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I-
Foundations
II-
Basic Concepts
III- Virtues
IV- Vices
Moral
or ethical code of Islam is based on taqwa (fear of God), tawakkal
(trust in God) and self purification (tazkia nafs). Let us study
these foundations in a little detail.
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Fear of God (Taqwa)
The
root of the word ‘Taqwa’ is ‘Waqa’ which stands for saving or
guarding i.e., the guarding of a thing from that which harms it.
The verb is ‘Ittaqa’ which means
"he saved or guarded himself
properly". ‘Muttaqi’ is the nominative for this verb and it means
one who guards himself against evil or one who is careful and
keeps his duty well. Taqwa, and the verb and nouns connected with
the root, according to Abdullah Yusuf Ali, signify: (1) fear of
God which is the beginning of wisdom; (2) restraint, or guarding
one’s tongue, hand and heart from evil; hence righteousness,
piety, good conduct. Muttaqi, according to Muhammad Asad, is
God-conscious who has awareness of Allah’s all-presence and has
the desire to mould his existence in the light of this awareness.
In
brief, taqwa means fear of God, restraint from evil, piety,
righteousness, right conduct, warding off evil, keeping duty to
God. Muttaqi is the person who is fearful of God, who guards his
tongue, his hand and his heart from evil; who is pious, righteous
and possesses good conduct.
Once
Caliph Umar asked Abi-bin-Kaab: What is Taqwa? The latter
questioned him as to what he would do if he had a chance to pass
through a forest full of thorns. Umar replied that he would keep
his clothes closer to him and would pass through the forest with
utmost care to escape from the thorns. Abi aptly replied that his
utmost care if exercised in avoidance of sins is taqwa.
‘Taqwa’ or fear of God is the foundation of Islamic society. The
merits of ‘Taqwa’ and the qualifications of those (Muttaqin or
righteous persons) who possess it have been highlighted by the
Qur’an and the Prophet of Islam along with the rewards which are
due to such persons. Some of the verses of the Qur’an and
traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) are:
-
This is the Scripture whereof there is no doubt, a
guidance unto those who ward off (evil): Who believe in the
unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have bestowed
upon them; And who believe in that which is revealed unto thee
(Muhammad) and that which was revealed before thee, and are
certain of the Hereafter. These depend on guidance from their
Lord. These are the successful. (Al-Qur’an 2:2-5)
-
Say: Shall I inform you of something better than
that? For those who keep from evil, with their Lord are Gardens
underneath which rivers flow, and pure companions, and contentment
from Allah. Allah is Seer of His bondmen. (Al-Qur’an 3:15)
-
And the reward of the Hereafter is better, for
those who believe and ward off (evil). (Al-Qur’an 12:57)
-
Lo! Allah is with those who keep their duty unto
Him and those who are doers of good. (Al-Qur’an 16:128)
-
Abu Dharr said: I asked God’s Messenger to give me
some instructions and he replied: I enjoin you to fear God, for
that will be the best adornment for everything that concerns you
………….. (Miskhat-ul-Masabih)
-
Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him) has
reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah
be upon him) was asked: What is that pursuit which will stand
foremost to lead a man to Paradise? He replied: Fear of Allah and
good conduct. Then he was asked: What is that indulgence which
will admit a man to Hell (Fire)? He answered: The mouth and sexual
organ. (Tirmizi)
-
In his famous sermon delivered on the occasion of
farewell pilgrimage, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) addressed the people
as under: “O people! Be ware: your God is one. No Arab has any
superiority over a non-Arab, and no non-Arab any superiority over
an Arab, and no white one has any superiority over a black one,
and no black one any superiority over a white one, except on the
basis of Taqva (piety). The most honourable among you in the sight
of Allah is he who is the most pious and righteous of you,”
-
Abu Hurairah reported God’s messenger as saying:
“There are three things which save and three which destroy. Those
which save are fear of God in secret and in public, speaking the
truth both when pleased and displeased, and moderation both when
wealthy and when poor. Those which destroy are passion which is
followed, niggardliness which is obeyed, and self-conceit which is
the worst of them.” (Baihaqi)
-
Abu Zarr reported that the Messenger of Allah said:
Surely I know a verse. If people would have followed it, it would
have sufficed them ─ “And whoso fear Allah, He will find out a
way for him and He will give him provision from where he will not
know ─ 65:30 (Ahmad, Ibn Majah)
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Trust in God (Tawakkal)
‘Tawakkal’ comes from ‘wakl’ which means to resign or to rely or
to trust. Another derivative of this word is ‘Wakil’ which means a
pleader to whom a legal suit is entrusted as an agent for pursuing
in a court of law. So Tawakkal-al-Allah means to rely on Allah and
entrust Him all the worldly affairs. A true Muslim absolutely
submits himself to Allah and entrusts all his affairs to the Will
of Allah believing that “my prayer, my sacrifice, and my life, and
my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.” (Al-Qur’an
6:162).
But
reliance on Allah does not mean that one should not take any
action and do any work and sit idle entrusting all affairs to
Allah believing that Allah would provide him every thing without
any effort or action on his part. This is rather sluggishness and
not trust in Allah. At least Islam does not support this passive
attitude to life. True reliance on Allah means that a person works
hard and makes his best efforts to achieve a goal and then he
entrusts the results thereof to Allah with the belief that Allah
would accept his efforts and would bless him with success. The
Qur’an says: “There is nothing for man but what he strives for”
(53:39). Therefore a Muslim is expected to set himself
wholeheartedly to action and then rely on Allah for good results.
According to a well known tradition, some companion asked the
Prophet: “Should I not leave my camel free and rely on God for its
safety?” The Prophet replied: “You must tie the camel and then
trust in Allah.” An absolute belief in the Will of God, His
Omnipotence and His Ability to do everything is essential but a
true believer is not supposed to resign himself to idle life and
expect from God that He would do every thing for him.
