Why Do We Lack Character?
by G. A. Parwez
This booklet was originally written in Urdu by Allama Parwez and then
translated into English by him in the 1960’s. The importance of the subject necessitated for its re-print. Bazm
Tolu-e-Islam London, UK is instrumental in
bringing out the present edition.
Widespread
Impression.
“Our people have no
character” is acknowledged universally, at home and abroad, in business and
government circles, and in every sphere of administrative activity. Lack of
character produces social imbalance and leads ultimately to national decline
and disintegration. The malady has been eating up the vitals of our social life
too fast to withstand an unexpected shock.
Meaning
of Character.
The outward signs of a
weak character are commonly believed to be bribery, corruption and exploitation
but they do not bring out the true significance of the word. It belongs to the
realm of ethics, which defines character in terms not easily intelligible to
the common man. Here are a few definitions given by Western writers on ethics.
“Morality is character. Character is
that which is engraved. Character is really inwardness. Immorality as energy is
also character, but to be neither moral nor immoral is merely ambiguous”.
(Soren Kierkegarard in “The Present Age”, page 15).
“Character is the manifestation of
Truth, and Truth is the conformation of Appearance to Reality”.
(Professor Whitehead in “Adventures of Ideas”, page
309).
“Character is adopting ‘Good’ and
good is the movement in the direction of home, ‘evil’ is the aimless whirl of
human potentialities without which nothing can be achieved and by which, if
they take no direction but remain trapped in themselves, everything goes away”.
(Martin Bubar in “Between Man and Man”, page
78).
“Character is the possession of
power over oneself; it is the victory over slavery to oneself”.
(Berdyaev in “Slavery and Freedom”, page 47).
“Each person should in his acts, and
behind them in his thoughts and his emotions, exercise that control which is
necessary in order to assure not only harmony in his own personality but also
social harmony”.
(Alexander Loveday in “The Only Way”).
“Character in the most general sense
is a man’s attitude towards his human surroundings which is expressed in his
actions”. (Kerschensteiner’s essay on “The Concept and Education of Character”
quoted by
(Martin Bubar in “Between Man and Man”, page 108).
Let us attempt a
definition on a layman’s level.
An
Illustrative Proverb.
The proverb says
“Sacrifice wealth to save life and sacrifice life to save honour”. The first
half of the proverb is clear. Wealth and life have their respective values and
if only one of them can be saved then wealth should be sacrificed to save life.
One who sacrifices wealth for life or vice versa is, however, neither
credited with character nor condemned. A miser once fell ill and his son called
in an eminent doctor, not for helping the patient, but for saving his face
against the charge of indifference towards his ailing father. The doctor
examined the patient, diagnosed the disease and wrote out a prescription. As
the son was leaving for buying the medicines, the father told him to do so only
after first ascertaining from the undertaker the cost of his funeral, that is,
he should adopt the less costly course. The advice will excite laughter, not
because it exhibits lack of character but on account of its absurdity.
Preservation of self is an urge which every living being follows instinctively.
How hard does a tiny little ant struggle against obstacles endangering its
life! Man is no exception. If he sacrifices wealth for life, he follows a
natural instinct and not any moral value. Doing the opposite would be devoid of
sense. Harming oneself is lunacy.
The second half of the
proverb suggests that life and honour have both a value but that if there is a
tie between them and only one can be saved, then it is honour which should be
preferred. He who sacrifices life for safeguarding honour is universally
applauded as a man of character; he who sacrifices honour to save life is
unreservedly condemned.
Character
Defined.
Preservation of
life is an animal instinct; not so is the preservation of honour. The concept
of honour is unknown to the animal world. In fact it forms the line of
demarcation between the Animal and the Man. Honour is a specific human value.
Preservation of human values elevates the level of life, from the animal to the
human. Character may, therefore, be defined as who so preserves human
values against animal instincts is a man of character.
Assessment
of Human Values.
Human values might have
different meanings. Take the word honour. “God has saved my honour,” means that
I have not been disgraced before my friends. “She gave her life to save her
honour”—here honour signifies chastity. But the meaning of chastity itself
might differ from people to people. In the East if some one casts an evil
glance at a veiled lady, her father or brother would not hesitate to shoot him.
