Adab – Having Respect – Mufti Boda Hafizahullah

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Our brief topic concerns the matter of respect (adab).

I’m just going to relate one or two incidents from which I had heard from our Moulana Maseehullah rahmatullahi ‘alayh.

More important than loving someone is to show respect to the person, to show respect to that particular person. You can have all the love, we can claim to have a lot of muhabbat but until there is no respect, muhabbat is not going to be sustained.

It’s easy to display respect to the seniors. For instance, our ustads, our parents, our seniors, whoever they may be, employers. However, through respect is that, that the seniors, our parents, the ustads, the Sheikh, the employer, the elderly – that they show respect to the juniors.

The husband shows respect to his wife, displays respect. Father, mother, respect the children. The employer respects his employees, the ustad respects his students, the Sheikh respects his Mureeds. That is called humility. That is the essence of humility.

I conclude with one very important subtle point, which Moulana Maseehullah rahmatullahi’alayh made:

Never await respect.

Never claim it. Never demand it. That in itself is a form of pride.

Especially when it comes to the womenfolk. They are at times that they are going to be very boisterous, very daring in their speech. Very brazen in their mannerism. Don’t take offence. It is not because she doesn’t respect you. It is because she is very possessive over you.

May Allah Ta’ala grant us adab. Insha-allah, we will continue : What does adab mean for Allah Ta’ala, what does adab mean for Nabi sallallahu’alayhi wa sallam etc.