Alhassanain(p) Network for Heritage and Islamic Thought

www.alhassanain.org/english

The Ahlul-Bayt; Ethical Role-Models

Author(s): Sayyid Mahdi as-Sadr

Translator(s): Badr Shahin

www.alhassanain.org/english

This book represents the excellence of the divine revelation as well as the wisdom of the Ahlul-Bayt (a) who progressed in the light of that revelation and understood its concepts to present it in the form of expressive wisdom, high trait, and moral lessons whose illumination and purity focus on souls to clean and light them through virtuous concepts.

Notice:

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

The composing errors are not corrected.

Tabla of Contents

Introduction 13

Notes 14

Section One: General Ethics 16

Moral conduct 17

Notes 20

Ill-Temper 22

Morals between Rectitude and Deviation 22

Treatment of Ill-Temper 22

Note 23

Truth 24

Achievements of Truth 24

Parts of Truth 24

Notes 25

Untruth 26

Disadvantages of Untruth 26

Reasons of Untruth 26

Sorts of Untruth 27

Damages of false swearing and perjury 27

Breach of Promise 27

Mocking Untruth 28

Treatment of Untruth 28

Justifications of Untruth 28

Notes 28

Clemency and Suppression of Anger 30

Notes 33

Anger 35

Incentives of Anger 35

Damages of Anger 35

Anger between Praise and Censure 35

Treatment of Anger 36

Notes 37

Modesty 38

Notes 39

Arrogance 41

Disadvantages of Arrogance 42

Incentives of Arrogance 42

Levels of Arrogance 42

Sorts of Arrogance 42

Treatment of Arrogance 43

Notes 43

Satisfaction 44

Advantages of Satisfaction 44

Notes 45

Greed 46

Disadvantages of Greed 46

Treatment of Greed 46

Notes 47

Generosity 48

Advantages of Generosity 48

Fields of Generosity 48

Incentives of Generosity 49

Notes 49

Altruism 51

Notes 52

Stinginess 53

Disadvantages of Stinginess 53

Forms of Stinginess 53

Treatment of Stinginess 53

Notes 56

Chastity 57

Reality of Chastity 57

The Sought Moderation 57

Advantages of Chastity 57

Notes 57

Gluttony 59

Disadvantages of Gluttony 59

Treatment of Gluttony 59

Notes 60

Faithfulness and Breach 61

Advantages of Faithfulness and Disadvantages of Breach 61

Forms of Breach 61

Notes 62

Fraternity 63

Spiritual Fraternity 63

Notes 65

Sectarianism 66

Reality of Sectarianism 66

Calamities of Sectarianism 67

Notes 67

Justice 68

Forms of Justice 68

(1) Man’s justice towards God 68

(2) Man’s justice towards the society 68

(3) Justice towards the dead 69

(4) Justice of the rulers 69

Advantages of Justice 69

Notes 71

Injustice 72

Forms of Injustice 73

(1) Self-Wronging 73

(2) Injustice towards the Family 73

(3) Injustice towards the Relatives 73

(4) Injustice towards the Society 73

(5) Injustice of the Rulers 74

Bad Consequences of Injustice 75

Treatment of Injustice 75

Notes 76

Sincerity 77

Virtue of Sincerity 77

Obstacles of Sincerity 77

How to Obtain Sincerity? 78

Notes 78

Showiness 79

Categories of Showiness 79

1. Showiness of the Belief 79

2. Showiness of Acts of Worship 79

3. Practical Showiness 80

4. Verbal Showiness 80

Incentives of Showiness 80

Some Facts 80

Disadvantages of Showiness 81

Treatment of Showiness 81

Notes 82

Conceit 83

Disadvantages of Conceit 83

Treatment of Conceit 83

Notes 84

Conviction 85

Qualities of People of Conviction 86

Ranks of Faith 86

Categories of Faith 86

Natural Faith 86

Transient Faith 86

Acquisitive Faith 87

Notes 87

Patience 89

Categories of Patience 89

Steadfastness against Misfortunes and Calamities 89

Standing the Obedience and Perseverance against the Disobedience to God 91

Patience of the Graces 91

Advantages of Patience 92

How to Acquire Patience? 92

Notes 92

Gratitude 93

Categories of Gratitude 93

Virtue of Gratitude 94

How to Acquire Thankfulness? 95

Notes 95

Trust In God 97

Reality of Trust in God 98

Ranks of Trust in God 98

Advantages of Trust in God 98

How to Acquire Trust in God? 99

Notes 99

Fear Of God 100

Fear between Ebb and Flow 101

Advantages of Fear 101

Stories of the Fearful 102

Notes 102

Hope For God 104

Warning against Despair 104

Vastness of God’s Mercy and Pardon 104

Favorable Judgment about God 105

Intercession of the Prophet and the Imams for their Adherents 105

Calamities and Diseases Cancel the Believers’ Sins 106

Reality of Hope 106

Purpose of Hope and Fear 107

Notes 107

Deception 108

Forms of Deception 108

Worldly Deception 108

The Everlasting Law 109

Disadvantages of the Worldly Deception 110

Treatment of the Worldly Deception 111

Deception of Knowledge 112

Deception of Authority 113

Authority between Praise and Censure 114

Deception of Wealth 114

Wealth between Praise and Censure 115

Deception of Lineage 115

Notes 116

Envy 117

Incentive of Envy 117

(1) Malignity 117

(2) Enmity 117

(3) Competition 117

(4) Selfishness 117

(5) Contempt 118

