When we hear the word “adab”, what comes to our mind?, kissing the hands of our parents, bowing and bending down when walking in front of teachers or people who are older than us, or maybe the smallest thing in our daily life is eating with our right hand.

The word Adab was known in Arabic before the arrival of Islam. According to the Italian Orientalist, F. Gabrieli, its meaning evolved over the course of Arab cultural history. The oldest meaning of the word adab refers to a practice of practical norms of behavior with multiple connotations; first, the value is seen as commendable, and second, the value is passed down from generation to generation. However, the good values inherited in the pre-Islamic period referred to the tribal reality and social life of Arab society at that time, both universal and considered good by certain people.

After the arrival of Islam, Arabic experienced the addition of spiritual and intellectual elements in its meaning. Therefore, the meaning of Adab varies. At the beginning of Islam adab meant education (al-tahdzib) and character (al-khuluq) as many have mentioned in the Hadith. Then at the time of the Umayyads, adab also meant teaching (al-ta’lim). Therefore, people who teach about poetry, sermons and the history of the Arabs are called muaddib. Then during the Abbasid dynasty adab meant education as well as teaching (al-tahdzib wa al-ta’lim ma’an). After that adab is better known as a discipline of literature.

From the change in meaning that occurs, the relationship between the meanings still exists. Adab which originally meant norms or ethics that must be done, was taught from generation to generation. But the note is that the element of goodness in adab is not based on certain ethnic agreements, but based on values ​​and rules in Islam. Then this process is called education and teaching.

The shift in the meaning of adab from pre-Islamic to Islamic times can be said to be the Islamization of the Arabic language. According to al-Attas, the Islamization of Arabic is contained in the reform of the Qur’an to the basic vocabulary structure that once represented the jahiliyyah view of the world, life, and human existence. It can be said that there are new values promoted by Islam in interpreting Arabic as well as accommodating old values that are in line with Islam.

Although Muslim Arabic experts agree on the original meaning of the word adab which means “invitation”, they do not interpret adab in its original meaning. They reformed the meaning of adab and perfected it with an Islamic meaning. Ibn Manzhur for example in Lisanul Arabic, when he mentions the origin of the word adab which means “invitation”, then the meaning is to call, and invite someone to every commendable act and prevent all that is bad.

He also quotes a Hadith narrated by Ibn Mas’ud: “Inna hadzal Qur’ana ma’dubatullaahi…”, Verily this Qur’an is a banquet from Allah, so learn from His banquet according to your ability. (HR. al-Thabrani)

This hadith compares (tasybih) the Qur’an to a meal. Allah has prepared a banquet that contains goodness and benefits, then Allah invites humans to taste it.

The meaning of adab has been conveyed by many scholars. Al-Qusyairy stated that the essence of adab is a combination of all good attitudes. Therefore, a civilized person is a person who has a good attitude in him. Meanwhile, according to Ibn Qayyim al-Jauziyah, adab is more than just an attitude. The substance of adab is the practice of good morals. Therefore, adab is an effort to actualize the perfection of character from potential to application.

Hujjatul Islam al-Ghazali said adab is inner and outer self-education, which includes four things: words, actions, beliefs and intentions. In Islam, a good inner aspect will produce to commendable behavior, verbally and deed. Meanwhile Al Jurjani defines adab with knowledge that protects the owner from various mistakes. Here al Jurjani positions adab as an introduction (Ma’rifat).

From the definitions of the scholars, it can be seen that adab is no longer a stand-alone term, but is closely related to other concepts in Islam such as knowledge, attitude, practice, goodness and virtue. Therefore, it is not wrong if adab is referred to as a short but solid word (lafzhun qalil wa ma’nan jalil) not just eating with the right hand, adab is more than that. Even people who play around when praying or are not solemn ‘can be said have no manners. Wallahu a’lam bis Shawab.

By : Al Ustadz Ahmad Zulfiqar A.A.A., S. Fil.I., MIRKH