What does the term Adab, or Ethics mean?
The word Adab lexically refers elegance, gracefulness and good treatment.
Ibn Hajar says: Adab is to behave in one's statements and actions in a praiseworthy manner, while some describe it as adhering to the best of manners.
Al-Suhrawardi said: "People with respect to Adab are on different levels: i) the worldly folk, ii) the religious people and iii) the special ones.
The Adab of the worldly folks is purity, euphony and eloquence in language, acquiring various sciences, history of kings and Arabic poetry.
The Adab of the religious people, along with acquiring knowledge, is to discipline one's soul, tame one's limbs, refine one's character, guard against transgressing limits, abandon desires, and to abstain from doubtful matters.
The Adab of the special ones is to be mindful of one's heart, concentration on one's inner-self and to endeavour to maintain equilibrium between one's inner and outer self."
The above quote is very important to ponder over, for it highlights to us the need for ethics in every sphere of life. There are a set of ethics even for the non-religious people when they pursue a profession or a science. The doctors abide by certain ethics as do the scientists, the teachers and even Tube and Bus drivers.
If human beings need ethics to abide by in their worldly professions, then there is more of a pressing need that the religious people abide by ethics, not only outwardly, but also inwardly by disciplining their souls and actions.
The peak of ethics according to al-Suhrawardi is the endeavour to maintain equilibrium between the inner and the outer self; that is to behave in secret is one would behave in public.
Importance of learning Adab
Al-Saffarini says: "Be certain, that to learn Adab and good manners, intentions, sense of bashfulness and conduct is required, according to Shari'a and custom."
Imam Ahmad narrates from Ibn 'Abbas in his Musnad that the Prophet -- SallAllahu 'alaihi wa-sallam said: "Surely, the good ways and manners, and a sense of balance is a part from twenty-five parts of prophethood." (Hasan due to shawahid)
Al-Nakha'i would say: "When the predecessors would come to a person to learn from him, they would first observe his manners, his prayers and his condition. Only then they would take knowledge from him."
'Umar used to say: "Learn ethics, and then acquire knowledge"
Ibn 'Abbas would say: "Learn ethics, for it increases one's intellectual power, as it also indicates one's moral uprightness. It is one's intimate friend when one is lonely; a companion when one is estranged; and wealth when one is poor."
Abu 'Abdullah al-Balkhi would say: "The ethics of seeking knowledge are more than the knowledge itself"
'Abdullah b. al-Mubarak would say: "A person does not become noble by learning a science, until he beautifies his knowledge with ethics"
Al-Hajjawi al-Hanbali says: "It is said that the likeness of faith is a city with five fortresses. The first fortress is of gold, the second is of silver, the third is of iron, the fourth is of baked bricks, and the fifth is of unbaked bricks. So long as the people in the fortress continue to defend the fortress of unbaked bricks, the enemy would not crave for the next fortress. However, if they neglect that fortress, the enemy would crave for the second fortress, and then the third, until all of the fortresses are ruined. Likewise faith is defended with five fortresses; i) certainty, ii) sincerity, iii) fulfilling of obligations, iv) performance of Sunnah acts, and v) guarding one's Adab. Hence, so long as one is mindful of his Adab, the devil does not crave for it. As soon as he is negligent of Adab, the devil then craves for the Sunnah acts, then the obligatory acts, then sincerity and then certainty"
Perhaps, this explains why Imam Ahmad said of a person who regularly misses the Sunnah prayers that he is evil. For if one regularly misses the Sunnah prayers, most probably he misses or delays his obligatory prayers.
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