In the West, however, if a girl flirts publicly, her father or brother, instead
of having any qualms, would feel proud of her as a popular society girl! Again
one society might attach the greatest importance to a particular value which in
the estimation of another society might not be a value at all. We respect and
honour our parents, but there have been tribes with whom eating them up
constituted a sacred duty. The Puritans saw nothing wrong in stealing Negro
children and shooting the Irishmen. The Jews thought it bad, even criminal, to
levy interest among themselves but permitted it in the case of non-Jews. In an
island of the Pacific there is a tribe with whom dishonesty is the best moral
conduct and among whom the cleverest cheat is held in the highest esteem. Thugs
felt proud of killing poor wayfarers. Nationalism is recognized the world over
as a political and social creed and one who helps the well being of his nation
by exploiting the other nations, is regarded a patriot worthy of being
immortalized in metal and marble.
In the words of Rumelin.
“Self regard is its (State’s) appointed
duty; the maintenance and development of its own power and well-being is the
supreme principle of all politics. The State can only have regard to the
interest of any other State so far as this can be identified with its own
interest. The maintenance of the State justified every sacrifice and is
superior to every moral rule”
(Quoted by Robert H. Murray in his,
“The Individual and the State”, page 216)
Universal
Standard of Character.
Since human values vary
with different societies should character mean harmonizing oneself to the
values which a society might stress for the time being? In days gone by
Spartans viewed theft a virtue and held the smartest thief in the high-test
esteem; today theft is a crime and a thief a criminal. With us conception of a
virgin is a disgrace for the family, in the West sexual intercourse between a
willing couple is neither an evil nor a criminal offense: even homosexuality
between willing parties is condoned there. Is there then no universal standard
of character?
Quranic
Concept of Character.
People inhabiting
different countries might follow different ways of life but, according to the
Holy Quran, human values are the same anywhere and unchangeable too. It is not
given, however, to human intellect to determine such values. Human intellect is
essentially individualistic in character. It can seek preservation of the
particular self to which it belongs individually or collectively, but not that
of the other selves. For the well-being and preservation of mankind as a whole,
however, what is needed is not an individualistic intellect, which cannot see
beyond its nose, but a comprehensive and all pervading intellect, namely God
and Revelation. It is Revelation alone which gives abiding universal values.
The revealed values are preserved in the Holy Quran, the code of life for
mankind in all climes and ages. Quranic values are Permanent Values of life and
provide a universal standard of character or, to use Quranic terminology, Taqwa.
Rational thought fully endorses Quranic concept of
character. The famous writer Hastings Rashdall says:
“That there is one absolute standard
of values, which is the same for all rational beings, is just what Morality
means.”
(The Theory of Good and Evil, Vol. II, page 286)
On page 211 of the book
he agrees that these values cannot be devised by human intellect but have been
revealed to man and says:
“Certainly it (moral law) is to be
found, wholly and completely, in no individual human consciousness. Men
actually think differently about moral questions, and there is no empirical
reason for supposing that they will ever do otherwise”.
Human
Level of Life.
Permanent values pertain
to human as distinct from animal level of life. The Quranic term for the animal
level of life is “Hayat-ud-dunya”, or a level of life in which
man’s vision is restricted to immediate gains. (The word dunya means
nearer). Satisfaction of physical urges is accompanied by pleasure which the
Holy Quran would not discard. Great discretion has to be exercised, however,
when there is a tie between a physical urge promising pleasure and a human
value. One who sacrifices the latter for the former is not a man of character;
if he does the opposite, his behaviour would be acclaimed as laudable
character.
A
Quranic Illustration.
The Holy Quran expects
witnesses to be men of character. Says it
“O believers, be you securers of
justice. If you are summoned as a witness, be a witness for God regardless of
your relationship with the parties, whether your evidence culminates yourself
or goes against your parents and kinsmen and whether the party affected is rich
or poor. God’s Law is the best protector for the rich and the poor. God stands
closest to either and claims that you be true to Him in preference to every one
else. Let not caprice, personal gain, demands of relationship or regard for
riches swerve you from the path of justice. Also in tendering evidence, neither
twist your statement nor avoid any, remembering always that God is aware of the
things you do”, (4/135).
Evidence might often involve an
acute struggle between material gains and justice. Victory of the former is a
sign of “low” character. The Holy Quran calls it “following hawa”
and the word “hawa”, in its basic meaning, has the idea of
carrying towards a low level. Victory of the latter (Justice) is evidence of
true character. Struggle between material gains and human values appears at all
cross-roads in life and the test of character is the choice one makes.
