How to Become a Better Muslim Male

The action of foremost importance is prayer. See it as an introspective action, and attempt to derive tranquility from it. Concentrate. Rather than offering prayer reluctantly, find peace from it, as a break from your busy life.

• Pray every Friday. Never miss a Friday prayer and try to pray at the masjid as much as possible. Make sure you reach the mosque, not in time for the prayer, but before the khutbah (sermon) starts. This is virtuous according to a narration of the the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).^[1]

Make du'a. A day shouldn't pass without supplication or remembrance of Allah. Before any activity, you should pray rabbi zidni 'ilma, meaning "My Lord, increase my knowledge". ^[2]

Seek knowledge. The Prophet said that "whoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise".^[3] Seek knowledge to strengthen the relationship between you and Allah, not to show off in front of others.^[4]

Read the Qur'an. No matter how much, but try to read a few pages a day if you have time. This is the speech of Allah, a guidance to you and all that exists.^{[5] [6]} Have a relationship with the Qur'an. You can even read just a few lines and the translation before you go to sleep. Try to understanding the meaning behind the Qur'an; otherwise, when you read it, it becomes meaningless you are just reading Arabic. Try to read the translation or tafsir (interpretation) to get an idea of the context. It's better to read a few lines and understand the meaning behind it, than to read a full page with nothing whatsoever to take away from it. The Qur'an is not going to be entirely literal, so it's important you interpret it correctly, with the help of the works of scholars.^[7]

Follow the sunnah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was sent as a guide to mankind, the perfect example to follow.^[8] We should strive to live like him, performing every act of worship exactly as he did to maximize the reward. Instead of doing the bare minimum obligatory acts, try to go beyond that, and perform optional but rewarded acts.

Find the right friends. If you are not going to have Muslim friends, at least have well behaved friends, who will not coerce you into sinning, for example taking drugs or smoking. Avoid those who make a mockery of Islam.^{[9] [10]} Spending more time with knowledgeable and sincere people is a step in the right direction.

• Islam allows freedom of religion and commands us to respect people of all backgrounds, faith and religion.^{[11] [12]}

Be good to your parents. Always respect them, and as you get older, help to care for them. The Qur'an and sunnah have many things to say regarding your parents. For example, pleasing your parents is important, as Allah is pleased, and angering your parents is bad, as Allah is also angry.^[13] There are also many narrations that speak about parents.^{[14] [15] [16] [17]} The Qur'an also commands us to respect them.^{[18] [19] [20]}

Do not preach Islam if you know you're not qualified. Preaching is only up to the authentic Imams; if you have a question, ask them, but other than that, just follow the requirements and Sunnah as given. Spreading knowledge is good, and one gets a reward for every person whom that knowledge has spread to^[21] , but make sure you know what you are doing. Do not spread false rumours. The Qur'an warns against liars, telling us to "verify" news that comes from them before telling others, "lest you harm people in ignorance". ^[22]

Be kind to others. If there's an argument, keep your cool.^[23] The stronger person is not one who is strong physically, but the one who can control their anger.^[24] Treat people gently, in the same way you would like to be treated. Also, do not backbite about others. The Qur'an warns against backbiting, comparing it to eating the dead flesh of a human.^{[25] [26]} In the same chapter, the Qur'an also forbids us from giving others insulting nicknames.^[27]

Be modest. Islam commands both men and women to be modest - not just in their dress, but in their behaviour and interaction with others. Avoid wearing tight or flashy clothing, such as skinny or ripped jeans. Not only do ripped jeans imitate the dress of non-Muslims, which is forbidden, some expose the awrah. This is the intimate parts of the body, and for men, it is considered from the navel to the knees. Men are forbidden to go out in public with any part of that area exposed. Do not try to attract attention, such as by spraying loads of perfume or flirting with others.

Keep yourself halal. Keeping halal applies to many things, such as keeping halal in the food that we eat, and making sure that it is permissible, and keeping halal with our desires. Humans naturally have desires, but it's up to us to channel those desires. Some people choose to relieve these desires through indecent actions, such as masturbation and fornication, both of which are forbidden in Islam.^[28]

• In Chapter 24 of the Qur'an, Allah command men and women to lower their gaze and guard their private parts.^[29]
• "Tell the believing men to restrain their looks, and to guard their privates."
• You must also learn about the limits of acceptable interaction between men and women. You should not be alone or private with a non-mahram woman (unrelated woman).
• Keep in mind what "lowering your gaze" actually means. It means lowering your gaze from unlawful things, should you see one. It does not mean totally avoiding women and, if they speak to, ignore or refuse to look at them. This is an irrational way to behave; this verse speaks about modesty. When speaking to women, you should behave modestly and within your limits - do not attempt to flirt with them.