THE ISLAMIC WAY OF LIFE — Worshipping God and Doing Good to Man

sort of conduct he approves and of what sort he disapproves. So, to follow this generally accepted moral criterion in relation to others is essentially Islamic morality. Islam differentiates between social manners, on the one hand, and social character, on the other. Social manners are based on the principle 'Do as they do'. But Islamic morality is based on the formula of unilateral and unconditional positive conduct: 'Do good to others, even if they are not doing good to you.’ If one is good in relation to other human beings, it will serve as evidence that one also is good in relation to God. The Quran portrays Muslims as individuals who 'repel evil with good' (THE QURAN 28: 54). Similarly, the Prophet Muhammad advised a Muslim to 'do good to those who harm you’ (at-Tirmidhi). The Prophet Muhammad was the true embodiment of the finest moral character. Addressing the Prophet, the Quran declares: ‘Surely you have a sublime character’ (THE QURAN 68: 4). Such great importance has been given in Islam to moral character that it has been set up as a criterion by which to judge all other Islamic virtues. If one is good in relation to other human beings, it will serve as evidence that one is also good in relation to God. The Prophet Muhammad puts it thus: One who is not grateful to man cannot be grateful to God either (Al-Bayhaqi). SOCIAL RELATIONS Individual Responsibility To preserve society from instability and to keep it in a perpetually reformed state, Islam has given a basic commandment, which has been mentioned at many places in the Quran. One such Quranic verse reads: "(Believers are those)... who enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil" (9: 112). The same point has also been repeatedly made in a number of traditions of the Prophet, such as the following: "A believer ought to open the gate of good and close the door of evil" (Musnad Ahmad).