Youth and Morals [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

FORE WORD

Among these groups are those who abandoned thinking and adopted the habit of blaming every event in their lives on "luck". When these groups face any situation which requires them to reflect, they simply say: "It is our luck", "Amazing how' coincidences occur", "Strange is this life, no one can violate its rules"!!

Yet if we take some time to reflect on this issue, we discover that neither luck nor coincidences are factors in causing failure; the most vita/factor which mainly causes failure is "ill manners". Germany, for example, after WWII was nothing more than a handful of ashes and debris. Today Germany is one of the leading industrial nations. Experts credit this unprecedented advancement to the sense of responsibility and control which the Germans felt thereafter; not that they have better minds or are more creative than other nations. Thus, it is most accurate to say that the advancement of any nations, including material advancement, is reliant upon its good conduct and morality. This fact has been established throughout history, removing any doubt that social conduct is a factor in the future of civilizations.
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On the other hand we notice that the nature of a man depends on his characteristics and values. Therefore, man deserves the title of"humanitarian"for possessing such characteristics, without which he does not differ from animals.

The search for the highest human values should be done in the field of individual conduct. It is worthy to point out that achieving the highest human values can be done through educating the soul and training it to accept the assigned psychological and behavioral methods.

Hence, we find that sociologists and psychologists have made many detailed scientific studies on how to counter or prevent corruption and achieve good morals.

The scholars who are most knowledgeable and the best educators in this field are our Holy Imams. The Imams have set guidelines for us through their words, and their lives are examples for us to follow so that we may achieve moral excellence. These guidelines and examples give us the opportunity to live as happy humans beings who may enjoy excellent morals.
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This topic especially concerns the young, for they are more sensitive about these issues of life. Nevertheless, the There are many people who suffer from their ill natures, and can find no means to rid themselves of this quality.

books which have been written in this field, as ideological and practical guides for the young are scarce' and do not have the advantage of modern language skills. It is for this reason that we choose to produce a book for today's youth.

Fortunately, we have found the book at hard and have decided to publish it; this book, Youth and Morals: A Step Towards Eradicating Corruption deals with the analysis of various behavioral issues in a new' style, relying on Divine verses, prophetic narrations and tradit ion, from the Holy Imams (A. 5).

We urge you to thoroughly read this book and use it to counter and prevent social corruption.

The Organization for the Protection of Youth

Qum, Iran

The Winter of 1387 A.H.

INTRODUCTION

Every individual in this world endeavors to achieve "happiness" and "tranquility and struggles day and night to reach this dream in the fields of' life which appear like war arenas. He fights in this field willingly in most cases to sacrifice everything in order to witness the bird of happiness fly over his head so he may live beneath its shadow the rest of his life.

It is unfortunate to see many individuals possessing various talents which qualify them to lead a life of happiness and satisfaction subjected to different factors which make their souls a toy for discomfort and insecurity. As a result, these individuals fall victim to the untrue dream that living happily is nothing but mere fiction, and that man's inevitable conclusion is to become a straw being tossed around by the fictitious waves of pain ending up on the bottom of the grave of disillusion and poverty.

These pains and sufferings are not but the result of choosing false images over facts and realities. They have not followed that light of righteousness, nor have they resorted to a reliable segment on the path of life Surely the reflections of the images which are drawn in the minds of men in the sea of waves of anxieties and their lonely goals and unrealistic hopes are the factors to blame for bringing mankind out of light into darkness and making them subject to confusing hardships.

Man, who is the highest creature, is made of two distinguished powers, the spiritual power and the mechanical power. In addition to the material characteristics which he shares with animals, man has many spiritual needs, which If fulfilled give him a very great chance of reaching perfection. Whenever one of these two sides of man becomes more powerful than the other the late becomes weaker and hence is defeated.

