With regards to the student of knowledge adorning himself with muroo-ah (honourable and fine behaviour), Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah comments:
And what is muroo-ah?The scholars of fiqh – may Allaah have mercy upon them – have established what it is in the Book of shahaadaat (bearing witness).They said: it is doing that which beautifies him and adorns him and avoiding of that which would dishonour him and disgrace him.And this is an expression which is general (in its nature) – everything which will beautify you in the eyes of the people, and adorn you and which will be a cause for your being praised, then this is muroo-ah, even if it is not from the acts of worship.And everything which is opposite (to this), then it is something that opposes muroo-ah.Then (the author) strikes an example for this, by saying that (from muroo-ah) is having noble manners. So what are noble manners? They are that the person is always forbearing, that he is forbearing when it is the occasion for forbearance; and that he acts with firm resolve when it is the occasion for firm resolve.And therefore the Islaamic Religion has come being justly balanced between forbearance – by which rights may be lost – and acting with firm resolve, which may sometimes lead to oppression.
(Sharh hilyah taalib il ‘ilm p36 of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen rahimahullaah, translated by Nasser ibn Najam)
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