Islamic Morals

Sinister Results of Prejudice

If a man shows prejudice or undue love or hatred toward anyone, he does not know the reality, rather, sometimes, he imagines good to be bad and bad to be good. Explaining this attitude in a very fine style, the Holy Quran says: What! Is he whose evil deed is made fair seeming to him so much so that he considers it good? is like the one who is seeking truth?

Wrong prejudices and illogical traditions drag down men to such depths making them blind and deaf that they become lower than animals. An animal has much affection for its offspring in the beginning of life but man's prejudice crushes his internal instincts to such an extent that child killing appears to him a good deed. Sometimes he enjoys it and shows pride about it. In this respect the Holy Quran says:

And thus their associates have made fair seeming to most of the polytheists the killing of their children… And also Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in their deeds? These are they whose labour is lost in this worlds life and they think that they are well versed in skill of the work of hands.

Finally man, under the effect of prejudices and multiple ignorance, falls in wrong alleys in such a way that he thinks he is doing good but, really does not know that he has ignited a fire and is burning both himself and the society in its flames. Currently the problem of prejudice is clearly observed between groups and parties and institutions: it is probable that we also do what the polytheists and the idol-worshippers do. May Allah save from it.

Here a question arises: is there, in Islam, any prejudice that can be considered as permissible and desirable? In reply we say: no According to Islam one indulges in prejudice when he follows a group unreasonably and when he knows that groups is working on wrong lines.

Otherwise, if man follows pious and suitable persons, it is not only no prejudice but rather Islam has encouraged such deed, When somebody asked Ali bin Husain (a.s.) about prejudice he said: Sinful prejudice is when man considers that the evil fellows belonging to his folk are better than the gentlemen of the other folk. But loving ones community is no prejudice. Helping ones community in oppression is part of prejudice.

Lesson: 53 : Weakness of Ambition and its Harms

Islamic programme encourages man that he should have high spirit and must not limit his ambitions merely to the low affairs of this world. He should look at this vast universe with a wide vision. It is the different views that make the thoughts and deeds of people different. For example, the vision of a materialist man is limited to the world of matter that results in his thoughts remaining limited to the material world. So for fulfilling his material objects he indulges in anything, so much so that he considers impermissible things also to be lawful.

But in the view of a God worshipping man who believes that he is the vicegerent of God and that the Lord creator has not created him for a short worldly life but, that he is eternal; that in relation with the eternal world this earthly world is like a drop of water compared to an ocean. Naturally the one who looks at this world and its Creator in this way possesses radiant thinking, lofty courage, deeds which please God and an attitude which is humane. Here we point out to some Quranic verses and traditions censuring coward people having low level thoughts:

Do you seek goods of this worlds life! But with Allah there are abundant gains. You desire the frail goods of this world, while Allah desires for you the hereafter.

And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, when they desire to keep chaste, in order to seek the frail good of this worlds life A ra za a term in this verse means a thing that is not permanent. Linguists use this word as a simile to show the things which, in themselves, have no stability and their existence is dependent on other things, for example, colour, taste etc…

Traditions

Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) is reported to have said: Beware! This world has already turned away its face and nothing except the leftover has remained like the left ever in a vessel that is being thrown away.

Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) has said: Your world, in my eyes, is less precious than a leaf that is being chewed by a grasshopper. Ibid. Also he has said: By God! Your world is, in my view, less valuable than a bone of swine in the hand of a leper.

Also Ali (a.s.) has said: They are racing with one another for this lowly of life of this world and are rushing to a foul-smelling corpse like dogs! Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) has also said: In the past I had a brother-in-Faith who hated this world so much that it made him precious in my eyes. He has also said: Look at this worldly material life like those who are not interested therein and turn away from it like the truthfuls. And, with a view to enlarge the viewpoint of people who may not stare at the world, the Holy Quran says:

If you desire this worlds life and its adornment, then come, I will give you a provision and allow you to depart a goodly departing And if you desire Allah and His Apostle and the latter abode, then surely Allah has prepared for the doers of good among you a mighty reward. And whoever desires - the gain of this world, We give him of it, and in the hereafter he has no portion.

And were it not that all people had been a single nation, We would certainly have assigned to those who disbelieve in the Beneficent God to make of silver the roofs of their houses and the stairs by which they ascend. And the doors of their houses and the couches on which they recline, And other embellishments of gold; and all this is naught but provision of this worlds life, and the hereafter is with your Lord only for those who guard against evil.