In light of the just mentioned fact, it is worthy to notice that industry has truly changed the features of life. The industrial advancement, together with the puzzling changes in the various aspects of life have explained many ambiguous uncertainties, and solved countless difficult questions. Thus, many parts of the universe from the depth of the seas to the darkness of space became fields for man's journeys and discoveries. On the other hand, the spiritual needs of man became weakened; corruption appeared on the land and seas as a result of the crimes he committed in the numerous corners of life. The number of disasters and inhuman crimes has reached unbelielevels. The factors of salvation have become weak in front of the phenomenon of corruption and social disorder. The remains of spirituality are burning in the midst of the fires of lust, loneliness and filth

Today we clearly observe that material gains have taken priority over virtue. Man has equipped himself with the tools of industry and experimental sciences and has abandoned the good merits which are expected and needed to guard his soul from being destroyed under the feet of the evilness of lust and uncontrolled wants. Even human emotions are in a state of struggle between life and death.

Lying, stinginess, hypocrisy, oppression, selfishness and other lowly characteristics, all resembling an invincible dam blocking the stream of human happiness and perfection, have chained the hands of man and thrown him in the merciless waves of the ocean of relentless filth. The triumph of the knights, loneliness, individual pains, social disasters and various miseries in general, are the result of the fall of human virtues. Both Sociologists and psychologists attest to the fact that without excellent virtues and spiritual guidance man would wander from the path of justice which leads him to peak of greatness and perfection.

Individuals who excel in society and whose names are recorded in bold letters by history all enjoy some sort of pure and appreciated virtues. Societies which are not armed with the weapon of good manners are not ruled by worthy rules and do not, in fact, deserve to live as a human body. It is for this reason that the destruction of previous great civilizations did not take place because of political or economical crisis but from a bankruptcy of good manners.

Man-made legislation and systems are unable to penetrate the human soul nor can they guarantee constructive relationships between the different societies and nations the same way spiritual manners do. Manmade laws, which are manifestations of human ideas, are not qualified to bring authentic happiness to mankind, this is because men have a limited thinking capacity.

Thus, they cannot conceive all of the phenomena surrounding their lives. Moreover, even if man knows the depth of the phenomenon surrounding him he is always subjected to outside influences which prevent him from accepting the truth. In light of the above, we observe that man-made laws, change with time and their surrounding conditions. In fact, the appearance of corruption and miseries are not but the result of the shortcomings of such laws.

On the other hand, we have the sacred school of the prophets which is inspired by the magnificent springs of the lights of revelation and depends on unlimited Divine knowledge. Thus, these laws are not vulnerable to the tides of time, change, or transformation. Because of its comprehension of the realities of life and existence, the prophetic school offers humanity the most accurate system

for reaching perfection and moral excellence, and calls man to direct his soul to greatness. The positive and appreciated effects of faithfulness on man are undisputable, for it is clear that if man did not possess an internal motive to prevent him from making himself a victim of his lusts and unlimited wants, then any step he took towards, righteousness would mean certain failure. Hence, it is impossible to establish a safe and perfect human society, without equipping the human members with morality and spirituality.

The basics on which the eternal Islamic faith was built by the greatest personality of all times, Prophet Muhammad (S.A. W), and which rely from the very first day on piety are those means of happiness that can bring comfort in this world and the hereafter.

In fact, the Islamic call was built on the bases which requires man to evaluate his spiritual value to the highest point by elevating the level of his beliefs to a chain of pure and praiseworthy values. Islam strictly prohibits man from sacrificing his excellent morals for the sake of his lusts and cravings. Islam stands in the face of those who dishonor humanity and fights them fiercely. So a society where in the individual and social ties are built on Islamic values enjoys tranquility, comfort and trust in all aspects. All its members enjoy equal rights, and observe the interpersonal relations set by the faith. Thus, giving other societies the opportunity to achieve the same, which is a perfect step towards a great civil revolution by mankind.
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In this book, we introduce some of the vital issues affecting man's social life and how Islam deals with them.

It is incumbent on me to mention here that a section of this book was previously published in the magazine The Islamic Ideology which is published in Persian in the holy city of Qum. I leave it to our honorable readers to judge the value of this book which has been praised by many scholars. I hope that we all advance in promoting ourselves on the path of the Islamic scholars, and by rescuing our souls from drowning in the filth of unguided lusts.

Sayyid Mujtaba Musawi Lari

Rabi'ul Aww'a/, 1387 (1967)

1

ILL NATURE

The Value of Friendship

Ill- Natured Individuals are Resentful

The Prophet of Islam: The Perfect Exemplar.

