The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: "I was only sent to perfect good character" [Muwatta' and Musnad of Ahmad]. Indeed, Hadith literature is rich with injunctions on the importance of noble character, such as: "The best of you are those best in character" [Bukhari] and "Among the most perfect of believers are those best in character" [Tirmidhi and Hakim]. Those with good character are the most beloved to Allah and His Messenger, and they are from among those who will be nearest to the Messenger on the Day of Judgment and whose scales of good deeds will be heaviest.
In order to properly understand the definition of good character, we must undoubtedly look to the man, may Allah bless him and give him peace, whom the Qur’an praised as being "of magnificent character" [68:4]. In Attaining Good Character, you will be introduced to some of our Beloved Prophet's beautiful character traits in order to begin applying these traits into your own life. The instructor, Al-Habib Umar Bin Hafiz, inherited the knowledge of these principle Islamic traits through an unbroken chain of transmission back to the source of good character, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace.
As is apparent from the hadiths above, the cultivation and improvement of your character is a key religious duty. Consequently, the main goal of this course is to remind us all on the importance of this improvement and provide us with practical tips towards the attainment of a high moral character. Through learning about these beautiful and noble qualities, you will insha'Allah deepen your love for the Prophet, may Allah bless him and give him peace, and consequently increase your faith. You will attain another means by which to follow him and attain felicity in both worlds.
The course will begin by defining character (akhlaq) and explaining the ability to change and improve it. A number of principle Islamic character traits in Islam will then be detailed, from personal characteristics such as humility, forbearance, and gratitude, to matters of dealing with others, such as maintaining family ties, aiding the oppressed, and giving joy. The class will end with a lesson on what it means to truly embody Islamic character. In addition, Sh. AbdulKarim regularly narrates additional biographies of the companions and pious predecessors to illustrate the character traits in more depth.
There are no suggested prerequisites for this course, but any faith-building courses such as Seerah and Spirituality will reinforce the topic. Lessons are available both in their original Arabic by Al-Habib Umar as well in English translation by Shaykh AbdulKarim Yahyaa. In addition, weekly live sessions will be held in English with Shaykh AbdulKarim.
Al-Habib Umar is an inheritor of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, both in knowledge and in lineage. The son of the famous scholar and martyr Habib Muhammad bin Salim bin Hafiz, Habib Umar's inspiring life story, dedication, and learning can only inspire love and respect. He is known around the world for his unrelenting effort in establishing the call to Islam and reviving its traditional teachings. Shaykh AbdulKarim is an American convert to Islam who spent two years studying in Damascus, Syria and then, since 1999, studying and living in Hadramawt, Yemen. He has studied directly under Habib Umar, who has granted him permission to teach, and has also worked extensively as Habib Umar's translator.