Ethical Role-Models

By:

Sayyid Mahdi as-Sadr

Translated by:

Badr Shahin

( 3 )

بسم اللـه الرحمن الرحيم

IN THE NAME OF ALLAH

the Compassionate, the Merciful

( 5 )

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION ONE GENERAL ETHICS

Morals between Rectitude and Deviation

Treatment of Ill-Temper

Achievements of Truth

Disadvantages of Untruth

Reasons of Untruth

Sorts of Untruth

First: False Swearing

Second: Perjury

Damages of False Swearing and Perjury

Third: Breach of Promise

Fourth: Mocking Untruth

Treatment of Untruth

Justifications of Untruth

CLEMENCY AND SUPPRESSION OF ANGER

Incentives of Anger:

Damages of Anger

Anger between Praise and Censure

Treatment of Anger:

Disadvantages of Arrogance

Incentives of Arrogance

( 6 )

Levels of Arrogance

Sorts of Arrogance

Treatment of Arrogance

Advantages of Satisfaction

Disadvantages of Greed

Treatment of Greed

Advantages of Generosity

Fields of Generosity

Incentives of Generosity

Disadvantages of Stinginess

Forms of Stinginess

Treatment of Stinginess:

Reality of Chastity

The Sought Moderation

Advantages of Chastity

Disadvantages of Gluttony

Treatment of Gluttony

FAITHFULNESS AND BREACH

Advantages of Faithfulness and Disadvantages of Breach

Forms of Breach

Spiritual Fraternity

Reality of Sectarianism

Calamities of Sectarianism

( 7 )

Forms of Justice

(1) Man’s justice towards God:

(2) Man’s justice towards the society:

(3) Justice towards the dead:

(4) Justice of the rulers:

Advantages of Justice

Forms of Injustice

(1) Self-Wronging

(2) Injustice towards the Family

(3) Injustice towards the Relatives

(4) Injustice towards the Society

(5) Injustice of the Rulers

Bad Consequences of Injustice

Treatment of Injustice

Virtue of Sincerity

Obstacles of Sincerity

How to Obtain Sincerity?

Categories of Showiness

1. Showiness of the Belief :

2. Showiness of Acts of Worship

3. Practical Showiness

4. Verbal Showiness

Incentives of Showiness

Disadvantages of Showiness

Treatment of Showiness

Practical Treatment of Showiness:

( 8 )

Disadvantages of Conceit

Treatment of Conceit

Qualities of People of Conviction

Categories of Faith

1. Natural Faith:

Transient Faith:

Acquisitive Faith

Categories of Patience

Steadfastness against Misfortunes and Calamities

Standing the Obedience and Perseverance against the Disobedience to God

Patience of the Graces

Advantages of Patience

How to Acquire Patience?

Categories of Gratitude

Virtue of Gratitude

How to Acquire Thankfulness?

Reality of Trust in God

Ranks of Trust in God

Advantages of Trust in God

How to Acquire Trust in God?

Fear between Ebb and Flow

Advantages of Fear

How to Feel Fearful?

Stories of the Fearful

( 9 )

Warning against Despair

Vastness of God’s Mercy and Pardon

Favorable Judgment about God

Intercession of the Prophet and the Imams for their Adherents

Calamities and Diseases Cancel the Believers’ Sins

Reality of Hope

Purpose of Hope and Fear

Forms of Deception

Worldly Deception

The Everlasting Law

Disadvantages of the Worldly Deception

Treatment of the Worldly Deception

Deception of Knowledge

Deception of Authority

Authority between Praise and Censure

Deception of Wealth

Wealth between Praise and Censure

Deception of Lineage

Incentive of Envy

(3) Competition

(4) Selfishness

Disadvantages of Envy

Treatment of Envy

Disregard of Backbiting

Incentives of Backbiting

( 10 )

Disadvantages of Backbiting

Reasonable Grounds of Backbiting

Treatment of Backbiting

Penance of Backbiting

Incentives of Talebearing

Disadvantages of Talebearing

How to Deal with the Talebearer?

