Nothing is heavier on the scale of deeds than good character.
“Nothing is heavier on the scale of deeds than good character.”
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed that the heaviest thing, among deeds and sayings, on the believer's scale on the Day of Judgment is good morals represented in having a cheerful face, refraining from harming others and doing good to others.
The plain meaning, from HadeethEnc
عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَا شَيْءٌ أَثْقَلُ فِي مِيزَانِ الْمُؤْمِنِ يَوْمَ القِيَامَةِ مِنْ خُلُقٍ حَسَنٍ، وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَيُبْغِضُ الفَاحِشَ البَذِيءَ».
Abu ad-Dardā’ (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is nothing heavier on the believer's scale on the Day of Judgment than good morals. Indeed, Allah detests the one who is indecent and foulmouthed."
What does Sunan al-Tirmidhi 2002 mean?
Narrated by Abu ad-Darda’, recorded by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi. The image is of the scale on the Day of Judgement, and the claim is a ranking: of everything a believer brings, nothing weighs more. The same hadith names the opposite in the next breath — that Allah detests the one who is coarse and foul-mouthed — so the character being praised is defined partly by what it refuses to say.
Written from HadeethEnc