Table Of ContentImam Ahmad Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi [d. 689H]
The REFINEMENT of
CHARACTER
A textbook on the Ethics of Good Character
A TRANSLATION OF
‘Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin ’
“And indeed, you are of a great moral
character.”
[QUR’AN (68): 5]
The Refinement of
Character
A textbook on the Ethics of Good Character
by
Imam Ahmad Ibn ‘Abdu’l-Rahman Ibn Muhammad Ibn
Ahmad Ibn Qudamah [d. 689H]
Dar as-Sunnah Publishers
B I R M I N G H A M
First Published in Great Britain, March 2019 / Rajab 1440H
by Dar as-Sunnah Publishers
DAR AS-SUNNAH PUBLISHERS
P.O. Box 9818, Birmingham, B11 4WA, United Kingdom
W: www.darassunnah.com
E: [email protected]
E: [email protected]
© Copyright 2019 by Dar as-Sunnah Publishers
All rights reserved Worldwide. No part of this publication may be reproduced
including the cover design, utilized or transformed in any form or means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopy, recording of any information storage and
retrieval system, now known or to be invented without the express permission in
writing from the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding
or cover other then that in which it is published and without a similar condition
being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
British Library Cataloguing in publication Data.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Title: The Refinement of Character
by Imam Ahmad Ibn ‘Abdu’l Rahman Ibn Qudamah al-MaqdisI
Translated from the original Arabic
ISBN 1-904336-59-0
Paper-back
Published and Typeset by: Dar as-Sunnah Publishers
First Edition 1440 AH/2019 cri
While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book neither the authors, translators,
nor Dar as-Sunnah Publishers, shall have any liability with respect to any loss or damages caused nor
do the views expressed in this book are necessarily held by the publisher direcdy or indirecdy by the
instructions or advice contained in this book.
Content
AUTHOR’S INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................11
CHAPTER ONE
On the Ethics of Eating
ikitab adab al-akl).........................................................................13
The first category: This pertains to the etiquette before
eating...........................................................................................13
The second category: This pertains to the etiquette during
eating...........................................................................................14
The third category: This pertains to the recommended
etiquette after eating..............................................................16
1.1. The Manners of Eating When in Company with
Others.........................................................................................16
1.2. Manners to be adopted when Presenting Food to
One’s Brothers.........................................................................17
1.3. Not entering upon people who are Eating......................18
1.4. The Manners of Hospitality...............................................18
1.5. The Etiquette of Presenting the Food and Eating. 20
CHAPTER TWO
On the Ethics of Marriage
(kitab adab al-nikah).........................................22
2.1. The disadvantages of Marriage............................................24
2.2. Gracious Companionship......................................................25
2.3. The Etiquette of Graceful Companionship and the
Dudes of Both Spouses......................................................27
CHAPTER THREE
On the Ethics in Earning a Livelihood
(Kitab adab al-Kasb iva ’l-Ma (ash)..................................................34
3.1. On the Virtues of Work and Exhortadon
Towards It................................................................................34
First: On the Science of Valid Selling, Buying and
Transactions...........................................................................37
Second: On the Exposition of Justice (al-'adl) in
Transactions, Avoiding Oppression and the
Prohibition of Hoarding.................................................39
Third: On the Exposition of benevolence (al-ihsdn) in
Transactions...........................................................................40
The fourth: On the Merchant’s Concern for His Religion 41
CHAPTER FOUR
On the Ethics in the Lawful and the Unlawful
(Kitab al-halal rva l-harard).............................................................43
4.1. Exposition on the degrees of the Lawful and the
Unlawful.....................................................................................45
4.2. Exposition on the degrees of Prudence............................46
4.3. Exposition on the State of those who Socialise with
Tyrannical Rulers..................................................................56
4.2. Going to tyrannical rulers Due to an Excuse..................58
CHAPTER FIVE
On the Ethics in Companionship and Brotherhood
(Kitab adab al-suhba wa’l-akwa wa mu ‘asharat al-khalq) 61
5.1. Exposition on What Must Be Considered When
Choosing Companionship...................................................65
5.2. Exposition on the Rights of Brotherhood and
Companionship characteristics...........................................68
5.3. Exposition on the Etiquettes of Interaction with
People.......................................................................................75
5.4. The rights of Muslims, kinship, neighbours, kings 77
5.5. The rights of the relatives and kinsmen............................84
CHAPTER SIX
On the Ethics of Solitude
(jKitab adab al- (u%la)........................................................................86
6.1. On the Benefits of Solitude, and its Pitfalls, and
showing the truth about the superiority of solitude...89
6.2. On the Pitfalls of Solitude........................................................95
6.2. Etiquettes of Solitude............................................................101
CHAPTER SEVEN
On the Ethics in Travelling
(Kitab adab al-safr)......................................................................103
7.1. On Permissible Travelling...................................................106
7.2. On what the Traveller must do...........................................108
CHAPTER EIGHT
On the Ethics of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
(Kitab al-amr bi’l-ma ‘ruf wa ’l-nahyi ‘an ’l-munkar)...................110
8.1. On the Stages of Enjoining Good and Forbidding
Evil.........................................................................................112
8.2. On the Pillars, Conditions, Levels and Etiquettes on
Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil...........................113
8.3. The Stages of Guarding against infringements...............115