Why
should Material Gains be sacrificed for Human Values?
This is an important
question. Riches, a life of comfort, a good name, high office and status, the
charm of authority are all full of attraction. Should one give them up for the
sake of preserving human values? Self-interest is ingrained in man. He cannot be
weaned from it. He would not sacrifice self-interest unless and until he is
convinced that in doing so he stands to gain more. He will preserve human
values only if there is a reasonable prospect of greater gain.
Example
of Hungry Man.
Think of a person who
has had no food for several days, and, due to hunger, is unable to sit up. If a
dish full of steaming pulao[1]*
is brought, won’t he sit up, advance impatiently towards the dish, pick up
a morsel and carry it towards his mouth? While in the process if he hears some
one say that although the dish is a dainty, arsenic instead of salt has been
added to it by mistake, would he put the morsel into his mouth or would he
throw it back into the dish and bang the dish on the ground? He would
undoubtedly do the latter since eating the stuff means certain death. He would
prefer pangs of hunger rather than risk life. Now suppose the report said that
the dish, instead of having arsenic, has been prepared from ill-gotten money.
How will the hungry person react to the modified report? Ten to one he would
snatch the dish and begin swallowing the contents. There will be available to
him a thousand excuses against the plea of ill-gotten money, because he sees
the gain in eating the dish, but none in rejecting it. Were he convinced that
the dish was as deadly as the one with arsenic, he would most certainly throw
it away. The truth is that in case of a tie between a physical urge or a
material gain and a human value if a person is convinced that he stands to gain
more by safeguarding the value he will without doubt sacrifice the physical
urge. How is the conviction to come? The question is a challenge to ethics,
“religion” and rationalism.
“Religious”
View.
A group amongst the
believers in human values is the “religious” or the God fearing group. (Islam
is a social order and not a “religion” and hence it is excluded from this
group). The group views human values as so many divine injunctions. Their
observance pleases God and their violation incurs His wrath leading the recalcitrant
into Hades after death. Man should therefore fear God’s displeasure and
chastisement and never disobey His commandments. The “religious” view might be
acceptable to the primitive mind but it cannot satisfy the advanced twentieth
century mind. One can threaten a child into obedience, but not a grown up
person. He may obey under duress, but his inner self will revolt all the time
and watch for an opportunity to break away. Moreover, there is no nobility of
character in actions performed under duress. “Religious” view, therefore
provides neither an explanation for safeguarding human values nor a guiding
force for human actions.
View of
Western Thinkers.
Many Western thinkers
can be cited, but for brevity’s sake one or two quotations should suffice.
According to Kant, who enjoys a unique position amongst Western thinkers, the
whole edifice of ethics is founded on Man’s goodwill. Says he
“It is impossible to conceive
anything in the world, or even out of it, which can be taken as good without
limitation, save only a “good will.”
(Quoted by H.J.
Patton in his
“The Categorical
Imperative”, page 34).
Kant defines “good will”
as “a will which acts for the sake of duty.” (Ibid, page 45). That is, doing
duty for the sake of duty is “good will” provided it is free from gainful
expectation. Good action, however good it may be, ceases to be good the moment
it is associated with expectation of return or reward. The return for a good
action is the principle which prompts it. Kant divides principles into two
categories. Those which prompt a person to action for gaining some purpose
(material maxims) and those which urge him to action without any purpose (a
priori maxims). These latter, a priori maxims, give rise in man to a
sense of duty. An a priori maxim is, in Kant’s words, “categorical
imperative”. Says he
“The categorical imperative would be
that which represented an action as necessary of itself without reference to
another end, i.e. as objectively necessary.”
(Critique of Practical Reason, page 31).
The position of Kant
stated simply is that human values are duties which man should perform for the
sake of duty and not for achieving some purpose. They are duties a priori
needing neither any argument for their proof nor any expectation for return or
reward.
Urge for
Human Action.
Kant’s theory might be
viewed an achievement in the realm of thought, but there is nothing in it which
could sparkle man’s urge to sacrifice material gains and pleasures in favour of
human values. The sacrifice needs a powerful stimulus, too strong for demands
of self-interest. As a rational and conscious being he will attempt nothing
which does not assure self-interest. Neither the high sounding theories of
philosophers nor the forceful sermons of the mystics have succeeded in
persuading man to forego self-interest for the preservation of human values.