The
Qur’an enjoins the believer to put their trust in Allah in every
situation. It says:
-
And when thou art resolved, then put thy trust in
Allah. Lo! Allah loveth those who put their trust (in Him). (Al-Imran
3:159)
-
If Allah is your helper none can overcome you, and
if He withdraw His help from you, who is there who can help you?
In Allah let believers put their trust. (Al-Imran 3:160)
-
They only are the (true) believers whose hearts
feel fear when Allah is mentioned, and when the revelations of
Allah are recited unto them they increase their faith, and who
trust in their Lord; (Al-Anfal 8:2)
-
And if they incline to peace, incline thou also to
it, and trust in Allah. Lo! He is the Hearer, the Knower. (Al-Anfal
8:61)
-
Say: Naught befalleth us save that which Allah hath
decreed for us: He is our Protecting Friend. In Allah let
believers put their trust! (At-Taubah 9:51)
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Purification of self (Tazkia)
‘Tazkia’ is actually ‘Tazkia Nafs’ which means purification of
self. It is internal purity as well as external purity. In other
words it is purification of body as well as of mind and soul. But
in religious and spiritual sense we generally understand from
Tazkia Nafs the purification of one’s self i.e. one’s mind and
soul of evils and vices. Since mind and soul cannot be purified or
cleansed without cleanliness of body, so internal and external
purity becomes interconnected as body and mind are connected
inseparably. If both body and mind are clean, then the man is
healthy. But if any of them is unclean, then the man is unhealthy
and impure. Since cleanliness of body and mind is not possible
without cleanliness of house, place of worship, place of work and
physical environment around the people, so cleanliness of these
things is also essential.
Islam
emphasises cleanliness of its followers and of everything around
them so that they should be physically and mentally healthy with
healthy soul.
Therefore, the followers of Islam have been enjoined to keep their
bodies, minds and souls clean and also to keep their houses,
places of worship and work, roads and streets, and even their
wealth and goods clean. For cleanliness of their bodies, ablution
and bath have been prescribed; for cleanliness of their minds and
souls, prayer, fasting and Hajj have been prescribed; for
cleanliness of their goods and wealth, Zakat, Sadaqat and charity
have been recommended.
The
purification of self, particularly of mind and soul, from evils and
vices is very difficult as it is not possible without fight and
struggle against oneself, therefore this struggle has been called
by the Prophet of Islam as Jehad-e-Akbar (the greatest war).
Some
of the traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) which emphasise
cleanliness of body, soul and environment are:
-
Abu Malik al-Ash’ari reported that the Messenger of
Allah said: Cleanliness is half of faith. (Mishkat-ul-Masabih)
-
Jaber reported that the Messenger of Allah said:
The key of Paradise is prayer, and the key to prayer is
cleanliness. (Ahmad)
-
Jaber reported: The Prophet came to see us and
found a man of
disheveled
hairs whose hairs were not arranged. Then he said: This man is
not finding with what he should comb his head! And he saw a man
with dirty clothes on. So he said: This man is not finding with
what thing he should wash his clothes! (Ahmad, Nisai)
-
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah
said: Verily Allah is pure. He does not accept but what is pure.
And verily Allah ordered the believers with which He ordered the
Prophets. He said: O Prophets! Eat of the pure things and do good
deeds. And he said: Eat of the pure things with which We provided
you. Then he mentioned about a man disheveled in hair and laden
with dust, making his journey long and extending his hand towards
heaven: O Lord! O Lord! While his food was unlawful, his drink
unlawful, his dress unlawful and he was nourished with unlawful
things. How can he be responded to for that? (Muslim)
-
Jaber reported that the Messenger of Allah said to
a people who returned from holy war: Welcome to you all, you have
come from little fight to the greatest fight. It was questioned: O
Messenger of Allah! What is the greatest fight? He said fighting
with passion. (Baihaqi)
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II- Basic Concepts
In
this
section we will explain some of the basic concepts which play
key-role in founding the social and moral edifice of Islam.
Without comprehending these concepts such as – good and evil,
right and wrong, Halal (permitted) and Haram (forbidden), reward
for good deeds and punishments for evil deeds – we can hardly be
motivated to do pious acts, to adopt virtues and to shun vices, to
observe good manners, and to discharge our obligations to others.
A comprehensive discussion of these basic concepts would be made
in the light of the Qur’an, the revealed book of Islam, and the
traditions of Muhammad (PBUH), the Prophet of Islam.
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Good and Evil
The
terms ‘good’ and ‘evil’ have not been defined by Islam. Neither
the Qur’an nor the Ahadith of the Prophet Muhammad provide any
exact definition of these terms. Without giving any definition of
good and evil, the Qur’an and the Sunnah, however, throw a lot of
light on what is good and what is evil as the concepts of good and
evil are fundamental in the socio-ethical structure of Islam.
Islam enjoins upon its followers to do good and refrain from evil.
Things or actions which are good and which are bad have been
clearly demarcated by the Qur’an and Hadith. The doers of good
actions have been promised rewards whereas doers of evil actions
have been threatened with awful punishment.
According to Holy Qur’an, the man may have many justifications for
his actions but
he knows what he is. This knowledge
"he knows what
he is" is in fact human conscience which Almighty God has bestowed
upon everyone. Conscience is a lamp which is enkindled in every
human mind and which guides the man about what is right and what
is wrong and what is good and what is evil. If this lamp switches
off due to continuous and prolonged wicked acts, then the voice or
opinion of the people around one would help him to know what is
right and what is wrong. It is said: you are good if the people
say that you are good; and you are bad if the people say that you
are bad.
Righteousness and sin have been explained by the Prophet of Islam
in a very precise but vivid way. When asked by a companion about
righteousness and sin, the Prophet replied: Righteousness is good
character, and sin is that which revolves in your heart about
which you do not want people to know.
Some
of the verses of the Qur’an and traditions of Muhammad (PBUH)
which highlight the concept of good and evil are:
-
Whoso interveneth in a good cause will have the
reward thereof, and whoso interveneth in an evil cause will bear
the consequence thereof. Allah overseeth all things. (Al-Qur’an
4:85)
-
Whoso bringeth a good deed will receive tenfold the
like thereof, while whoso bringeth an ill deed will be awarded but
the like thereof; and they will not be wronged. (Al-Qur’an 6:160)
-
The good deed and the evil deed are not alike.