And sometimes, asserts thus to those who are staring at the world and who have tied their ambitions with it:

And this worlds life is naught but a play and an idle sport and certainly the abode of the hereafter is better for those who guard against evil; do you not then understand?

And this life of the world is nothing but a sport and a play; and as for the next abode, that most surely is the life - did they but know. Know that this worlds life is only sport and play and gaiety and boasting among yourselves, and a vying in the multiplication of wealth and children, like the rain, whose causing the vegetation to grow, pleases the farmers, then it withers away so that you will see it become yellow, then it becomes dried up and broken down; and in the hereafter is a severe chastisement.

LB AB play is an action that has a sort of imaginary system and concord like a child's play or game. The worldly life is a play because it is transient and goes away soon just like the child's play which initially attracts a lot of attraction of the child but thereafter it ends totally very soon and the children disperse leaving all attachments. All the ambitions of people for achieving which they race with one another and for which the oppressors harass others and battle with them ambitions like wealth, wives, children power and position, ownership etc.

Really all of these ambitions are imaginary mirages. It is so because man owns them only in his imagination and superstition. He never owns them really. In other words man longs for them only due to his low ambitions and aimlessness. But the eternal life of the Hereafter which man gains through Faith and good deeds is indeed precious. In that eternal life of the Hereafter there is no place for neglect or vanity or playfulness. It is a life without end. It has taste but no grief and good fortune without in luck and adversity.

The above quoted Holy verse has name the worldly life play and game. The word haazihi this in this verse indicates its lowliness. It enlightens us that life is only the life in the hereafter as it is real.

The divine scholar Sheikh Bahai (r.a.) says: the five attributes of men mentioned in this verse show that they are related serially or respectively to the stages of his life. In his childhood man is very fond of games and plays. When he reaches the age of adolescence he busies himself with amusing activities. After further growth he adores beauties and ornaments and costly clothes and tall building etc. then when he becomes still older he takes pride in his lineage and progeny and increase in wealth and children etc.

In conclusion, being content only with this worldly life and doing anything for its attainment is the work only of low-ambitioned men. A man of Faith must always be lofty. He should remember that Allah has made him His vicegerent. So he must never bow before any power but Allah and must never extend his hand for asking except toward the Almighty Lord. We must also know that this world is to come to end very soon; that what is to remain is the world of the Hereafter after death. Therefore we must endeavour to get it so as to reach the stage of Rizwanu minallahi Akbar the greatest achievement is the pleasure of Only One God.

Lesson: 54 : Extravagance and squandering

Islam has strongly censured extravagance and squandering. Here are some verses from the Holy Quran: And He it is Who produces gardens of vine, trellised and untrellised, and palms and seed-produce of which the fruits are of various sorts, and olives and pomegranates, like and unlike; eat of its fruit when it bears fruit, and pay the due of it on the day of its reaping, and do not act extravagantly; surely He does not love the extravagant.

And give to the near of kin his due and to the needy and the wayfarer, and do not squander wastefully. Surely the squanderers are the fellows of the Shaitans and the Shaitan is ever ungrateful to his Lord.

Difference between extravagance (Israaf) and squandering (Tabzeer):

Tabzeer means spending something aimlessly or wrong fully, that is senselessly. For example, burning wood unnecessarily. In other words, Tabzeer is to spend money in a wrong way even if it is less. But if money is spent aimfully it is not tabzeer even if it is more. Explaining the above verse Imam Sadiq (a.s.) says: one who spends money in a way which is not is obedience to God has committed Tabzeer. One who spends in the Path of Allah is a moderate man.

But Israaf is to spend extremely.

Ameerul Mo-mineen (a.s.) said: Give up Israaf for the sake of economy and moderation. So also Ali (a.s.) said: One who is moderate in his spending does not face a hard life and he will not become poor. When Allah desires good for a family He makes them moderate in their expenses.

When someone asked Imam Sadiq (a.s.) about the verse he closed his fist and said: It should not be such that you never open it. Then, as for the latter part of the verse, he opened his hand??wife and said: Also do not open it totally so as to spend in any manner.

