Ethics

It means a feeling of inferiority which results in not making an effort to reach the heights of perfection open to the human being, and being content with lower and rudimentary attainments. This is one of the consequences of self-depreciation. Its op...

It means a feeling of inferiority which results in...

This vice, caused by cowardice, is a condition that results when an individual lacking courage to interfere positively in important matters fails to carry out his social responsibilities such as persuading others to perform righteous action and forbi...

This vice, caused by cowardice, is a condition tha...

Fear is an uneasy expectation that something unpleasant might happen. For example, one may be afraid of boarding a ship or sleeping all alone in a house. It is clear that there is a difference between cowardice and fear. Fear is of two kinds. Firstly...

Fear is an uneasy expectation that something unple...

Slyness is another vice belonging to the Power of Intellect, and appears through the agency of satanic and evil wishes of the Power of Passion and Anger. Slyness and trickery is defined as conscious plotting against others and drawing of elaborate an...

Slyness is another vice belonging to the Power of ...

Whatever enters the human consciousness is either through the agency of the angels of mercy or the devil. If it is godly, it is called inspiration (ilham), and if it is caused by the devil, it is called temptation (waswasa). The human soul is a battl...

Whatever enters the human consciousness is either ...

Shirk is another serious disease of the soul, and is a branch of ignorance. It lies in believing that other forces besides God have a role in directing the affairs of the world. If one worships these forces, it is called shirk ibadi (polytheism in wo...

Shirk is another serious disease of the soul, and ...

1. Ilm al-Yaqin : Which is certain and permanent conviction. It is like the conviction of a man who when he sees smoke believes with certainty that there must be a fire too. 2. Ayn al-yaqin: Which is beholding something with-either the outer or the i...

1. Ilm al-Yaqin : Which is certain and permanent c...

There are certain signs associated with the state of certainty against which anyone can measure himself to determine his own degree of conviction. These signs are: 1. Reliance on God in all one's affairs, and having mind only for His good pleasure. T...

There are certain signs associated with the state ...

Another disease which may afflict the Power of the Intellect is the vice of doubt and perplexity, which makes man incapable of distinguishing right from wrong. This disease is usually caused by appearance of numerous contradictory pieces of evidence,...

Another disease which may afflict the Power of the...

Compound ignorance is, as explained before, the kind of ignorance in which one does not know and is, moreover, unaware of the fact that he doesn't. This is a fatal disease the cure of which is extremely difficult. This is because the compound ignoran...

Compound ignorance is, as explained before, the ki...

Knowledge and Wisdom: This condition is situated between the two extremes of slyness' and simple ignorance'. Undoubtedly, knowledge and wisdom are two of the sublimest qualities that man can possess, just as they are the most important and noblest of...

Knowledge and Wisdom: This condition is situated b...

Simple Ignorance: This disease is caused by a deficiency of the Power of Intellect in the individual, and is said to exist when the individual lacks knowledge and learning, but is aware of his ignorance. This is in contrast to compound ignorance'-a s...

Simple Ignorance: This disease is caused by a defi...

Slyness: It is one of the vices of the Power of Intellect in its condition of excess or extremity. When afflicted with this disease, the human intellect is so immersed in meticulous examination and analysis that it loses temperance. In other words, t...

Slyness: It is one of the vices of the Power of In...

At the end of this section, the conclusion that we draw is that justice means the complete mastery of the intellect overall other faculties and powers of the human soul, so that all are employed towards the ultimate goal of human perfection and the e...

At the end of this section, the conclusion that we...

Justice is of three kinds: 1. The justice between the human being and God; that is, the penalties and rewards which God bestows on man in relation to his acts and deeds. In other words, for whatever acts he commits, whether good or evil, an appropria...

Justice is of three kinds: 1. The justice between ...

Now that we have recounted all the virtues and vices, it is necessary to gain an understanding of the true significance of the quality of justice, since all ethical virtues originate from this quality just as all vices emanate from injustice, which i...

Now that we have recounted all the virtues and vic...

Compound ignorance: being ignorant, and being unaware of one's ignorance. Perplexity and doubt: the opposite of which are certainty and conviction. Carnal temptations: in opposition to which is contemplation of the beauty of Divine creation. Deceit a...

Compound ignorance: being ignorant, and being unaw...

We have already said that deviation from moderation and the mean causes vice. This deviation towards either of the two extremes on each side of the mean has infinite degrees. Here we will mention only the two extremes for every moral virtue. Deficien...

We have already said that deviation from moderatio...

Every one of the four ethical virtues is to be practised to a certain degree and within definite limits, transgression of which would transform a virtue into a vice. If every virtue is thought of as the center of a circle, any movement away from the ...

Every one of the four ethical virtues is to be pra...

In our last discussion, we stated that the human soul possesses four distinct powers. They are: Intellect, Anger, Passion, and the Power of Imagination (al-quwwah al-wahmiyyah or al-amilah) 1. The thing we should notice now is that the purification a...

In our last discussion, we stated that the human s...

Pleasure is a condition experienced by the soul when it perceives something harmonious with its own nature. Pain and suffering is occasioned when the soul comes into contact with things which are in disharmony with its nature. Since the powers of the...

Pleasure is a condition experienced by the soul wh...