Repel the evil deed with one which is better, then lo! he, between
whom and thee there was enmity, (will become) as though he was a
bosom friend. (Al-Qur’an 41:34)
-
An-Nawwas b. Sam’an told that he asked God’s
Messenger about righteousness and sin and he replied:
“Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which revolves
in your heart about which you do not want people to know.”
(Muslim)
-
Huzaifah reported that the Messenger of Allah said:
Don’t be silly by saying: if people do good, we will do good; and
if they do wrong, we will do wrong;; but accustom yourselves to do
good if the people do good and not to do wrong if they do wrong. (Tirmizi)
-
Ali said that the following was inscribed on the
sword of the Holy Prophet: pardon one who does harm to you, join
him who cuts you off; do good to one who does evil to you, and
speak the truth although it be against yourself. (Ihya)
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Truth and Falsehood or Right and wrong
Truth
and falsehood are being taken as English equivalents of Arabic
words ‘Haq’ and ‘Batil’. Truth is what is just, morally good,
ethically right and conforms to fact, reason, or some standard or
principle. Truth is in judgment, opinion, or action. Actuality,
veracity, spiritual or philosophical verity, accuracy, exactness,
equity, fairness, righteousness, genuineness, legitimacy are some
of the words which describe some shades of meanings of truth.
False is untrue; it is lie, incorrect, unjust, unfair act, opinion
or judgment. It is wrong, not according to rule, wish, design or
the like. Falsehood is the act of lying; something that is untrue,
want of truth or veracity, not right according to moral law.
Truth
and falsehood, like good and evil, are basic human values which
cannot be defined so easily. Islam, therefore, elaborates the
concepts of truth and falsehood without defining the same in
words. Truth is light while falsehood is darkness, and as darkness
vanishes when the light comes, the falsehood disappears when the
truth comes. Falsehood, according to Islam, is a great sin while
truthfulness is a great virtue. Hence Islam enjoins upon its
followers to shun falsehood and be truthful. Truth is to be
rewarded while falsehood is to be punished. Truth is to be found
in six things i.e. in words, in motives, in intentions, in
determination, in obedience, in action, and in religious duties.
Truthful is he who is true in all these things.
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Halal and Haram (legal and illegal)
Islamic conception of Halal and Haram governs all the economic
activities of man especially in the field of production of wealth
and consumption of wealth as well as consumption of food items.
Certain means of earning livelihood and wealth have been declared
unlawful such as interest, bribery, gambling and games of chance,
speculation, short weighing and short measuring, business
malpractices, etc. Unlawful means of earning are strictly
forbidden and a follower of Islam is permitted to earn through
lawful and fair means. Similarly in the field of consumption
certain items of food are unlawful such as dead animals, blood,
swine flesh and animals slaughtered in the name of other than that
of Allah. Even expenses on certain items such as drinks,
narcotics, debauchery, prostitution, pornography, things that
promote obscenity and vulgarity, lotteries and gambling are
strictly disallowed.
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Reward and punishment
To
keep its followers on the right track and to make them do good
deeds and abstain from evil, Islam, like other religions and
systems, follows policy of reward and punishment. Those who
believe, perform righteous actions, worship Allah only, act upon
religious injunctions and do good to others as enjoined by Islam
are promised high rewards and Paradise. But those who do not
believe, do evil deeds, ridicule religious injunctions and violate
rights of their fellow-beings are threatened with painful doom and
Hell.
About
Islam’s Philosophy of reward and punishment, the Hoy Qur’an says:
-
Nay, but whosoever hath done evil and his sin
surroundeth him, such are rightful owners of the Fire; they will
abide therein. And those who believe and do good works: such are
rightful owners of the Garden. They will abide therein. (Al-Baqarah
2:81-82)
-
It will not be in accordance with your desires, nor
the desires of the People of the Scripture. He who doth wrong will
have the recompense thereof, and will not find against Allah any
protecting friend or helper. And whoso doth good works, whether of
male or female, and he (or she) is a believer such will enter
Paradise and they will not be wronged the dint in a date-stone.
(An-Nisa 4:123-124)
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Satan (Devil)
According to Islam’s religious and moral code, devil (called Satan
in the Qur’an) is enemy number one of mankind. The Qur’an tells us
that God created Adam, the father of all mankind, and asked the
angels and also Iblees (the Satan or devil) to prostrate before
Adam.
All
prostrated save the Satan. When God asked him why he disobeyed and
did not prostrate, the Satan said: “I am superior than him as You
have created me of fire and him of mud.” At this God declared the
Satan outcast. Satan then threw challenge to God that if he was
given respite, he would beguile Adam and his children from right
path. God gave him reprieve till the Day of Judgement or the
Doomsday accepting his challenge. The Satan misguided Adam and Eve
to eat fruit of the forbidden tree and thus got them expelled from
Paradise. From here starts the enmity between children of Adam and
the Satan and also war between good and evil. God guides the
mankind to right path and to Heaven through His Prophets; while
the Satan lures mankind to evil path and to Hell.
The
Qur’an, the book of God, and the traditions of Muhammad (PBUH),
the Prophet of Islam, teach the believers how to combat the
Satan, how to refrain from evil and keep to the right path of God
which leads to Heaven.
