conduct himself by them, for they yield two great benefits.

First: obedience to the Prophet’s command ﷺ—and Allah the Exalted has said, “Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger, He will admit him to Gardens beneath which rivers flow.”

Second: adorning oneself with noble character by observing these refined etiquettes, for no human being could ever direct people to manners like them; the etiquettes brought by the Sacred Law are the best of all etiquettes.

The Prophet ﷺ also said, “If someone insults you and lists the faults he knows you have, do not insult him with what you know about him; the burden of that will rest on him alone.” A person, therefore, ought to forgive and overlook; he should not take every word he hears as the standard by which he judges others. Overlook, pardon, and forbear—for Allah loves those who pardon people and He rewards them for it. If you taunt or curse him with what you know about him, the dispute will only drag on and enmity and hatred may result; but if you restrain yourself and remain silent, the matter calms down. This is a tried and tested truth: when someone trades insults with another who has abused him, the exchange lengthens and they grow apart in hostility, whereas silence is often more beneficial.

Allah—blessed and exalted is He—describes the servants of the Most Merciful: “And when the ignorant address them, they reply with words of peace,” meaning they speak in a way that keeps them safe, either