Their success, if any, has been restricted to a few devotees only. Their
expositions lack the capacity of becoming universal life-principles.
Material
Concept of Life.
According to the Holy
Quran there are two concepts of life. One concept is that man is only an animal
of a some-what improved order, who lives subject to physical laws and when
under their operation his bodily machine stops, he dies and with death comes
his final end. This concept views man as an embodiment of physical urges at the
animal level to the complete exclusion of human values. Man is a social being
and since collective living leads to clashes of interest, society frames laws
and regulations to keep the clashes at the minimum. One who observes the social
laws is a peaceful citizen; their violation leads to punishment by courts or
brings on social stigma. Under this concept of life--
(i)
Society needs no permanent principles or values but frames laws and
regulations at will and modifies, annuls or adds to them as expedient;
(ii)
The urge for respecting social laws arises from fear of legal punishment
or social stigma;
(iii)
The
need for respecting the laws disappears the moment one can manage to escape the
grip of law or to avoid social stigma; and
(iv)
The
sole criterion of character is that a person does not place self-interest over
national interest. Anti-national activities are not only a penal crime but a social
stigma also. But if the legal machinery of a court weakens and self-interest
becomes the order of the day, as is common in all poor third world countries
including Pakistan,
there is no check which would stop unrestricted grabbing nor is there any inner
urge which could awaken a sense of character in the people.
This concept, the
material concept, of life has made this earth of ours a veritable hell.
Countries alive to national interest have become a terror for the other
nations; those who have ceased to be mindful of national interest, are a curse
for themselves and an object of hate for the rest of the world. There is in
this concept no room for character as defined above. It is self-interest only
which the concept breeds in individuals as well as groups. Placing of national
over personal interest is practical wisdom and not character.
Quranic
Concept of Life.
The other concept of
life, according to the Holy Quran, is that man is not his body only, but
that he has also a Self or Personality or to use Quranic terminology, Divine
Energy, whose development is the real purpose of life. Development of
Personality requires the frame-work of body and, therefore, along with the
development of Personality, the development of body is also necessary.
Development of body is, however, only a means for the development of
Personality and not an end in itself.
Man
Wishes to Live on.
A desire lurking in the
deepest recesses of man’s heart is to live on and never die. Self-preservation
is man’s instinct and his intellect helps provide all the means required for
the purpose. Self-preservation is the basic theme of the story of Adam narrated
allegorically in the Holy Quran. Iblis took note of this human
feeling, advanced towards Adam and offered affectionately a suggestion that
would secure him immortality coupled with power which knows no waning. The
offer touched Adam’s tender most feelings and he beseeched Iblis
impatiently to tell him the secret. Said Iblis “you can live after death
through progeny which will perpetuate your name generation after generation.”
The effect was magical, intense and abiding. There is no limit to the anxiety
of an issueless individual advancing in age for having a son. Bemoaning and
bewailing he can never reconcile himself to dying sonless because then his
abode would become dark, his name would be forgotten, his lineage would come to
a dead end and his family would cease to be for all time to come. But Iblis’s
suggestion, said God to man, was a deception and a delusion born of the
material concept of life. A father has a separate and independent existence
from the son. If the son lives on it cannot make the father immortal. The way
to achieve immortality lies elsewhere, namely through adequate development of
Personality. A developed Personality is unaffected by physical death; it
continues to live after death and live forever. That is the way to achieve
immortality, the deepest and the strongest yearning of man. God told man
further that in the present state of his existence development of Personality
is possible through his body and that therefore protection of body and
satisfaction of bodily urges is an unavoidable necessity. Consider an egg, the
hidden life germ in which can, with due care and attention become a chicken
provided the eggshell remains firm and is adequately protected. The shell is,
however, a means for developing the inner potential chicken and not an end in
itself. Similarly man’s body is a means for developing his Personality, not an
end in itself. God also said to man that as there are laws for the development
of his body, so there are laws for the development of his Personality. The
latter laws cannot be discovered but have been revealed and are preserved in
the Holy Quran. They are Human or Permanent Values of life and in their
application they are as universal as the physical laws governing man’s body.
