After faith, the second important requirement of religion is purification of morals. This means that a person should cleanse his attitude both towards his creator and towards his fellow human beings. This is what is termed as a righteous deed. All the shariah is its corollary. With the change and evolution in societies and civilizations, the shariah has indeed changed; however faith and righteous deeds, which are the foundations of religion, have not undergone any change. The Quran is absolutely clear that any person who brings forth these two things before the Almighty on the Day of Judgement will be blessed with Paradise, which shall be his eternal abode:

وَمَنْ يَأْتِهِ مُؤْمِنًا قَدْ عَمِلَ الصَّالِحَاتِ فَأُوْلَئِكَ لَهُمُ الدَّرَجَاتُ الْعُلَى جَنَّاتُ عَدْنٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ جَزَاء مَن تَزَكَّى (20: 75-76)

And he who comes before Him as a believer having done righteous deeds, exalted ranks are for such people, evergreen gardens beneath which streams flow and they shall abide therein forever. This shall be the reward of those who purify themselves. (20:75-76)

It is doing these righteous deeds which is termed as sound moral behaviour and doing unrighteous ones is termed as immoral behaviour. The Prophet (sws) is reported to have said: إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتمَِّمَ صَالِحَ الأَخْلاَق (I have been sent to achieve the culmination of high moral standards). [1] He is also reported to have said: “The best among you are those who are morally sound from others.” [2] “These are the people who are very dear to me.” [3] “On the Day of Judgement, it will be high moral behaviour which will carry most weight in the scales of a person.” [4] “A believer achieves the same rank through high moral behaviour as can be achieved through fasts and the night prayers.” [5]

1) Basic Issues:

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2) Fundamental Principle:

Discussion 37166

3) Moral Standards:

Discussion 37171

4) Pinnacle of Morality:

Discussion 37174

(Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)

(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)

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[1]. Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 3, 80, (no. 8729).

[2]. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 597, (no. 3559);Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 1024, (no. 6033).

[3]. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 632, (no. 3759).

[4]. Abu Da’ud Sulayman ibn al-Ash‘ath al-Sajistani, Sunan, vol. 4 (Beirut: Dar al-jil, 1992), 253-254, (no. 4799); Abu ‘Isa Muhammad ibn ‘Isaal-Tirmidhi, Al-Jami‘ al-kabir, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (Beirut: Dar al-gharb al-islami, 1998), 535-536, (no. 2002).

[5]. Abu Da’ud, Sunan, vol. 4, 253, (no. 4798); Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, vol. 3, 536, (no. 2003).