Disadvantages of Envy 118

Treatment of Envy 118

Notes 118

Backbiting 119

Disregard of Backbiting 119

Incentives of Backbiting 119

Disadvantages of Backbiting 120

Reasonable Grounds of Backbiting 120

Treatment of Backbiting 121

Penance of Backbiting 121

Notes 121

Slander 123

Note 123

Talebearing 124

Incentives of Talebearing 124

Disadvantages of Talebearing 124

How to Deal with the Talebearer? 124

Notes 125

Calumny 126

Note 126

Obscenity, Revilement and Defamation 127

Disadvantages of Obscenity 128

Notes 128

Sarcasm 129

Notes 129

Good Wording 130

Notes 131

Inconveniences of Sins 132

Notes 134

Repentance 135

Reality of Repentance 135

Merits of Repentance 135

Obligation and Immediateness of Repentance 136

Repetition of Repentance 137

Courses of Repentance 138

Acceptance of Repentance 138

Notes 139

Self-Judgment and Self-Control 140

Constitution of Self-Judgment 140

Seizure of Life’s Opportunity 141

Notes 142

Righteous Deed 144

Notes 145

Obedience and God- Fearing 146

Reality of Obedience and God-Fearing 147

Notes 148

Perseverance on Principles 150

Notes 154

Section Two: Rights and Obligations 156

Preface 157

The Divine Rights 158

1. Worship 158

2. Obedience 159

3. Thankfulness 159

4. Trust in God 160

Notes 160

Rights of the Prophet 161

1. Obedience to the Prophet 161

2. Love for the Prophet 162

3. Blessing the Prophet 163

4. The Love for the Ahlul-Bayt 164

Notes 167

Rights of the Imams 169

1. Recognition of the Imams 169

2. Loyalty to the Imams 170

3. Obedience to the Imams 170

4. Fulfillment of the Khums 171

5. Kind Treatment to the Prophet’s Descendants 172

6. Praising and Publicizing the Imams’ Merits 172

7. Pilgrimage to the Imams’ Shrine 174

Notes 175

Rights of Scholars 176

Merits of Knowledge and Scholars 176

Regard of Scholars 177

Charity to Scholars 177

Compliance with Scholars 177

Notes 178

Rights of Teachers and Students 179

Rights of teacher 179

Rights of Students 179

Notes 181

Rights of Parents and Sons 182

Rights of Parents 182

Filial Piety 182

Filial Impiety 184

Disadvantages of Filial Impiety 185

Rights of Sons 186

Wisdom of Discipline 187

The Child’s First School 188

Course of Education 188

Notes 188

Matrimonial Rights 190

Merits of Marriage 190

1. Advantages of Marriage 190

2. Benefits of Marriage 190

3. Results of Marriage 190

Marital Happiness 191

The Ideal Husband 191

The Ideal Wife 192

Observance of Rights 192

Rights of Husbands 192

1. Obedience to Husbands 192

2. Compliance with Husbands 193

3. Observance of Husbands’ honor 195

Rights of Wives 195

1. Disbursement 195

2. Good Companionship 195

3. Protection 196

False Rights 196

Removal of the Veil 196

Moral Defects 197

Physical Defects 198

Social Defects 198

Woman in Islam 202

Woman in the Ancient Ages 202

Woman in the Pre-Islamic Arab Society 203

Woman in the Modern Western Civilization 204

Woman’s Liberation in Islam 204

Equality of the sexes 209

Distinction between the Sexes 211

1. Maintenance 212

2. Man’s Preference to Woman in Inheritance 212

3. Testimony 213

4. Polygamy 213

Justifications of Polygamy 214

Divorce in Islam 215

Notes 217

Rights of the Relatives 219

Merits of the Relatives 219

Regard of Relatives 219

Disregard of the Relatives 220

Notes 221

Rights of Friends 222

Merits of Friends 222

Reality of Friendship 222

Friends’ Selection 223

The Ideal Friend 223

Standards of Love 224

Friendship between Ebb and Flow 224

Rights of Friends 224

1. Material Care 224

2. Moral Care 225

3. Excusation 225

Moderation with Friends 227

Notes 227

Rights of Neighborhood 229

Cooperation and Mutual sympathy 229

Rights of Neighbors 229

Notes 230

Rights of the Islamic Society 231

Merits of the Islamic Society 231

Rights of the Islamic Society 232

1. Right of Life 232

2. Right of Dignity 232

3. Right of Freedom 234

A. Freedom of Religion 234

B. Civil Freedom 234

C. Freedom of Propagation of Islam 234

4. Right of Equality 234

Equality in Islam 235

5. Right of Knowledge 236

6. Right of Ownership 237

7. Right of Islamic Interests 237

A. Feeding and Watering the Believer 237

B. Clothing the Believer 238

C. Settling the Believers Need 238

D. Gladdening the Believer 238

E. Visiting the Believer 239

Notes 239

Obligations of the Rulers 240

Rights of Subjects against Rulers 240

(A) Justice 240

(B) Righteousness 240

(C) Lenience 240

Aspects of Lenience 241

Results of Lenience 241

(D) Selection of the Retinue 241

(E) Settlement with the Officials 241

(F) Achievement of Social Happiness 241

Rulers’ Rights against Subjects 242

(1) Obedience 242

(2) Support 242

(3) Advice 242

Notes 243

Physical and Mental Necessities 244

Physical Rights 244

Mental Rights 244

(1) Self-education 244

(2) Well Intention 244

(3) Self-control 245

4. Self-Judgment 245

Notes 245