Ayesha says that she heard the Holy Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) as saying: “A believer can achieve the position of one who regularly fasts during the day and spends the night in prayer, through his good manners.”
(Abu Dawood)
Good manners play a vital role in human life. If a person is good-mannered, respects his elders, has love and affection for youngsters and sympathy for those who stand in need, he gets plenty of respect and honour in society. This is the merit of good manners in this physical world. But good manners are so important in the eyes of Islam that the Holy Messenger ﷺ says that such a believer would be highly rewarded in the Hereafter. He gives the good tidings that a believer can achieve through his good manners the position of one who regularly fasts during the day and spends the night in prayer.
In another hadīth the Blessed Messenger calls the believers with good manners the best among the Ummah. Allah’s Messenger ﷺ neither talked indecently nor did he entertain indecent talk. He used to say: “The best of you are those who have the best manners.”
It is here that the saying, “Politeness costs nothing but earns much credit” comes true. After all, pride, self-conceit and haughtiness have never been acknowledged as the qualities of a civilized society. The fact remains that good manners serve as lubricant in the vehicle of human relationships.