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Repentance
Taubah is repentance which signifies retreating or turning back
from sin. It is accompanied with Istighfar which means to seek
forgiveness from Allah for sins, wrongs, irregularities,
commissions and omissions, whether specific or general. Taubah has
generally three elements namely: to have knowledge that the act
done is wrong and sinful; to repent sincerely and ask for
forgiveness, and to make sincere commitment that such act would
not be repeated in future. Repentance, if made with all these
conditions, earns God’s pleasure who forgives past sins and
bestows immense rewards on His slave. However, repentance of those
is not acceptable who turn back to sins again and again after
repentance. Nor the repentance of those is accepted who continue
doing evil deeds up till their death and offer repentance only at
the time of
death. The
Verses
Holy Qur’an and
Ahadith of
Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) say:
-
Lo! those who disbelieve after their (profession
of) belief, and afterward grow violent in disbelief: their
repentance will not be accepted. And such are those who are
astray. (Al-Imran 3:90)
-
Forgiveness is only incumbent on Allah toward those
who do evil in ignorance (and) then turn quickly (in repentance)
to Allah. These are they toward whom Allah relenteth. Allah is
ever Knower, Wise. The forgiveness is not for those who do ill
deeds until, when death attendeth upon one of them, he saith: Lo!
I repent now; nor yet for those who die while they are
disbelievers. For such we have prepared a painful doom. (An-Nisa
4:17-18)
-
Abu Musa reported that the Apostle of Allah said:
Allah extends His hand at night to accept repentance from one who
commits sins during the day, and He extends His hand during the
day to accept repentance from one who commits sin at night, till
the sun will rise from its place of setting. (Muslim)
-
Ayesha reported that the Apostle of Allah said:
When a servant recognizes his sin and then repents, Allah will
accept his repentance. (Bukhari, Muslim)
-
Anas reported that the Apostle of Allah said: The
Almighty Allah said: O son of Adam! I will forgive you as long as
you implore Me and hope in Me in spite of what you have done, and
I don’t care. O son of Adam! If your sins are so numerous as to
reach the clouds of heaven and thereafter if you seek forgiveness
from Me. I would forgive you and I don’t care. O son of Adam! If
you were to meet Me with an earth- full of sins and then if you
were to meet Me without setting up anything with Me, I would
certainly come to you with an earth-full of forgiveness. (Ahmad,
Darimi, Tirmizi (Approved, Rare))
-
Ibn Abbas reported that the Apostle of Allah said:
Whoso sticks to seeking forgiveness, Allah will create for him a
way out from every difficulty and a relief from every anxiety, and
He will supply him provision from where he did not think.
(Ahmad, Abu Daud, Ibn Majah)
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III- Virtues
The
virtues of human character are those good qualities which raise
the status of human beings above all other creatures and make them
the best of God’s creations. Many rewards have been promised in
this world as well as in the next world for those Muslims who
possess these virtues. Such virtues are numerous and no exhaustive
list of them can be prepared. Therefore, we would discuss in this
section only a few important virtues.
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Contentment
Contentment is satisfaction or state of happiness or complacency
with what one has got. It is opposed to discontentment,
unhappiness or dissatisfaction. It is a great treasure and a great
virtue in a human being. Contentment saves a person from many
unnecessary worries and troubles which are generally caused by
discontentment. Contentment brings peace of mind which is not only
essential for leading a
happy life but also for concentration of
mind in achieving one’s goals in life. A contented mind can
concentrate in the divine service and worship of Allah. A
discontented or disturbed mind can hardly give proper attention to
remembrance of Allah. Therefore, Islam enjoins the believers to
live a happy and contented life. The Prophet of Islam has said
that wealth is not in vast riches but it is in contentment. Hence
a Muslim should content himself with what Allah has given him
and he should spend in Allah’s path out of that if he can afford.
He should not look towards those people who are wealthier than him
as it would make him discontented. Discontentment generally arises
out of greed for more and more wealth and hence it should be
shunned. In fact discontentment is ungratefulness whereas
contentment is gratefulness to Allah.
Belief in pre-measurement of sustenance (rizq) and
pre-determination of human destiny is an article of faith with a
Muslim. It teaches one to remain contented with one’s determined
share of fortunes and misfortunes. There is no use to worry and
grieve over what has not been given to one. It is Allah who
enlarges the provision for whom He will and decreases it for whom
He will. Fortune and misfortune comes from Allah. Wealth and
children are a test for man. Allah has exalted some people in rank
above others that He may try them.
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Forgiveness
To
forgive means to remit, to let off or to pardon. Forgiveness is
act of forgiving or state of being forgiven. Absolution,
acquittal, amnesty, condonation, exoneration, mercy, overlooking,
pardon, remission are its synonyms. By forgiveness we generally
understand that a person is able to take revenge for the wrong
done to him but he does not do so.
Forgiveness is a virtue which is akin to mercy and kindness. It is
one of the greatest attributes of Almighty God. Allah is
Forgiving, Merciful and He forgives the biggest sins of His
creatures if they repent, turn to Him and ask His pardon
sincerely. Those of the mankind who adopt this attribute of
forgiveness and forgive each other’s mistakes have been promised
great reward by Allah in this world and in the Hereafter.
Forgiveness does not gain but honour. A pious person who is able
to retaliate or get revenge forgives his foe and thus shows
magnanimity and large heartedness.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the most forgiving person. On the day
he conquered Makkah, he forgave thirteen years of merciless
persecution of himself and his companions by the Quresh, though
there was none who could stop him from taking revenge. The Quresh
had driven him and his companions from their home town of Makkah
and had forced them to take refuge in a distant town of Madinah.
The Quresh had persistently chased the Muslims in Madinah and had
waged a continuous war against the Prophet. But on the day of
conquest Muhammad (PBUH) forgave all his enemies. He even forgave
Abu Sufian who was his greatest enemy and had led expeditions
against him. Not only Abu Sufian was forgiven, but his house was
also declared a place of amnesty for those who entered into it.
Abu Sufian’s wife Hind who had chewed liver of Prophet’s uncle
Hamzah was pardoned. What a great amnesty it was! The history of
the world cannot produce another such example!
The
Holy Qur’an and the Prophet of Islam have enjoined the Muslims to
practice this virtue of forgiveness. According to the Qur’an,
forgiveness is better than alms-giving followed by injury.
According to a Hadith, the most honourable of Allah’s servants is
he who pardons when he is in a position of power to take revenge.
