The Weight of Good Character: Why Akhlaq Is the Heart of the Deen
الخطبة الأولى · First Khutbah
Alhamdulillah — all praise belongs to Allah, who perfected for us our religion and honoured us with the best of guidance. We send our salawat and salaam upon our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the one who was sent for no other purpose than to perfect noble character. Brothers and sisters — we live in a time when people measure a Muslim by how he looks, by how loudly he proclaims his faith, by the length of his beard or the style of her hijab. But the Prophet ﷺ pointed us to something deeper, something that outlasts appearances and outlasts words. He pointed us to what is in the heart and what flows from it into every interaction of our lives: our akhlaq — our character.
The Mission of the Prophet ﷺ Was a Mission of Character
Allah did not send Muhammad ﷺ simply to deliver a legal code. He sent him as a living, breathing embodiment of the Quran itself. When 'A'ishah رضي الله عنها was asked about the character of the Prophet ﷺ, she gave the most profound and concise answer in the history of Islamic scholarship. She said:
كُنَّا نُعِدُّ لَهُ سِوَاكَهُ وَطَهُورَهُ فَيَبْعَثُهُ اللَّهُ مَا شَاءَ أَنْ يَبْعَثَهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَسَوَّكُ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ وَيُصَلِّي تِسْعَ رَكَعَاتٍ لاَ يَجْلِسُ فِيهَا إِلاَّ فِي الثَّامِنَةِ فَيَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ وَيَحْمَدُهُ وَيَدْعُوهُ ثُمَّ يَنْهَضُ وَلاَ يُسَلِّمُ ثُمَّ يَقُومُ فَيُصَلِّي التَّاسِعَةَ ثُمَّ يَقْعُدُ فَيَذْكُرُ اللَّهَ وَيَحْمَدُهُ وَيَدْعُوهُ ثُمَّ يُسَلِّمُ تَسْلِيمًا يُسْمِعُنَا ثُمَّ يُصَلِّي رَكْعَتَيْنِ بَعْدَ مَا يُسَلِّمُ وَهُوَ قَاعِدٌ فَتِلْكَ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً يَا بُنَىَّ فَلَمَّا أَسَنَّ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَخَذَ اللَّحْمَ أَوْتَرَ بِسَبْعٍ وَصَنَعَ فِي الرَّكْعَتَيْنِ مِثْلَ صَنِيعِهِ الأَوَّلِ فَتِلْكَ تِسْعٌ يَا بُنَىَّ وَكَانَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذَا صَلَّى صَلاَةً أَحَبَّ أَنْ يُدَاوِمَ عَلَيْهَا وَكَانَ إِذَا غَلَبَهُ نَوْمٌ أَوْ وَجَعٌ عَنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ صَلَّى مِنَ النَّهَارِ ثِنْتَىْ عَشْرَةَ رَكْعَةً وَلاَ أَعْلَمُ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ كُلَّهُ فِي لَيْلَةٍ وَلاَ صَلَّى لَيْلَةً إِلَى الصُّبْحِ وَلاَ صَامَ شَهْرًا كَامِلاً غَيْرَ رَمَضَانَ
Sa'd b. Hisham b. 'Amir decided to participate in the expedition for the sake of Allah, so he came to Medina and he decided to dispose of his property there and buy arms and horses instead and fight against the Romans to the end of his life. When he came to Medina, he met the people of Medina. They dissuaded him to do such a thing, and informed him that a group of six men had decided to do so during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) forbade them to do it, and said: “Is there not for you a model pattern in me? And when they narrated this to him (Sa'd b. Hisham), he returned to his wife, though he had divorced her and made (people) witness to his reconciliation. He then came to Ibn 'Abbas and asked him about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Ibn 'Abbas said: Should I not lead you to one who knows best amongst the people of the world about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)? He said: Who is it? He (Ibn 'Abbas) said: It is 'A'isha. So go to her and ask her (about Witr) and then come to me and inform me about her answer that she would give you. So I came to Hakim b. Aflah and requested him to take me to her. He said: I would not go to her, for I forbade her to speak anything (about the conflict) between the two groupS, but she refused (to accept my advice) and went (to participate in that corflict). I (requested) him (Hakim) with an oath to lead me to her. So we went to 'A'isha and we begged permission to meet her. She granted us permission and we went in. She said: Are you Hakim? (She recognised him.) He replied: Yes. She said: Who is there with you? He said: He is Sa'd b. Hisham. She said: Which Hisham? He said: He is Hisham b. 