Good Character

Good Character expresses itself in two fundamental virtues: humility (tawadu), and setting others before oneself (ithar). The true Muslim is necessarily humble, alert to the failings of his soul, convinced that every passer-by is his superior in faith.

But 'God's bondman only attains true humility when the lights of divine contemplation being to shine in his heart, at which time the soul's deceit and self-regard will melt away, and it will become soft, obedient to both God and man.' Thos who have attained the greatest proximity to God become the most modest and humble of His creatures. In their humility, they love to serve others, hoping for God's reward and for the delight of renunciation, recalling the Quranic text, They prefer others over themselves, though theirs be the greater need.

Goodness is to do good even to those who have mistreated you, said Sufyan al- Thawri. 'It is to do good to all, in the manner of the sun, the wind, and the rain' (Al Hasan Al-Basri). It extends even to animals: 'Should a man achieve all goodness, and yet mistreat a hen that he owns, he is not truly to be reckoned among those who do good.'
Al-Ghazali on Disciplining the Soul and on Breaking the Two Desires