Habit serves as a means for doing morally good or evil actions. Habit (huy) is a faculty (malaka) of the spiritual heart and soul. Sometimes it causes actions which are neither good nor evil. In the first case it is called good nature, or virtue (fazîlat). Generosity, bravery and gentleness are good examples of this. In the second case it becomes vice, scandalous behavior, evil nature, or disagreeable habit, such as stinginess and cowardice. In the third, it is neither virtue nor vice; then it is called arts and crafts, such as tailoring and farming.
If theoretical knowledge is properly developed, that habit is called wisdom (hikmat). If the second power that is the practical knowledge is rightly developed, that habit is called justice (’adl). If the spiritual heart’s and soul’s causative power appetite is properly developed, that habit is called chastity or temperance (iffat). If ghadab is properly developed, that habit is called courage (shajâ’at). These four habits are the essence of all good deeds. Justice cannot be in excess or inadequate, but the other three can be excessive or inadequate. If they are, it is called vice.
In order to understand knowledge of ethics it is necessary to learn the defination of the terms used in Ethics. As we know, every knowledge has its own terminology.
Seven virtues, habits spring up from wisdom (hikmat).
1– The first is intellect. It is a faculty, a habit (malaka). Through the help of this, one deduces unknown things from the known ones. One can pool together the proofs and then reach a conclusion about the researched topic. Developing this faculty requires studying the subject which teaches how to arrive at a conclusion about unknown facts by analogy from the known ones, in addition to an ability to solve problems of mathematics and geometry.
2– Quick-wittedness (sur’at-i-fehm, which is also called sur’at-i-intiqâl): Quickness in thinking and promptness in action in an emergency, in response to a challenge in a conversation or debate. This faculty helps to understand how to respond in the best and quickest manner whenever the situation requires. 3– Clariy of mind (safâ-adh-dhihn): Quick comprehension of desired results and obtaining them.
4– Ease of learning (suhûlat al-ta’allum): Determined concentration of thought despite distractions.
5– Observing limits (husn al-ta’aqqul): Staying within the bounds and limits while learning necessary things; not overdoing things. The person gifted with this faculty will not leave out necessary things, will not occupy himself with unnecessary things, either, nor will he squander his time.
6– Retention (tahaffuz): Not forgetting things. The soul does not forget things it comprehends and understands.
7– Recall (tadhakkur): Volitional ability to remember things stored in memory.
Eleven virtues, habits spring up from courage (shajâ’at).
1– Serious mindedness: Insusceptibility to emotional pronenesses such as elation when praised and dejection when criticized. The person in possession of this gift holds rich and poor equal and does not discriminate between joy and sorrow. His work and effort are unshaken by a change in the environment or in difficult or fearful circumstances.
2– Bravery (najdat): Patience and endurance in frightening situations and difficult circumstances and not complaining and not acting inappropriately in those situations.
3– Having zeal and endeavor (having himmat): Person gifted with this virtue does not care about worldly ranks, positions, promotions or demotions.
4– Perseverence (thabât): Putting up with difficulties on the way toward one’s goal; resisting destructive forces or agencies on the way to success.
5– Mildness (hilm): Calmness of the soul; being gentle and mild and avoiding anger.
6– Calmness (sukûn): Having the necessary strength, perseverance and resistance during a war while defending the country, the religion, and the nation against the enemy, and not becoming a laughing stock of the enemy.
7– Being ingenious (shahâmat): Strong desire to do good deeds and attain high ranks; also strong desire to be remembered in good terms and persistent devotion to doing good deeds in order to earn thawâbs (rewards in the Hereafter).
8– Enduring troubles (tahammul): Undaunted steadiness in developing good habits and performing good deeds.
9– Humility (tawâdu’): Maintaining a non boastful attitude towards those who are inferior in worldly terms. For, whatsoever a person has attained in the name of goodness is merely a kindness of Allâhu ta’âlâ. He is a mere nothing. Those who have attained worldly ranks and richness should show humbleness and thereby earn rewards (thawâbs). To display humbleness in order to obtain worldly gains or to avoid worldly difficulty is called fawning (tabasbus). An example of this is a beggar’s expression of humility, which is a sin.
10– Sense of honor (hamiyyat): Not being slack in protecting and defending one’s nation, religion and honor; employing all one’s ability, strength and effort in this duty.
11– Riqqat: Not worrying about the problems that are caused by human beings. One’s behavior and attitude should not change because of the problems caused by other people. One should not stop doing good deeds because of the troubles and harms one is suffering from others.
Twelve virtues, habits spring up from chastity (iffat).
1– Shame (hayâ): Feeling of shame when one commits evil deeds.
2– Meekness (rifq): Literal meaning of this word is pitying and helping others, but its special meaning in the knowledge of ethics is obedience to the rules of Islam.
3– Guidance to the right path (hidâyat): Striving to be a good-natured Muslim.
4– Being peaceful (musâlamat): At times of altercation and turmoil, a Muslim with this virtue wants to be agreeable and does not want to argue or be harsh.
5– Tranquility: Having control over the nafs; controlling the desires of the nafs when it overflows with appetite.
6– Fortitude (sabr): To avoid prohibited actions (harâms) and base desires of the nafs, which will protect from conduct causing disgrace.
