SUPERIOR MORALITY

SUPERIOR MORALITY Love Thy Neighbours SUPERIOR morality is the highest form of morality. It means consistently adhering to good ethics in every situation, regardless of experiencing negative behaviour from others. Superior morality is not based on the reactions of others, but rather on one’s own higher principles and standards. In Islam, morality is considered a form of worship, not a reciprocal human behaviour. A saying of the Prophet Muhammad is: “Do not be reciprocators (or imitators) who say, ‘If people do good, we will do good, and if they do wrong, we will do wrong.’ Rather, prepare yourselves so that even if people mistreat you, you will still treat them well.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi) This means not becoming like those who only respond to others based on how they are treated. Instead, prepare yourself to treat others well even if they mistreat you. In Islam, the reward for worship increases with the addition of qualitative factors. Similarly, when a person continues to exhibit good behaviour towards others despite experiencing negative treatment, their reward also increases. This is because they have reached a level where they prioritize the principles of good character over their own emotions. Sacrificing one’s emotions can be seen as sacrificing one’s ego, which is a significant sacrifice. In normal situations, good character is simply considered as social manners. However, in extreme situations, exhibiting good character becomes a supreme form of worship. In normal situations, the display of good character does not necessarily contribute to the advancement of one’s personality. However, when a person remains unaffected by the negative behaviour of others in extreme situations and continues to uphold good character, this approach becomes a means of personal growth. Regarding good morality, the Bible (Matthew 22: 39) states, “Love your neighbour as yourself.” The greatest opportunity for a person in terms of morality lies in their relationship with their neighbours. A neighbour is the closest companion to an individual. After the members of one’s own household, the people one encounters first are their neighbours. When a person remains unaffected by the negative behaviour of others in extreme situations and continues to uphold good character, this approach becomes a means of personal growth.