Social Etiquette: Adab al-Mu'asharat

Book excerpt: Social Etiquette (Adab al-Mu'asharat) by the erudite sub-continent scholar, Mawlana Ashraf Ali Thanawi (may Allah be pleased with him) is a brief treatise on on nurturing and perfecting our social conduct. The esteemed author presents anecdotes and practical examples from personal experience, critiquing scenarios and interactions that are often overlooked and seemingly harmless but contradict the spirit of Islam. Whilst this publication is an easy read, it calls for practical expression; to uplift the Islamic requirements in the domain of social life and interactions, to develop healthy communities and foster peace, harmony, love and cohesion. In order to make this translation accessible to the many millions of Muslims living in Western countries, examples (not in the original work) have been added in the footnotes discussing contemporary contexts relevant to our current times and places.