The Last Luminary and Ways to Delve Into the Light

Responsibility 18: Acquiring the Noble Ethical Traits Part 2

Another responsibility is to ask Allah for the noble traits (Makarimul Akhlaq) so that a believer can resemble and manifest the traits of the Imam, thus earning his love.

In regards to this responsibility, it is highly recommended to recite the prayer known as “Makarimul Akhlaq”[^1] which has been mentioned in various books of supplications, as this Du’a is very beneficial in attaining this rank. This supplication starts as follows:

أَللّٰهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَآلِهِ وَ بَلِّغْ بِإِيـمَانِي أَكْمَلَ الإِيْـمَانِ وَاجْعَلْ يَقِيـنِي أَفْضَلَ الْيَقِينِ...

“O’ Allah! Send your blessings upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad and elevate my faith to a perfect faith and make my certitude the best of certitudes...”

Reciting these sorts of supplications is important for developing the noble ethical traits and reaching this state is only possible with the assistance of Allah for it is out of the reach of humanity to attain on their own.

A believer can only struggle and choose the path meaning that it is up to him to choose the path towards the noble traits and then struggle to reach one’s goal.

However, the true point of achieving these traits, for example, arriving to the stage of possessing the noble ethical traits, in dependent upon both the intention and struggles of a person and the desire of Allah  to grant the believer such a status.

[^1]: Supplication number 20 in as-Sahifah as-Sajjadiyah al-Kamilah; also found at the end of Mafatih al-Jinan.