The Sunni Path

HOW SHOULD A TRUE MUSLIM BE
The first piece of advice is to correct the belief in accordance
with the teachings of the Ahlas-sunnat savants in their books. For,
it is this Madhhab only that will be saved from Hell. May Allâhu
ta’âlâ give plenty of rewards for the work of those great people!
Scholars of the four Madhhabs, who attained the grade of ijtihâd,
and the great scholars educated by them are called Ahl as-sunna
scholars. After correcting the belief (îmân), it is necessary to
perform the worship informed in the knowledge of Fiqh, i.e. to do
the commands of the Sharî’at and to abstain from what it prohibits.
One should perform namâz five times daily without reluctance and
slackness, and being careful about its conditions and ta’dîl-i arkân.
He who has as much money as nisâb should pay zakât. Imâm-i
a’zâm Abû Hanîfa says: “Also, it is necessary to pay the zakât of
gold and silver which women use as ornaments.”
One should not waste one’s valuable life even on unnecessary
mubâhs. Then, afortiori, it is necessary not to waste it on harâm.
We should not busy ourselves with taghannî, singing, musical
instruments, or songs. We should not be deceived by the pleasure
they give our nafses. They are poisons mixed with honey and
covered with sugar.
One should not commit giybat. Giybat is harâm. [Giybat means
to talk about a Muslim’s or a Zimmî’s secret fault behind their
back. It is necessary to tell Muslims about the faults of the Harbîs,
about the sins of those who commit these sins in public, about the
evils of those who persecute Muslims and who deceive Muslims in
buying and selling, thereby causing Muslims to beware their
harms, and to tell about the slanders of those who talk and write
about Islam wrongfully; these warnings are not giybat. [Radd-ul-
Muhtâr: 5-263)].
One should not spread gossip (carry words) among Muslims. It
has been declared that various kinds of torment will be inflicted on
people who commit these two kinds of sins. Also, it is harâm to lie
and slander, and must be avoided. These two evils were harâm in
every religion. Their punishments are very heavy. It brings plenty
of thawâb to conceal Muslims’ defects, not to spread their secret
sins and to forgive them their faults. One should pity one’s
inferiors, people under one’s command [such as wives, children,
students, soldiers] and the poor. One should not reproach them for
their faults. One should not hurt or beat or swear at those poor
people for trivial reasons. One should not violate anybody’s
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