Difference
Between the Two Concepts:--
Life lived under the Quranic concept differs vastly from life lived under
the materialistic concept. According to the materialistic concept man’s
physical life and bodily urges are an end in themselves and are not subject to
any higher law. But according to the Quranic concept
(i)
Man’s body and its physical urges are not an end in themselves but are a
means for the achievement of a higher purpose, namely integration of his
Personality.
(ii)
It is very necessary that bodily urges shall be satisfied. In our
example the hungry man threw away the poisoned dish because the stuff which was
a means for saving life had turned into a source of destruction. But when there
is a conflict between a physical urge and a permanent value, the former must be
sacrificed for the latter with the full cognizance and consent of intellect,
the vigilant and uncompromising guardian of self-interest.
(iii)
A
believer in the Quranic concept of life takes care of permanent values, not in
obedience to some body’s order nor as a matter of duty, but after making a
deliberate and calculated choice. The satisfaction of the physical urge offers
him physical pleasure or temporary gain, and regard for the permanent value
promises him honourable and abiding life. He decides solely on the basis of
reason that he should give up the lesser gain for the sake of a bigger gain.
Allama Iqbal[1]** draws a distinction
between two phases of intellect. When it cares only for the satisfaction of
physical urges intellect is Aql-e-Khud Been (self-seeing intellect) and
when it cares for the satisfaction of urges both of body and Personality,
intellect is aql-e-jahan been (all seeing intellect). The Holy
Quran calls gains of body Hayat-ud-dunya (nearer or present gains),
gains of Personality Aakherat (gains of the future) and Momeneen
(believers) olul albab, that is those possessing intellect of a superior
order.
(iv)
Care
of permanent values under the Quranic concept, is a rational affair. Intellect
works for self-interest and when it is face to face with two gains, it chooses
the bigger gain. Human intellect at the animal level is low but rises higher
and higher as it attains Momin’s level of life. A Momin is
intellectually always a superior being.
(v)
Anything done at the instance of “self-seeing” intellect would,
as commonly under-stood, be an act of wisdom. But what is done in pursuance of
“all-seeing” intellect would be wisdom, cum character. “Al-seeing”
intellect of a Momin never conflicts with his faith.
Basis
of Character.
Character and human
dignity are closely connected with a firm belief in the following:--
(a)
that man is not merely his body, but has also a Personality whose
integration is life’s real purpose;
(b)
that as there are laws for the development of Body, so there are laws
for the integration of Personality, called permanent values;
(c)
that permanent values cannot be discovered by human intellect but have
been revealed by God; and
(d)
that every action leaves an indelible impression on the doer’s
Personality.
In regard to permanent
values of life Hastings Rashdall, who has been quoted before, holds in his book
“The Theory of Good and Evil”, pages 200-220, that for a belief in permanent
values the following pre-requisites are essential:--
(1)
That the universe has been created with a purpose, the purpose being
provision of means for helping human self achieve its destiny.
(2)
That human self is a permanent reality; that the reality is spiritual in
so far as it has a permanent life of its own not identical with the changes of
the material organism with which it is (in whatever way) connected; and that
the acts of the man really proceed from and express the nature or character of
the self.
(3)
That man’s present actions affect his future, i.e. his tomorrow would be
identical with what he does today or, in other words, there is continuity in
life. One who sees nothing beyond present life, will be after present gains and
will attach no importance to permanent values, because their importance, as
means for forming character, can be realized only when one believes life to be
permanent and continuous. If he believes that character comes to an end with
the last breath of life, why should he worry about formation of character.
(4)
That there must be belief in God because “an absolute Moral Law or moral
ideal cannot exist in material things, it can exist only in a Mind from which
all Reality is derived”.
According to the Holy
Quran Faith (Eaman) and Character are inseparable; the Holy Book never
misses to precede “amelu as salehat” (do good deeds) with “al lazeena
amanu” (those who have faith).
Choice Between Gains.
