Akhlāq
Definition
Akhlaq — the plural of khuluq — refers to the settled moral qualities and character traits that define how a person habitually responds to the circumstances of life. The Prophet ﷺ is described in the Quran as being 'upon a tremendous character' (ʿala khuluqin ʿazim), and the hadith literature preserves an extraordinarily detailed picture of what that character looked like in practice. Al-Ghazali presents akhlaq as the domain where Sunna-following is deepest and most demanding: it is easier to adopt the Prophet's ﷺ external practices than to develop the inner qualities that produced those practices — but the latter is what genuine following of the prophetic example requires.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Ghazali and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
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