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) is recorded to have said: O Ubaid! Israaf brings in poverty and moderation causes richness and needlessness It is written that one day Imam Sadiq (a.s.) called for Ratb (fresh dates) for eating. It was brought. Then some of his companions ate the dates and threw the seeds away. The Imam (a.s.) said: Do not do like this as it is Tabzeer and Allah does not like Fasaad (decay).

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), while passing by a road, saw one of his companions, Saad, performing wuzu. He was waiting more water. So the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: Why are you wasting water, O Saad Saad asked: Is there any Israaf in utilising water also? The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) replied: Yes, even if it is at the bank of a river.

Qinaat (Contentment)

Islam has praised and valued continence and reasonable spending. Obviously a contented man never becomes poor so as to extend a hand for seeking help from others thereby degrading his position.

The verses of the Holy Quran and traditions of the Holy progeny of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) have ordered us not to pay attention to the rich and powerful people as doing so pushes man down from his spiritual status.

Verses

Do not strain your eyes after what We have given certain classes of them to enjoy, and do not grieve for them, and make yourself gentle to the believers.

Let not then their property and their children excite your admiration; Allah only wishes to chastise them with these in this worlds life and that their souls may depart while they are unbelievers.

Traditions

Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: Refrain from looking at the one whose life from material viewpoint is richer than yours because, God Almighty has repeatedly said numerousness of their wealth and children must not make your admire them and has again said: do not look to the bounties we have given to a group of them. If their lives detract your attention, then look at the life of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) because the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) bread was of barley and his food of dates and…

Lesson: 55 : Advantage of consultation and condemnation of despotism

The subject of seeking advice is of much importance in Islam. Notwithstanding the divine revelation, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) had so strong intelligence that he never needed any advice. Yet, in order to make Muslims realise the value of importance of counselling so that they may make it a part of their basic programme of life and,

from another angel, with a view to increase the power of thinking in people, he used to call advisory councils for consulting Muslims in common affairs of enforcing divine commands not legislation. He was giving more importance especially to the views of wise person to such an extent that in some matters he even used to give up his own thought and accept that of the advisors. so we find such examples in the battle of Uhad. It can be said that one of the factors causing the success of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) in furthering the Islamic objects and aims was this consultation.

Just think of five things in this connection:

Verses and traditions regarding consultation (Shooraa).
With what kind of persons consultation can be done?
Fruitful results of consultation.
Duty of the adviser.
Censure of dictatorship or despotism

Verses

Thus it is due to mercy from Allah that you deal with them gently, and had you been rough, hard hearted, they would certainly have dispersed from around you; pardon them therefore and ask pardon for them, and take counsel with them in the affair; so when you have decided, then place your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves those who trust.
And those who respond to their Lord and keep up prayer, and their rule is to take counsel among themselves, and who spend out of what We have given them.

Traditions

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: When your rulers are your good persons and your wealthy person s are generous and when your affairs are carried out through consultations, the back of earth is better for you than its belly that is your life is worthwhile. But if your statesmen are bad persons and your rich men are stingy and if you do not consult one another in your affairs, then the belly of earth is better for you than its surface back. Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) says in one of his sermons: No support is more satisfying than consultation.

Imam Baqir (a.s.) said: The one who does not consult becomes worried, the poverty of death is great, whatever you do to others will be done to you. One who becomes the owner acts dictatorially that is, in a way generally they adopt this manner.

Who can be consulted?

It is obvious that one cannot turn towards all for consultation because, sometimes, some persons have weak poius and hence their advice can bring trouble and misfortune and retrogression. Due to this traditions of the Holy progeny have enumerated the virtues of the consultant:

It is reported that Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: Consultation requires some conditions and if one does not have these virtues his consultation will only harm. So the first of them is that the consultant should be a wise person . Secondly he must be a free man and a moderate one. Thirdly he should be a friendly person a true friend. Fourth: He must be such that you can make him know your secrets and that his knowledge regarding he concerned matter must be like your own knowledge, that is, it may reach others.
It is recorded from Imam Sadiq (a.s.) Make consultations in the matters that arise with those who fear their Lord.
Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) said: Do not consult three groups. Do not consult the stingy because he stops you from giving a gift and help to others and makes you afraid of poverty and also do not take the advice from the fearful coward people as they hold you back from doing important works and likewise do not seek advice of the greedy because they glorify before you oppression with a view to accumulating wealth or for acquiring status.
Ali (a.s.) said: Avoid consulting women except those whose intelligence and wisdom has been proved through experience.
Imam Sadiq (a.s.) is said to have said: Never consult the one who recommends despotism.