No one will
be prepared to do anything which does not do him any good. Take the example of
two persons working in a Government office. They are there in self-interest,
working for a pay. If a business-man comes along asking for some concession
against the rules in return for a handsome bribe, the official to whom human
Personality is a non-entity, will accept the amount provided he is assured of
non-apprehension by the police, because the bribe brings him monetary gain. The
other official, however, who has faith in human Personality will not accept the
bribe, because he values more the gain in being honest. He realizes that
acceptance of bribe will bring him physical gain but will harm his Personality
and that rejection of bribe will mean a physical loss but a gain for his
Personality. He will balance the gains and, since Personality is in any case
more valuable, he will welcome Personality’s gain and reject what will satisfy
only a physical urge. In making the decision he does nothing against
self-interest. He only goes in for a greater gain. His choice is not in
obedience to any order nor in fulfillment of any duty but because it brings him
substantial benefit. The choice avoids harm to Personality in the same manner
in which harm to life made the hungry man reject the poisoned dish. The basis
of the Quranic Law of Retribution is that every action is linked
inextricably with whatever impression it produces and leaves behind on
Personality. Faith in Personality prompts man continuously to do healthy deeds
and exhibit nobility of character. A “momin” works for the good it
brings and measures his reward not according to physical or material standards
but according to the standard applicable to Personality. The verse
“I ask you not for any return; I get
my return from God” (10/72),
conveys the same meaning. There is no action but has a
return, the assessment of return varying according to the measure adopted.
Working in consonance with permanent values does not deprive one of physical
gains. In a social order constituted on the basis of permanent values an
individual has physical gains along with the means of development of
Personality vide the verse
“our Nourisher give to us in the
present good and good in the future” (2/210).
Law of Development.
One of the
laws governing development of Personality is that development proceeds in
proportion to what one makes available from his earnings for the development of
others. One who believes in human Personality works his best for earning a
living, utilizes as much of it as would furnish basic needs of life and makes
the rest available for the development of fellow beings. Judged by physical
standards the process brings nothing but loss. If one knows that what is left
after meeting his needs would pass to others, why should he work for the
surplus. He should normally work for procuring his needs only and then relax.
The reasoning is logical and a satisfactory answer to the argument is not easy
to produce. Russia
faced the self-made problem and in the absence of an adequate answer had no
alternative to hanging an iron curtain along its borders. Quranic concept,
however, provides an answer and by doing so establishes the superiority of the
Quranic Social Order over the other social orders evolved by man. The
establishment of the Quranic Social Order is the work of a group of
“Mom-e-neen”, that is people who are rationally convinced:
(i)
That the purpose of life is the development of human Personality, and
(ii)
That the development of Personality comes about through working hard and
making available for others what is, out of such earnings, surplus to needs.
Why Do Momins Do So.
It is rather
difficult to appreciate the keenness with which momins work for the
purpose. Consider a mother suckling her baby. She must produce the maximum
amount of milk for the baby’s proper nourishment. The food she takes is
intended primarily for her own nourishment. But she would never wish that it
should all be assimilated for her body’s growth and no portion converted into
the baby’s milk. In fact if the milk shows signs of drying up, she would at
once consult her doctor and do everything to restore the supply. She is anxious
for the baby’s care and nourishment. Identical is the mental attitude of those
who believe that by providing nourishment for others they help integration of
their own Personality. They work to the maximum of their capacity, utilize only
as much of their earnings as would provide them basic needs, and make the rest
available for others’ nourishment. At times they would go even further and
prefer others over themselves even though poverty be their portion (59/9). A
loving and caring mother would rather remain hungry herself but must feed her
children. She would gladly inconvenience her own sleep so that the child might
sleep comfortably. In doing so she has not the slightest expectation of any
return or reward. In the same way Momins tell those helped
“we desire no recompense from you,
no thankfulness” (76/9).
But there is
a difference. Whatever the mother does for the child is done under the stress
of a natural instinct common to all animals, but what a Momin does is
the outcome of thoughtful deliberation and free will. The distinction is vital
and forms the foundation of the Quranic Social Order. It is a sure guarantee
for the sustained elevation of character.
The Quranic Way.
The Holy
Quran, on the one hand, makes the State responsible to see that every citizen
is provided with the basic needs of life and the means for the development of
latent capabilities. Weaknesses of character arising directly from want and
poverty are thus eliminated. On the other hand, the Holy Book creates in every
citizen, on the basis of reason, the conviction that his Personality will get
integrated in proportion to what he makes available out of his earnings, after
meeting his own needs, for the nourishment of others. There is no regimentation
but conviction is brought home rationally by imparting education and training
from early childhood. Quranic Social Order is made up in fact of persons with
whom the conviction is an article of faith. The conviction eradicates all evils
connected with hoarding and inflation since in the Quranic Social Order surplus
wealth is not allowed to remain with the individual nor the urge of
self-interest is permitted to tarnish human character. Communism also claims
that it will not allow surplus wealth to remain with individuals and will
thereby put an end to the evils of capitalism. But the communistic social order
and the Quranic Social Order are entirely different.
