The literal meanings of lineage are race, origin, ancestry, and family.

Lineage is the name, whereas character is the true identity of a person. A great person is one whose intentions are pure, whose actions are beautiful, and whose character is bright.

Character can lift up a person to a high and lofty position and prove lineage; namely, along with high lineage, high character is also necessary; lineage alone is not enough for salvation.

A person of lofty lineage revives the life of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) in society by becoming an embodiment of
truthfulness, modesty, and generosity. He illuminates his heart with the light of guidance by becoming aware of the purpose of life.

If a Muslim while accepting the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) as his guide and leader, is living a life of duplicity, contradiction, hypocrisy, and following the self and Satan, then this act is a path of oppression and misguidance from his leader (Peace be upon Him).

Good deeds lead to the perfection of character, whereas pride in lineage can lead to the deception of the self and Satan. With lofty
character, a person can achieve the true position of being representative of God.

Illuminating the character is the way of Prophets, saints, righteous, sincere, and believers while giving needless importance to ancestry and lineage can lead to misguidance.

1. (Good) Character is the recognition of a human’s personality and lineage.
   
   
2. (Good) deeds are superior to caste and lineage. Deeds are the essence, whereas caste and lineage are names.
   
   
3. The means of salvation is character, not caste and lineage.
   
   
4. The proof of humanity is human traits.
   
   
5. Recognition of a person is a character, not a lineage.
   
   
6. The character of a human being lives forever whereas his appearance dies.
   
   
7. Following the footsteps of our ancestors is manly, and forgetting their teachings is shallowness.
   
   
8. The actual lineage of a man is character.
   
   
9. If a person of lofty lineage lacks good character, his end is abashment.
   
   
10. Character is the mirror in which a person’s true face is seen.
    
    
11. Pride in the lineage is the downfall of faith.
    
    
12. Incompetent descendants tarnish the glorious past of their ancestors.
    
    
13. All humanity is equal in terms of lineage because Adam (Peace be upon Him) is the father of mankind.
    
    
14. In the eyes of Allah, the criterion is virtue and piety, not identity or lineage.
    
    
15. Positive character lifts the dignity of lineage, while negative character derates and tarnishes it.