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I was Sent to Complete the Nobilities of Character

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Innamā buʿithtu li-ʾutammima makārim al-akhlāq (Arabic: إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ مَکَارِمَ الْأَخْلَاق, lit: I was sent to complete the nobilities of character), is a hadith from the Prophet (s), in which he states the purpose of his prophetic mission as the perfection of moral virtues. The hadith states, "I was sent to complete the nobilities of character." This hadith is commonly referred to as the "Hadith Makarim al-Akhlaq" (Hadith of the Nobilities of Character). It is often cited to emphasize the importance of morality in Islam, as the Prophet's (s) mission was centered on its completion and teaching.

Ethics

Moral Verses
Ifk Verses • Al-Ukhuwwa Verse • Al-It'am Verse • Al-Naba' Verse • Najwa Verse • Verse of Trusts • Al-Sulh Verse

Moral Hadiths
Hadith of qurb al-nawafil • Hadith Makarim al-akhlaq • Hadith of Mi'raj • Hadith Junud al-'Aql wa l-Jahl

Moral Virtues
Humility • Contentment • Generosity • Controlling Anger • Truthfulness • Hilm (forbearance) • Asceticism • Bravery • Chastity • Insaf (Equity) • Silat al-Rahim • Wara' • Islah dhat al-bayn

Moral Vices
Hubris • Greed • Envy • Lie • Backbiting • Namima (Talebearing) • Miserliness • Disobedience to Parents • 'Ujb (self-conceit) • Sum'a • Cutting blood relation • Spreading grave sins • Ingratitude • Hypocrisy • Tabdhir

Moral Terminologies
Jihad with the self • Self-critical soul • Commanding Soul • Soul at peace • Self-reckoning • Muraqaba • Musharata • Sin • Morality lessons • Istidraj

Scholars of Ethics
Muhammad Mahdi Naraqi • Ahmad al-Naraqi • Sayyid 'Ali Qadi Tabataba'i • Sayyid Rida Baha' al-Dini • Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn Dastghayb • Muhammad Taqi Bahjat

References of Ethics

Qur'an • Nahj al-balagha • Misbah al-shari'a wa miftah al-haqiqa • Makarim al-Akhlaq • Al-Mahajjat al-bayda' • Tanbih al-khawatir wa nuzhat al-nawazir • Jami' al-sa'adat • Mi'raj al-sa'ada • Al-Muraqabat

The hadith is cited in both Shi'a and Sunni sources, and there are similar hadiths with varying phrases. Due to the frequency of this theme in hadiths, some scholars believe that it reflects "al-tawatur al-ma'nawi" (the frequent transmission of the meaning, even if the exact words differ).

In various hadiths, moral virtues or nobilities of character are believed to include qualities such as patience, gratitude, protection of one's family, contentment, courage, maintaining ties with relatives, modesty, and having a good temperament.

Significance

The hadith "I was sent to complete the nobilities of character" emphasizes the mission of the Prophet (s) to perfect and teach moral virtues.[1] This hadith, also known as the Hadith of Makarim al-Akhlaq (Nobilities of Character)[2] or the Hadith of Tatmim (Completion),[3] was transmitted from the Prophet (s).[4] It is frequently cited to highlight the significant objective of the prophetic mission to perfect and impart moral virtues,[5] underscoring the central role of morality in Islam.[6]

Various Interpretations of the Hadith

There have been various interpretations of the Hadith of the Nobilities of Character.

According to Ibn al-'Arabi, the Sunni mystic and exegete (560-638/ 1165-1240), among the prophets, those who came later possessed all the moral attributes and perfections of their predecessors[7] due to their greater capacity for receiving moral virtues. Therefore, the Prophet of Islam (s) had the qualification to perfect moral virtues.[8]

Some scholars believe that the hadith does not imply that attaining moral virtues is the sole objective of the prophetic mission,[9] as it encompasses other goals such as politics, leadership, and delivering the final message to the people.[10] Accordingly, various interpretations have been proposed for the hadith, including the following possibilities:

  • The hadith states that the completion of moral virtues was exclusive to the Prophet of Islam (s). In other words, among all the prophets, it was only him who was sent to perfect moral virtues.[11]
  • The hadith signifies that the Prophet (s) was specifically sent to complete the noble qualities among all moral virtues. In essence, the Prophet's (s) mission was to perfect the nobilities of character, which are considered the greatest moral virtues.[12]
  • The primary objective of the prophetic mission is the perfection of moral virtues, which then serves as the foundation for all other religious aspects of the mission.[13]

The Chain of Transmission of the Hadith

The Hadith of Makarim al-Akhlaq is cited in both Shi'a and Sunni sources.