Basic Weakness of Communism.
Communism
has for its basis the materialistic concept of life and, therefore, can provide
no urge for a worker to work the hardest and to part with willingly what may
be, out of his earnings, surplus to needs. The absence of the urge constitutes
a basic weakness foreboding its failure as a social order. It can subsist only
with the help of external force and an order based on force cannot obviously
last long, as the world has already witnessed the disintegration of Socialist
Russia and Collapse of Communism in all Eastern European Countries. A social
order will endure and advance only if it has the willing co-operation of the
people, and such co-operation is impossible except with the Quranic concept of
life. As already explained, the materialistic concept of life on which
Communism is based, pertains to the animal level of life in which there is no
room for the idea of character, because it can think of nothing higher than
physical gain. The most the materialistic concept can do is to arouse the
feeling of Nationalism and lead people from individual to collective effort for
national good. But according to the Western concept of democracy Nationalism
thrives on mutual hatred among nations. Every nation fears that if it becomes
weak more powerful nations will swallow it up. Therefore Nationalism is at best
the product of the urge of self-preservation and has nothing to do with human
values vis a vis physical urges. Nationalism makes self-preservation a
collective instead of an individual affair. This does not mean decrying
Nationalism, that is the urge for protecting one’s country. Self-preservation
is a must and unless a country is fully protected that ‘must’ will become
impossible. What the foregoing is intended to convey is that work for
self-preservation, whether individual or collective, does not signify positive
character but reveals sound practical wisdom. Similarly indifference to
self-preservation is un-wisdom and not a negation of character. A man sailing
in a boat if he begins boring a hole in its bottom, will be called a lunatic
and not one lacking character. Similarly if a citizen works for the country’s
disintegration he will be termed a lunatic. If the national urge makes him
sacrifice personal gain for national good he would be credited with sound sense
like the man in the boat who uses his valuable handkerchief for stuffing the
hole in its bottom. Character comes in where one having faith in permanent
values hazards a plunge to save a drowning person. There might be instances of
people taking a plunge who have absolutely no idea of permanent values, but
their psychological analysis is likely to show that either they were aware
unconsciously of the relevant permanent value or they did it with some ulterior
motive. Display of true character takes place where one is confronted with two
values and he sacrifices deliberately and consciously the lower for the higher
value. Faith in Quranic permanent values does it; Communism and all other isms
are helpless in the matter.
Momin’s Patriotism.
Believers in
Quranic values sacrifice self interest for country’s sake not because the
sacrifice would safeguard their personal interest, but because they wish their
country to become a model for the world for enforcing permanent values. Their
preference for a permanent value over personal gain is a sign of their elevated
character.
The
difference between the patriotism of a believer in materialistic concept of
life and of a Momin is clear. For the former his country is an end in
itself because “who dies if England
lives”, but for the latter his country is not an end in itself but only a means
for enforcing permanent values. Momin’s patriotism protects undoubtedly
his personal interest as well as of his family, but this is by way of
by-product. In Quranic Social Order there is integration of human Personality
along with development of body. The entire activity of a Momin, whether
for the development of body or Personality, merges into ad produces a balanced
amalgan of character.
Resume:--
(1)
In a conflict between two values concerning man’s physical life if the
lesser value is sacrificed for the greater value, it is an act of wisdom.
(2)
In a conflict between a value concerning physical or animal level of
life and a value concerning human level of life, if the latter is given
preference over the former, character is demonstrated.
(3)
Display of character presupposes faith in human values and human
Personality. Character is wisdom too because it sacrifices lesser value for the
bigger value. Momeneen according to the Holy Quran, are “olul albab”
or master of intellect and wisdom. They are the true intellectuals although
unbelievers in human Personality call them lunatics.
(4)
Intellect by itself cannot discover human values; they are revealed.
Faith in Revelation and belief in human values go hand in hand. Faith and
healthy deeds are, according to the Holy Quran, inseparable.
