Arabic Text
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قيل: يا رسولَ الله مَنْ أكْرَمُ النَّاسِ؟ قال:
«أتْقَاهُمْ»، فقالوا: ليس عن هذا نسألك، قال:
«فَيُوسُفُ نبيُّ الله بنُ نبيِّ الله بنِ نبيِّ الله بنِ خليلِ الله»، قالوا: ليس عن هذا نسألك، قال:
«فَعَنْ مَعَادِنِ الْعَرَب تَسْألُونِي؟ خِيَارُهُمْ في الجَاهِليَّةِ خِيَارُهُمْ في الإسْلامِ إذا فَقُهُوا».
متفق عليه.
Translation
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that it was said: “O Messenger of Allah, who are the noblest of people?” He said: “The most God-fearing among them.” They said: “We are not asking you about this.” He said: “Then Yusuf, the Prophet of Allah, son of the Prophet of Allah, son of the Prophet of Allah, son of the close friend of Allah.” They said: “We are not asking you about this.” He said: “Then are you asking me about the true roots of the Arabs? Their best in the pre-Islamic period are their best in Islam, if they understand the religion.”
1. Connection to the Chapter
This hadith belongs under التقوى because it makes taqwa the true measure of human nobility. The chapter is about fearing Allah, and this hadith shows the social result of that fear: the noblest person is not the one with the finest lineage, but the one with the greatest taqwa.
Imam al-Nawawi places it here to cut through worldly standards of rank. People usually ask about family, class, status, or ancestry. The Prophet ﷺ answers by moving the heart away from inherited honor and toward the honor that comes from obedience and God-consciousness.
2. Key Words Meaning
أكرم الناس — the noblest of people; the one with the highest true worth.
أتقاهم — the most God-fearing among them; the one whose life is most guarded by taqwa.
معادن العرب — the roots or noble sources of the Arabs; the people’s original character and quality.
خيارهم في الجاهلية — their best in the pre-Islamic period; those who already possessed good qualities before Islam.
خيارهم في الإسلام — their best in Islam; those same qualities become even better when guided by faith.
إذا فقهوا — if they understand the religion; not merely if they know facts, but if they gain real understanding of Allah’s law and purpose.
3. Hadith Lessons
The first lesson is that human nobility is not built on appearance, ancestry, or public prestige. The Prophet ﷺ answers the question by placing taqwa at the center. A person may come from a famous family and still be spiritually small, while another may be unknown to people yet high before Allah because of taqwa.
The second lesson is that nobility in Islam has a moral dimension. Yusuf عليه السلام is mentioned because he combines prophecy, lineage, beauty of character, and historical honor. But even then, the discussion returns to what the heart is asking for: the real measure is not bloodline alone, but the reality of faith and obedience.
The third lesson is that natural goodness matters, but only when Islam refines it. Some people already had noble traits before Islam: courage, generosity, restraint, leadership, or dignity. When such people enter Islam and فقهوا — understand it deeply — those qualities become purified and elevated. This shows that Islam does not erase what is good; it disciplines and completes it.
The fourth lesson is that understanding the religion is not optional decoration. The hadith does not say “their best in Islam are their best if they memorized more.” It says “if they understood.” That means noble character must be joined to insight, otherwise it remains raw and unformed.
4. Special Reflections
This hadith speaks loudly to a world obsessed with status. People still sort themselves by background, education, tribe, wealth, accent, nationality, and social image. The Prophet ﷺ destroys that whole way of ranking human beings and replaces it with taqwa.
It also has a subtle warning: inherited goodness is not enough. A person may come from a respected background and still fail if he does not enter Islam with understanding. The phrase إذا فقهوا matters here because it shows that the same people who had noble traits in ignorance can become truly excellent only through religious understanding.
The mention of Yusuf عليه السلام also teaches something beautiful: nobility can exist in suffering. He was tested, imprisoned, sold, and separated, yet his rank remained high. That means dignity before Allah is not broken by hardship. It is broken by sin and lack of taqwa.
5. Three Questions to Close With
- What do I treat as the source of human honor: taqwa, or worldly status?
- If people judged me by my relationship with Allah, where would I stand?
- Do I possess knowledge of the religion in a way that reforms my character, or only in a way that informs my mind?