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Tests of Moral Character

Owner: shobee2006
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Created: 2006-09-04 20:41:25

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Moral integrity and upright conduct are held in high esteem by all
people and all religions. They are a fundamental part of the Message of
all the Prophets (peace be upon him), so much so that the last of the
Prophets ? Muhammad (peace be upon him) ? said: ?I was only sent to
perfect good moral character.?

There is no need to speak at lengths on this point, since it is
something about which all people agree. You find that even those who
campaign against moral character and act immorally and unscrupulously
invariably speak highly of moral character and admit to its virtue.

A person might adopt good manners under certain circumstances, simply
because they are prevailing or he might do so little by little. Even
this is something good. Ab? al-Dard? said ? and some narrations have
him attribute the words to the Prophet (peace be upon him): ?Knowledge
is attained only through learning and gentleness is attained only
through being gentle. Whoever is intent on attaining goodness will be
given it and whoever keeps away from evil will be spared it.? [T?r?kh
Baghd?d and T?r?kh Dimashq]

However, it is not at all praiseworthy for a person to make a show of
good character in order to take advantage of others or win them over
for some personal benefit or ulterior motive. The true test of a
person?s moral fiber is constancy. This is why the old Arabic saying
goes: ?You see the true character of men when you travel with them.?

A person?s true character shows forth when he is at home in how he
deals with his wife through the long years, in hardship and ease, when
things are going well and when things go wrong. This is where has to
hold himself together and where his patience is tested. His ability to
keep clear of vanities, to remain clement and tolerant, and to exhibit
good conduct are all tested by his married life and his family life.

The same can be said regarding friendships when a person is constant
and sincere regardless of the changing circumstances. How often does a
person see his friend as the one who he can rely on in need, only to
find that ?friend? adds to his hardships when that time of need arrives?

May the lives of those who are faithful and sincere be beautiful and
blessed, those who resolve within themselves not to be fickle when
circumstances change and not to turn their backs in times of
misfortune. How rare such people are.

Long acquaintance and association reveal how substantial or superficial a person?s moral character really is.

There is another important test of moral character that shows how true
or false a person?s morals are, and that is the test of power. A person
who is weak might exhibit good moral conduct and a present a passive,
subdued disposition. He does not do so because it is part of his
nature, but simply because he does not have the power to behave any
other way.

The Arabic poet al-Mutanabb? said:

Oppression is human nature, so if you find
Someone abstain from it, there is some reason why.

Perhaps al-Mutanabb? borrowed these words from Aristotle who said:
?Oppression is part of human nature. Only one of two reasons withholds
people form it: religiousness or fear or reprisal.?

When a person is in a position of strength, then his true moral
character shows forth. If a person who attains power, wealth, or
prestige continues to uphold his moral values, maintains his affection
for others, remains humble, and shows clemency to those who ill treat
him, this is a sign of the true nobility of his character and the true
goodness of his person.

Alas, how often do we find people who are not corrupted by power, fame, and sudden wealth?

A third test of moral character is disagreement. Most people exhibit
good conduct with those who agree with them and share their way of
thinking, on account of their common interests. However, when
differences arise, whether ideological or material, people tend to
expose their true selves.

A person of dignity and good character will remain composed and
sensible. He will articulate his disagreements in a clear and precise
manner. Moreover, he will be respectful when doing so and avoid
accusative, insulting, and offensive language. His moral character will
prevent him from conducting himself in a mean and lowly fashion, so he
will be able to retain his composure while talking to others, in spite
of his disagreement with them. He will not react emotionally in a way
that detracts from his character and merely demonstrates his inability
to prevail on the strength of his opinion.

Another person, in the same situation, will start cursing and hurling
accusations at his opponents, acting as if only he is right and
everyone else is by necessity wrong. His misplaced anger will destroy
the edifice of his good character. He may go so far to concoct lies and
make false claims. He might resort to deceptive arguments to make his
opponents stumble and deliberately take the words of others out of
context.

People like to say that disagreements do not spoil their interpersonal
relationships and it is good that they say so, but what really counts
is how they conduct themselves in actual practice, not just in theory.
I have observed many young, religious people in their disagreements
amongst themselves, and have encountered them applying to one another
statements so horrid and injurious that it grieved my heart made my
eyes well up with tears. They would call each other idiots, insult each
other, and accuse one another of deception, heresy, immorality, and
unbelief. I would ask myself: When will these sick disputes come to an
end? When will they attain a level of moral character suitable for the
community that Allah has chosen and favored? When will they put into
practice the values set forth by the Qur??n and Sunnah that teach us
how to deal with others, even our enemies, in a decent manner? ?And do
not let the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart
from justice. Be just. That is nearer to piety.? [S?rah al-M??idah: 8]

When will we come to realize that sometimes our motives stem from our
own temperaments and emotions, though we might mistake them for
religious conviction?

Then I would turn my attention to some writers who were regarded as
being educated and intellectual, and not just part of the common folk.
However, I found them to be the same, if not worse in their double
standards and their shamelessness.

There are aggressive, predatory tendencies and feelings of enmity
latent in the hearts of people, lurking in wait. Sometimes, with the
mere appearance of a disagreement in ideology or politics, outward
appearances of civility are often cast aside and people fall upon one
another with the greatest possible ferocity.

When will we learn to preserve our amicable relationships with others
when we disagree? When will we keep up the level of decorum that we
want people to see from us? When will our moral values and principles
translate from theory into a practical way of life, into something that
endures throughout our lives and throughout our relationships, no
matter how long they last? They must be values that stay with us even
if we become powerful or attain to high administrative office, or a
prominent media spot, or social prestige, or success in business. They
must endure even when we disagree with one another, so we do not have
to be always faced with the choice of either destroying our
relationships or remaining silent whenever we disagree or see someone
making a mistake.

Frankly, though I write all this, I do so with a pen that is hesitant
and slow. It is as if it turning to me and asking: ?Do you really live
up to all of this?? I have to reply: ?No, but I promise you that I will
try to live up to it, and no matter how often I might stumble, I will
keep trying??

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