What are the qualities of a righteous man?

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Flame of Hope

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What do you think are the qualities of a righteous man? What about the qualities of a righteous woman?

I think some qualities would differ due to the differences in gender. But anyway, fire away your thoughts on this matter.
 
I think for the righteous man, he is particular about how he treats his mother and prefers her to his wife. As for the righteous woman, she is particular about how she treats her husband.

Ummm. I could be wrong about this, so please correct me if it's incorrect.
 
Ghazalah said:
What do you mean by this?
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I had read a story about a sahabah who was on his death bed and was unable to say the shahadah. So the Prophet (saws) asked if he had a mother. It was later found that the dying man had given preference to his wife over his mother and had displeased her. So that was the reason why he couldn't say the shahadah. It was only after the mother forgave him that he was able to say the shahadah.

But if I'm wrong about this, please correct me.
 
^Hmm... I think if the husband gives both parties their right then there would be no need for preference.
 
ok i my mind i think the most imp things are
1. softness
2. caring
3. firmness/ decision maker / or u say had courage to stand in difficulties
4. simplicity and non proudy nature
5. kind heart and merciful

Plz dont think that my choice resembles with ladies......lol.
actually that i took from the life of our beloved Prophet PBUH bcz He is a model for us.
 
my view of righteousness for both genders:

1. Seeking the pleasure of Allah in every single action in home, work, mosque...and every place.

2. they should not think of religion as something applied in Masjid only or read in Quran

3. They should do what they say......(especially if they are giving advice to others)

4. They should always purify their intention and do good deeds seeking the pleasure of Allah not hearing good words from people.

5. Treat others as they would like to be treated
 
Both Should respect each other...also..

The man should obey/treat well his mother (if what she commands is islamically right) and the woman should obey her husband (if what he commands is islamically right)



- I remember reading the above in an islamic book... i forgot if the above is a hadith or not.
 
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Salaam, for me these things denote the qualities that reflect a righteous women:
1. Character/Deen
2. Patience
3. Being honest with themselves and who they are
4. Treating everybody they meet with dignity and respect

These are a few traits that I would associate with a righteous women.
 
:sl:

I think the same qualities would apply to both men and women. the only difference would be in the manner they apply them.

1. An understanding that none of us are righteous, we can only do our best to be so.

2, To always recognize it is Allaah(swt) alone who controls this Dunya

3. The ability to walk without fear, by being secure in knowing that things of this Dunya can not harm our soul unless we let them

4. Treat all of Allaah(swt)'s creation with kindness and mercy, striving to be just

5. Know that our rights end when they infringe upon the rights of another.

6. Live life with the knowledge that one day we will be required to justify all of our actions, inactions and thoughts.
 
for both men and women, righteousness is having one's heart attached to Allah in the form of "shivering" upon hearing His verses, worrying about where your place will be in the aakhira, and constantly repenting. righteousness (in the scope that i am speaking of) is what good dwells in the heart.
 
:sl:

Allah SWT describes righteousness in surah al Baqarah:

2_177-1.png

2:177. It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allah, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masakin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat), and gives the Zakat, and who fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.) in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al-Muttaqun (pious - see V.2:2).
 
Flame, did you make this thread in response to the thread that Glo made? :p


I like this verse: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light...." (Psalm 37:3-6)

I like that last line, "He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light." Man's righteousness is shown by God, not by man's own doing. It is God who declares us righteous. It suggests humility as one quality of a righteous man. Other qualities in that verse are: trust in God, do good, feed on God's faithfulness, and commit your ways to God.

But these are more qualities of the righteous man: Merciful, humble, fear of God, keeps God's covenants and testimonies, obedient to God, walks in integrity, pure heart, giving, blesses God, seeks God, keeps his oaths at all costs, is wise and not hasty in making oaths, clean hands, speaks wisely, his words give life, they desire only good, hates lying, regards the life of animals, ponders his answers..... (This list in not exhaustive and comes from scripture throughout the Bible.)
 
PouringRain said:
But these are more qualities of the righteous man: Merciful, humble, fear of God, keeps God's covenants and testimonies, obedient to God, walks in integrity, pure heart, giving, blesses God, seeks God, keeps his oaths at all costs, is wise and not hasty in making oaths, clean hands, speaks wisely, his words give life, they desire only good, hates lying, regards the life of animals, ponders his answers..... (This list in not exhaustive and comes from scripture throughout the Bible.)
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Thanks PouringRain for your contribution. :) Righteousness is something that people of all faiths and religions recognize. It consists of many sterling, extraordinary qualities, doesn't it? I'm rather fascinated by the variety of answers given so far.

I'd like to add in two qualities to the list:

1. A righteous man never feels secure.

2. A righteous man never considers himself to be righteous. (somewhat a similar point given by Bro. Woodrow...that none of us are righteous, we can only strive to be so.)
 
Being righteous is not an absolute - this is a degree of measure.

There isn't anyone who isn't righteous at some level and at the same scale there isn't anyone who is perfectly righteous.
 
Muhammad Aseem said:
Being righteous is not an absolute - this is a degree of measure.

There isn't anyone who isn't righteous at some level and at the same scale there isn't anyone who is perfectly righteous.
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That's very interesting. Still, whatever the degree may be, righteousness can be recognized by its various qualities given to it.

Righteousness makes me think of the word "right". So it brings to mind a man who is upright, straight and who walks on the Right Path, doing what's right and avoiding what's not right.
 
Muhammad Aseem said:
Being righteous is not an absolute - this is a degree of measure.

There isn't anyone who isn't righteous at some level and at the same scale there isn't anyone who is perfectly righteous.
Click to expand...

I would agree with this for the most part. Christians consider only two to be perfect in their righteousness: God and Jesus (who is believed to be the only man who was sinless). I know Islam considers all the prophets to be sinless. Would you say that it also considers them all to be perfect in righteousness?

In accordance with your words, the Bible also says there is none righteous, yet it calls many righteous (refers to them as such). The statements only seem contradictory if examined as two discrete categories. But they are really the way you describe. This is seen also when Jesus says that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees then we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (The scribes and pharisees were counted among the most righteous of that day, but Jesus also liked to point out their hypocrisy.)
 
Muhammad Aseem said:
Being righteous is not an absolute - this is a degree of measure.

There isn't anyone who isn't righteous at some level and at the same scale there isn't anyone who is perfectly righteous.
Click to expand...

I've been thinking about this. I don't think I quite agree.

Righteousness is an absolute thing. There are just varying degrees to it.

Other people can observe the quality of righteousness in you but one may not observe it within himself. In other words, we can call others righteous, but not ourselves. Don't we describe the sahabah and scholars as being righteous?

I don't think one can say that being righteous is a degree of measure and then state that sometimes one is NOT righteous:
There isn't anyone who isn't righteous at some level
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As human beings we of course make mistakes, but that doesn't mean that we cease to be righteous because of it.

A righteous man is he who makes mistakes but is quick to repent. A hadith clearly states this principle. It goes somewhat along the lines of, "All the children of Adam make mistakes and the best of you who make mistakes are those who repent."

One of the qualities that I had put forward to describe a righteous man was that he never feels secure. Perhaps brother Muhammad Aseem objects to the use of the word "never" because one sometimes does slip and fall into the trap of feeling secure. However, I am pointing out the qualities of righteousness. A righteous man NEVER feels secure because if he were to do so, he would cease to strive and in ceasing to strive, he would lose his righteousness. The same thing can be said with the second quality I had stated. A righteous man NEVER thinks of himself as righteous. Because if at any point he begins to believe that he is righteous, he becomes proud. And thus, he would lose the quality of righteousness.
 

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