7– Contentment (qanâ’at): To be content with the minimum with respect to the necessities of life (nafaka) such as eating, drinking, dress and shelter and not asking for more. We do not mean not accepting a given property. That is called (taqtîr) and it is a vice. Neither wisdom nor Islam likes it. Contentment is a good virtue or habit. 8– Dignity (waqar): It is to act with gravity, calmness and not to act with rashness while trying to obtain necessities (ihtiyâj) and other valuables. It means dignified behaviour. It does not mean to act so slowly as to miss opportunities or to act in such a way that others will seize one’s benefits or opportunities.
9– Piety (wara’): It is to abstain from committing prohibited actions as well as abstaining from things that are doubtful, i.e. things that could be harâm. It is also doing good deeds and other actions which are useful to others. It is to avoid inadequate and negligent attitude.
10– Orderliness (intizam): It is to do one’s work in an order or discipline or method.
11– Freedom (hurriyyat): It is to earn money by permissible means and to spend for good causes. It is to observe others’ rights. Freedom does not mean to do whatever one wishes or wants.
12– Munificence (sekhâwat): It is to derive pleasure from spending money for good causes. It is to spend lovingly for the causes which Islam dictates. Munificence means to be generous. It is one of the best virtues, and is commended in âyat-i-kerîmas and hadîth-i-sherîfs.
Munificence gives birth to many virtues. Eight of them are widely known:
a– Generosity (karam): It is to enjoy doing things that are useful to others and extricating others from financial straits.
b– Îsâr, which means abnegation, i.e. giving others things which you want for yourself. It requires patience and therefore is one of the most valued of the virtues. It is praised in âyat-i-kerîmas.
c– Forgiveness (’afw): Not to exact revenge on your adversary or on someone who has harmed you, although you could if you meant to do so. A reaction even better than forgiveness would be kindness in return for malice.
d– Generosity (muruwwat): It is to be fond of helping others and giving things to those who are in need.
e– Loyalty (wafâ): To help friends and acquaintances with their livelihood.
f– Charity (muwâsât): Sharing one’s possessions with friends and acquaintances. Getting along well with them.
g– Extreme generosity (samâhat): It is to give lovingly things that are not necessary (wâjib) to give.
h– Forgiveness (musâmaha): Abdicating your rights so that others may benefit from them, although you do not have to do so, and overlooking others’ faults.
Twelve virtues, habits spring up from justice (‘adâlat).
1– Sadâqat (trueness): It is to love one’s friends, to desire their happiness and comfort, to try to protect them from danger, and to try to make them happy.
2– Amity (ulfat): It is the harmony and solidarity among the members of a group with respect to their belief and worldly affairs and thoughts.
3– Faithfulness (wafâ): Getting along with others and helping each other. Another meaning of “wafâ” is keeping one’s promise and respecting others’ rights.
4– Compassion (shafqat): Concern and worrying for others’ problems. Working and struggling in order to save them from their problems.
5– Care of kin (sila ar-rahm): It is to watch over one’s relatives and close friends and to visit them and assist them. It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf: “I was sent to extirpate idolatry and to help my relatives.”
6– Requital (mukâfât): It is to return goodness with goodness.
7– Good-fellowship (husn al-shirkat): Obedience to social rules and fair and dispassionate conduct.
8– Fair judgement (husn al-qazâ): It is to act justly in all affairs and in social transactions; not to rub in the favours you have done to others, and to avoid regrettable behaviour.
9– Tawaddud: It means love and affection. It is to love one’s friends and to behave so as to gain their affection.
10– Complete obedience (taslîm): To accept and obey Islam’s commandments, to avoid committing prohibited actions, and to adapt oneself to ethics of Islam even if it may not feel delightful to do so.
11– Reliance (tawakkul): Not worrying for the calamities which are above the human strength by believing that they were decreed by Allâhu ta’âlâ at pre-eternity and therefore accepting them with a good disposition.
12– Devotion (’ibâdat): To perform the commandments of Allâhu ta’âlâ, Who created all beings from nothing, Who constantly protects all living beings from all sorts of accidents and disasters, and Who grows them by continuously giving them various blessings and benefits, and to abstain from His prohibitions; to endeavour to serve Him as best you can, and to try to emulate people who have attained love of Allâhu ta’âlâ, such as Rasûls (prophets with a new dispensation, which abrogated the religious systems previous to itself), Nabîs (prophets who were sent to humanity for the purpose of restoring the religious system(s) previous to them) ‘alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-taslîmât’, Islamic scholars, and Awliyâ ‘rahimahumullâhu ta’âlâ’.
[1] Ref: These paragraphs are quoted from the book “Ethics of Islam” page 209, which is the translation of the book Berîka written by Abû Sa’îd Muhammad bin MustafâHâdimî ‘rahima hullâhu ta’âlâ’, who passed away in 1176 Hijrî, 1762 A.D. in Konya / Turkey and the book Akhlâq-i-Alâî written in Turkish by Alî bin Amrullah ‘rahimahullâhu ta’âlâ,’ who passed away in 979 Hijrî, 1572 A.D. in Edirne / Turkey. “Ethics of Islam” published by Hakikat Kitabevi, Istanbul. You can find the whole book and the other valuable books in the web site www.hakikatkitabevi.com.tr and download in PDF format for Adobe Acrobat Reader, EPUB format for iPhone-iPad-Mac devices and MOBI format for Amazon Kindle device.
