Good Manners & Etiquette (Adab) (Years 7–10) — Islamic Studies

Adab is the beautiful manners of Islam: greetings, remembering Allah, cleanliness, kind speech and being a good guest and neighbour.

Good manners, or adab, are how our faith shows in daily life. The Prophet ﷺ said he was sent to perfect good character, and his companions described him as the best of people in manners.

Why this matters Manners make life pleasant for everyone. People remember how we made them feel. When Muslims spread salām, keep clean, speak kindly and control anger, they show the beauty of Islam and become people others love to be around.

Greetings and remembering Allah

Small habits keep Allah in our hearts throughout the day.

Give the greeting of peace: As-salāmu ʿalaykum, and spread it widely.
Say Bismillāh before eating and starting tasks.
Say Alḥamdulillāh to thank Allah after eating and blessings.

Cleanliness and table manners

The Prophet ﷺ taught that cleanliness is part of faith. We keep our bodies, clothes and surroundings clean.

Wash your hands before and after eating.
Eat with your right hand and take from what is nearest you.
Do not waste food, and thank whoever prepared it.

Speaking well and controlling anger

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent."

Avoid harsh words, backbiting and mocking others.
When angry, pause, stay quiet, and calm down; the Prophet ﷺ advised the angry person to sit down or make wuḍūʾ.
Keep your promises, as breaking them harms trust.

Being a good guest and neighbour

The Prophet ﷺ told us to honour our guests and to be kind to neighbours, saying the angel Jibrīl kept advising him about neighbours until he thought neighbours might inherit.

As a guest, be polite, tidy and grateful.
As a neighbour, help, share, and never cause harm or noise.

What to say, and when

Much of adab is a small phrase said at the right moment. These three run through a Muslim's whole day.

Moment	What is said	What it means
Meeting someone	As-salāmu ʿalaykum	Peace be upon you
Before eating or starting a task	Bismillāh	In the name of Allah
After eating, or on receiving a blessing	Alḥamdulillāh	All praise belongs to Allah

Match each moment with the adab that belongs to it:

Before you eat: Wash your hands and say Bismillāh
After you eat: Say Alḥamdulillāh, and thank whoever prepared it
When you meet someone: Give the greeting of peace, and spread it widely
When you feel anger rising: Speak good — or stay silent

Common exam mistake: describing adab only as “being polite” in general. The syllabus wants specific named practices — the greeting of salām, Bismillāh before eating, controlling anger through wuḍūʾ or sitting down.

Exam technique: when asked how a Muslim shows adab, give at least one example from each area — worship-related habits, table manners, speech and guests/neighbours — since breadth across categories earns more marks than depth in only one.