Whose Islam is the best? Who is a Good Muslim?

 Who is a Good Muslim?

This seems like a very complicated question, one would think that the answer would consist of an elaborate list of things a Muslim should follow to be known as a good Muslim. Strangely enough the answer to the above question is very simple and yet very difficult to follow nowadays.

The following hadiths gives us a simple and brief explanation:

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr:

The Prophet () said, "A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And a Muhajir (emigrant) is the one who gives up (abandons) all what Allah has forbidden."

[ Sahih al-Bukhari 10 , Book 2, Hadith 3 ]

Narrated Abu Musa:

Some people asked Allah's Messenger (), "Whose Islam is the best? i.e. (Who is a very good Muslim)?" He replied, "One who avoids harming the Muslims with his tongue and hands."

[ Sahih al-Bukhari 11 , Book 2, Hadith 4 ]

Just by controlling our tongue and restricting ourselves from backbiting, swearing, slandering, etc and basically by not causing others harm with our speech and actions makes us a better person and moreover a better Muslim. In the end it's a lesson in humanity, a very basic one that we all are taught at a very young age and somehow tend to forget as we grow up !

Let's just start following this hadith by thinking before we say or do something, just a simple question like " Will this speech/action please Allah or not, if the answer is NO, we should stop ourselves right there. Hopefully this small step will help us become better human beings and Muslims.. InshaAllah.