Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!samsung!crackers!m2c!wpi.WPI.EDU!zahle.wpi.edu!shari From: gt8145a@prism.gatech.edu (FADEL,AYMAN HOSSAM) Newsgroups: soc.religion.islam Subject: al-ghazali on training the soul (part 4 of 6) Message-ID: <1991May20.170052.21698@wpi.WPI.EDU> Date: 20 May 91 17:00:52 GMT Sender: news@wpi.WPI.EDU (News) Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology Lines: 106 Approved: shari@zahle.wpi.edu Originator: shari@zahle.wpi.edu Nntp-Posting-Host: zahle.wpi.edu DESCRIPTIONS OF THE BELIEVERS IN THE PROPHETIC TRADITIONS Anas radiy allahu anh reported that God's messenger salla allahu alayhi wa sallam said: The believer loves for his brother what he loves for himself. Abu ShurayH al-khuzaa`i and abu hurayra radia allahu anhuma both reported that the messenger alayhi ssalaam said: Whoever believes in God and the Day of Judgement should honor his guests. They also reported that the messenger alayhi ssalaam said: "Whoever believes in God and the Day of Judgement should honor his neighbors." They also reported that he alyahi ssalam said: "Whoever believes in God and the Day of Judgement should say good things or remain silent." It is reported that the messenger of God alyahi ssalam said: "If you see a believer who is silent and respectable in his manner (Samuut wa waquur) then get closer to him, for he teaches wisdom." THE SALAF'S DESCRIPTION OF GOOD MORALS Some of them tried to give a listing of good morals and they said: "Good morals is to be quick to feel shame, to hurt people as little as possible, to reform as much as possible, to be truthful in speech, to speak rarely, and to work hard. Good morals is to make few errors and have little curiosity in the affairs of others. It is to be righteous, to mend that which has been torn (waSuul), to be dignified in manner, to be perseverent, and to be thankful. It is to be content, forebearing, gentle, undemanding, and full of pity for others. It is no to be one who curses others, or one who insults others, nor one who backbites. Nor is it to be hasty, petty, miserly or envious. It is to be friendly in greeting and happy to be asked to help (bashshaash wa hashshaash). It is to love for God and hate for God, to be content for God and be angry for God. Haatim al-aSamm said: "The believer is busy in thought and pondering, while the hypocrite is concerned with material things and hopes false hopes. The believer has lost hope in all but God, while the hypocrite hopes from all except God. The believer feels secure from everybody except God, while the hypocrite fears everyone except God. The believer will sacrifice his money before his religion, while the hypocrite will sacrifice his religion before his money. The believer will do a good deed and cry, while the hypocrite will do a bad deed and laugh. The believer likes empty places and being alone, while the hypocrite likes mixing with people. The believer plants for good, yet fears corruption, while the hypocrite stirs things up and hopes for a good harvest. The believer commands and forbids to ensure the correct policy is implemented, while the hypocrite commands and forbids in order to become the leader, and thus he causes corruption. yuusuf ibn asbaaT said: "There are ten characteristics of good morals: to disagree rarely, to be just and fair, not to ask about the mistakes of others, to explain away what appears to be bad deeds of others, to seek out excuses for others, to blame oneself, to busy oneself exclusively with finding our one's own shortcomings instead of others', to have a smile on one's face for both the young and the old, and to be beautiful in speech to those below you in station as well as those above you." sahl ibn Hasan was asked about good morals so he said: "The least of them is to bear the hurt caused by others, not to ask for compensation for a good deed, to have mercy on a transgressor, to ask for his forgiveness and have pity for him. EXAMPLES OF THE PRACTICE OF THE COMPANIONS AND THE SALAF OF GOOD MORALS `ali bin abi Taalib karrama allahu wajhah was reported to have called to a servant, but he didn't answer. He called a second time, and then a third. So he went to him and found him lying down on his side. He said, "Did you not hear me?" The boy said, "Yes, I did hear you." He then asked, "Why didn't you come then?" He replied, "I feel secure from your punishment so I became lazy." He then said, "Go away, for I free you for God's sake." It is said that a man was insulting al-aHnaf ibn Qays. Al-aHnaf didn't respond to the insults. Then, when he approached his neighborhood he turned and said, "If you have anything else you want to tell me, say it here and now because I'm scared that if some of the foolish people in the neighborhood hear you they might hurt you." `umar ibn `abd al-`aziiz was asked, "When should I speak?" He replied, "Speak when you desire to remain silent." He was then asked, "When should I remain silent?" He replied, "Remain silent when you desire to speak." THE POSSIBILITY OF REFORMING MORALS THROUGH TRAINING Some have said it is impossible to reform a human's morals. They have used two arguments. The first is that just as you cannot change a person's outer appearance, you cannot change his inner appearance or structure, i.e. his morals. The second is that anger and desire are matters of personality which cannot be surpressed. If the first argument was true, then what is the value of injunctions, admonitions and lessons in manners? Moreover, if wild animals can be trained, then certainly humans can. As far as the second argument, it is true that you cannot surpress completely anger and desire, for both are present in the human being. However, it is possible to guide them in accordance with reason and law. In addition, their total supression is not good, since without a desire for food, for example, the human would die. -- FADEL,AYMAN HOSSAM Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332 uucp: ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!gt8145a Internet: gt8145a@prism.gatech.edu