By Babatunde Jose
“Fair in the eyes of men is the love of things they covet: women and sons; heaped-up hoards of gold and silver; horses branded for blood and excellence; and wealth of cattle and well-tilled land. Such are the possessions of this world’s life; but in nearness to God is the best of the goals to return to.” (Al-Imran: 14)
The characteristics of a godly man are what make him stand out from regular men.
Before you try to understand the characteristics of a godly man, you need to understand the meaning. But he cannot by any stretch be regarded as a holy man. No man born of a woman is holy. We all come with our baggage. That is why the righteous always supplicate and ask for forgiveness.
The paradox of the holy man is that he does not exist amongst men but among the Angels of God. However, man-of-God abound amongst us but very few in number considering that most of us have the evil gene in us.
The man of God is the quintessential goodman who is God-fearing and follows the commandments of God, emblazoned in his conscience like the one written on a tablet of stone.
He is not only a faithful believer of his faith, but also true to his fellow man. He is in all he does, an adherent to the principle of truth, fairness, justice and equity. He abhors cheating and at all times has the fear of God in his dealings with his fellow man.
The Man of God does not necessarily have to be a preacher, pastor or our modern-day trickster who has gone to the so-called bible college to learn the theatrics of hoodwinking and mesmerizing his audience. He needs not be stealing in the name of God by making people part with their money under the guise of sowing seed in the Lord’s bank.
The Man of God is meek and humble and personifies godliness in all its ramifications. His godliness is reflected in his Character.
The man of God has many characteristics that stand him out from the average Joe. Though he is not without sin, he is not a practitioner of iniquities. At every turn he begs his God for forgiveness.
The man of God is very much unlike those who parade our pulpits today claiming holiness without the halo of holiness on them. Many who claim God to be their father but their behavior, attitude, and dispositions, are anti-thesis of the claim. They are greedy and avaricious, lack contentment and are in many ways materialistic.
The Prophet (saw) said:” Forsake worldly pleasures, Allah will like you, and forsake what other people have, mankind will like you.” Contentment is a treasure that will never be depleted.
Our so-called men of God go about in the latest and most expensive Range Rover Autobiography LWB, living the good life with careless abandon. They forget that the good books asked us not to lay our treasures here on earth so that we can inherit the house of God in heaven in which there are many mansions. See John 14:2.
The good man and man of God does not amass property like our modern day ‘Daddy’ in the church, and his so-called ‘Prayer City’ tucked in the deep forest of his rural homestead.
Neither does the good man and man of God travel in private Jets. He is most modest in his comportment and never ostentatious in his living.” Wealth and sons are allurements of the life of this world. But the things that endure, good deeds are best in the sight of your Lord, as rewards, and best as the foundation for hopes.” (Al-Kahf, Quran 18:46)
In another place, Allah informs us in Surah Al-Hadid that the worldly affairs are temporary entertainment where people may be deceived:” And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception?” (Al-Hadid, Quran 57:20)
Jesus said: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:19-21
Warren Buffet presents us with a good example, worth emulating when he said: “Everyone who says he needs a private jet to make important appointments is a liar. He needs it for his ego. Name me one who is busier than I am, who owns more US corporations than I do. I travel constantly across the US and the world in commercial jetliners, live in the same house since the 70s, still buy $9 ties and $75 suits and still drive my 22-year-old immaculately maintained Lincoln. These flash lifestyles are simply ego driven!” A man of God is not ego-driven.
The godly man is an individual who loves God and believes in the Almighty with his purest intention. He spends some alone-time with God and has formed a deep spiritual connection with him.
The Godly man has surrendered himself to God. For him, God is his dear friend, his guide, and a confidante. The Godly man trusts God with all his heart and is pure and innocent.
The Godly man doesn’t need to follow a particular religion. Some godly men can be Christians, practicing Hindus, Muslims, Jews, and other religious followers.
One of the main signs of a godly man is that God comes first in his life. He will always keep God as his main inspiration and guide, even in difficult situations. He will have a special time to worship and pray to his God. He will have utmost devotion to the Almighty.
A godly man always aims to lead a pure and good life on the doctrines of the religion. He usually works hard and remains honest to ensure he follows his God. The trait of a godly man is that he will always be ready to help those in need. You will find him doing charity work, offering relief during natural disasters, etc.
One of the main qualities of a godly man is his integrity. He follows a strict ethical code and remains honest to please his God. He will not lie or deceive his fellowman. Unlike our men of today who are masters of the art of deception, they are like rotten apples with a goodly body: “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness, Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart. O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!” ― William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice.
A man of God is definitely a hard worker. He has a clear idea that he has to work hard for everything in his life and each achievement. He also understands and believes that God only loves those who work hard by following their ethical codes.
Most godly men follow a life by their moral codes. Hence, he is disciplined, does not sway like other men, and often maintains his integrity even in difficult situations.
Another attribute of a godly man is his perseverance, he never gives up. He believes that God creates challenges in human life to teach them lessons. “And certainly, We shall test you with something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to As-Sabirun (the patient). Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: “Truly! To Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.” (Quran, Surah al-Baqarah, 2:155-157)
Being a man of God, he will naturally be generous. He understands that the riches and natural resources are earthly and will not be with him forever. He also believes that God gives those who share their resources with others. Hence, a godly man is a natural giver and is generous. He will always give things to people who need them.
Another feature of a godly man is his responsible nature. He always takes responsibility for each action he takes and proudly owns even his mistakes. He will never blame others for his life issues. Unlike our leaders, who in any case cannot be classed as godly people, they will never take responsibility even when we are picking food from the dustbin and being pauperized as a result of their unfairness.
Forgiveness is one of the main traits of a godly man. He understands that it is human nature to make mistakes. He also believes that one must forgive others for moving forward and truly healing from their past wounds.
Wisdom is another characteristic of a godly man. His wisdom opens his eyes and offers him a path to attaining more knowledge. You will always find him learning new things and living his life to attain knowledge.
A godly man understands that every person has their own personality and beliefs. His belief in God makes him respect others and their beliefs.
A godly man is a man who fears and loves God. The characteristics of a godly man make him stand out and move forward amidst tough competition. They are different due to their strong devotion to God. He is good and is deeply rooted in living an honest and modest life.
These are the qualities that distinguish our patriarch, late Alhaji Isma’il Babatunde Jose (1925-2008) the quintessential man of God who will be posthumously 97 years old on Tuesday December 13. We remember our annual pilgrimage to his residence each year for prayers to mark his birthday. May Allah continue to keep him in Jannatul Firdous. Baba, as we fondly called him, Sunre oo!
Barka Juma’at and a happy weekend.
