Ethics is the discipline concerned with what is morally good and bad, right and wrong. It occupies a remarkable position among the other disciplines because of its significant subject and high principle. The noble traits are the only means that achieves the high senses of humanity and perfection. The bad manners, on the other hand, deform man and line him up with beasts.
Not only do moralities have influence on individuals, but also they creep into nations to reflect their modes of life and levels of development or retraction. Many historical events have proved that moral corruption has been the destructive axe that ruined civilizations.
As a proof of the significance of morality is that Prophet Mohammed (s) 1 considered morality as the aim of his Divine mission: He (a) said:
"I was appointed for prophethood so that I may accomplish moral perfection."
This is the very purpose at which ethics aims through its regulations and standards that discipline the individuals' consciences, rectify their moralities, and guide to the reputable conduct and ideal behavior.
The courses of ethical researches vary among the past and present scholars. Some go beyond the limits to make the matter dull and inapplicable. Others subjugate it to their personal traditions, surroundings, and habits to divest it of the traits of perfection. This in fact makes such courses different and unfit to be the immortal ethical constitution for humankind.
Thorough comparative studies, it is clearly noticeable that the best course in this regard is the Islamic that is taken from the holy Quran and the moralities of the
On that account, I loved and inclined to that course and was encouraged to plan this message with all of its researches on its guidance.
If some people will be guided and others will not, this will definitely not cause any defect to the instructions of the Islamic course. This will be ascribed to the variation of people's natures and readiness to accept the concepts of guidance.
It is quite unfortunate to see Muslims, after having been the leaders of nations and pioneers to virtues, lose their positions because of their deviation from the moralities of Islam. Thus, they have been plunging in humble manners of moral corruption. They are required, if they intend to regain their dignity and good reputation, to restudy their huge moral heritage. If they do so, they will reacquire people's trust and admiration and will be "the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men."
Such a precious hope cannot be attained without the cooperation of the sincere personalities in the fields of enlightening and enjoining Muslims to adhere to the Islamic moralities as well as publicizing its constructive concepts to present them in an attractive way so as to incite people to study and follow. This hope insisted on
This work does not comprise the entire scope of ethics. It only includes its most important topics that effect people's lives most. I did my best to avoid scientific terms and mysterious expressions, and presented the matter in a strong clear-cut style.
I chose hadiths 4 and narratives that are recorded in the most reliable reference books.
I paid, as much as possible, attention to the advantages of the noble traits and disadvantages of the bad manners in addition to the reference to their spiritual and material effects on both the individuals and communities.
It is worth mentioning that moderation is the ethical criterion in evaluating the moral virtues. This moderation should be away from excess and negligence. The acceptable morality is that which lies in the middle between exaggeration and negligence. If such an accepted morality leaves the center to the extreme of exaggeration or that of negligence, it will turn into a bad morality. Chastity, for instance, is a virtue lying between the two vices of evil and solidity. Any exaggeration in chastity will lead to indolence, and any negligence will lead to greed. Courage, as another example, is a virtue lying between the two vices of rashness and cowardice. In consequence, the persistence on virtues has become one of the noble aims acting as matters of competition for the self-determined and ambitious people.
I hope God would accept and reward me for this humble effort, out of His outspread kind and great generosity. I also hope He would lead me, as well as my faithful brethren, to success. God is surely the worthiest of guiding and success.
Mahdi Sayyid Ali as-Sadr
Moral conduct is a mood arousing good behavior with others by showing happy mien, nice wording, and kind manners. As he was asked about the limit of moral conduct, Imam as-Sadiq (a) answered:
"It is to be modest, speak honorably, and meet your brother cheerfully."
One of the expectations that every judicious individual exerts efforts for achieving is to have an attractive personality. It is surely a noble aim that cannot be attained by everyone except the virtuous and those who are characterized by knowledgeability, liberality, courage, and the like good traits.
