Makarim al-Akhlaq liman arada al-Khalaq
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- Makarim al-Akhlaq liman arada al-Khalaq
Makarim al-Akhlaq liman arada al-Khalaq (Noble Character Traits for Whoever Seeks the Creator) is an Arabic treatise on Islamic ethics and personal conduct compiled by the Bangladeshi scholar Anwar ibn Ahl Allah in 1429 AH / 2008 CE .
Purpose and Subject Matter
The work addresses Islamic character, which the author describes as the central axis of a Muslim's success across various spheres of life . In the introduction, the author observes a contemporary moral crisis affecting marital relationships, mosque attendees, students, teachers, neighbors, and families . He identifies four foundational pillars for good character—patience, chastity, courage, and justice—and four corresponding roots for base character: ignorance, injustice, lust, and anger .
Structure and Method
The treatise opens with preliminary sections defining khuluq (character) linguistically and technically, along with a definition of Islamic ethics as rooted in the Quran and the Prophetic Sunnah . It highlights the importance of ethics, quoting a remark by Mustafa Sadiq al-Rafi'i from his book Wahy al-Qalam (The Revelation of the Pen) on the constancy of ethics in Islam .
Subsequent introductory chapters cover:
- An overview of the noble qualities of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ .
- The benefits and fruits of virtuous character alongside the harmful consequences of bad character in both this life and the hereafter .
- Six practical means for acquiring virtuous character, including genuine faith, keeping righteous company, self-reckoning, deliberate training, studying the biographies of the righteous predecessors, and supplication .
The main body of the work presents an enumerated list of 74 distinct virtues and moral obligations that a Muslim ought to embody, providing relevant Quranic verses and hadiths with source attributions for each quality . The listed traits begin with offering sincere counsel to Muslims (al-nasiha li-l-muslimin) and conclude with purifying the heart from rancor, envy, and deceit (taharat al-qalb min al-ghill wa-al-hasad wa-al-ghishsh) .
Composition and Distribution
The author—identified in his full signature as Anwar ibn Mawlana Ahl Allah ibn Mawlana Anwar Allah—completed the treatise on 13 Dhu al-Hijjah 1429 AH / 11 December 2008 CE . The title page lists distribution and request points in Feni, Bangladesh, including al-Jami'ah al-Madaniyyah, Dar al-Qur'an wa-al-Sunnah in Daganbhuiyan, and the Mustafa Library on Mizan Road .
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