The Value of Friendship

Love is a natural human feeling. It is for this reason we see every man is attracted by an internal power to other members of his kind. Thus, this instinctive need must be fulfilled and every one must establish brotherly relations with certain individuals or groups so as to benefit socially from such relations.

Love is the foundation of security and comfort. It is the most enjoyable spiritual need which develops with time. There is not a more valuable thing in this world than love.

The pain and suffering which result from losing a beloved one are most disastrous to man; spirits need other spirits for refuge or we would become torn in the hands of insecurity and anxiety, thus, becoming the victims of our own world's oppression. A certain scholar was quoted as saying in this regard, "The secret to happiness is to maintain brotherly relations with our world, instead of creating chaos. Those who can not love their own kind, can not live an anxiety-free and secure life."

The ties which best bring the various elements of a society to each other are those which are built on true feelings and real love. Harmony which exists between two souls is what makes them unit in the worlds of love and unity. It is from here that the basis of eternal happiness stems. Yet, in order for such happiness to survive, one must set differences aside and compromise with others on some of the issues which they rightly reject.

The most valuable friendships are those which are not built on personal interests but are twin with the feeling of brotherhood and are able to satisfy the human soul which needs love and comfort. A person who presents himself as a faithful friend should not allow any factor to shake his feelings towards that friend; in fact he should endeavor to remove the calamities and pains which befall his friend's heart, and demonstrate to him the gardens of hopes and comfort. Those who ask for the love of others should have the ability to give them the same prior to living in the shadow of their emotions. According to one scholar, "Our lives are like a mountainous area, whenever one makes a sound he hears the echo coming back at him; those whose hearts are full of love for others will experience the same from them. It is true that it is our material life that is built on exchange. We do not wish to say the spiritual life is built on the same basis, but how is it possible to expect faithfulness from others without being faithful to them? And how can one ask for love from others without loving them first?"

Interacting with others can be very harmful if it is not built on love and honesty from both sides.

If the nightmare of hypocrisy overtakes the hearts and lives of men; if flattery replaces honesty and friendship, harmony and sympathy will be weakened and the spirit of cooperation will be stolen from the society.

Undoubtedly, many of us have met others in society in whose hearts lay no real love or emotions, they concetheir real selves behind the cover of love. But frequently we are able to reach beyond that cover to their realities and actual feelings, and as a result, our relationship with them results in the destruction of their masks.

Indeed one of the prerequisites of happiness and an effective method of spiritual development is real friendship with righteous people. This is because personal thoughts develop under the shadow of such relationships, wherein the spirit rises to levels of piety and excellent traits. Therefore, it is essential to carefully examine individuals to be taken as friends. It is an unforgivable error to establish friendships with any one whose honesty and purity are not verified because man was created susceptible to the characteristics of others through his interactions with them. Negative relationships are a threat to the happiness of humanity.

Ill-Natured Individuals are Resentful

Certain characteristics and unwanted habits weaken the ties of love and sometimes result in breaking up excellent relationships. Hot-tempered individuals who are unable to keep the love of others, erect an indestructible wall between them and society, which prevents them from realizing the light of love. Ill nature, therefore, destroys the basis of happiness and devalues man's character. It is indisputable that bad manners keep people away from each other, for man suffers from the treatment of those whom he resents or cannot relate to. Thus, bad manners force people to give up many abilities, which could be very useful in the path of their advancement in life had they been well-mannered.

It is necessary for one who wishes to interact in his society to first realize the art of interaction, and after becoming familiar with it, put it to use according to the acceptable social rules. Without this process, a person cannot live in harmony with his society, nor can interpersonal conduct move towards perfection in such a society. Good conduct, therefore, is the main basis of happiness between people. It is also an important factor in bettering individual personalities.

In fact, good conduct allows man to make use of his abilities and become effective on the general level of managing society. There is not another characteristic equal to good conduct in attracting the love and affection of others and reducing the pains which maybe faced in life.