All virtues, however, cannot be true matters of admiration unless they are connected to moral conduct. On that account, moral conduct is the core and pivot of virtues. The The Ahl ul-Bayt (a) used a variety of instructive methods in favor of glorifying the moral conduct so remarkably:
The Prophet (s) said: "The best of you are the most well-mannered and generous ones who go on intimate terms with people and people go on intimate terms with them, and whose places of residence are frequently trodden on by guests." 5
"He who has a good nature will have the reward of those who observe fasting in days and keep awake praying at nights." 6
"You cannot treat people by means of your wealth; hence, you should treat them by means of your moral conduct." 7
Imam al-Baqir (a) said: "The most perfect believers, 8 in the sight of faith, are the most well-mannered."9
Imam as-Sadiq (a) said: "After the fulfillment of the obligatory religious duties, the most favorable thing that a servant offers to Allah is to extend the moral conducts over people." 10
"Allah gives a servant for his moral conduct the same reward that He gives to the mujahid." 11
"The moral conduct dissolves sins in the same way as the sun dissolves snow." 12
"Piety and moral conduct construct the countries and prolong the ages." 13
"If you want to be respected, you should be lenient, and if you want to be disrespected, you may be severe." 14
God did not send any messenger to people before He had adorned him with moral conduct, which is, then, the symbol of the prophets' virtues and the title of their personalities.
The Prophet Mohammed (s) was the ideal example of moral conduct, as well as the other high moral standards. By means of his ideal moralities, he could seize the hearts, and deserved, worthily, the praise of God:
"Most surely, you conform yourself to sublime morality. (68:4)"
Imam Ali (a), describing the moralities of the holy Prophet (s), said:
"He was the most generous, the bravest, the most truthful and the most faithful, and in terms of temper, the most lenient and in terms of association, the most honorable. Any one seeing him for the first time is filled with awe, and any one associating with him loves him. I have never seen his like before and after him." 15
As a picture of the Prophet's moral conduct, it is sufficient to refer to his story with people of Koreish 16 who allied each other against him and showed him various sorts of bitterness that obliged him to flee his hometown. When God gave him victory against them, they were quite sure he would revenge himself upon them. He said nothing to them but, 'what do you think I am going to do with you?' 'Only the good, for you are a noble brother and the son of a noble brother,' answered they. He said: 'I will repeat the same wording of my brother Joseph the
prophet: (Today, you are not condemned.) Go, you are released.'
Anas narrated:
I was with the Prophet who was putting a garment of a tough margin when a Bedouin pulled him so violently that the margin of his garment left an effect on his neck. 'Mohammed,' said the Bedouin, 'load on my two camels with the fortune of God that is in your possession, because it is neither yours nor your father's.'
The Prophet (s) kept silent for a while before he said, 'The fortune is Allah's, and I am His servant.' He then added, 'Do you, Bedouin, not think you will be retaliated for you deed?'
'No, I do not,' answered the Bedouin.
'Why?' asked the Prophet.
The Bedouin said, 'Because you do not set evil for an evil.'
The Prophet laughed and ordered to load on the back of the Bedouin's camel with barley and wheat. 17
Amir ul-Mu'minin 18 (a) narrated:
The Prophet (s) told the very rich Jew whom he had owed a few dinars 19 that he had nothing to pay him back at that time. The Jew decided not to leave the Prophet before he would pay him. The Prophet therefore sat with him. In the same place, he offered the Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Eshaa, and Fajr prayers. As he noticed that his companions were threatening that Jew, the Prophet (s) looked at them and said, 'What are you doing?' 'God's Messenger,' said they, 'he is detaining you.' The Prophet answered, 'Allah has not sent me to wrong any person, including the followers of other religions.'