Among the Shi'a sources, the oldest references to this hadith can be found in[14] al-Risala al-'Alawiyya[15] by Muhammad b. 'Ali al-Karajaki (d. 449/1057) and the Quranic exegesis Majma' al-bayan[16] by Fadl b. al-Hasan al-Tabrisi (d. 548/1153-4). Additionally, in the introduction of his book, Makarim al-akhlaq, al-Hasan b. al-Fadl al-Tabrisi cites the hadith without providing a chain of transmission for it.[17]

It is worth noting that the hadith is also found in other sources, albeit with variations in the wording. In Fiqh al-Rida, it is cited as "bu'ithtu bi-makarim al-akhlaq" (I was sent with the nobilities of character),[18] and in al-Amali by al-Shaykh al-Tusi (385-460/995-1067), it is mentioned as "bu'ithtu bi-makarim al-akhlaq wa-mahasini-ha" (I was sent with the nobilities of character and their excellence).[19]

Among Sunni sources, al-Bayhaqi (d. 458/1065- 6) cited the hadith in his al-Sunan al-kubra with a chain of transmission ending in Abu Hurayra, who quoted the hadith from the Prophet (s).[20] Additionally, Malik b. Anas (93-179/711-2 - 795-6),[21] Ahmad b. Hanbal (164-241/780-855),[22] and Muhammad b. Isma'il al-Bukhari (194-256/810-870)[23] included similar wordings of the hadith in their books. Due to the multiple citations of this theme with varying wordings and different chains of transmission in both Shi'a and Sunni sources, some scholars believe that it holds the status of al-tawatur al-ma'nawi (frequent transmission of the meaning) or at the very least istifadat al-ma'nawiyya (numerous transmission of the meaning), rendering it acceptable among Muslim scholars.[24]

Instances of the Nobilities of Character

The term "makarim" is the plural form of "makrama," which means nobility and greatness.[25] "Makarim al-akhlaq" refers to the nobilities of character or virtuous traits.[26] In sources of hadith, there are numerous narrations from the Infallibles (a) that discuss moral virtues,[27] wherein specific traits are described as exemplifications of noble moral character. In his book, al-Kafi, al-Kulayni cites a hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (a) which refers to the nobilities of character as adornments of the prophets, urging people to acquire them. The hadith then mentions ten attributes as instances of noble moral traits: certainty, contentment, patience, gratitude, continence or self-restraint, good temper, generosity, protection of one's family, courage, and chivalry.[28] Another hadith cited in the same book mentions other instances of nobilities of character, such as not coveting what others possess, truthfulness, returning entrusted items, maintaining ties with relatives, showing hospitality towards guests, providing food for the needy, compensating for favors done to us, observing the rights of neighbors, and observing the rights of friends. It is also stated that modesty is the fundamental source of all nobilities of character.[29]

Distinction between Nobilities of Character and Excellences of Character

In certain versions of the Hadith of Makarim al-Akhlaq, including al-Shaykh al-Tusi's version, the term "excellences of character" (mahasin al-akhlaq) is also mentioned alongside the nobilities of character.[30] Muhammad Taqi Falsafi (1907-1998), a Shi'a religious orator, points out that no specific criteria are mentioned in the hadiths for distinguishing between moral nobilities and moral excellences.[31] However, based on the instances attributed to each in the hadiths, it can be inferred that excellences of character refer to moral attributes such as being good-tempered towards people, which are praiseworthy in religion and align with one's personal desires as well,[32] as they pertain to social ties and interactions with others.[33] On the other hand, moral traits such as suppressing one's anger, which require a struggle with or at least disregarding one's personal desires, can be considered as nobilities of character.[34]