Those who enjoy such good traits do not manifest their sad sides to others, hence preventing them from reaching beyond their privacy. Such individuals struggle to create a rainbow of happiness and affection around themselves to make those who interact with them forget their own miseries by giving them a sense of security. They also present their own security despite any troubles they may have, thus, increasing the chances of their success and victory.

Good manners are a strong element in securing success for many individuals. Needless to say, the success of commercial establishments is directly related to the good conduct of its employees.

A manager of a company who enjoys good manners is usually active and attracts many vital connections to himself. In conclusion, good manners are the secret behind being accepted by others. People cannot bear with ill-natured people regardless of their positions. A personal survey would reveal the reasons behind the inclinations towards certain individuals over others. A western scholar recorded the following regarding his experience in this field:

"One. day I decided to conduct an experiment on how my attentiveness and cheerful face affected my life. Prior to that day I was sad and depressed; on that morning I left the house with the intention of being cheerful. I thought to myself. I have noticed many times that other's attentiveness and cheerful faces give me strength. I wanted to discover if I, myself, could be influential to others in the same way. I repeated to myself while on my way to work, my resolution to be attentive and have a cheerful face; I even convinced myself that I was a very lucky man. As a result I felt a sense of comfort overtake my body. I felt as if I was flying. I looked at my surroundings with a wide smile on my face; yet I still saw many faces around me on which the features of sadness were apparent. My heart burnt for these people and I wished I could grant them some of the light from my heart.

"That morning I entered my office and greeted the accountant in a manner that he was not used to. Prior to this I rarely smiled and never greeted him like this even if my life was on the line. The accountant could not help but greet me with warmth and great affection. At that moment I felt that my happiness had truly affected him.

"The president of the company where I work is the kind of man who never lifts his head to talk to others, he is very unpleasant. On that day he harshly reprehended me, more that day than on any other day. I would not have put up with it; yet, because of my decision not to let any incident bother me, I answered him in such a manner that made some of the wrinkles on his face disappear. This was the second incident that day. Later on that day I endeavoured to keep my attentiveness and cheerfulness and pass them on to my co-workers.

"As such, I was able to practice this method with my family which resulted in positive consequences. As a result, I discovered that I could be active, happy and make others around me feel the same way.

This is possible for you too. Meet people with this attitude, have a cheerful face and the flowers of happiness will bloom in your life, as roses bloom in the spring-time, and you will gain many friends who will bring peace and tranquility to you eternally."

No one denies the great effect of this characteristic on softening the hearts of the enemies. Respect and good manners also play an important role in convincing one's opponents of the adherence to ideologies.

Another western writer said in this regard, "All gates are opened towards him whose face is cheerful and who enjoys good manners; while the ill-natured individuals have to knock down doors to open them just like gangsters. The best of matters are those related to kindness, good-manners and cheerfulness."

Moreover, I would like to add that good manners necessitate happiness and lead good-natured individuals to perfection, but only if such manners and traits stem deep from one's heart far from hypocrisy and pretense.

In other words, the feeling of love must be a manifestation of what is in the heart. The outside appearance is not necessarily a reflection of what is hidden in the hearts of men. It is possible that some of the good traits of an individual contradict his disturbed and misguided heart. Many are the devils that dress themselves in the garments of angels, hence concealing their fearful faces under a curtain of beauty.

The Prophet of Islam: The Perfect Exemplar

We all know that one of the most important factors of Islam's advancement was the perfect conduct of tile Prophet (S.A.W.). This fact is stated in the Holy Quran where Allah, the Almighty, says:

"And had you been rough, hard hearted they would certainly have dispersed from around you."

Quran 3:158

The Prophet of Allah (S.A.W.) treated all people equally. His deep and indescribable love for humanity was perfectly manifested in his angelic being. He attended to all Muslims' needs equally.

"And the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) divided his moments between his companions: he would attend to this and attend to that equally.''

Rawdah al-Kafi .p.268

He also condemned ill nature; he repeatedly said:

"Ill nature is evil and the worst of you are those who are ill-natured."

Nahj a1-Fasahah, p.371

and:

"0 sons of Abdul Muttalib. surely you will not (he able to) satisfy people with your money, therefore meet them with cheerful faces and joyful conduct."

Wasail ash-shia v.2, p. 222