A Letter to a Dear One — Page 88
88 Letter to a Dear One of ‘transgression’ or to completely discard ‘manifest evil’ before considering the ‘indecency’ issue. One can start reforming all these degrees simultaneously. This way reformation of each degree can contribute towards the reformation of the other and as one keeps a check on oneself and realizes which faults one is most inclined towards; particular attention can be paid to ridding of those faults. Although discarding bad habits is an essential stage of moral development, however, even if one rids of all of one’s vices, one cannot be called a person of high morals; high morals entail virtuous morals as well. A person cannot be content on the fact that he does not steal, commit murder or rape, that he does not deceive and plunder peoples’ property, is not guilty of indecency, does not think evil thoughts and evil plans. This can satisfy him to the extent that he is rid of bad habits, however, he cannot have the satisfaction that he has achieved a virtue or a high moral. It is as if he has only covered one stage of moral reformation and development. The second and more important stage that still needs to be covered is that of acquiring good, namely, the stages of abiding by justice, treating with grace, and giving like the giving of kin to kin. “Justice” connotes that in return of good conduct, a person at the very least does an equally good deed, that his morals are so reformed and developed that he habitually at the very least gives as much as he takes and when faced with bad conduct, does not have a rather harsh attitude. By “grace,” it is meant that a person’s morals are so well developed that he exceeds in returning a good deed and fends bad conduct with good conduct. Allah the Almighty enjoins to return bad conduct with good conduct. This leads to one’s enemy becoming one’s closest friend. The tenor of “giving like the giving of kin to kin” is that a person does not do a good act with the idea of getting a reward; rather it should become a part of his nature. Regardless of the treatment he gets from others, he should always act out good deeds. He should perform good deeds as naturally as he loves his family with a most natural feeling. To illustrate this degree of high morals one can imagine that upon throwing a stone at a beehive only sweet honey exudes, indeed that is all a beehive contains. Having reached this stage of high morals a person’s disposition is an embodiment of goodness and no bad aspect remains. Reflect on how Islam has elucidated the principles of moral