Moral Principles as the Basis of Islamic Culture — Page 20
· ccaches, however, that "goml "'-•t11,s,o•n&ti. rt1e 11114. /""'"" 11gllinn "611 moral. $. " (Ch. XI, v. 114). · · Islam does. ~ confine the conception of morals to acts or. omis- sions which a. feet other people, it includes wit~=--: =~•A; ·~onCeption acts or omisSions which aJfect. tile individuaJ_ aimself alone \~· thoughts -. d designs). For ~ce, according to Islam not only is. \ person who is openly arrogant immoral but equally immoral is a person who, though outwardly meek and humble, nurses pride in the secret comers of his heart, for though· he~ not'injured 'another he injures anc' sullies his own soul. The Quran says: ''They were ·fWes11mptMllS in· dMw hearts anJ were also 11ery 011wbearmg. 11 (Cli. XXV, v~21) and aga41 "Some thoughts of the mind 11re sinf11l. 11 · (Cll. XLIX, v. 12) A person, however, who suppresses evil thoughts whene'Ver they enter his mmd, is worthy of commendation, as one who suppresses bis virtuous and beilelicient inclinations, is likely to fall into evil. The Quran says: "God. will recompense those with good fl,lho 11ct 11irt11011sly 11nd. a11oid all. m11nnw of e11il, whither. great or small, 11. nJ when 11rgetl -towards e11il, chec~ Jhemselves 11nJ tuffl away frm 1t/ 1 (°'· Lill, v. 31, 32). Islam ~ks to bring about moral uplift through the regulation of natural instincts. For ins~, it regulates the natural instinct of revenge both among individuals and in the community as a whole by prescribing, "If " man commi~s a trespais his punishment shall b~ proportionate thereto",· (Ch. II, v. 194) and goes on ''The recompense of evil is a penalty proportionate thereto, hut he who forgives the Ires· pass of another intending thereby to effect " reformation ( in the of- f ender) sha!I have his reward witb Gotl. S11rely, GoJ loves not trans-. gress~s. " (Ch. XUI, v. 40). The last part of the verse means that he who forgives when forgiveness would promote disorder or strife and he who punishes when punishment would tend to harden the offender are both transgressors and God loves not such conduct. Where the aggrieved person is weak and the aggressor is power- ful, revenge might take the form of abuse and fault-finding. This is prohibited. Nor is a Muslim encouraged to sulk or cut off social rela· tioJts with another unlcs' this last should"oo imposed as a social penalty. Even the aitertainmcnt. of spiteful feelfu, is prohibited. The Qurao ·-·