Notes

  1. ↑ Ḥākimī and others, al-Ḥayāt, vol. 6, p. 675.
  2. ↑ ʿĀrifīnīyā, Barrasī-yi dilālī-yi ḥadīth-i Makārim al-akhlāq, p. 138.
  3. ↑ Hādī, Makārim al-akhlāq; Pazhūhishī pīrāmūn-i Riwāyat-i tatmīm-i Makārim-i akhlāq, p. 314.
  4. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 10, p. 500.
  5. ↑ Narāqī, Miʿrāj al-saʿāda, p. 107; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, vol. 24, p. 379.
  6. ↑ ʿAlīnizhād, Tafāwut-i makārim-i akhlāq bā maḥāsin-i akhlāq, p. 6.
  7. ↑ Ibn al-ʿArabī, Tafsīr Ibn al-ʿArabī, vol. 2, p. 84.
  8. ↑ Ibn al-ʿArabī, Tafsīr Ibn al-ʿArabī, vol. 1, p. 395.
  9. ↑ ʿĀrifīnīyā, Barrasī-yi dilālī-yi ḥadīth-i Makārim al-akhlāq, p. 141.
  10. ↑ Hādī, Makārim al-akhlāq; Pazhūhishī pīrāmūn-i riwāyat-i tatmīm-i Makārim-i akhlāq, p. 322; ʿĀrifī nīyā, Barrasī-yi dilālī-yi ḥadīth-i Makārim al-akhlāq, p. 141.
  11. ↑ ʿĀrifīnīyā, Barrasī-yi dilālī-yi ḥadīth-i Makārim al-akhlāq, p. 141.
  12. ↑ Hādī, Makārim al-akhlāq; Pazhūhishī pīrāmūn-i riwāyat-i tatmīm-i Makārim-i akhlāq, p. 333.
  13. ↑ ʿĀrifīnīyā, Barrasī-yi dilālī-yi ḥadīth-i Makārim al-akhlāq, p. 143.
  14. ↑ ʿĀrifīnīyā, Barrasī-yi dilālī-yi ḥadīth-i Makārim al-akhlāq, p. 105.
  15. ↑ Karājakī, al-Risāla al-ʿalawīyya, p. 11.
  16. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 10, p. 500.
  17. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Makārim al-akhlāq, p. 8.
  18. ↑ al-Fiqh al-mansūb ilā l-Imām al-Riḍā (a), p. 353.
  19. ↑ Ṭūsī, al-Amālī, p. 353.
  20. ↑ Bayhaqī, al-Sunan al-kubrā, vol. 10, p. 323.
  21. ↑ Mālik b. Anas. Al Muwaṭṭāʾ, vol. 5, p. 1330.
  22. ↑ Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal. Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, vol. 14, p. 512-513.
  23. ↑ Bukhārī, al-ʾAdab al-mufrad, p. 104.
  24. ↑ ʿĀrifīnīyā, Barrasī-yi sanadī-yi ḥadīth-i Makārim al-akhlāq, p. 120.
  25. ↑ Bustānī, Farhang-i abjadī, p. 855.
  26. ↑ Hādī, Makārim al-akhlāq; Pazhūhishī pīrāmūn-i Riwāyat-i tatmīm-i Makārim-i akhlāq, p. 327.
  27. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 55; Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 67, p. 367-375.
  28. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 56.
  29. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 55.
  30. ↑ Ṭūsī, al-Amālī, p. 596.
  31. ↑ Falsafī, Sharḥ wa tafsīr duʿā-yi makārim al-akhlāq, vol. 1, p. 197.
  32. ↑ Falsafī, Sharḥ wa tafsīr duʿā-yi makārim al-akhlāq, vol. 1, p. 198.
  33. ↑ ʿAlīnizhād, Tafāwut-i makārim-i akhlāq bā maḥāsin-i akhlāq, p. 6.
  34. ↑ Falsafī, Sharḥ wa tafsīr duʿā-yi makārim al-akhlāq, vol. 1, p. 198.

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