Malfuzat – Volume II — Page 251
251 The first stage of goodness from which a person derives strength is through morals (akhlaq). There are two words: firstly khalq and secondly khulq. The word khalq refers to physical birth and khulq implies inner birth. In the way that cer- tain people are apparently beautiful and others are unattractive, so too certain people are beautiful and attractive as far as their inner birth is concerned, while others suffer an inner leprosy and vitiligo. However, since physical form can be seen apparently, everyone can perceive it as soon as they see it and are attracted to beauty; no one wishes for themselves to be unattractive or ugly. Since an in- dividual can see physical beauty, they desire it for themselves. However, as khulq cannot be seen with the eyes, an individual remains unaware of its merit and does not desire it in the same way. Physical beauty or ugliness is all the same to a blind person. In the same manner, a person whose eye does not see the inner aspect is like the blind person I have just mentioned. Physical birth (khalq) is an apparent thing, but inner birth (khulq) is a conceptual matter. Only when a person comes to know about moral ills and their curse, will the deeper reality come to light. In short, moral beauty is what ought to be deemed ‘true beauty’. There are few who appreciate it. Good morals are the key to righteous deeds. For example, if there was a lock on the gate of a garden, one would see the fruits and trees from afar, but would not be able to enter the garden. However, if the lock was opened, one could enter the garden and the full reality would become apparent, and the heart and mind would derive pleasure and be refreshed. To attain good morals is to open this lock, as it were, and enter the garden. The Very Abandoning of Good Morals Is Sin No one has ever been granted moral strength and then not gone on to perform countless good deeds. The very abandoning of good morals is sin. For example, an individual who commits fornication with a woman is ignorant of the extreme pain that her husband will feel. Now if the sinner could feel the pain and grief of the husband, and if he possessed moral sense, he would not commit this evil deed. If this vile man knew of the grave dangers that this evil deed would bring for humanity at large, he would refrain from it. A thief—as wretched and cruel as he is—will rob someone, and not even leave behind enough for the victim to put food on the table that evening. It is often observed that a thief will ravage a poor man’s efforts of many years and will take everything that they can get their hands on from the victim’s home. What is the actual root at the heart of such despicable