ISLAMIC ETHICS

limits laid down for him by the Almighty. His consciousness of the fact that God will call him to account for each one of his actions exercises a powerful restraint upon the anger surging within him. Such is the character of one, who fears God, that when he is made angry by a human being, it is God who looms up before him, effectively quelling his anger. The Quran makes it clear that any such strong, adverse, emotional reaction such as anger does not befit the true believer, and instead cites as a mark of excellence the quality of forgivingness: “(The provision) with God is better and more lasting for those (…) who forgive when they are angry.” (42: 37) A true believer must cultivate the capacity to rise above negative sentiments in his dealings with people so that his relationships with them remain positive. When anger and bitterness well up inside him, he should not give vent to these feelings but should, instead, contain and suppress them within himself. He should live in the world in the way that the flowers do— giving off a sweet fragrance even to those who give nothing but abuse and remaining unruffled even in the face of violent attack. Mistake Management However upright one may be, one cannot help but err from time to time in one’s dealings with one’s fellow beings. There are bound to be occasions when one fails to give another his due or neglects some responsibility towards him. The Quran tells us that at such times we should right the wrongs we have done by immediately doing good. If we lose no time in doing so, we can effectively cancel out any harmful consequences of our wrongdoing. To this end, the Prophet counselled: ”Fear God wherever you are, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed. In so doing, you will right whatever wrong you have done.” This can take various forms. It can mean asking for forgiveness, praying for the one who has been wronged, giving him a present by way of making amends, speaking well of him to others, or generally acting as his well-wisher. The right path is that of adherence to a certain discipline in life according to which human beings should live as though bound by a contract made with God.