As soon as the day broke, the Jew declared, 'I declare there in no god but Allah and that Mohamed is His servant and messenger. I will dedicate half of my fortune to the cause of God. By God I swear, I only did so to notice the conformity of your
Thus were the sinless Imams with regard to the excellence of moralities:
Imam Abu Mohammed al-Askari (a) related:
Amir ul-Mu'minin (a), once, received the two faithful men who visited him so warmly, honored them, and asked them to sit in the head of his session. They were a father and his son. After they had finished the meal that the Imam served to them, Qanbar -his servant- brought a washtub, a wooden pitcher, and a handkerchief. Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) took the pitcher to pour water on the hands of the guest. The man refused so intensely, but Amir ul-Mu'minin insisted on pouring water on his hand and asked him to behave as if it was Qanbar who would do so to him. The man did. Amir ul-Mu'minin, then, handed the pitcher to his son Mohammed ibn al-Hanafiyya and said, 'son, if that son had visited me alone without his father, I myself would have poured water on his hand. Allah does not accept to put fathers and sons on the same level when they are in the same place. Since the father poured on the hands of the father, the son then should pour on the hands of the son."
Hence, Mohammed poured on the hands of the son.
On this event, Imam al-Askari (a) commented:
"He who copies Ali in this deed is the true Shiite." 21
It is related that Imams al-Hasan and al-Hussein once noticed an old man performing the ritual ablution incorrectly. They avoided stating to him directly; hence, they agreed on making him the
It is also related that, once, a servant of Imam al-Hussein (a) committed a mistake that caused him to be punished. The Imam therefore gave the orders of beating him.
"Sir," said the servant, "(Remember God's saying) those who refrain the anger."
The Imam, hence, ordered to release him.
"Sir," said the servant, "(Remember God's saying) and those who forgive people."
The Imam, hence, forgave him.
"Sir," said the servant, "(Remember God's saying) and Allah loves those who do good."
The Imam said, "Go, you are free for the sake of Allah. I will also double your payment" 23
As-Sawli narrated the following:
A disagreement occurred between al-Hussein and Mohammed ibn al-Hanafiyya who wrote to his brother: "So then, brother! Your and my father is the same. You are not preferred to me and I am not preferred to you in this point. Regarding your mother Fatima the daughter of the Messenger of God, if my mother possesses gold that is filling the earth, she will never reach the standing of your mother. If you read this missive, you may visit me so that I will please you. You are surely worthier of virtue than I am. Peace and God's grace and blessings be upon you."
Al-Hussein did, and they were no longer engaged in any disagreement.
Mohammed ibn Ja'far and others narrated the following:
A kinsman of Ali ibn al-Hussein (a) stood in front of him and insulted. The Imam, however, did not reply. When the man went away, the Imam said to his companions: "You have heard what that man had said. I want you to come with me so that you may hear my reply."
"We will," we replied, "we, however, wanted you to answer him."
The Imam took his shoes and went reciting (God's saying): (Those who refrain from anger and those who forgive the people. Allah loves those who do good.)
We understood that he would not say anything to that man.
When the Imam was in front of that man's house, he shouted (at the servants), "Tell him that it is Ali ibn al-Hussein."
The man rushed out towards us with evil intent. He had no doubt that the purpose of the Imam's attendance had been to repay him for some of his evil deeds.
"Brother," said Ali ibn al-Hussein, "you stood proudly over me and overspoke. If you have said what is really in my character, I then seek Allah's forgiveness. If you have said what is not in my character, Allah may forgive you!"
The man kissed the Imam between the eyes and confessed: "I said what was not in your character. In fact, I am worthier of seeking God's forgiveness." 24
Ali ibn al-Hussein (a) narrated: Amir ul-Mu'minin (a) went for facing the three individuals who had sworn by Lat and Uzza 25and took upon themselves the pledge of killing the Prophet (s)… He could kill one and capture the others. When he carried out the Prophet's order of advancing one of them before him, the Prophet (s) asked him to declare that there
The man said: "By God I swear, I have never possessed a single dirham 26 while a brother of mine does not have it. I also have never frowned my face in warfare. I now declare that there is no god but Allah and you are surely the messenger of God." The Prophet (s) commented: "This is a man whose moral conduct and openhandedness have drawn him to the gardens of bliss." 27