Way of The Seekers — Page 33
33 THE attract punishment, unless the omission or the error violates the purpose of the exercise itself. This does not mean, however, that occasional wrong-doing is permitted in Islam. No. That is not so. Deliberate wrong-doing is a kind of holiday from moral life. It is rebellion; and certainly rebellion is not permitted. If in a school examination a scholar refuses to answer one question and says he will not answer, because he has so willed, his act will be treated as a kind of indiscipline. He is just asking for punishment. It amounts to insulting the institution. But if he is unable to answer one or two questions, that is quite another matter. That would not entail any punishment. But deliberate refusal would be quite a different story. Can Morality Be Taught? The question arises, can morality be learned and taught? The answer is why not? But this is a general answer. when the question is faced directly and a person is asked: Have you done all you could to improve your moral life? Have you met with the desired change? The reply generally is: No, I have tried but it is very difficult. Ask any one in a group if morals can be improved?, the answer would be: Yes. But when you ask if the person concerned has succeeded in actually improving his morals, he would say: I have done my best but I have not succeeded. The position is paradoxical. We have in most matters, a poor opinion about others but a good opinion about ourselves. But in the matter of moral change and improvement by effort and exercise, human behavior is the other way around. Somehow others seem to be able to do something to improve their morals, but not we. We have some special difficulties or circumstances which do not let us. However, the Holy Quran is quite explicit on the point. According to the Holy Quran, moral life is capable of improvement. Says the Holy Quran: Continue to admonish, for admonition always helps. (87-10)