'Amir. She blessed him ('Amir) with mercy from Allah and spoke good of him (Qatada said that he died as a martyr in Uhud). I said: Mother of the Faithful, tell me about the character of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: Don't you read the Qur'an? I said: Yes. Upon this she said: The character of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was the Qur'an. He said: I felt inclined to get up and not ask anything (further) till death. But then I changed my mind and said: Inform me about the observance (of the night prayer) of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: Did you not recite:" O thou wrapped up"? He said: Yes. She said: Allah, the Exalted and the Glorious, made the observance of the night prayer at the beginning of this Surah obligatory. So the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him and his Companions around him observed this (night prayer) for one year. Allah held back the concluding portion of this Surah for twelve months in the Heaven till (at the end of this period) Allah revealed the concluding verses of this Surah which lightened (the burden of this prayer), and the night prayer became a supererogatory prayer after being an obligatory one. I said: Mother of the Faithful, inform me about the Witr of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She said: I used to prepare tooth stick for him and water for his ablution, and Allah would rouse him to the extent He wished during the night. He would use the tooth stick, and perform ablution, and would offer nine rak'ahs, and would not sit but in the eighth one and would remember Allah, and praise Him and supplicate Him, then he would get up without uttering the salutation and pray the ninth rak'ah. He would then sit, remember, praise Him and supplicate Him and then utter a salutation loud enough for us to hear. He would then pray two rak'ahs sitting after uttering the salutation, and that made eleven rak'ahs. O my son, but when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) grew old and put on flesh, he observed Witr of seven, doing in the two rak'ahs as he had done formerly, and that made nine. O my son, and when the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed prayer, he liked to keep on observing it, and when sleep or pain overpowered him and made it impossible (for him) to observe prayer in the night, he prayed twelve rak'ahs daring the day. I am not aware of Allah's Prophet (ﷺ) having recited the whole Qur'an during one single night, or praying through the night till morning, or fasting a complete month, except Ramadan. He (the narrator) said: I then went to Ibn 'Abbas and narrated to him the hadith (transmitted from her), and he said: She says the truth If I went to her and got into her presence, I would have listened to it orally from her. He said: If I were to know that you do not go to her. I would not have transmitted this hadith to you narrated by her.”
His character was the Quran. Every ayah about patience, he lived it. Every ayah about generosity, he demonstrated it. Every ayah about forgiveness, he enacted it. The Quran was not an abstract text to him — it was a daily reality.
And Allah Himself bore witness to this. In Surah al-Qalam, Allah says:
﴿وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ﴾
“And indeed, you are of a great moral character.”
— Quran 68:4, Al-Qalam
This is not a minor compliment. This is the Creator of the heavens and earth testifying to the character of His servant. Contemplate that.
Why Did the Prophet ﷺ Come?
The Prophet ﷺ himself told us his mission in unmistakable terms. He said:
The perfection of noble character. Not the abolition of previous religions — not the construction of an empire — but the completion of moral excellence. This is the stated mission. This tells us everything about what Islam prioritises.
What Is Akhlaq and Why Does It Carry Such Weight?
Akhlaq is not merely being polite. It is a comprehensive concept:
- With Allah: Submission, gratitude, trust (tawakkul), and contentment with His decree
- With the Prophet ﷺ: Love, obedience, and following his Sunnah
- With people: Honesty, mercy, patience, generosity, and justice
- With oneself: Discipline, self-accountability, and protecting one's dignity
The Prophet ﷺ was asked which deeds are heaviest on the Scale on the Day of Judgement. He replied — and notice what he said:
" مَا شَيْءٌ أَثْقَلُ فِي مِيزَانِ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ خُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيَبْغَضُ الْفَاحِشَ الْبَذِيءَ "
Abu Ad-Dardh narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “"Nothing is heavier on the believer's Scale on the Day of Judgment than good character. For indeed Allah, Most High, is angered by the shameless obscene person."”
Good character will be among the heaviest things on the believer's scale. Not just salah, not just fasting — but how you treated people. How you spoke to your spouse. How you dealt with your neighbour. How you conducted your business.
The Companion Who Nearly Lost Everything Over His Tongue
We know from authentic reports the seriousness with which the companions took their character. Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه — the best human being after the prophets — used to hold his tongue and say it was this that had brought him into troubles. He was someone who wept over his own shortcomings in character even as the Ummah regarded him as its finest soul.
