Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

Life under the Grace of Ethics

Author(s): Ayatullah Naser Makarem Shirazi

Translator(s): Monir Shafiei

www.alhassanain.org/english

This text which is authored by Ayatullah al-Uzma Shaykh Nasir Makarim Shirazi, sheds light on how life would look under the grace of ethics. The topics of morality and ethics, its hygiene, principles and how social life is affect is thoroughly discussed.

Notice:

This work is published on behalf of www.alhassanain.org/english

The typing errors are n’t corrected.

Table of Contents

What we are looking for in this book? 7

Translator's Preface 9

Ethic and Training 10

Is it possible to alter individuals' morality and mentality through training? 10

Ill-humour is a sort of disease 11

Purification of carnal soul or the greater warfare 12

Prosperity and happiness 13

What is prosperity? 13

Does prosperity have only a spiritual aspect? 13

Individual and Social Morality 15

Big Mistake 15

Way of treatment of Moral Deviations 16

Hygiene of morality 17

1- Avoiding poisonous and suspicious associations 17

2- Correcting Environment 18

3- Emigration and escaping from tainted environments 19

Notes 20

Quadruple principles of ethics in view of the Ancients 21

Studying and criticism 22

Scale for evaluation of good and bad morality 23

Effect of seclusion and dissociability in morality 24

Arguments of advocators of seclusion and association 24

Disadvantages of seclusion and dissociation 26

Exceptional cases in which seclusion is permitted 28

Vigilance and self-examination or studying incentives and consequences 29

Notes 30

First step in purification of ethic after familiarity with alphabet of this science 31

Tongue is interpreter of heart and key of personality 31

Thirty great sins, which originate from tongue 31

Silence and reticence 32

Honesty, the most manifest sign of personality 34

Value and importance of truthfulness 34

Miraculous results of truthfulness 35

Lie, source of all sins 35

Lie is not compatible with belief 37

Lie makes man improvident 38

The liar does not trust even in himself 38

Source of lie 38

Way of treating lie 39

Lie in exceptional cases 41

What is equivocation? 42

A new interpretation about equivocation 42

Notes 43

Slander, Dangerous weapon of cowards 44

The most important motives for slander 44

Dangers of slander 45

1- Slander in view of Holy Qur’an 45

2- Slander is not compatible with belief 45

3- Slander is considered as spreading obscenity 46

4- The corruption of slander is more severe than adultery 46

5- Slander hinders acceptance of deeds and prayers 46

6- Slander is not compatible with Islamic brotherhood 47

7- Slander destroys good deeds 47

8- Slander devaluates worships and services 47

9- Slander excludes man from God's protection and includes him in Satan's protection 48

10- A part of ill effects of slander remains even after repentance 49

Social and individual vices of slander 49

Ill- effects of slander in social view: 49

Ill-effects of slander in individual view 50

Limits and types of slander 50

1- Types of slander 50

2- Slanders mixed with another sin 50

3- Slander has a “Right of People” aspect 51

Exceptions of slander 52

5- Petition and removal of injustice and restoring right 52

Notes 54

Suspicion and mistrust 55

Immunity from mistrust is the requisite of a safe community 55

Sources of suspicion and pessimism 56

Social losses of mistrust 57

Individual losses of suspicion 58

Ways of countering with suspicion 59

Methods of treating suspicion 60

Reminder 61

Notes 62

A Healthy Society under the Grace of Ethics 63

Without ethic, the plan of a healthy society is defeated 63

Privileges of man's social life 63

Source of formation of society 64

Social value 65

Islam and social concerns 65

Social seclusion 70

Reaction of dissociability and monkery in retardation of individual and society 70

