Al-Akhlâq wa’l-Siyar (Morals and Behaviour)
In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
II) The Mind and Repose Do not listen to what other people say. Listen only to the Words of the
Creator. That is the way to a completely sound mind and to perfect repose. 13. Anyone who believes himself safe from all criticism and reproach
is out of his mind. 14. Anyone who studies deeply and disciplines his soul not to rest
until it has found the truth, even if it is painful at first, will take more pleasure in
criticism than in praise. Indeed, if he hears people praise him, even if it is
well-deserved, he will become proud, and his virtue will be corrupted. If he hears people praise him and the praise is undeserved, he will be
pleased, but wrongly so, and this is a serious fault. On the other hand, if he hears
people criticize him and it is deserved, he might be led to correct the behaviour that led
to it. This criticism would be a piece of considerable good luck that only a fool would
ignore. If someone is criticized unjustly and he controls himself, he will gain merit by
his meekness and patience. Furthermore, all the good works ever done by his critic will be
credited to him, and he will gain the benefit of them on Judgment Day when they will stand
him in very good stead when he needs them, although they were not a result of his own
efforts. And this is a supreme piece of good luck which it would be mad to disdain. If he
does not hear peoples praise, what they say or do not say makes no difference to
him. But it is a different matter with their criticism, he wins either way, whether he
hears their criticism or does not hear it. 15. If it were not for the words of the Prophet (may Allâh be pleased
with him) about “good praise” which
“brings to the believers the express
good news of the happiness which has been promised”, it might have been a sign of
wisdom to prefer being criticized even unjustly to being praised with good reason. But
these words were spoken. The promised happiness “will always arise from merit, not
from absence of merit; it will reward only the object of praise, not merely the fact that
praises were uttered”. 16. There is no difference between the virtues and the vices, between
the acts of devotion and acts of rebellion, except in as far as the soul feels attracted
or repelled. Happy the man whose soul finds pleasure in virtue and good deeds, fleeing
vice and rebellion. And unhappy the man whose soul finds pleasure in vice and rebellion,
fleeing virtue and good deeds. This is nothing less than the sacred order of things
ordained by the providence of Almighty Allâh. 17. Anyone who strives after eternity is on the side of the angels.
Anyone who strives after evil is on the side of the demons. Anyone who seeks fame and
victory is on the side of the tigers. Anyone who seeks sensual pleasures is on the side of
the [dumb] beasts. Anyone who seeks money for its own sake, not for spending on pious
obligations and praiseworthy acts of charity, is too base, too vile to be compared with a
beast. He resembles rather the waters which gather in caves in inaccessible places: no
animal profits at all from them, [except now and then a bird; then the wind and the sun
dry up what is left. And the same thing happens to possessions which are not consecrated
to pious works]. 18. A wise man has no satisfaction is a quality which sets him below
tigers, dumb beasts and inanimate objects. He rejoices only in his progress in that virtue
by which Allâh distinguishes him from these same tigers, dumb beasts and inanimate
objects: this is the virtue of intelligence which he shares with the angels. 19. Anyone who feels proud of courage which is not applied in its
normal directions, the service of the Almighty God, let him understand that the tiger is
braver than him, that the lion, the wolf and the elephant are braver than him. 20. Anyone who glories in his own physical strength, let it be known
to him that the mule, the ox and the elephant are physically stronger than him. 21. Anyone who glories is his ability to carry heavy weights, let it
be known to him that the donkey can carry greater weights. 22. Anyone who glories in his ability to run, let it be known to him
that the dog and the hare are faster runners than he. 23. Anyone who glories in the sound of his voice, let it be known to
him that many of the birds have sweeter voices than he, and the sound of the flutes is
more exquisite and charming than the sound of his voice. How can anyone take pride or satisfaction in qualities in which these
animals are superior? 24. But a man whose intellect is strong, whose knowledge is extensive
and whose deeds are good, he should rejoice because only the angels and the best of men
are superior to him in these matters. 25. Allâh says “Anyone who fears the majesty of God, and
controls himself against passion, he shall have Paradise for his refuge.” [79:40]
These words encapsulate all virtue: to control oneself against passion means in fact to
turn away from ones natural tendency towards anger and lust, things which are both
under the dictates of passion. Then all that is left for the soul to use is the intellect
which God has given it, the good sense which distinguishes it from the beasts, from
insects or vermin and from tigers. 26. “Never lose your temper,” as Allâhs Prophet
(peace be upon him) said to a man asking advice, and, as he also said commanding him,
“Do as you would be done by”, together encapsulate the whole of virtue. Indeed,
the fact that the Prophet forbade all anger implies that although the soul has been given
the ability to be angry, it should refrain from this passion, and the [Prophets]
commandment to do as you would be done implies that the souls should turn away from the
strong force of greed and lust and should uphold the authority or the means of justice
which springs from the rationality which is part of the reasonable soul. 27. I have seen the majority of people - except those who God the
Almighty has protected, and they are few - throw themselves into the miseries, the worries
and fatigues of this world, and pile up a mountain of sin which will mean that they enter
hellfire in the Hereafter and will have no advantage from the perfidious intentions which
they nurse so carefully, such as wishing for an inflation of prices which would bring
disaster upon the children, the innocent, or wishing the worst trials upon those they
hate. They know very well that these bad intentions will not necessarily bring about what
they desire or guarantee its advent, and if they clarified and improved their intentions
they would hasten the repose of their spirits. They would then have the time to devote
themselves to their own business and would thus profit a great deal in addition to the
return of their souls to God, and all this without having at all hastened or delayed the
realization of their desires. Is there any worse deception than the attitude which we warn
against here, and is there any greater happiness than the one which we are promoting? 28. When we contemplate the duration of this universe, we see it limited to the
present moment, which is nothing but the point which separates too infinities of time. The
past and the future are as meaningless as if they did not exist. Is anyone more misguided
than the man who barters an eternal future for a moment which passes quicker than the
blink of an eye? 29. When a man is asleep, he leaves the world and forgets all joy and
all sorrow. If he kept his spirit in the same state on waking, he would know perfect
happiness. 30. A man who harms his family and his neighbors is viler than them.
Anyone who returns evil for evil is as bad as them. Anyone who refrains from returning
evil is their master, their superior and the most virtuous among them.