The Prophet ﷺ made a striking declaration about the tongue and its consequences:
تَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تُشْرِكُ بِهِ شَيْئًا وَتُقِيمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَتُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ وَتَصُومُ رَمَضَانَ وَتَحُجُّ الْبَيْتَ " . ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَلاَ أَدُلُّكَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ الْخَيْرِ الصَّوْمُ جُنَّةٌ وَالصَّدَقَةُ تُطْفِئُ الْخَطِيئَةَ كَمَا يُطْفِئُ الْمَاءُ النَّارَ وَصَلاَةُ الرَّجُلِ مِنْ جَوْفِ اللَّيْلِ " . قَالَ ثُمَّ تَلاََ: ( تَتَجَافَى جُنُوبُهُمْ عَنِ الْمَضَاجِعِ ) حَتَّى بَلَغَ: (يَعْمَلُونَ) ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكَ بِرَأْسِ الأَمْرِ كُلِّهِ وَعَمُودِهِ وَذِرْوَةِ سَنَامِهِ " . قُلْتُ بَلَى يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ " رَأْسُ الأَمْرِ الإِسْلاَمُ وَعَمُودُهُ الصَّلاَةُ وَذِرْوَةُ سَنَامِهِ الْجِهَادُ " . ثُمَّ قَالَ " أَلاَ أُخْبِرُكَ بِمَلاَكِ ذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ " . قُلْتُ بَلَى يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ قَالَ فَأَخَذَ بِلِسَانِهِ قَالَ " كُفَّ عَلَيْكَ هَذَا " . فَقُلْتُ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّا لَمُؤَاخَذُونَ بِمَا نَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ فَقَالَ " ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ يَا مُعَاذُ وَهَلْ يَكُبُّ النَّاسَ فِي النَّارِ عَلَى وُجُوهِهِمْ أَوْ عَلَى مَنَاخِرِهِمْ إِلاَّ حَصَائِدُ أَلْسِنَتِهِمْ "
Narrated Mu'adh bin Jabal: “"I accompanied the Prophet (ﷺ) on a journey. One day I was near him while we were moving so I said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Inform me about an action by which I will be admitted into Paradise, and which will keep me far from the Fire.' He said: 'You have asked me about something great, but it is easy for whomever Allah makes it easy: Worship Allah and do not associate any partners with Him, establish the Salat, give the Zakat, fast Ramadan and perform Hajj to the HOuse.' Then he said: 'Shall I not guide you to the doors of good? Fasting is a shield, and charity extinguishes sins like water extinguishes fire - and a man's praying in depths of the night.'" He said: "Then he recited: 'Their sides forsake their beds to call upon their Lord.' Until he reached: 'What they used to do.' [32:16-17] Then he said: 'Shall I not inform you about the head of the entire matter, and its pillar, and its hump?' I said: 'Of course O Messenger of Allah! He said: 'The head of the matter is Islam, and its pillar is the Salat, and its hump is Jihad.' Then he said: 'Shall I not inform you about what governs all of that?' I said: 'Of course O Messenger of Allah!'" He (ﷺ) said: "So he grabbed his tongue. He said 'Restrain this.' I said: 'O Prophet of Allah! Will we be taken to account for what we say?' He said: 'May your mother grieve your loss O Mu'adh! Are the people tossed into the Fire upon their faces, or upon their noses, except because of what their tongues have wrought'"”
Most people who are dragged face-down into Hellfire — the Prophet ﷺ pointed to the harvest of the tongue. Our words are character in action. Every conversation is a test.
Character Is What Brings People to Islam
It is a historical fact — not a sentiment — that vast regions of the world entered Islam not through armies but through merchants and traders whose character was so remarkable that people asked: what is this religion that produces such people?
The spread of Islam in Southeast Asia — home today to hundreds of millions of Muslims — is largely attributed to traders whose honesty and trustworthiness were legendary.
The Prophet ﷺ said:
" اتَّقِ اللَّهَ حَيْثُمَا كُنْتَ وَأَتْبِعِ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ "
Abu Dharr said: “"The Messenger of Allah said to me: 'Have Taqwa of Allah wherever you are, and follow an evil deed with a good one to wipe it out, and treat the people with good behavior."”
Good character draws people together. It is da'wah without words. Every Muslim who behaves with integrity, patience, and generosity is a walking invitation to Islam.
The Closest to the Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Judgement
Here is a motivation that should move every one of us. The Prophet ﷺ said — and this is a promise he made:
" إِنَّ مِنْ أَحَبِّكُمْ إِلَىَّ وَأَقْرَبِكُمْ مِنِّي مَجْلِسًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَحَاسِنَكُمْ أَخْلاَقًا وَإِنَّ أَبْغَضَكُمْ إِلَىَّ وَأَبْعَدَكُمْ مِنِّي مَجْلِسًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الثَّرْثَارُونَ وَالْمُتَشَدِّقُونَ وَالْمُتَفَيْهِقُونَ " . قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ عَلِمْنَا الثَّرْثَارُونَ وَالْمُتَشَدِّقُونَ فَمَا الْمُتَفَيْهِقُونَ قَالَ " الْمُتَكَبِّرُونَ "
Jabir narrated that the Messenger of Allah said: “"Indeed the most beloved among you to me, and the nearest to sit with me on the Day of Judgment is the best of you in character. And indeed, the most disliked among you to me, and the one sitting furthest from me on the Day of Judgement are the Thartharun, and the Mutashaddiqun and the Muthafaihiqun." They said: "O Messenger of Allah! We know about the Thartharun, and the Mutashaddiqun, but what about the Muthafaihiqun?"' He said:"The arrogant."”