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Hospitality
Hospitality means friendly and generous reception of guests or
strangers or new ideas. In common parlance, hospitality stands for
large heartedness and broad-mindedness shown in the entertainment
of guests.
The
Holy Qur’an as well as Prophet of Islam have admired the virtue of
hospitality and exhorted the believers to adopt this virtue.
According to the Prophet, a Muslim must entertain his guests at
least for three days with as good food as he can afford and if he
entertains them beyond three days then he would get rewards of
charity for each meal. A believer is obliged to show hospitality
even to those who had failed to show him hospitality. Manners of
hospitality prescribed by the Prophet require that the host should
bid the guest farewell at the door of his house with a smiling
countenance and the guest should not leave the house of his host
without his permission and should not become economic burden on
his host.
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Humility
Humility means humbleness, meekness or humble condition, lack of
pride, etc. Modesty, diffidence, unpretentiousness, loneliness are
its synonyms. Its antonyms are arrogance, haughtiness, pride,
pretentiousness, snobbishness, vanity, etc. Humility or modesty is
one of the best virtues of human conduct and is found in the great
men and the Prophets. Islam exhorts its followers to adopt this
virtue of humility in their conduct and avoid pride and
haughtiness. As soon as a man lowers himself by way of humility,
he rises proportionately in the sight of his Creator Who makes him
highly respectable among his fellows. A man is not great because
he calls himself great or considers himself great but the great
man is he who is most pious and who makes himself humble in his
conduct with others. According to the Qur’an, the faithful slaves
of God are those who are humble and who walk upon the earth
modestly. According to the Prophet of Islam, nobody humbles
himself for Allah but Allah raises him up. He is small to himself
but great to the eyes of men.
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Kindness
Kindness is an attribute of Almighty Allah and in showing kindness
Allah does not make distinction between man and man. ‘Follow the
divine attributes’ is the advice of the Prophet of Islam to his
followers. We should, there fore, adopt this attribute of kindness
and show kindness to Allah’s creatures. We should be especially
kind to our children, our parents, our kith and kin, our
neighbours, our friends, our juniors, our seniors, our servants,
the weak, the distressed, and to others with whom we come in
contact. In order to invoke kindness from Allah, we should show
kindness even to those who are not kind to us. We must not forget
to follow the example of our Prophet who gave very kind treatment
even to his bitter enemies on the day of conquest of Makkah. They
had persecuted the Prophet and his companions for years and had
expelled them from Makkah. But despite that, Prophet forgave
them and treated them kindly.
The
Qur’an enjoins upon the believers:
-
.
. . . . . (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and
orphans, and the needy, and unto the neighbour who is of kin (unto
you) and the neighbour who is not of kin, and the fellow-traveller
and the wayfarer and (the slaves) whom your right hands possess.
Lo! Allah loveth not such as are proud and boastful, (An-Nisa
4:36)
-
Lo! Allah enjoieth justice and kindness, and giving to kinsfolk,
and for-biddeth lewdness and abomination and wickedness. He
exhorteth you in order that ye may take heed. (An-Nahl 16:90)
The
Prophet of Islam said:
-
Jabir reported that the Messenger of Allah Said: he
who is devoid of kindness is devoid of good. (Muslim)
-
Ayesha reported that the Messenger of Allah said:
He who is given his share of kindness is given his share of good
of this world and the Hereafter; and he who is deprived of his
share of kindness, is deprived of his share of the good of this
world and the Hereafter. (Sharh-i-Sunnat)
-
‘Abdullah reported God’s Messenger as saying: “All
creatures are God’s children, and those dearest to God are the
ones who treat His children kindly.” (Baihaqi)
-
Jaber reported that the Holy Prophet said: Whoso
has got three things in him, Allah will make his death easy and
will admit him in Paradise: mercy to the weak, kindness to the
parents, and doing good to the slave. (Tirmizi (Rare))
-
Jarir bin Abdullah reported that the Messenger of
Allah said: Allah is not kind to one who is not kind to men.
(Bukhari, Muslim)
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Mercy
Mercy
is one of the greatest attributes of Allah Who is the most
Beneficent (Rehman) and the most Merciful (Rahim). As Allah is
merciful to us, we should be merciful to His creatures especially
to the weak, to the distressed, to the people under command, to
the minorities living with us, even with the animals. Mercy is
opposed to oppression. We should avoid oppression and practice the
attribute of mercy but no pity should be shown to the criminals in
the matter of punishment and in the establishment of Hudood and
justice. The Qur’an says: “The adulterer and the adulteress,
scourge ye each one of them (with) a hundred stripes. And let not
pity for the twain withhold you from obedience to Allah…….” (24:2)
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has highlighted this virtue in his
following traditions:
-
Jarir b. ‘Abdullah reported God’s Messenger as
saying: “God will not show mercy to him who does not show mercy to
others.” (Bukhari, Muslim)
-
Abu Hurairah told that he heard Abul Qasim who
spoke the truth and whose word was verified say: “mercy is taken
away only from him who is miserable.” (Ahmad, Tirmizi)
-
‘Abdullah b. ‘Amr reported God’s Messenger as
saying: “Those who are merciful have mercy shown them by the
Compassionate One. If you show mercy to those who are in the earth
He who is in heaven will show mercy to you.” (Abu Daud, Tirmizi)
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Patience
Patience is calm endurance of pain or of any provocation. It is
perseverance, forbearance, or quite and self-possessed waiting for
something. It is the quality of being able to calmly endure
suffering, toil, vexation, or the like.
Patience is an attribute only of men and not of animals or beasts
who are subordinate to instincts and passions. Patience is not
only to show endurance during hardships, poverty, diseases
calamities, assaults, tortures and other physical troubles but it
also means resistance to temptations and control over passions and
immoral and evil tendencies. The former is called physical
patience while the latter is spiritual patience.
The
Holy Qur’an enjoins patience and admires those who are patient in
its following verses:
-
Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is
hard save for the humble minded. (Al-Baqarah 2:45)
-
And surely We shall try you with something of fear
and hunger, and loss of wealth and lives and crops; but give glad
tidings to the steadfast, Who say, when a misfortune striketh
them: Lo! we are Allah’s and lo! unto Him we are returning.
