IMAM ALI’S FIRST TREATISE ON THE ISLAMIC ETHICS AND EDUCATION

Preface

In The Name Of Allah, The Compassionate, The Merciful

As The human body needs food, clothing and a shelter, so does his soul need ethics and education. A person who is ignorant of the creation facts, who is not nurtured with moral conducts, and is not void of obnoxious traits is only superficially a human being; he is in fact far away from humanity. Regarding this, Sa'di from Shiraz (the famous poet) says:

What makes a human body honorable is his soul; beautiful garment does not make a man;

If eyes, tongues, ears and noses made a man;

Then what would the difference be between a man and a painting on the wall;

Be truly a man, or else you would be

A bird talking human language;

If you could eliminate your fierce nature you would live a human life all life-long.

For this very reason the significant portions of the agenda of the prophets and God-Sent messengers include education and the enhancement of ethical considerations and well-adjusted conducts.

These dignitaries, in accordance with the prevailing situations, have made use of either practical means and suitable behaviors, or sermons and maxims, or treatises.[1]

Among these treasures is the Treatise of Amir Al-Mo'menin (pbnh), which is the topic for the present translation. It is appropriate here to attract your attention to the following points:

What is Ethics?

According to the Islamic scholars,[2] ethics includes all human traits which are brought about either by heredity or environment and which make up his personality influencing his deeds, conducts thoughts and speech.

Raqeb in his Mofradat Al-Qur’an says that the two terms "Khalq"