Ramadan and reviving our high morals

Islamic teachings are intended to instil high morals and a sound character in all its believers. Indeed, emphasising the noble purpose of his mission, the Prophet Muhammad, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, declared saying: ‘I have been sent to accomplish high morals’.

Ramadan is a time for deep reflection on one's character and the course of one's life, and the most obviously fertile period in which to effect any necessary changes to them. Islam also offers the best environment for further development of our morals and ethics and, again, this month provides it. We should, perhaps, regard the term taqwa, that the Quran mentioned as the expected outcome from fasting, as an all inclusive term, as it includes, as a first priority, all aspects in the development of human character and morals.

The Prophet Muhammad was chosen by Allah to deliver His message; the message about the continuing installation of higher morals in mankind. The source of all moral behaviour is Allah the All-Wise. When He chose the Prophet to receive His message, He chose a person whose high moral status had been witnessed not only by all the inhabitants of Makkah, believers and opponents alike, but by Allah Himself: Surah 68 and verse 4: ‘and you (O Muhammad) are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence’.

The Makkan community gave him a title, an honour among all the people and acknowledged by all, even his enemies. This title had, perhaps, never before been given to anyone in human history. The title comprises two distinctive qualities of his character: ‘The Truthful, the Trustworthy’ (As-Sadiq Al-Ameen). They encompass all other sub high morals which he developed as a result of having these two most exalted character traits.

Just imagine yourself being a person of truth and trust in the Sight of Allah and in the sight of society; no one can ever question your integrity. What an envious position to be in for any one. What a quality for a leadership!

If we can look to ourselves and say 'I want to be a truthful and trustworthy person in my life', that would probably be a hopeful starting point. But it would only be just that, the start! One has to be truthful to oneself in the first place and this will be a hard task, with difficult compromises to be made within oneself. There will be a process of prioritising and cleansing to be endured before developing a conscious personality that fears only Allah and has a clean heart.

It is narrated by Ali ibn Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, saying: ‘How strange! How so many people are disinterested in the acts of goodness! I wondered about people to whom his brother comes in need and he doesn’t find himself able to offer him any goodness! Suppose if we didn’t believe in Paradise and had no fear of hellfire, neither had we expected a reward or feared punishment, wasn’t it enough for us to seek high morals? Because it always leads to the path of success'.

A man stood up and asked saying: 'O Leader of the believers! Did you hear this from the Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him'? He replied: 'Yes, and there is even better than this. Some captives from the tribe of ‘Tai’ were brought to us and therein was a beautiful woman who came forward to the prophet and said: O Messenger of Allah! Father has passed away and the expected helper is absent. Show me goodness and Allah would show you goodness. If you choose not to release me then do not let the enemies gloat on my state of affairs. I am the daughter of the leader of my tribe. My father would release a suffering person, protect the honour, host guests, feed the hungry, relieve the sufferer, feed people, spread greetings and never turned away anyone who came to seek his help. I am the daughter of Hatim al-Tai'. The Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, said: 'O lady! These are the characters of a believer. Let her go because her father loved high morals.' 

Islamic belief and morality are, in essence, intertwined. The purpose of Islamic teachings is to create the ideal man, one who can exemplify the high attributes of ethics and morality that make him stand out in the Sight of Allah.

The Prophet, in one of his sayings, declared to people: ‘The best among you are those who are best in their morals’. Bukhari

This saying suggests that the social status of a person is very much linked to the standard of his morals:

Ramadan is a dream time in which to reflect on the reality of the state of one's affairs. As early as the migration of the Muslims to Abyssinia, when Ja`far, the cousin of the Prophet, was asked by King Negus to explain the message of the Prophet, he said: ‘He commanded us to speak truth, to deliver trust, to join relations, to be good neighbours, to refrain from forbidden things, and from blood shedding.’

These are the high moral character traits that we all need, to build our sense of morality, attain a God-conscious mindset and become a good and honourable person.

There is a very interesting hadith which needs to be explored more and understood by all of us. The hadith is narrated by Abu Daud. It says: ‘Indeed a believer reaches the position of a fasting person who spends his night in worship to Allah by the practise of high morals’.

So, if we too are able to reach, through our good characters, this same sublime position, then will we not be doubly rewarded, and even more so if we learn and practise these high morals while we are fasting in the blessed month of Ramadan? Ramadan is an opportunity for fasting and spending our nights in prayer and worship.

Reaching the position of a fasting person can only be reached if we have developed our characters sufficiently and spend our nights in devotion to Allah. What a blissful combination and only Allah knows what rewards we may receive!

The Prophet, peace and mercy of Allah be upon him, asked his companions one day: ‘Do you know who is a (real) bankrupt'? They replied saying: 'A bankrupt among us is one who has no money and no belongings'. The Prophet replied saying: ‘A bankrupt from my Ummah is one who would come on the Day of Reckoning with prayers (Salaah), fasting, Zakah (the obligatory share of charity in one’s wealth), while he has abused a person, slandered that person, has eaten the wealth of this person, shed the blood of that person, and beaten this one and others. Then this person would be given from his good deeds and that person is given from his good deeds. If his goodness is run out before the justice was completed, the bad deeds of others would be taken and thrown on to this person and then he would be thrown into the hellfire’. 

To conclude, I offer you this verse: ‘Surely Allah commands justice, the doing of good, giving to kith and kin, and forbids all that is indecent, evil and oppressive. He exhorts you so that you may be mindful’.