On the authority of Al-Nawwas Bin Samaan, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "Righteousness is good morality (Husn Akhlaq) and wrongdoing is that which wavers in your soul and which you dislike people finding out about." (Muslim) Ethics and morals have great importance in Islam as the Qur'an says that good behavior and attitude are amongst righteous deeds (Amal Salih). Akhlaq that is the code of conduct of a person is a social phenomenon and it takes place between every interpersonal relationship. The above mentioned Hadith mentions morals as deeds that earn rewards, and evil deeds as those which human beings find hateful and try to avoid. Every human being in this world has responsibilities that not only concern them, but also their families and community. To build a social life and have a respectful place in community it is very important for a person to have good morals and behavior. It is noticed that as our circle of relations increases we grow in a society, where our manners play an important role and are behavior is in constant need of improvement and development. Our positive attitude and good nature help us attain this goal. Our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was an embodiment of ethics and morals. He was the last Messenger of Allah and therefore his character and behavior surpassed excellence. He was an exemplary example to mankind. When we study the code of conduct of the Prophet (peace be upon him), we learn about his treatment toward people around him. Even before he was given the responsibility of Prophethood, Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known amongst his family and fellow beings as As Sadiq Al-Ameen i.e. the honest and the trustworthy. His manners and behavior were unmatched by any in the old Makkan valley. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was not only honest but also a great host and a wonderful friend. He kept promises and took care of things entrusted to him. An incident of his amicable behavior was when he used to say Salam to youngsters whenever he went by them. Another example is when he would honor his wife Khadijah's (May Allah be pleased with her) friends by sending meat to their houses long after she had passed away. Such was our Prophet (peace be upon him) and he was described by Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her) that "His manners were the Qur'an.'' Allah, the Exalted, described the Prophet (peace be upon him) as "And indeed, you are of a great moral character." (Qur'an, 68:4) He was the most generous of heart, truthful of tongue, softest in disposition, and noble in relationship. Hence under the light of Ahadith we understand that every member of Islamic society needs to correct his or her behavior and get rid of negative attitudes and ill manners. It is indeed a fact that when we lose morals and ethical behavior our relations and community suffers. Peace and security get endangered; negative attitudes get in and give birth to lack of confidence and uneasiness, selfishness and self-praising attitudes. Sympathy and kind-heartedness come to an end and suffering sets. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "The best amongst you are those who have the best manners and characters. (Bukhari) The Prophet (peace be upon him) was so eager to improve his character that he would pray to Allah, "O Allah, just as you have beautified my physical being, beautify my character." (Ahmad, Sahih) The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would also say, "O Allah, guide me to the best of manners, for none guides to them except You. Protect me from bad manners, for none can protect me except You." (Muslim) In short it's righteous deeds and good behavior which result in the perfection of one's faith and leads a man to success and prosperity.
