Knowledge which informs us about
the states and actions of the spiritual heart (qalb) and
soul (rûh) is called “Knowledge of Ethics.” We are informed by scholars
about the states and actions of a person when he is alone in nine sections. In
this book we will explain only six of these.
In this section, habits as well
as good and evil things will be explained. Habit (huy) is a faculty (malaka) of the
spiritual heart and soul. They, through this faculty, perform actions
spontaneously without considering them consciously. Habits formed permanently
are called faculties, while, a temporary habit is called state (hâl). For example, laughing or being ashamed are states (hâl).
Generosity and bravery are faculties. When we refer to habits, it should be
understood that we mean faculties. Doing good deeds occasionally does not
constitute a habit, but doing them regularly does. If someone performs
charitable deeds frequently, he is considered to be a generous person. However,
if a person does good deeds regularly by forcing himself, he is not considered
a generous person. If he does good deeds naturally, spontaneously, continually,
and lovingly, then he is a generous person.
Habit serves as a means for
doing morally good or evil actions. Sometimes it causes actions which are
neither good nor evil. In the first case it is called good nature, or virtue (fazîlat). Generosity, bravery and gentleness are good examples of this. In
the second case it becomes vice, scandalous behavior, evil nature, or
disagreeable habit, such as stinginess and cowardice. In the third, it is
neither virtue nor vice; then it is called arts and crafts, such as tailoring
and farming. In this book, we will explain the first and the second cases.
As we have noted at the end of the preface,
the spiritual heart and the soul have two powers. The first one is the power of
comprehension (quwwat al-’âlima or mudrika).
This power has been called as reason and knowledge (’aql, nutq).
Qalb and rûh understand things that can be understood by reasoning
via
this power. The second is the power that causes things to happen -causative
power-
(quwwat al-’âmila). Each power has two aspects. The first
aspect of the power of comprehension, which is identified as reason, is called
theoretical knowledge (hikmat al-nazarî), and the second aspect
is called practical knowledge (hikmat al-’amalî).
The first aspect of the causative power (quwwat al-’âmila)
is appetite (shahwat), a force which desires pleasurable and
pleasant things. The second aspect of the causative power is (ghadab),
a force which is prone to keep the person away from things it does not like.
These four powers generate various actions and deeds. If the actions and deeds
are reasonable, fine, and free from inadequacy and excess, the habit which
performs these actions is called virtue (fazîlat). The habit which
performs actions that are excessive or inadequate is called vice (razâlat).
If theoretical knowledge is properly developed, that habit is called wisdom (hikmat).
If the second power that is the practical knowledge is rightly developed, that
habit is called justice (’adl). If the spiritual heart’s and
soul’s causative power appetite is properly developed, that habit is called
chastity or temperance. If ghadab is properly developed, that habit is called
courage (shajâ’at).
These four habits are the essence of all good deeds. Justice cannot be in
excess or inadequate, but the other three can be excessive or inadequate. If
they are, it is called vice. If theoretical knowledge is in excess, it is
called loquacity (jarbaza). If it is inadequate, it is called
stupidity (balâdat). As we have stated earlier, justice cannot
be in excessive or deficient proportions; yet it does have an antonym, which is
called tyranny (zulm). The chastity which is in excessive
proportions is called debauchery (fujûr). If it is inadequate,
it is called laziness (humûd). Excessive proportion of courage is called
rashness (tahawwur) while deficient proportion is
called cowardice (jubn). These definitions of kinds of habits have
been borrowed from the book Ihyâ-ul-’ulûm-ud-dîn, by Hadrat Imâm
Ghazâlî. They are also written in the book Hadîqat-un-nadiyya,
by Abd-ul-ghanî Nablusî (d. 1143 [1731 A.D.], Damascus). The latter book is in
Arabic and was reproduced by offset process by Hakîkat Kitâbevi, Istanbul.
According to some scholars, having a right combination of chastity, wisdom, and
bravery gives rise to justice.
A person who possesses a habit of loquacity
(jarbaza) utilizes his mind, a power of his soul, for trickery, backbiting,
and
clowning. A person who possesses a habit of stupidity cannot understand reality
or differentiate between good and evil. A person who possesses a habit of
rashness (tahawwur) puts himself into danger by trying
to fight against an enemy too powerful for him. A person who is a coward does
not have patience and endurance, and therefore cannot protect his rights. A
person who has a habit of debauchery, commits actions that are disliked (makrûh)
in religion or forbidden (harâm) actions in eating, drinking and
marriage, and derives pleasure from ugly and despicable deeds. A person who has
a habit of laziness neglects the permissible pleasures and drives, which
results either in his own destruction or extinction of his family tree.
The above mentioned four main habits (virtues) are the essence of all other virtues held by human beings. Everyone boasts having these four main virtues. Even those who boast with their ancestors’ nobility are referring to the fact that their ancestors had these four main virtues.