Acquiring Moral Values

Question

How do we acquire moral values? What are the motivations and methods for doing so? [AR_ID:1819]

Answer 1

Peace be upon you,

According to Islamic teachings, the foundation of value lies in faith and piety. Faith is like a spring that flows from the heart and manifests in good deeds. The roots of piety grow from faith and are nourished by it; thus, faith is the source of moral value.

Therefore, the journey to acquire moral values begins with the cultivation of faith. A believer's faith drives them to be virtuous, motivating them to embody good character. We must emphasize the importance of nurturing faith if we wish to acquire moral values. The path of faith starts with awakening from negligence and rising to a state of awareness, recognizing that there is a destiny and various ways to live, from which we must choose the correct path.

Based on this, we cannot enter the realm of faith or humanity unless we emerge from negligence. Consider the verse: {They know only the outward appearance of this worldly life, but they are heedless of the Hereafter.} (Surah Ar-Rum 7).

The first step is to awaken from negligence regarding our eternal life, as the motivation for acquiring moral values stems from faith and the desire for eternal happiness. Many moral values depend on the ability to look beyond oneself and focus on others. If a person does not have the justifications for this, they will only seek their own interests, even if they appear to be directed towards others. According to Islamic standards, this is not considered moral or valuable action; morality is tied to faith in terms of value.

Thus, the first step is to emerge from negligence and recognize the existence of other truths beyond responding to instinctual desires, acknowledging our responsibilities towards them, and that we must act accordingly. This is why the prophets called for remembrance, which helps to awaken people from negligence: {And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.} (Surah Adh-Dhariyat 55).

The second step begins after turning towards the Hereafter and its realities, where a person should have many questions. They must seek knowledge to avoid doubts and misconceptions, as doubts are the seeds of trials and disrupt the clarity of divine blessings. A person cannot experience inner peace if they are plagued by unanswered doubts. Ignorance is considered a moral vice related to rational faculties. Therefore, the pursuit of knowledge and learning addresses these vices, starting after the phase of awakening from negligence, as a person will have many questions that need answers. The Sharia has provided through verses and narrations ways to attain certainty and has presented evidence for monotheism, resurrection, and prophethood that a person must understand to complete their faith and remain steadfast in their journey of belief. Knowledge is one thing, and faith is another; knowledge is a precursor to faith, as it is clear that a person can be knowledgeable yet not a believer. We must seek knowledge to reach faith. Consider the verse: {He details the verses so that you may be certain of meeting your Lord.} (Surah Ar-Ra'd 2), and {Indeed, in that are signs for a people who reflect.} (Surah Saba 46), and {Do they not reflect upon themselves? Allah created the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them in truth and for an appointed term. Yet many people, by meeting their Lord, are disbelievers.} (Surah Ar-Rum 8).

It is evident from many verses that the Quran independently emphasizes the principles and beliefs that must be established through reason, insisting on reflection and contemplation regarding them. We conclude that knowledge is a precursor to faith, and the key to knowledge is correct thinking.

Furthermore, if we observe several Quranic verses, such as: {Say, "Travel through the land and observe how was the end of the deniers."} (Surah An-Nahl 36), and {Say, "Travel through the land and observe how was the end of those before you. Most of them were polytheists."} (Surah Ar-Rum 42), among others, we clearly see how the Quran encourages us to reflect on these consequences. It does not stop at this invitation but also reviews and repeats the stories of past peoples, their thoughts, their moral characteristics, and the consequences of their actions. The main reason for this is to embed these lessons in our minds and hearts so that we do not forget them. The result is that this reflection can help us in our faith, which in turn necessitates good deeds and encourages us to perform them. A strong motivation arises within us to engage in good actions and avoid bad ones, stemming from contemplation of the consequences of these actions through reason and what has been provided by the Sharia. It becomes clear to us that these good deeds lead us to eternal happiness and entry into Paradise, while bad deeds lead to our misery and entry into Hell. Moreover, this journey does not stop there; as a person gets closer to their innate nature, they develop a love for those who do good to them, allowing the love of Allah to flourish in their hearts. This love becomes the strongest motivation to resist the desires of the self, steering them away from moral degradation and towards the pursuit of virtues, as these virtues are the qualities of the Beloved, Allah, which distance them from Hell and draw them closer to Paradise, thus acquiring moral values.

May you be successful in all that is good.