Islam and Monkery 71

Historical origin 71

Mental origin 71

Monkery among Christians 73

Notes 73

Social units 75

1- Race 75

2- Geographical area 75

3- Ideology 75

The most powerful social relation 76

1- Facility of communication means 76

2- Unity of ideology 76

3- Perfect mental and moral development 76

Islam and global unique society 78

How to create a mental unity 80

Spirit of unity in Islamic instructions 82

1- Moral development 83

2- Forgiveness and pardon 84

3- Replying vice with goodness 86

4- Stopping violence 88

Notes 90

Way of influencing on the hearts 92

What we shall do for our advices to be influential on the heart of others? 92

Shall we be fact seeking or aggressive? 94

Notes 95

Factors effective in influencing on the hearts 97

Seeking excellence in discussion or dispute and fussing 97

Stopping selfishness 98

Provoking positive affections 99

Belief in one's own speech 101

Effect of virtue of the speaker 101

Notes 102

Relation of ethics and education 103

What is education? 103

Qur’an and education 103

Personality and character 104

Relation of education and personality 105

Factors comprising personality 105

Notes 106

What we are looking for in this book?

Global stalemates, groans of victims of aggressions, wars, crimes and increasingly cutting ties of family relations are all true evidences of one reality, that current rules of world, despite all attempts apparently made for their reform, improvement and enforcement, not only have been ineffective in granting an ideal life to men, but also have killed this hope for the future.

We don't know how long we shall try these worn principles. They cannot even support their own custodians, what about the others?

These rules are like deep wells, which sometimes reach massive underground stone pieces, and the more we try to pierce into these stones and progress inside them, the more we exhaust ourselves, and finally there is no trace of water.

So we shall look where the fault is, recognize it, contemplate, and think about the solution.

First, we find that such regulations resemble the drugs which are only for external use and their effect is completely superficial. They have neither succeeded to penetrate into the depth of human conscience, which is the inspiration of his attempts, endeavors, and movements, nor to mobilize his powers in a bid to eradicate the roots of pain.

For example, which law can revive human intellect and affection of those riches that have made testament for allocation of their wealth to their cats and have provided the facilities for establishment of a village for millionaire cats, and invite them to support millions of African hungry men? Which law can restore the sense of philanthropy in those who wear precious diamond pieces, and several millions value stamp albums are one of the little decorations of their drawing rooms, and invite them to save the life of millions of leprous, cancerous and tuberculosis patients?

Which law can manage obstinate and destructive instincts, and control man's feelings and utilize his great industrial powers for urbanization and reclamation of the countries?

Is any law able to penetrate into the territory of their spirit and soul, and cause these changes? It goes without saying that there is not such law among the existing ones.

It is here that the necessity of training and development of another principle called “ethic” is clarified. The principle which passes any obstacle just like the powerful waves of gravity and even passes through vacuum and accedes to the interior of man's soul, alters him, and creates a new person which is excellent and heavenly and in the real sense, humanistic attributes.

The man who sympathizes in grief and distress of others.

The man who considers his own and others' interests the same.

The man who never seeks relief in discomfort of others.

And finally, a man whose wide horizon of thought causes him to be relieved from disturbances, offences, intolerance and vindictiveness, and forms a real unity along with his fellowmen, in which there is welfare and blessing.

Yes, these principles, which are called “ethic”, should be revived, and present book is written for this purpose and has originated from Islamic rich and powerful resources.

Qom, Theological Center

Nasir Makarim Shirazi

November 1973

Translator's Preface

Thanks to the Almighty God, Who gave me success to accomplish translation of this book.

Allah may send blessings on our Prophet, Muhammad (S), who guided us to His Straight Path, and illuminated our heart with His guidance.

I offer the reward of this book to the spirit of my late grandmother, May God have mercy on her, and beseech Allah to make it, for me and her, a means of attainment to His reward and pleasures on the Day of Judgment.

I shall acknowledge that my reference books have been: ``A Glossary of Islamic Technical Terms'', Islamic Research Foundation of Astan Quds Razavi, ``Holy Qur’an'', Arthur J. Arberry, and ``Nahjul Balagha'', S. Ali Reza.

Dear readers are requested to send their views, suggestions, comments, questions, problems, to my email address: monirshafiei@yahoo.com

Monir Shafiei

Tehran, Iran

10.10.2002