can things now turn out well for us, since we shall have to pay for the evil that we do?” “May God forgive you, Abu Bakr,” the Prophet said, “don’t you ever become ill, or feel fatigue or distress? Aren’t you sometimes afflicted with hardship? Don’t you fall into error now and then?” Abu Bakr said that he did indeed. “This then is the requital of your sins in this world,” said the Prophet. Encouraging Criticism The Caliph Umar once came to the drinking place of the Bani Harithah where he came upon Muhammad ibn Maslamah. “How do you find me?” he asked Muhammad ibn Maslamah. “By God, I find you just as I would like you to be and just as it would please any well-wisher to see you. You are good at accumulating wealth, I see, but you keep your hands clean of it yourself, distributing it equitably". “But,” went on Muhammad ibn Maslamah, “If you adopt a crooked course, we will straighten you, just as we straighten swords by placing