Rasulullah SAW once said,
“Truly I was sent as a Prophet for the purpose of perfecting human character.”
(Bukhari &Muslim)
This hadith defines a very important aspect of Islam: self- reflection through improvement in the purification of one’s personal qualities. Islam is a way of life that teaches Muslims to focus on bettering themselves by following the Quran and the teachings of Rasulullah SAW .
There is an Arab proverb that states:
“The one who lacks something cannot give it to others.”
It applies that in order to influence others with respect to upright character and manners, goodness in word and action, one must first possess those qualities. One must primarily focus on improving oneself before attempting to influence others. And throughout the journey of self -reflection initiate self-improvement, Muslims must aim for a pure intention, and then seek to attain spiritual purification by tazkiya (the cleansing of the heart).
