Page 14 - Perfected Faith

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PERFECTED FAITH

conscience. Conscience is a spiritual quality that engenders a good at-
titude and worthy thoughts, and helps man think straight and tell
right from wrong. Aperson of perfected faith listens to the voice of his
conscience under all circumstances. Such inclination ensures the
morality and attitudes that comply with the Qur'an. The Prophet
Muhammad (saas) pointed out the importance of conscience in this
way:
A person asked Allah's Messenger (saas): What is faith? He said:
When a good deed becomes a source of pleasure for you and an evil
deed becomes a source of disgust for you, then you are a believer. He
again said Allah's Messenger (saas): What is a sin? Whereupon he
said: When something pricks your conscience, give it up. (Ahmad)
Of the alternatives he encounters, the believer chooses the attitude
with which, he hopes, Allah will be pleased. He never stoops to base-
ness. The difficulties he encounters while displaying the ideal atti-
tude never make him feel frustrated. He does not compromise the
most appropriate attitude by being overtaken by the whims and de-
sires of his lower self.
An example from daily life will make this issue clear. Let's assume
that a big factory is on fire. Beset with such adversity, the owner of the
factory is faced with many alternatives. He may, for instance, remain
inside and, mobilizing the workers, struggle to put out the fire.
Another course would be to leave the building and save his own life
without notifying the workers. Or, he can do everything to save all his
workers and meanwhile call the fire department.
All these alternatives may seem reasonable from different points of
view. The conscience, however, guides man to the choice that would
please Allah most. Perfected faith is the faith of one who uncondition-
ally assumes the most noble attitude to which his conscience guides
him, without feeling any trivial regret or disappointment.