NOVEMBER 10

Islamic Character

In chapter 38 of the Quran, the prophet David is thus addressed by God: “Rule with justice among men and do not yield to lust (intense desire), lest it should turn you away from God’s path.” (38: 26)

God has laid down a straight path of virtue for man and then implanted the sense of this in human nature. If man were to trust his instincts and follow this silent guidance, he would never become a prey to deviation.  He would unerringly follow this straight thoroughfare of life, until he reached his final destination.

There is only one thing which leads man astray from this path of divine guidance, and that is his own unquenchable desire. Lust causes man to waver at every turn in life; the wise man is one who does not allow himself to be swayed by its influence. One who succumbs to his own desires will necessarily fall by the wayside, his ultimate fate being abasement and destruction.

Human desires lead man astray in many ways. At times they lure him away from the deeper realities of life towards the false glitter of the world.  At times momentary gain leads him far afield from the path of permanent gain. At times, man allows himself to be provoked by matters of sheer prejudice and, giving no forethought to the outcome, involves himself in such confrontations as lead to serious hostilities. In the end, it is he himself who suffers the maximum losses.

To lead a successful life, man must keep his negative urges under control, rather than be controlled by them, for his own insatiability is his greatest enemy. The better way of life, as opposed to one guided by desire, is that based on a sound code of ethics. Far from falling a victim to his baser self, man should conform to a set of high human principles. He should be governed in thought, word and deed not by the mere urge to pursue selfish aims, but by a deep and innate scrupulosity.