(Al-Baqarah 2:155-156)
About
patience, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said:
-
Abu Sayeed reported that the Messenger of Allah
said: There is no patient man but possesses power and no wise man
but possesses experience. (Ahmad, Tirmizi (Rare)
-
Ibn Abbas reported that the Holy Prophet said to
the wounded men of Abdul Qais tribe: Surely there are in you two
attributes which Allah likes-patience and delay. (Muslim)
-
Ibn Mas’ud reported that the Messenger of Allah
said: Patience is half of faith. (Abu Nayeem)
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Promise
Keeping or fulfillment of promise has been much emphasized by the
Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet of Islam. The Qur’an commands
its followers: “O ye who believe!
Fulfill
your promise…” (5:1). According to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),
breaking of promise is one of the characteristic of hypocrisy. The
breaker of the promises would be one of the three persons against
whom Allah, the Almighty God Himself would contend on the Day of
Judgment. A person who has got no promise has in fact got no
religion. Fulfillment of promise is one of the characteristic of
the conduct of Prophets. The Qur’an praises Prophet Ismael as a
keeper of promise. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) waited for three long
days for a companion at a place who had promised him to deliver a
thing. Fulfillment of promise is so much stressed that even the
promise of a deceased should be fulfilled by his successors. Abu
Bakr, the first Caliph of Islam, fulfilled the promise made by the
Prophet to a companion after Prophet’s death.
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Speaking Truth
Speaking truth is the greatest virtue of human character and it
has been enjoined by Islam upon its followers with great stress.
It is an attribute of the great Prophets of Allah like Ibrahim and
Ismael and has been praised by the Qur’an which mentions Ibrahim
as truthful Prophet in verse 41 of its Chapter 19 and calls Ismael
as truthful of promise in verse54 of Chapter 19. Truth is light
and falsehood is darkness, and as darkness vanishes when light
comes similarly falsehood vanishes when truth comes. The best man
is he who is pure of heart and truthful of tongue. Truth is bitter
but it is very sweet in its rewards. It greatly contributes to
peace of mind and removes doubts and anxieties.
The
Holy Qur’an exhorts the believers to be truthful and promises them
high rewards. It says:
-
Confound not truth with falsehood, nor knowingly
conceal the truth. (Al-Baqarah 2:42)
-
Allah saith: This is a day in which their
truthfulness profiteth the truthful, for theirs are Gardens
underneath which rivers flow, wherein they are secure for ever,
Allah taking pleasure in them and they in Him. That is the great
triumph. (Al-Maidah 5:119)
-
O ye who believe! Be careful of your duty to Allah,
and be with the truthful. (At-Taubah 9:119)
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has enjoined upon his followers to speak
truth and has highlighted the merits and rewards of truth as
follows:
-
Abdullah –b-Amr reported that the messenger of
Allah was asked: Who among men is the best? He replied: Everyone,
pure of heart, truthful of tongue. He was enquired: “Truthful of
tongue” – we know it. But what is ‘pure of heart’? He
said: he is
pure and pious upon whom there is neither sin, nor transgression,
nor deceit, nor malice. (Ibn Majah)
-
Abdullah-b-Mas’ud reported that the Messenger of
Allah said: you shall speak the truth, because truth leads to
piety and piety leads to Paradise. A man continues to speak the
truth and to adhere to truth, till he is enrolled near Allah as a
great truthful man. Beware of falsehood and falsehood leads to
transgression and transgression leads to the fire. A man continues
to speak falsehood and to adhere to falsehood till he is enrolled
as a great liar in the sight of Allah. Agree upon it; and in a
narration of Muslim, he said: Truth is piety and piety leads to
Paradise; and falsehood is transgression and transgression leads
to Hell. (Bukhari, Muslim)
-
Hasan bin ‘Ali (Allah be pleased with him) narrated
that he remembered (these words) from the Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): Give up what appears
doubtful to you and adhere to that which is not doubtful, for
truth is peace of mind and falsehood is doubt. (Tirmizi)
-
Malek reported: It has reached me that Luqman the
wise was asked: How have you acquired what we see meaning
excellence? He replied: Truth in talk, fulfilment of trust and
giving up of what is of no use to me. (Muatta)
-
Obadah-b-Swamet reported that the Holy Prophet
said: If you guarantee me six things from yourselves, I shall then
guarantee you Paradise. Speak the truth when you talk, fulfil
trust when you are entrusted, guard your private parts, shut up
your eyesight and withhold your hands. (Baihaqi)
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IV- Vices
The
vices are bad qualities, bad characteristics, demerits or
weaknesses of human character which bring down human beings to the
lowest ebb and make them as the worst of God’s creations. The
possessors of these vices have been informed by the Qur’an and
Ahadith of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) about painful doom especially
in the Hereafter.
List
of vices dealt in this section should not, however, be taken as
final. The vices are numerous and no exhaustive list can be made
of them. In this
section only some of the very notorious vices are
being discussed. The believers have been exhorted by Islam to
avoid these vices.
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Anger
Anger
is a violent, revengeful passion or emotion, excited by a real or
supposed injury to oneself or others. Extreme anger (wrath or
rage) implies a certain outward manifestation, violence and want
of self-command. Annoyance, antagonism, fury, indignation,
outrage, rage, wrath are its synonyms. Anger is a fleck of fire
lodged in the heart of man. In the state of anger it is very
difficult to control oneself. In the case of extreme anger, people
lose self-control and sometimes commit major crimes even murders
in order to quench their thirst for revenge. Islam condemns such
type of anger. According to the Prophet, anger spoils faith as
aloes spoil honey. The strong man is not the wrestler; the strong
man is only he who controls his anger. The Qur’an admires those
who control their anger and forgive (3:134, 42:37).
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Backbiting
Backbiting means to slander, to speak ill of. It can be defined as
speaking evil of one who is absent. In other words, backbiting is
to say something bad in one’s absence which you would not like to
say in his presence.
