Four Principles for a Noble Character

Four Principles for a Noble Character




It is not imagined that one can have noble character except if it is founded upon four pillars:

The First: Sabr (Patience)
The Second: ‘Iffah (Chastity)
The Third: Shujaa’ah (Courage)
The Fourth: ‘Adl (Justice)

Patience
inspires him to be tolerant, control his anger, endure the harms that
he receives from others, to be forbearing and deliberate in his
decisions. It motivates him to be gentle and not to be rash or hasty.

Chastity
inspires him to avoid every imprudent characteristic, whether in
statement or action, and encourages him to have a sense of modesty and
integrity which is the epitome of all good. It prevents him from
fornication, stinginess, lying, backbiting and spreading tales to cause
separation and discord between the people.

Courage
inspires him to have a sense of self esteem, to emphasize high and
noble manners and to make it apart of his natural disposition. It also
encourages him to exert himself and to be generous, which is in essence,
true courage and it leads to strong will and self determination. It
encourages him to distance himself from his ardent lowly desires, to
control his anger, and to be forbearing because by such, he can control
his temper, take it by the reins and curb his violent and destructive
behavior just as the Messenger (salla Allahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said:

“The Strong is not the one who can wrestle his
opponent to the ground but rather the strong is the one who can control
himself when he gets angry.” [Agreed upon]

This is true genuine courage and it is the sole trait that the slave utilizes to conquer his opponent.

Justice
encourages him to be impartial in his behavior with people and to be
moderate between the two extremes of negligence and extremism. It
motivates him to be generous and kind; which is the middle course
between absolute degradation and arrogance, and to make this a part of
his disposition and makeup. It encourages him to be courageous; which is
the middle course between cowardice and imprudence, and to be
forbearing; which is the middle course between extreme unnecessary anger
and ignominy.

These four virtuous characteristics are the axis and provenance of all noble manners and the foundation of all repugnant and ignominious characteristics are built upon four pillars:

The First: Jahl (Ignorance)
The Second: Dhulm (Oppression)
The Third: Shahwah (following ones lowly desires)
The Fourth: Ghadab (Anger)

Ignorance
allows him to view good in the form of evil and evil in the form of
good, and to consider that which is complete to be incomplete and that
which is incomplete to be complete.

Oppression
causes him to put things in places which are not appropriate for them,
so he gets angry when it’s time to be happy and he is happy when it’s
time to be angry. He is ignorant and hasty when it’s time to be
deliberate and deliberate when it’s time to be hasty, he is stingy when
it is time to be generous and generous when it’s time to be stingy. He
is weak when it is time to be courageous and assume responsibility, and
he assumes responsibility when it is time to take a step back (and let
someone else undertake the initiative). He is gentle and lenient when it
is time to be harsh and firm and he is harsh and firm when it is time
to be lenient. He is humble when it is time to be superior and arrogant
when it is time to be humble.

Following (his) lowly desires
encourages him to be diligent in obtaining that which the soul ardently
desires, to be stingy and greedy. It encourages him to adorn himself
with all types of despicable and imprudent characteristics.

Anger incites him to be arrogant, jealous, envious, to hold enmity of others and to be imprudent and shameless.

The foundation of these four repugnant and blameworthy characteristics; are two pillars:

Either extreme self ignominy,
Or extreme self pride.