About Prophet Muhammad

ﷺ

May the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, and on his Family, and his Companions.

Part 1

Guidance to the Purification of the Soul

Guidance is by Allah سبحانه و تعالى, and His Prophet ﷺ , without the Messenger of Islam we would not know the Quran or right and wrong in worship and in actions.
This guidance is based on the truth[*], because Allah is The Real ( حقّ ) and therefore this guidance will lead man - if followed sincerely and with determination - to improve his situation in this world and the next.

[*] There have to be proofs for what is maintained or said and certainly Islam is evidence based.

Above all, what you need is high morals, good character, proper behavior; you must identify your bad features and rid yourself of them. You relationship to whomever you come into contact with must be based on the best of contact but what this means may vary with conditions and circumstances.
Sh. Muhyiddīn Ibn al-ʿArabī

The central focus of this guidance is always to purify and reform the souls of man and to straighten the affairs of the community as a precondition for peace and harmony in our societies and as a preparation for the overwhelming events in the Hereafter.

{ مَن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا }

{He who obeys the Messenger, obeys Allah: But if any turn away, We have not sent you to watch over them.} 4-80

Guidance and Good Character

Good character, such as humility, generosity, courage and strength of determination etc. are necessary to become receptive to the prophetic guidance - Quran and Sunnah. If there is a grain of good character then there is a chance the guidance from God will be accepted.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was sent to complete the noble character traits, as he said:

إِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ لِأُتَمِّمَ صَالِحَ الأَخْلاقِ‏.

Abu Hurayra, https://sunnah.com/urn/2202730

”I was sent to perfect the noble character traits.”

He also said:

“Noble character is among the deeds of Paradise.”

مَكَارِمُ الأَخْلاقِ مِنْ أَعْمَالِ الْجَنَّةِ

Anas ibn Malik,
https://abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2016/10/25/makarim-al-akhlaq-jannah/

The whole of the religion of Islam is guidance.
Self-purification is through all of what Allah has prescribed in His religion.

Take What the Messenger ﷺ Gives You

{So take what the Messenger assigns to you (gives you), and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you.}
57-7

This verse is explained by the Quran itself:
{If you do love God, then follow me. God will then love you and forgive your sins. God is Forgiver, Merciful.}
3-31 (related 64-12; 5-92)

{ قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ }

As-Suhrawardī:
Among the groups of Islam, it is the Sufis [or the people of tasawwuf] who follow his words so that they do what they were ordered to do and they leave off what he has forbidden them to do.

Moreover they follow him in their deeds, which is in their eagerness and in their dedication to worship ('ibadah ) including night prayers, special Sunnahs of fasting, for prayers etc.

'Awārif al-ma'ārif; As-Suhrawardī: Gaben d Erkenntnis

Sayyid Abdul Qadir Gilani:

So make the book of Allah and the Sunnah your guide and look at these two authorities with contemplation and meditation and act on them and do not be deceived by mere talk and by greed.

And do not oppose him so that you may not cease acting on what he has brought. Do not make innovation (bid'a ) from your own self either with regard to deeds or with regard to service ('ibadah ).

Futuh al-Ghaib; Sayyid Abdul Qadir al-Gilani

Improvement of Character

Allah said in the Holy Quran:

{ فَبِمَا رَحْمَةٍ مِّنَ اللَّهِ لِنتَ لَهُمْ }

{It was by Allah’s mercy that you O Muhammad were lenient with them} that is that you showed indulgence toward them* when they disobeyed you [in the battle of Uhud]. 3-159

*This was about a group of Muslims, who - through their irresponsible behaviour - endangered the whole Muslim community in the battle of Uhud. In spite of their grave failure, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ still had patience with them, neither punished them, nor even scolded them, but forgave them. This is an aspect of his kind of character.