The moral perfection conferred by perfected faith

"Indeed, you are truly exalted in character." (Surat al-Qalam, 4)

Every human being who wholeheartedly believes in Allah fulfils His commands unconditionally. This commitment ensures the formation of a form of moral perfection. It is meticulous observance of the commands of the Qur'an that accounts for this moral perfection which is peculiar to those of perfected faith.

Man can attain all good and precious qualities only by complying with the commands of the Qur'an. In the Qur'an, Allah commands righteousness, justice, patience, self-sacrifice, loyalty, devotion, commitment, submission, humility, tolerance, mercy, compassion, keeping anger under control and various other moral traits. Displaying this moral perfection as presented in the Qur'an depends on one's fear of Allah and thus following the voice of one's conscience. The more a person fears Allah and meticulously complies with what his conscience enjoins, the more obedient he becomes to Allah's commands. A person lacking in these qualities, however, fails to show commitment to live by the morals of the Qur'an. He may display some of the moral attributes that Allah approves but, when he encounters situations in which he feels his interests are at stake, he may well become a totally different person.

Such situations clearly reveal the superiority of those who have attained maturity of faith. One of perfected faith unflaggingly displays moral perfection at every moment of his life. The greatest patience, the highest degree of self-sacrifice and submission, the strongest love for Allah are manifest in his behaviour. These qualities make him a distinguished person. In the words of the Qur'an, he becomes a "leader (i.e., example) for the righteous." (Surat al-Furqan, 74)

The major goal of every Muslim is to attain such moral perfection. Setting limits for oneself leads man to be contented with himself, which is an attitude a man should strenuously avoid. In one verse, Allah stresses that the feeling of self-sufficiency is a serious depravation:

No indeed! Truly man transgresses all bounds in seeing himself as self-sufficient. (Surat al-Alaq, 6-7)

For this reason, everybody who has faith in Allah and the hereafter must make his major goal to live by the values of the Qur'an in the best way possible. Only one with such a noble goal can hope to attain paradise and be united with the prophets, the saints, the martyrs and the truthful. Allah informs us that only strict obedience makes man successful in this noble effort:

Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger will be with those whom Allah has blessed: the Prophets and the truthful, the martyrs and the righteous. What excellent company such people are! (Surat an-Nisa', 69)