Mishkat al-Masabih 5145 — Manners

Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri Narrated from:

Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم offered the salah (prayer) of asr (one day) and stood up and delivered an address to us. He did not omit any thing (concerning religion) that could transpire till the Last Hour (and would be necessary). He mentioned them to us. So, he who could, remembered, and he who forgot, forgot it (some could remember others could not).Of what he said is: "The world is green and sweet and Allah has appointed you Khalifah here. He sees how you conduct yourselves. Beware! (How you) preserve yourselves from the world and keep away from women." He also said, "On the day of resurrection, a symbol (or a banner) would be raised for every betrayer of trust according to the amount of his betrayal in the world (so that people know how much he had betrayed). And, no betrayal is greater than the betrayal of the general imam. His banner would be posted near his back. (This would be to mark the disgraceful act.)He also said "Let not awe of people prevent any of you who has knowledge from speaking the truth." (But if he fear for his life then that is an excuse though it is better to keep away from him.) Here, another version has; "If he sees what defies Shari'ah (divine law), he must not fear to change it." Abu Sa'eed رضى الله عنه wept and said that they had observed something of that and were awe-stricken to the extent that they did not speak about it.Then, he (the Prophet) صلى الله عليه وسلم said, "Know! The children of Aadam عليه السلام are created in different divisions. Among them is a born believer who lives a believer and dies a believer. Among them is he who is born an infidel, lives as an infidel and dies an infidel. Among them is a born believer, lives as a believer but dies an infidel. And, among them is he who is born an infidel, lives as an infidel but dies a believer."He narrated further that he mentioned anger. "Some are quick to loose temper and quick to cool down. So, one trait offsets the other. Some are slow to fly into a rage and slow to cool down, one trait offsetting the other. But, the best of you are they who are slow to loose temper but quick to cool down. And the worst of you are they are quick to lose temper but slow to cool down."He (also) said, "Beware of anger. It is a firebrand in the heart of the son of Aadam do you not observe how the veins on his neck swell? And, how his eyes turn red? So, if one of you goes through something of that kind, let him lie down and cling down to earth.”He narrated further that he mentioned debts and said, “Some among you are good at repaying and harsh in demanding repayment of debts (given to others) One trait balances the other. Some are bad at repaying (debts) and mild in demanding repayment of debts (extended), one trait balancing the other. However, the best among you are they who are good at repaying debts and mild in demanding a repayment of loans (extended by them). And the worst among you are they who are bad at repaying their debts and harsh in demanding the loan extended by them.....till when the sun was over the tops of the date palms and the sides of the walls, he said, “The world’s life will not last but only as much as has past, except like this day of yours compared to what has gone by of it.” [1]