The closest to him in rank, the nearest to him at the Hawd, the most beloved to him — are those with the best character. Not necessarily the most knowledgeable. Not the wealthiest who gave in charity. Those with the best character.
If there is one thing that should make us work on ourselves before we sleep tonight — it is this.
We have heard the evidence — the Quran, the Sunnah, history itself — all testifying that akhlaq is not a soft extra in this deen, it is the very spine of it. But knowing this is not enough. The question that will face us when we stand before Allah is not: did you know about good character? The question will be: did you live it? When we return from this brief pause, we will ask ourselves — what does living it actually look like, starting today?
— The khateeb sits briefly, then rises for the second khutbah —
الخطبة الثانية · Second Khutbah
Bringing It Home: Akhlaq Starts Where You Are
The Prophet ﷺ said the best of you are those who are best to their families.
وَأَنَا خَيْرُكُمْ لأَهْلِي وَإِذَا مَاتَ صَاحِبُكُمْ فَدَعُوهُ "
Narrated 'Aishah: “that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "The best of you is the best to his wives, and I am the best of you to my wives, and when your companion dies, leave him alone."”
Not best to strangers while you're a tyrant at home. Not generous at the masjid while you're miserly with your spouse. Character begins behind closed doors. That is where it is real.
Three Practical Actions — Start This Week
1. Guard your tongue for 24 hours. Make a conscious intention from today: no backbiting, no sarcasm, no belittling. Imam Ahmad رحمه الله used to say: if a man's character towards people is good, then know that his interior with Allah is good. Your tongue is the mirror of your heart.
2. Repair one broken relationship. The Prophet ﷺ warned that the deeds of people are presented to Allah twice a week, and forgiveness is withheld from the one who holds a grudge against his brother.
Identify one person you have distanced yourself from — a family member, a friend, a neighbour. Make one move toward repair. A message. A visit. A single kind word.
3. Take one person in your life as a mirror. Ask a trusted friend, a spouse, a parent — ask them: where do I fall short in my character? This takes courage. But the companions of the Prophet ﷺ used to actively seek this kind of accountability. Growth begins with honest self-knowledge.
The Deen Is Not Complete Without This
Salah without character produces a person who prays and then lies. Fasting without character produces hunger with no spiritual elevation. Allah reminds us:
﴿ٱتْلُ مَآ أُوحِىَ إِلَيْكَ مِنَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأَقِمِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ ۖ إِنَّ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ تَنْهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلْفَحْشَآءِ وَٱلْمُنكَرِ ۗ وَلَذِكْرُ ٱللَّهِ أَكْبَرُ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ﴾
“Recite, [O Muḥammad], what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, prayer prohibits immorality and wrongdoing, and the remembrance of Allāh is greater. And Allāh knows that which you do.”
— Quran 29:45, Al-'Ankabut
Prayer — true prayer — should restrain from immorality and wrongdoing. When it does not, we must ask ourselves: are we praying, or merely performing movements?
May Allah make us people whose ibadah flows into our character, and whose character is a testimony to our ibadah.
We send abundant salawat upon our Prophet ﷺ, as Allah commanded us in Surah al-Ahzab:
﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتَهُۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّ ۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ صَلُّوا۟ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا۟ تَسْلِيمًا﴾
“Indeed, Allāh confers blessing upon the Prophet, and His angels [ask Him to do so]. O you who have believed, ask [Allāh to confer] blessing upon him and ask [Allāh to grant him] peace.”
— Quran 33:56, Al-Ahzab
Dua
O Allah, You said You love those who purify themselves — purify our hearts, our tongues, and our intentions.
O Allah, make us of those who are closest to Your Prophet ﷺ on the Day of Judgement through the excellence of our character.
O Allah, protect us from the diseases of the heart — from arrogance, from envy, from holding grudges, and from hypocrisy.
O Allah, make our homes places of mercy, our tongues instruments of truth, and our dealings with people a reflection of Your Name, Al-Kareem — the Most Generous.
O Allah, do not let us be of those whose prayers and fasting count for nothing because our character drove people away from this deen.
Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanah, wa fil-akhirati hasanah, wa qina 'adhab an-nar.
Wa akhiru da'wana an il-hamdulillahi rabb il-'alamin.