The
meaning of backbiting has been explained by Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH) in very beautiful way. When asked what is backbiting the
Prophet said: Your talk about your brother (in his absence) which
he dislikes. He was questioned: Inform if what is said is found in
my brother. The Prophet said: If what you say is in him, it is
backbiting, and if it is not in him it is slander. Backbiting,
according to Islam, is one of the major evils connected with the
tongue. In the words of the Qur’an backbiting is like eating the
flesh of one’s dead brother (49:12).
Why
backbiting is that much hated in Islam? The reason is simple. The
blood, the property and the honour of a Muslim is unlawful to
another Muslim. Backbiting is a crime against the honour of a
Muslim and hence it is the most despised thing. Backbiting is
violation of basic human rights and the person whose right has
been violated is entitled to revenge or compensation. In the sight
of Islam, it pertains to Huqooqul Ibad (rights of men) where Allah
does not pardon. The backbiting can be forgiven only by the
aggrieved person and if he does not, then the backbiter will have
to compensate the aggrieved person.
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Deception
Deception is act of deceiving or state of being deceived. Deceive
means anything intended to mislead others; persuade of what is
false, mislead purposely. It is also concealment or perversion of
the truth for the purpose of misleading. It is to cause to believe
what is false or disbelieve what is true; to mislead; to delude;
to beguile; to disappoint with regard to hopes, expectations.
Synonyms of deception are deceit, craftiness, fraud, guile,
deceitfulness, deceptiveness, dissimulation, duplicity, hypocrisy,
illusion, treachery, cheating, bluff, trick, stratagem, etc.
Islam
condemns deception and deceit. A deceitful man or a cheat or a
fraudulent man will never enter paradise. Cursed is he who injures
a believer or plays deceit with him. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
enjoined upon his followers to avoid deception and fraudulent
practices in business which were not uncommon in those days as
today. According to the Qur’an, the life of this world is an
illusion. Let this life not deceive you and let not the deceitful
deceive you about Allah. Iblis (Satan or Devil) deceived Adam and
mislead him to taste the forbidden fruit and thereby got Adam
expelled from Paradise. The Qur’an has prohibited fraudulent
practices in measuring and weighing. It has also strictly
prohibited to beguile or mislead the people in the matters of
religion.
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Envy
Envy
means feeling of resentment, discontent or jealousy excited by the
sight of another’s superiority, his successes, his possessions or
his advantages. It is envious resentment against a successful
rival or the possessor of any coveted advantage. Envy is a mental
uneasiness due to suspicions or fear of rivalry. It is a feeling,
may be on account of known or suspected rivalry, that makes a
person begrudge another in respect of his good fortune.
Islam
condemns jealousy or envy which is a negative passion, while it
encourages healthy competition amongst its followers specially in
the matter of religion and pious acts. Medicine for overcoming
negative feeling of envy prescribed by Islam is that one should
have a strong belief that all our fortunes or misfortunes have
been predetermined and they come from Allah, the Almighty.
About envy, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has said:
-
Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said: Beware of jealousy because jealousy consumes the
virtues just as fire consumes the fuel. (Abu Daud)
-
Ibn Mas’ud reported that the Messenger of Allah
said: There is no envy except for two: a man whom Allah has given
wealth and whom He gave power for spending it for cause of truth
and a man whom Allah has given wisdom and who acts upto it and
teaches it (to others). (Bukhari, Muslim)
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Fornication (Zina)
The
Arabic word ‘Zina’ is used for illicit or unlawful sexual
intercourse between a man and a woman who are not married to each
other. This term stands both for adultery and fornication and does
not make any difference between the two. In English language there
is difference between adultery and fornication. Fornication stands
for illicit sexual relations between two unmarried persons; while
adultery denotes unlawful sexual relationship between the persons,
one or both of whom are married to other or others.
Zina
(adultery and fornication) is the most abominable act and has been
expressly made unlawful by the Islamic penal code. It is one of
the gravest sins and one of the greatest crimes. The revealed book
of Islam strictly prohibits its followers even to go near it
because it is an abomination and evil way. It is one of the crimes
liable for hudood. The punishment for it has been prescribed in
the Holy Qur’an and the Suunah of the Prophet (PBUH).
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Greed
Greed
is insatiate longing for wealth or food or possessions. It is
excessive eagerness for gain, property, children, fame, power, or
desire to have more than needed. A greedy person has inordinate
appetite or craving to posses more and more. Desirous, avaricious,
covetous, selfish, eager, ravenous, cupid, are other names of
greedy person.
Islam
condemns greed for wealth, worldly gains and possessions as it is
a disease which arrests the progress of man in the path of Allah.
The greed also adversely effects mental and spiritual progress of
man as it makes the man acquire as much as he can through foul or
illegal means such as theft, plunder, dacoity, corruption,
embezzlement, hoarding, business malpractices, etc. Wealth,
children and possessions, according to Qur’an divert the people
from remembrance of Allah. Hence the Qur’an calls them a great
temptation and a great trial. So it advises the believers not to
envy such people who have been given abundance in riches and
children as Allah thereby punishes them. The Prophet says that a
man’s greed for wealth never ends even if he has been given
mountains of gold and only earth (of the grave) fills the belly of
the (greedy) man. Therefore, the believers should find riches in
self-contentment as it does not lie in vast wealth.
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Hypocrisy
Hypocrisy in simple dictionary meanings is pretence of virtue or
simulation of virtue or goodness. It is the act or practice of
simulating or feigning feelings or beliefs, especially the false
appearance of piety or virtue.
According to the Qur’an the hypocrites are those who say: We
believe in Allah and the Last Day, when they believe not; they
utter with their mouths a thing which is not in their hearts. When
they stand up to worship they perform it languidly and to be seen
of men, and remember Allah but little; swaying between this and
that, belonging neither to these nor to those. The likeness of a
hypocrite in the view of Qur’an is that of one who worships Allah
upon a narrow marge so that if good befalls him he is happy, but
if a trial befalls him he falls away. Thus the tongue and the mind
of a hypocrite or what he says and what he does is not one. A
believer, on the other hand, is one in mind and tongue as he
believers in Allah and His apostle in heart and utters the same
from his tongue.
