Amal Al-Sibai

Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — The most likeable person is not the one who looks good, who is beautiful or handsome, but the one who is kind, caring, and has good behavior. Some of the most important manners that each child should have are put together from A to Z.



A is for akhlaq, which is an Arabic word for manners and morals. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had the best moral character, and he encouraged us to try to be the same.



B is for backbiting, talking badly about someone else, which we are not supposed to do. It hurts the other person’s feelings and gives you bad deeds.



C is for cleanliness. Always keep your body, clothes, and surroundings clean and neat.D is dhikr, remembrance of Allah; always praise Allah and think and thank of the wonderful things in nature He has created for us.



E is eating. Say, “In the name of Allah”, eat with your right hand, eat slowly, chew your food well, and do not talk with food in your mouth.



F is for forgiveness. If your friend bothers you and then say “sorry,” forgive him/her and accept the apology.



G is for generosity. Share with others, feed the poor, and give in charity because whatever you give, Allah will multiply for you and give you more in return.



H is for honesty; this is one of the most important qualities, everyone trusts and respects an honest person.



I is for ilm, or knowledge. Study hard, read books, and keep learning.J is for justice; be fair and always speak the truth.K is for keeping a promise. If you make a promise, you must keep it.L is for lying, and this is a sign of a hypocrite. A lie is still a lie, no matter how big or small. Even if you think telling the truth will get you in trouble, like if you broke your mother’s favorite vase by accident, lying will make her angrier, and much worse, Allah will be angry with you.



M is for modesty in the way you speak and the way you dress.N is for neighbor. Always be kind to your neighbors: offer them a box of chocolates, do not make so much noise at home so that you do not disturb them, and do not litter in the hallway by their door.



O is for obedience, you must obey Allah, the Prophet’s commands, and mom and dad.P is for patience, this is a great quality and Allah even says that He loves patient people.Q is for Quran, the Holy Book that Muslims read to learn about stories of the Prophets and to learn about Paradise and the things we must do to enter this beautiful garden.



R is for respect, especially of elder people, relatives, parents, and teachers.S is for salam, the greeting used by Muslims and it means that you wish the other person peace. So, the next time you meet your friends or come home after school, instead of saying “Hi!” say “As-Salaamu Alaikum.”T is for temper, which we have to carefully keep under control even when angry. Prophet Muhammad never hit, shouted, or used bad language with his friends, women, servants, or children.



U is for unity. Try to stick together and look out for others as a member of your family, class, school, and neighborhood.



V is for vanity. Nobody likes a show off. Allah loves all people equally as long as they have good manners, it does not matter whose clothes are more fashionable or who has more money.



W is for waste. Do not throw good food away, do not waste water when brushing your teeth or making wudu, and do not waste electricity.



X is the symbol that means ‘wrong’. When you make a mistake, apologize, ask for forgiveness, and try not to repeat the same mistake.



Y is for yelling, a quality that good Muslims avoid.Z is for zeal, and it brings us to the end of our list. Zeal means having energy and eagerness to do the right thing and to always try to be a better, kinder, gentler, and more cheerful person.



With all these qualities you will be a pleasure to be around.