Umm al-Darda said: Abu al-Darda stood up in the night to pray. He was weeping and said, 'O Allah! You made my physical form good, so make my character good!' until morning. I said, 'O Abu al-Darda, your only supplication for the entire night was for good character!' He replied, 'Umm al-Darda', the Muslim perfects his character until good character enters him into Paradise; and taints his character until his bad character enter him into Hellfire.

The Muslim is forgiven while he is asleep.' I asked, 'Abu al-Darda, how can be forgiven while he is asleep?' He said, 'His brother arises in the night, performs the night prayer, and supplicates to Allah Almighty and is answered. He supplicates for his Muslim brother and his supplication is answered.'

قَامَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ لَيْلَةً يُصَلِّي فَجَعَلَ يَبْكِي وَيَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ أَحْسَنْتَ خَلْقِي فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقِي حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ قُلْتُ يَا أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ مَا كَانَ دُعَاؤُكَ مُنْذُ اللَّيْلَةِ إِلاَّ فِي حُسْنِ الْخُلُقِ؟ فَقَالَ يَا أُمَّ الدَّرْدَاءِ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُسْلِمَ يَحْسُنُ خُلُقُهُ حَتَّى يُدْخِلَهُ حُسْنُ خُلُقِهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَيَسِيءُ خُلُقُهُ حَتَّى يُدْخِلَهُ سُوءُ خُلُقِهِ النَّارَ

وَالْعَبْدُ الْمُسْلِمُ يُغْفَرُ لَهُ وَهُوَ نَائِمٌ قُلْتُ يَا أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ كَيْفَ يُغْفَرُ لَهُ وَهُوَ نَائِمٌ؟ قَالَ يَقُومُ أَخُوهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَجْتَهِدُ فَيَدْعُو اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فَيَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ وَيَدْعُو لأَخِيهِ فَيَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ فِيهِ

[AI] The Prophet of Allah ﷺ used to say, "O Allah, you have perfected my creation, so perfect my character."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَقُولُ اللهُمَّ أَحْسَنْتَ خَلْقِي فَأَحْسِنْ خُلُقِي

[AI] That the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, "O Mu'adh, follow up a bad deed with a good deed, it will erase it, and treat the people with good character."

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَهُ يَا مُعَاذُ أَتْبِعِ السَّيِّئَةَ الْحَسَنَةَ تَمْحُهَا وَخَالِقِ النَّاسَ بِخُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to say, "O Allah, You have beautified my physical appearance, so beautify my character ˹as well˺."

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «اللَّهُمَّ حَسَّنْتَ خَلْقِي فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقِي»

[AI] Abu Darda spent the night praying and began to cry, saying, "O Allah, you have perfected my creation, so perfect my character." Until the morning, I asked, "O Abu Darda, what has been your supplication since last night?" He said, "O Umm Darda, a Muslim slave improves his character until his good character admits him into Paradise, and he deteriorates in character until his bad character admits him into Hell. Indeed, forgiveness is granted to a sleeping Muslim." I asked, "How is that, O Abu Darda?" He said, "His brother stands in prayer at night, invoking Allah, and Allah responds to him. He prays for his father, and Allah responds to him."

بَاتَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ اللَّيْلَةَ يُصَلِّي فَجَعَلَ يَبْكِي وَيَقُولُ اللَّهُمَّ أَحْسَنْتَ خَلْقِي فَأَحْسِنْ خُلُقِي حَتَّى أَصْبَحَ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ مَا كَانَ دُعَاؤُكَ مُنْذُ اللَّيْلَةِ إِلَّا فِي حُسْنِ الْخُلُقِ قَالَ يَا أُمَّ الدَّرْدَاءِ إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُسْلِمَ يَحْسُنُ خُلُقُهُ حَتَّى يُدْخِلَهُ حُسْنُ خُلُقِهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَيَسُوءُ خُلُقُهُ حَتَّى يُدْخِلَهُ سُوءُ خُلُقِهِ النَّارَ وَإِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُسْلِمَ لَيُغْفَرُ لَهُ وَهُوَ نَائِمٌ قَالَ قُلْتُ وَكَيْفَ ذَاكَ يَا أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ؟ قَالَ يَقُومُ أَخُوهُ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَتَهَجَّدُ فَيَدْعُو اللَّهَ فَيَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ وَيَدْعُو لِأَبِيهِ فَيَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ

[AI] Praise be to Allah, who made me beautiful, perfected my form, and adorned me with what I have that others do not. O Allah, just as You have made my appearance beautiful, make my character beautiful as well, and do not forsake me, for You are able to do that.

"الحَمْدُ لله الذي جمَّلنى وأحسن صورَتِى وزان مِنى مَا شَاء مِن غَيرِى، اللَّهُمَّ كمَا حَسنْتَ خلقِى فحَسن خُلُقِى ولا تجْعَلَنِى فإِنَّكَ على ذلِك قدير".

[AI] Anas reported: The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, whenever he looked at his reflection in the mirror, would say: "All praise is due to Allah who shaped my creation and perfected it, and who honored the form of my face and beautified it, and made me among the Muslims."

"كانَ النَّبِىُّ ﷺ إِذَا أَبْصَرَ وَجْهَهُ فِى الْمِرآةِ قَالَ: الْحَمْدُ للَّه سَوَّى خَلقِى فَعَدَلَهُ، وَكَرَّمَ صُورَةَ وَجْهِى فَحَسنهَا، وَجَعَلنِى مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ".

"كَانَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ أَحْسَنَ مَنْ خَلَقَ الله خُلُقًا".

From Abu Darda, he spent a night saying: 'O Allah, as you have made my physical form good, make my character good,' until morning came. He was asked: 'Was your entire supplication throughout the night only about good character?' He replied: 'Indeed, a Muslim servant may perfect his character until his good character admits him into Paradise, and he may spoil his character until his bad character leads him into the Fire. And indeed, a Muslim servant is forgiven while he is asleep.' He was asked: 'How is that?' He said: 'Another [person] rises in the last part of the night, exerts himself in prayer and supplication to Allah – the Exalted, and He answers him, and he prays for his brother, and Allah answers him in regard to his brother.'

"أَنَّهُ بَاتَ لَيْلَةً يَقُولُ: اللَّهُمَّ أَحْسَنْتَ خَلْقِي فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقِي حَتَّي أَصْبَحَ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: مَا كَانَ دُعَاؤكُ مُنْذُ اللَّيْلَةِ إِلَّا فيِ حُسْنِ الْخُلُقِ؟ فَقَالَ: إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُسْلِمَ يُحْسِنُ خُلُقَهُ حَتِّي يُدْخِلَه حُسْنُ خُلُقِهِ الْجَنَّةَ، وَيُسِيِءُ خُلُقَهُ حَتَّي يُدْخِلَهُ خُلُقُهُ النَّارَ، وَإنَّ الْعَبْدَ الْمُسْلِمَ لَيُغْفَرُ لَهُ وَهُو نَائِمٌ، قَيِلَ: كَيْفَ ذَاكَ؟ قَالَ: يَقُومُ آخِرَةٌ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَيَجْتَهِدُ فَيَدْعُو الله -تَعَالَى فَيَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ، وَيَدْعُو لأَخِيهِ فَيَسْتَجِيبُ لَهُ فِيهِ".