عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي اللّهُ عنه قال: قِيلَ: يا رسولَ اللّهِ مَن أَكْرَمُ النَّاسِ؟ قال: «أَتْقَاهُمْ» فقَالُوا: لَيْسَ عَنْ هذا نَسْأَلُكَ، قَالَ: «فيُوسُفُ نَبِيُّ اللّهِ ابن نَبِيِّ اللّهِ ابن نَبيِّ اللّهِ ابن خَلِيلِ اللّهِ». قَالُوا: لَيْسَ عن هذَا نَسْأَلُكَ، قال: فعَنْ مَعَادِنِ الْعَرَب تسْأَلُونِي؟ خِيَارُهُمْ في الْجاهِليَّةِ خِيَارُهُمْ في الإِسلامِ إذَا فَقُهُوا» متفقٌ عليه.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: It was asked: 'O Messenger of Allah, who is the most honored of people?' He said: 'The most God-fearing among them.' They said: 'That is not what we are asking about.' He said: 'Then it is Yusuf (Joseph), the Prophet of Allah, son of the Prophet of Allah, son of the Prophet of Allah, son of the Intimate Friend of Allah (Khalilullah).' They said: 'That is not what we are asking about.' He said: 'Then you are asking me about the origins of the Arabs? The best of them in the pre-Islamic period (Jahiliyyah) are the best of them in Islam, provided they gain understanding of the religion (fiqh).' Agreed upon (narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
أكرم: اسم تفضيل من الكرم، وأصله كثرة الخير، والمراد به هنا كرم الطباع لا الكرم في المال. ابن نبي اللّه... : هو يوسف بن يعقوب بن إسحاق بن إبراهيم عليهم السلام. معادن: جمع معدن، وهو منبت الجواهر من ذهب ونحوه، وأصل كل شيء، والمراد هنا قبائل العرب. فَقُهوا: أَي عَلِمُوا أَحْكَامَ الشَّرْعِ، وفَقُه: صار الفِقه سجية وطبعًا له.
Akram: the superlative form of karam (nobility). Its origin is abundance of goodness, and what is meant here is nobility of character, not financial generosity. Ibn nabiyyillah...: He is Yusuf (Joseph) son of Ya'qub (Jacob) son of Ishaq (Isaac) son of Ibrahim (Abraham), upon them all be peace. Ma'adin: plural of ma'din (mine), the place where precious metals such as gold are found, and the origin of everything. What is meant here is the tribes of the Arabs. Faqihu: meaning they learned the rulings of the Sacred Law. Faquha means jurisprudence became his nature and characteristic.
الدروس · lessons
أنّ الإنسان يُكرَّم ويُشرَّف بتقوى اللّه عز وجل. أنّ من كان تقيًّا كان كثير الخير في الدنيا رفيع الدرجة في الآخرة. يُشرَّف الإنسان بشرف آبائه وعشيرته إذا كانوا أتقياء، وكان هو على شاكلتهم وطريقتهم. النوازع الخيّرة إذا اقترنت بالإيمان والإسلام عمَّ خيرها لأصحابها وغيرهم؛ كالشجاعة والإِبَاء وعِزة النفس، لأنّها تكون مع الإسلام خاضعة لضوابط الرقابة الإلهية لا للأهواء الشخصية.
A person is honored and ennobled by his piety (taqwa) toward Allah. Whoever is God-fearing will be abundant in good in this world and elevated in rank in the Hereafter. A person is ennobled by the nobility of his forefathers and clan if they were pious, and he followed their way and path. Noble predispositions, when coupled with faith and Islam, spread their goodness to their possessors and others. Qualities such as courage, self-respect, and dignity of the soul, when accompanied by Islam, are governed by the controls of divine watchfulness rather than personal whims.