FAITH AND HUMAN BEHAVIOUR

Truth is the highest virtue of a believer’s character. A man of faith is a man of principle. He finds it impossible to deny the truth. He thus becomes totally free of falsehood or double-standards. His whole existence is moulded by truth. An important aspect of true God-worship is that the worshipper, instead of living within the confines of the self, begins to live in the world of reality. The truly pious person begins to look upon people with love and compassion. He does not expect anything from anyone. That is why, even if others do not behave well with him, he behaves well with them and he continues to be tolerant towards them. Then the Quran and the Hadith lay great stress on compassion. The Prophet of Islam said: “O people, be compassionate to others, so that you may be granted compassion by God.” In this way Islam makes compassion a matter of self-interest for every man, as his own future depends on his compassionate behaviour to his fellow men. Thus, the Islamic faith motivates the faithful to be compassionate in their dealings with one another. Those who want to receive God’s grace will have to show compassion to others. Faith makes the believer a responsible person towards both God and man. His duty towards God means believing in Him, worshipping Him and carrying out all His commandments. Duty towards man means giving him such treatment as is in accordance with Islamic teachings. A true believer therefore gives proper respect to others, never humiliates them while giving them help, does not harm them, fulfils trusts, never breaks his word, never usurps the wealth and property of others and deals justly with others in all circumstances. In short, when an individual adopts Islam, first of all it is his thinking, which comes under its sway, then his desires, his feelings, his interests, his relations, his likes and his dislikes—all are coloured by his obedience to God’s will. When man comes under God’s command, in his daily life his behaviour with others and his dealings, all are moulded by the demands of Islam. Faith prepares a person to lead a worthy life in society by adopting an attitude of modesty, sympathy and goodwill in all his dealings.