OBSCENITY, REVILEMENT, AND DEFAMATION

Disadvantages of Obscenity

INCONVENIENCES OF SINS

Reality of Repentance

Merits of Repentance

Obligation and Immediateness of Repentance

Repetition of Repentance

Courses of Repentance

Acceptance of Repentance

SELF-JUDGMENT AND SELF-CONTROL

Constitution of Self-Judgment

Seizure of Life’s Opportunity

OBEDIENCE AND GOD-FEARING

Reality of Obedience and God-Fearing

PERSEVERANCE ON PRINCIPLES

SECTION TWO RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

THE DIVINE RIGHTS

( 11 )

3. Thankfulness

4. Trust in God

RIGHTS OF THE PROPHET

1. Obedience to the Prophet:

2. Love for the Prophet

3. Blessing the Prophet

4. The Love for the Ahl ul-Bayt

RIGHTS OF THE IMAMS

1. Recognition of the Imams

2. Loyalty to the Imams

3. Obedience to the Imams

4. Fulfillment of the Khums

5. Kind Treatment to the Prophet’s Descendants

6. Praising and Publicizing the Imams’ Merits

7. Pilgrimage to the Imams’ Shrine

RIGHTS OF SCHOLARS

Merits of Knowledge and Scholars

1. Regard of Scholars

2. Charity to Scholars

3. Compliance with Scholars

RIGHTS OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS

Rights of Students

RIGHTS OF PARENTS AND SONS

Rights of Parents

Disadvantages of Filial Impiety

Wisdom of Discipline

The Child’s First School

( 12 )

Course of Education

MATRIMONIAL RIGHTS

Merits of Marriage

1. Advantages of Marriage

2. Benefits of Marriage

3. Results of Marriage

Marital Happiness

The Ideal Husband

Observance of Rights

Rights of Husbands

1. Obedience to Husbands

2. Compliance with Husbands

3. Observance of Husbands’ honor

Rights of Wives

1. Disbursement

2. Good Companionship

Removal of the Veil

Physical Defects

Woman in the Ancient Ages

Woman in the Pre-Islamic Arab Society

Woman in the Modern Western Civilization

Woman’s Liberation in Islam

Equality of the sexes

Distinction Between the Sexes

2. Man’s Preference to Woman in Inheritance

( 13 )

Justifications of Polygamy

Divorce in Islam

RIGHTS OF THE RELATIVES

Merits of the Relatives

Regard of Relatives

Disregard of the Relatives

RIGHTS OF FRIENDS

Merits of Friends

Reality of Friendship

Friends’ Selection

The Ideal Friend

Standards of Love

Friendship between Ebb and Flow

Rights of Friends

1. Material Care

Moderation with Friends

RIGHTS OF NEIGHBORHOOD

Cooperation and Mutual sympathy

Rights of Neighbors

RIGHTS OF THE ISLAMIC SOCIETY

Merits of the Islamic Society

Rights of the Islamic Society

1. Right of Life

2. Right of Dignity

3. Right of Freedom

A. Freedom of Religion

B. Civil Freedom

C. Freedom of Propagation of Islam

( 14 )

4. Right of Equality

Equality in Islam

5. Right of Knowledge

6. Right of Ownership

7. Right of Islamic Interests

A. Feeding and Watering the Believer

B. Clothing the Believer

C. Settling the Believer’s Need

D. Gladdening the Believer

E. Visiting the Believer

OBLIGATIONS OF THE RULERS

Rights of Subjects against Rulers

(B) Righteousness

Aspects of Lenience

Results of Lenience

(D) Selection of the Retinue

(E) Settlement with the Officials

(F) Achievement of Social Happiness

Rulers’ Rights against Subjects

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL NECESSITIES

Physical Rights

(1) Self-education

(2) Well Intention

(3) Self-control

4. Self-Judgment