Ethics

The Holy Qur’an has told us: “Allah has never changed a favor which He has conferred upon a people until they changed their own conditions” 16, so what is noteworthy is that Imam Ali (A.S.)-during the days of his just government- was ordering his governors and leaders to take control over their wishes, although he has chosen them precisely from virtue and that most of them had a recommended merits,

from alter he (A.S.) wrote to Alashtar when he appointed him as a governor of Egypt: “this is what Abdullah Ameeralmu’amineen ordered Maalik bin AlHaarith Alashtar…he ordered him to fear Allah and to prefer His obedience… he ordered him to break his devotion to lusts…as the spirit longs for evils, except what Allah’s mercy helps…so take control over your wishes, keep your wishes back of what is not permitted to you as taking control of the spirit is the equity of what she loves and hates and feel sympathy to your subject. 17

From a commandment to Shureih Ibna Haani, one of his millitary leaders when he appointed him on the vanguard of his army to Alsham: “…know that if you don’t hold yourself back from so much of what you like your wishes will guide you to so much damage. So would you prevent yourself and deter it ...” 18

From a letter he wrote to Muaweia, he uncovered to him the secret of his mutiny against the legal leadership i-e his psychological deviations, he said to him- your spirit (wishes) has driven you in evils, pushed into sin, has led you to perils and has guided you through rough passageways” 19

Psychological deviation has serious consequences especially from those who take power without legality and qualification.

“Ahlilbait” with their known infallibility were asking Allah to help them take conrol over their wishes in order to teach and refine others” some of what is cited in a supplication of Imam Zeinala’abideen (A.S.) “…And weaken our strength to do what enrages you to us, do not let our souls alone with its choice as it chooses false option except what You help, longs for evil except what you lead with Your mercy”. 20

from all that we deduce that Man cannot be built except by taking control over the soul “wishes” about which we will speak later.

Thirdly: the Islamic ideology has released Man from worshipping nature and sanctifying its phenomenon, and fear of it, Allah says: “of His signs night and day, sun and moon don’t kneel to the sun and to the moon ...” 21

Man has passed through the stage of confusion, inquiry and fear of the phenomenon of nature about him, he does not know any thing of its secrets and changes of its conditions so he began to sanctify it and sacrifised to it generously thinking that- he can feel safe of its bursting volcanos, destructive earthquakes, sweeping floods and its burning thunder bolts.

So the ideology worked towards purifying minds of their veils, opened the vast way to make use of nature and to make peace with it when it removed the thick veils between Man and nature, it has became clear to him that nature and what it includes of creatures and happiness are all emanated from Allah (be exalted), 

they are exploited creatures to serve him, he (Man) has nothing to do but to make use of them, think of them and their origin in order to reach through them to the Creator: “will they not then consider the camels, how they are created? And the heaven how it is reared aloft, and the mountains how they are firmly fixed and the earth how it is made a vast expanse? 22

We must point out here that the procedure of the ideology in building human being is a “comprehensive procedure” it arranges Man’s relationship with himself, his creator, and nature around him. Every establishment or development in the relationship between man and his Creator will be reflected positively on the relationship between Man and nature, which is drudged by the hands of Allah.

So it grants the faithful man with blessings and benevolences. Hence the prophet “Hood” asked his people –who had deviated from the procedure of Heaven so it didn’t rain for three years till they were about to perish- to ask Allah’s forgiveness for their past sins and to repent to Him by correcting their course and arranging their relation with Allah (be exalted) then their relation with nature will be organized and it will grant them with rain and benevolences he said to them: “And, O my people’ ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him, He will send on you clouds pouring down abundance of rain and add strength to your strength, and don’t turn back guilty” 23

So, real worship should be to Allah alone, fear should be of guilts, which cause Allah’s rage and revenge, so He uses nature as a means to punishment, as Allah Has drowned pheroons into the sea, send the destructive wind which damaged the people of Aaad. Hence we find that most of the punishments which afflicted infidels had been fulfilled by the powers of nature which reveals to us the correlative relationship between Man an nature,

in this concern Imam Al-Baaqir says: “we have found in the Book of the prophet (S.W.A)…when people abstain from praying “Zakaat” earth abstains its blessings such as plants, fruits and metals” 24 His son Imam Alsaadiq (A.S.) says “when adultry spreads out earthquicks appear, when “Zakaat” is not paid cattle perish, when judges decide unjustly rain doesn’t come down from heaven ...” 25

In brief, human fear must coneentrate on sins and misbehavior, which cause the destruction of societies and prevent heavenly blessings. As to the fear of nature, the belief that some of its phenomenons are evils which don’t harmonize with the worldly prevalent order firstly and with its wisdom and justice secondly it is originated from their limitedly narrow viewpoint to these issues.