The Teachings of Islam

An Islamic character is a divine character. It is to treat others with the same generosity and charity as God shows to man. The Quran has set the pattern in this matter by stating: “If you are merciful, forgiving and magnanimous, then God is the Forgiving, the Merciful.” That is to say that if a relationship with someone turns sour, or some difference of opinion occurs, one should adopt a posture similar to God’s. He forgives people their mistakes and does not deprive them of His mercies because of their errors; one should act in like manner. If something is said which hurts one’s feelings, or one is treated in a disconcerting manner, the transgressor should not be turned against for this reason alone; rather one should overlook his mistakes and treat him as if nothing had happened. To put it in a word, magnanimity is what marks an Islamic character. Generally one treats others according to what they have said or done with regard to one. A Muslim should transcend such considerations in his treatment of others. His reactions should be moulded by God’s commandments, which means maintaining the highest standard of helpfulness and benevolence towards others. If one cannot actually be of use to others, then one must at least avoid harming them, and must spare them any suffering on account of ill-judged words and actions. Islamic character ceases to be such on any plane lower than this. Humility—The Foundation of Unity The basis of unity is humility. If everyone puts others before himself, then the question of friction does not arise, for disunity stems from everyone putting himself first and wishing that he and his utterances should be given supremacy, no matter what the circumstances. If no one considered himself superior, what would there be to quarrel about? Clashes of interest and outlook are bound to occur in a society where people live in close contact with each other. When this happens, superiority complexes are apt to surface. Everybody tends to feel sure that his own opinion is correct, that his rights supersede others’, and that his own interest must be protected at all costs. Considerations such as these alienate people from one another, which results in disharmony, and if all parties remain adamant, friction can do little but escalate. If, however, one of the parties to a dispute adopts a humble attitude and is willing to stand down, then discord will vanish automatically, and harmony will prevail. Unity can exist