(5)
Off-and-on one comes across people who have no faith in revelation but
honour human values and are prepared to make the biggest sacrifice for their
sake. An analysis of their mind will show one of two things. Either they
were brought up in an environment where human values were respected and
stressed traditionally and were reposed carefully in their sub-conscious mind or
their sacrifice was prompted by some motive like reputation, popularity, or the
like. Sacrifice in their case is not a manifestation of character; character
seeks strength of Personality and not satisfaction of physical urges.
(6)
Development of human Personality proceeds from faith in the Quranic
values and through safeguarding them in practical life. They have to be
honoured en masse. Ignoring some and respecting others would not achieve
full development.
(7)
Development of human Personality is possible, not in seclusion, but in a
society called Islamic State, whose edifice rises on a faith in Quranic
permanent values. The duty of Islamic State consists in safeguarding of human
values and popularising them throughout mankind. Quranic Social Order
guarantees every citizen means for development of Personality and all that is
pleasant and dignified in the world.
Mysticism and Character.
Finally a
word about the impact of mysticism on character. Mysticism claims
purification of self or spiritual advancement through various practices
performed in seclusion. There is in mysticism no incentive for man to work for
a social order or a State. The subject has been discussed at great length in my
book “Saleem ke Nam
Khatoot” (Vol: III). Briefly stated the essential features of
mysticism are:--
(1)
It is misleading to say that Mysticism aims at the development
and integration of human Personality. In fact it holds human Personality or
Self to be the root cause of all misery which can be shed only by effacement of
human Self. Mysticism believes that human Self is a part of Divine Self which
on detachment therefrom has got stuck in the morass of matter, that the purpose
of life is to pull out human Self from matter’s marsh and rejoin it to its
Principal and that the object is achievable through discarding society,
relations and desires. Mysticism aims at annihilation and not
integration of Self.
(2)
In mysticism society, state, social organization, are matters for the
worldly and an essential pre-requisite for self-purification is that they must
all be discarded. Man’s salvation or salvage of soul from matter’s mud is an
individual affair and can be achieved through meditation and exercises of a
strenuous nature.
(3)
Mysticism credits negative virtues, namely humility, modesty,
weakness, etc. These virtues are appropriate to a negative life which
works for annihilation of Self. In consequence mysticism has been described as
“an alien growth in the land
of Islam”, because,
contrary to mysticism Islam advocates a positive life and expects man to
master nature, establish justice, and attain his destiny by integrating human
Personality. And it is the many shining facets of a developed Personality which
go to make up character.
Why Do We Lack Character?
In the light
of the foregoing the straight answer to this question is that we lack character
because we do not distinguish the human level of life from the animal level;
because we do not appreciate the Divine Energy in us, that is, our Personality,
the deciding, determining and dynamic agent in Man; and because we do not care
for Permanent values in life as taught by the Holy Quran. The answer also helps
to show the way to develop character, namely, that we should, in all
seriousness, take up the education of our people, particularly in Quranic
fundamentals, and life’s permanent Values. Dissemination of Quranic teachings
should be at the top of our educational programme. Lughat-ul-Quran brought
out in four volumes by Tolu-e-Islam Trust (Regd.) Lahore, which explains with the help of
authentic Lexicons, the meaning of Quranic words, idioms, phrases, special
terms and new concepts, should prove helpful in an intelligent study of the
Holy Book, Al-Quran.
G.A. Parwez
* A delicious rice
dish cooked with meat
** Dr. Sir, Mohammad
Iqbal, Poet, Philosopher of Pakistan
(1877-1938)
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Soren Kierkegarard The
Present Age
2. Bubar Martin Between
Man and Man
3. Berdyeau Bubar Slavery
and Freedom
4. Whitehead. A.N. Adventures
of Ideas
5. Loveday Alexander The
Only Way
6. Murray.
Robert.H The Individual and
the State
7. Rashdall – Hastings The Theory of Good and Evil
8. Panton.H.J The Categorical
Imperative Critique of Practical Reason Both by Kant (1724 – 1804)
9. Iqbal – Dr. Sir Mohammad Israr-e-Khudi
(1915)
10. Parwez, Allama G.A 1- Saleem-Kay-Naam (Khatoot) 3 volumes
2- Mafhoom-ul-Quran (3 volumes)
3- Lughaat-ul-Quran (lexicon) 4 volumes
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