He who is deprived of gentleness is deprived of goodness

Arabic text

عَنْ جَرِيرٍ رضي الله عنه عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَنْ يُحْرَمِ الرِّفْقَ يُحْرَمِ الْخَيْرَ».

Translation

Jarīr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He who is deprived of gentleness is deprived of goodness."

Explanation

The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informs that whoever is deprived of gentleness and is not guided to it concerning religious and worldly matters, and in what he does for himself and what he does with others, has been deprived of all goodness.

Benefits

• The Hadīth points out the merit of gentleness, urges us to possess it, and dispraises harshness.
• Gentleness is conducive to good and comfort in the worldly life and the Hereafter, whereas harshness leads to the opposite.
• Gentleness results from good manners and wellness; harshness stems from anger and rudeness. Therefore, he (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) exaggeratedly praised gentleness.
• Sufyān al-Thawri (may Allah have mercy upon him) said to his companions: Do you know what gentleness is? It is to put things in their proper places: severity in its place, leniency in its place, the sword in its place, and the whip in its place.

Topics

• Virtues and Manners
• Jurisprudence of Ethics
• Praiseworthy Morals