How to Acquire High Moral Standards & Noble Manners: Allamah Tabatabai (r)
Man acquires good morals and removes evil traits by repeatedly doing good – and relevant – deeds, and through their continuous observance. Repeated and continuous performance of an action etches its particular knowledge on the psyche. Gradually, a picture is engraved on the mind which becomes impossible – or extremely difficult – to erase. Habits become second nature.
For example, if a man wants to remove the trait of cowardice and acquire that of bravery, he should repeatedly plunge himself into difficulties and dangers. Whenever he would rush into a perilous and hazardous situation and finds himself coming out unscathed, he would acquire the taste of boldness and courage and would understand the ignominy of flight, of taking to one’s heels. Every such bold step would leave its mark on his psyche and ultimately bravery and courage would become an integral part of his character. Man has no power to acquire such traits by his own will, yet it may be counted as within his power inasmuch as its preliminary steps – those repeatedly performed deeds – emanate from his will and power.
There are two universally recognized systems to acquire high moral standards and noble manners.
First System: Many people base their moral science on good worldly foundations, that is, the knowledge, ideas, and ideals which are thought praiseworthy and laudable in the society. They acquire a good trait because it is commendable in the eyes of the people. Chastity, contentedness with what is in one’s hand and not looking at what others have – all these virtues create respect and honor in the people’s eyes, and one’s standing is enhanced in public. Avarice results in poverty and privation. Greed destroys one’s prestige. Knowledge attracts people and bestows respect and dignity in the eyes of elite; it opens the eyes of the knowledgeable person and protects him from unpleasant things. Ignorance, on the other hand, is blindness. Knowledge protects you while riches need your protection. Bravery makes you stead-fast and saves you from fickleness; this in its turn makes people sing your praise – no matter whether you win or lose. Cowardliness and rashness both cause opposite effect. Justice gives peace of mind, and keep man alive even after his death inasmuch as his good name continues and his love pulsates in people’s hearts generation after generation. This is the well-known basis on which the moral science is founded. Ancients like Greek philosophers followed this very system.
The Qur’an does not endorse this system, because it depends on the like and the dislike of the public. It looks at what is good in the eyes of the people and what is bad – and accepts the former and rejects the latter. Even in a few verses where the Qur’an appears to use this method, it really refers to the next world’s reward or punishment. Ponder, for example, on the following verses:
and wherever you are, turn your faces towards it, so that people shall have no argument against you… (2:150).
Here Allah exhorts the Muslims to remain steadfast and firm, and for its reason, He says: “so that people shall have no argument against you.”
… and do not quarrel, for then you will be weak in hearts and your power will depart, and be patient… (8:46).
Allah tells the believers to be patient, as impatience and quarreling among themselves would weaken their hearts, dilute their power and embolden their enemy.
And whoever is patient and forgiving, that most surely is an act of great resolution(42:43).
Here Allah invites the believers to patience and forgiveness and explains its reason in terms of determination and resolution.
Second System: The second system is to keep in sight the other worldly goals. Allah has used it in many verses of the Qur’an:
Surely Allah has bought of the believers their persons and their properties for this, that they shall have the garden… (9:111)
… only the patient ones will be paid back their reward in full without measure. (39:10)
… surely it is the unjust that shall have a painful punish- ment. (14:22)
Allah is the Guardian of those who believe; He brings them out of the darkness into the light; and (as to) those who disbelieve, their guardians are the rebels, they take them out of the light into the darkness… (2:257)
There are many verses, on different subjects, which imply the same theme. We may add here another set of the verses. For example:
No misfortune befalls on the earth nor in your own souls, but it is in a book before We bring it into existence; surely that is easy to Allah (57:22).
This verse exhorts man not to feel any sorrow (or joy) on whatever misfortune (or good thing) comes to him; what has come to him could not be averted, and whatever has been lost could not be obtained, because all happenings occur by a firm Divine Decree which is unavoidable. Sorrow and joy both seem, in this background, meaningless – a believer should not indulge in these vain practices because he believes in Allah and knows that all affairs are in His hands.
Allah says: No affliction comes about but by Allah’s permission; and whoever believes in Allah, He guides aright his heart (64:11).
Such verses, like the earlier quoted ones, create high morals by pointing to the sublime goals of the next world. These other worldly goals are real, not imaginary, perfections. These verses reform the human character by fixing man’s attention to the real, already existing causes, like the Divine measure and decree, adoption of the Divine characteristics, and remembrance of the good names of Allah and His sublime attributes.
[Allamah Tabatabai (r), Tafsir al-Mizan]