Results of consultation

As a matter of principle, those who carry on their important works with mutual consultation seldom fall in fault. On the contrary, people who are victims of the evil of despotism and who think that they never need anyone's advice, if even if they are extraordinarily intelligent, make serious and dangerous mistakes resulting in great sorrow and pain. Apart from this, the mentality of dictatorship drags down the personality of man in the eyes of the people. They cause stagnation of thought, destroy capabilities and in this way they waste the greatest human faculty of a society.

Moreover, the one who takes advice of others in his deeds, if he becomes successful, he does not become victim of jealousy, because, others regard his success as their own success. Usually man does not envy his own deeds. And if, once in a while, he is unsuccessful, nobody scolds or condemns him because no one objects to ones own actions. Not only he does not criticise, he also shows sympathy to the sufferer.

One more benefit of consultation is that, thereby man will come to know the value of ones personality and the balance of friendship and enmity and this knowledge opens the path of success for him. It is, perhaps, due to the same that, despite possessing extraordinary power of thinking, the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used to consult his companions. The following traditions too point toward it:

Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) is reported to have said: One who does not consult fees ashamed.
Ali (a.s.) also said: One who sticks forcefully to his own opinion gets destroyed and the one who consults elders joins them in wisdom.
Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) has also said: One who takes advice is not censured.

The duty of a consultant

Just as, Islam has given an emphatic order to take advice, it has also asked the consultants that they should never fall short of giving only useful and beneficial advice. dishonesty in giving advice is considered one of great sins, so much so that this order applies even to non-believers. If a Muslim accepts the request for advice from a non-Muslim the former has no right to be dishonest in giving advice and to hide what he finds.

In the Risaala-e-Huqooq Imam Sajjad (a.s.) has written: It is the right of the one who seeks your advice that if you have any view or opinion express it to him. If you do not have any opinion then direct him to the one who has the same. However, it is also the right of adviser that you should not scold him in the matter in which you do not agree with him. Then if he was agreeable with you, thank God.

It is recorded from Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) In fact in am away from one who is dishonest in giving advice to Muslims. Also said Imam Sadiq (a.s.): If one whom his brother consults and yet he does not show him what is good for him, God takes away his wisdom.

Traditions censuring despotic thinking

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said: Despotic thinking binds man's opinion with wrong matters. He has also said: Never consult a despot. Again said: One who always sticks strictly to his own opinion gets destroyed.

Lesson: 56 : Man's duty with regard to his parents

One of the humane Islamic behaviour which must be taken care of disregarding is a great sin is man's behaviour with the below-mentioned persons. They possess, besides the moral, their rights too:

Man's behaviour with his father and mother.
Attitude of father and mother towards their children.
Conduct with the community, kinsmen and relatives.
Dealings with family members.
Living with neighbours.
Governments behaviour with people and people's behaviour with the government.
Man's attitude toward all others.

After God worship, respect for Parents

Though the demands of humanity and truthfulness alone are enough for giving respect to father and mother, as Islam does not remain silent even in the matters which are in total agreement with heart and mind, rather it makes it emphatically incumbent to follow relevant rules in that respect. Islam has put so much emphasis on the rights of parents that such emphasis is seldom seen in any other matters. Mostly it is seen in Holy Quran that after ordering worship of none but only one god, the command to respect parents immediately follows.

Verses

And when We made a covenant with the children of Israel: You shall not serve any but Allah and you shall do good to your parents, and to the near of kin and to the orphans and the needy, and you shall speak to men good words.
And serve Allah and do not associate any thing with Him and be good to the parents and to the near of kin and the orphans and the needy and the neighbour of your kin and the alien neighbour, and the companion in a journey and the wayfarer and those whom your right hands possess; surely Allah does not love him who is proud, boastful.
And your Lord has commanded that you shall not serve any but Him, and goodness to your parents. If either or both of them reach old age with you, say not to them so much as Ugh nor chide them, and speak to them a generous word. And make yourself submissively gentle to them with compassion, and say: O my Lord! have compassion on them, as they brought me up when I was little.