Our Prophet's
akhlaq
"And you are truly ˹a man˺ of outstanding character"
[Surah Al-Qalam 68:4]
Two Exceptional Qualities that Allah and His Messenger ﷺ love
By: Shaikh Zafar Ul Hasan Al Madani

Ibn Abbas (May Allah be pleased with him) narrated a story about two exceptional qualities.

A delegation   arrived from Bahrain along with their chieftain, Ashad to meet the Prophet ﷺ. Ashad was a nickname because he had a head injury due to which there was a bald spot on his head. The moment his people reached Masjid e Nabwi, they jumped off their animals and rushed inside the Masjid to meet the Prophet ﷺ who was sitting amidst a group, preaching. He noticed that the enthusiastic guests were so overjoyed to meet him that they left their animals untied and luggage still on the backs of the animals.

A leader should possess these qualities

Only Ashad did not hurry. Like a dignified leader, , he calmly tied up all the animals of his people, picked up their luggage and  secured it properly . The Prophet ﷺ watched his actions. Ashad, then took some water, took a bath and changed his clothes. Then he came inside the Masjid, offered two rakah, ‘Tahiyatul Masjid’ before he formally reached before the Prophet ﷺ peace. The Prophet ﷺ welcomed him with appreciation.

"Ashad! You have two qualities which are extremely loved by Allah and His Messenger, ‘Hilm’ and ‘Anab’".

Ashad was excited to receive appreciation and asked, " O Messenger of Allah! Are these two qualities a gift of Allah or have I developed them in me?"

He replied, "They have been bestowed upon you by Allah."

Ashad (May Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed with joy: "Alhamdulillah for being bestowed with these two qualities by Allah."

Seek Hilm and Anab from Allah

Understanding the term ‘Hilm’; Hilm is one of the attributes of Allah. Hilm means the opposite of a raged anger. A cool temper under any circumstance. Hilm is an essential quality for building an excellent character. Many people get restless and hyper when they are angry or upset; they lack Hilm.

Hilm is explained as reining oneself from taking any hasty decision or step in any situation. . It could be a response in anger or gushing of excitement and joy. Psychologists call it a very high level of Emotional Intelligence.

In linguistics, Anab means who returns again and again. In shariah terminology, Anab means one who is thoughtful about all of his reactions in every situation and brings his case before Allah again and again. Anab includes returning his problems and case to Allah's Shariah.

Here stood a man who did not get angry while serving his people but quietly tied their animals and secured their luggage. Thoughtfully, he did not even reprimand them for their lack of discipline. The animals would have run away if left untied. The dignified leader understood the situation (happiness and excitement of his people) and served his people accordingly

One of the plots of shaytan is to incite impatience and prompt us to take a hasty decision that may be regretful. Take for example, the case of a marital quarrel. A couple with two kids keep fighting and each of them threatens to leave the other. In a fit of rage, the husband divorces his wife. It is easy to utter a divorce due to haste and anger. No thought has been given to post divorce consequences, about the plight of the children and family itself. The couple lacks Anab.

Ask Allah to bless you with Hilm and Anab.