Page 68 - Character Types of the Unbelievers

CHARACTER-TYPES OF THE UNBELIEVERS
mined for him by the ignorant societal mores he find himself under.
Almost none of the members of the society find fault with such a
change of personality; on the contrary, the more a person behaves ac-
cording to his new identity, the more respect he receives. The way he

dresses, his manner, the way he sits and walks, and his tone of voice are
all to be reflective of his profession.
Moreover, he is expected to adopt a particular interpretation of the
world around him according to his profession known as “professional
ethics,” with which he must conform in order to be successful and ad-
vance in the profession he has chosen.
What is being referred to here is not, of course, the ethics or moral

rules exhibited by an honest, genuine and industrious person. The pro-
fessional ethics referred to in the society of the ignorant is a concept that
regards illicit earnings, occasional professional pride and obstinacy, or
being dishonest, or loss of self-respect as occasion demands, as perfectly
legitimate, and has in fact nothing to do with real moral virtue.
Besides, it must also be stated that there are those in a society of ig-
norance who, for various reasons, do not conform to these rules of be-
havior. Because of their principles, they may not allow their profession
to dictate their sense of identity. Though, such people are but a small

minority. The main purpose in describing these character types is not to
criticize them specifically, but to show the distorted perception of the
greater part of the society divorced from morality of the Qur’an.
Before proceeding on the topic of professions, there is an important
matter that must first be considered. In the detailed account to be given
in this section, we do not mean to criticize any profession. Indeed, if
people are to live together in society, everyone must have a line of work

and use his talents to be useful to the rest of society. However, it is im-

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