Page 26 - The Courage of the Faithful

THE COURAGE OF THE FA I T H F U L

expressway heavy with traffic, something often seen in films, as an
example of great courage.
The concept of courage for high school students is very differ-
ent. A student who argues with the teacher may be regarded by his
friends as very brave. Likewise, one who behaves rebelliously and
breaks the rules is thought of as brave. For example, in a school that

requires navy blue pants, a person who shows up with green pants
has great courage, according to the other students. Cheating on
exams is also an example of courage in a society ignorant of the
morality of the Qur'an.
For a businessman, in a society plagued with ignorance,
courage means being able to take certain financial risks. For exam-
ple, putting a large sum of money into the stock market is an exam-

ple of courage for such people. Or, we can say that investing in a
brand-new start up is for only the bravest people.
In short, in societies not adhering to religious morality, each
will interpret courage according to his own experience or the envi-
ronment he comes from. Because the criteria for them is not the
Qur'an, but their own principles and habits, what each individual
understands as courage differs. For example, for those living in
slums, courage is understood in a way specific to their circ u m-
stances, while the definition of courage offered by the upper-classes

will differ accordingly. What a housewife understands by courage is
different from a politician's idea of it.
It is possible to multiply examples of this type relative to the
number of different classes of society. But, the common point among
them all is their perception that courage resides in a variety of ex-
t reme acts outside the norm, that is, is perceived as going beyond

24