Islam
condemns hypocrisy in the severest possible terms. According to
the Qur’an, the hypocrites will be in the lowest deep of the Hell.
The Holy Prophet was exhorted by Allah to fight against the
hypocrites and against the disbelievers. The Prophet was forbidden
to seek forgiveness for the hypocrites as Allah would not forgive
them even if the forgiveness for them is sought seventy times. The
Prophet and the believers were also forbidden to offer the funeral
prayer on the death of a hypocrite. Thus the sin of hypocrisy,
according to Islam, is bigger than that of disbelief.
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Pride
Dictionary meanings of pride are: unduly high opinion of one’s own
qualities, merits, etc.; arrogant bearing or conduct. Vanity,
arrogance, conceit, egotism, haughtiness, boastfulness, vainglory
are all synonyms of pride; whereas humility, meekness and modesty
are some of its antonyms. Objects in which pride is taken are:
ancestry, tribe, wealth, power, physical strength, beauty, learning
and knowledge, social status, personal achievements; even pride is
taken in excessive divine service. The worst type of pride is that
which is expressed against God, Prophets and religion. Iblis,
Namrud, Pharaoh, Qaroon, Shaddad, and the tribal chiefs who opposed
various prophets are the examples which have been given by the
Qur’an of this type of pride. The next worst to this type of pride
is that which is expressed in dealing with men. The wealthy, the
powerful, the beautiful, the strong, those having more influence
and following, the learned, those belonging to royal and feudal
families, etc. despise the poor, the less powerful, the ugly, the
weak, the less
influential, the illiterate and the persons of
modest or humble background. Pride in any form and against anyone
is condemnable. ‘Pride hath a fall’ is the general saying. No
religion, no system of morality ever praises the proud and
boastful man who brings the people, religion, things, and
institutions to ridicule. Islam regards pride as one of the worst
attributes and has condemned it in very strong terms.
The
Qur’an tells us that God expelled Satan (the devil) from paradise
when the Satan refused to prostrate before Adam and showed pride
saying: “….. I am better than him. Thou created me of fire while
him Thou did create of Mud” (7:12-15). So the Qur’an advises its
followers:
-
And walk not in the earth exultant. Lo! thou canst
not rend the earth, nor canst thou stretch to the height of the
hills. (Bani-Isra’il 17:37)
-
Turn not thy cheek in scorn toward folk, nor walk
with pertness in the land. Lo! Allah loveth not each braggart
boaster. (Luqman31:18)
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Telling lie
To
tell lie means to speak falsely or to tell untruth knowingly; to
express what is false or convey a false impression. Lie is an
intentional untruth. It is a false statement with intent to
deceive. Its synonyms are: deceit, fabrication, falsehood,
misrepresentation, perjury, dissimulation.
Islam
condemns falsehood in the severest possible terms and the Qur’an
enjoins upon its followers to shun the filth of idols and filth of
telling lie. Thus, idol-worship and lie are, in a way, equal in
sin according to the Qur’an. Allah does not guide a liar, an
ingrate and a prodigal, as stressed by the Qur’an. Liars are those
who do not believe in Allah and invent lie against Allah. Lying
and hypocrisy are also the same thing. According to Prophet of
Islam, lie is a sin equal to polytheism and disobedience to
parents. The fasting of a man is meaningless
if he goes on
speaking lie during fast. Telling lie is one of the characteristics
of hypocrisy. Truth leads to Paradise while falsehood leads to
Hell. Narrating without ascertaining its truth whatever one hears
amounts to telling lie.
Following traditions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) highlight the
vices of falsehood and enjoin upon his followers to abstain from
telling lie:
-
Ibn ‘Umar reported God’s messenger as saying: “When
a man lies the angel moves a mile from him because of the bad
odour of what he produced.” (Tirmizi)
-
Sufyan b.Asad al-Hadrami told that he heard God’s
Messenger say: “it is great treachery that you should tell your
brother something and have him believe you when you are lying.”
(Abu Daud)
-
Ibn Mas’ud (Allah be pleased with him) reported
that the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) said: Truth leads to piety and piety leads to Paradise. A man
persists in speaking the truth till he is enrolled near Allah as a
great truthful man. Falsehood leads to transgression and
transgression leads to the fire of Hell. A man continues to speak
falsehood till he is enrolled as a great liar in the sight of
Allah (Bukhari, Muslim)
-
Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him) reported
that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
Him) said: It is enough for a man to prove him a liar that he
should go on narrating whatever he hears. (Muslim)
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Use of narcotics and intoxicants
Wine
drinking is a great vice and Islam absolutely prohibits wine –
drinking and taking of drugs which produce intoxication such as
opium, heroine, hash, etc. Some people are so strict in
interpreting of Islamic law on this point that they bring even use
of tobacco and smoking under this ban. Taking of intoxicants is
not only a sin to be punished in the hereafter but it is also an
offence punishable in this world.
The
word used by the Qur’an in its Verse 219 of Chapter 2 and Verse 90
of Chapter 5, is Khamr. The word ‘Khamr’ is derived from ‘Khamara’
which means ‘he concealed’ or obscured’. The ‘khamr’ denotes every
substance or intoxicating thing the use of which obscures or
covers the intellect. Hence, the prohibition of intoxicant
promulgated by this verse is not restricted merely to alcoholic
drinks but also includes drugs which have a similar effect. This
is the view based on many authentic Ahadith according to which the
Prophet is reported to have declared: “Every intoxicant is
unlawful”. “Every liquor which intoxicates is forbidden”. “Every
intoxicant is Khamr and every intoxicant is forbidden”. The
Prophet of Islam is also reported to have said: “Wine is made from
grape-syrup, raisins, dried dates, wheat, barley, millet, and I
forbid you from every intoxicant”.
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