Thursday, February 12, 2009

Islam and the Golden Rule


I have heard it repeated ad nauseum by various anti-Islamic sources that the "Golden Rule" does not exist within Islam and that Muslims have no command to treat non-Muslims as human beings. Those with even a cursory knowledge of Islamic teaching know that such a statement is completely false. I wanted to post an example of a formulation of the Golden Rule in the Islamic Tradition by the great authority Imam Ali (pbuh) to help illuminate this.

"O my son, regard your self as a scale against which you measure your behavior with others. Hence , what you prefer for yourself, prefer it for others; what you find objectionable for yourself, treat it as such for others. Don't wrong anyone, just as you would not like to be wronged; do good to others just as you would like others to do good to you; that which you consider immoral for others consider immoral for yourself. Expect the same goodness from people what you yourself consider to be good for them. Don't say things about others which you don't like to hear being said about yourself; don't' speak things you don't know, even if what you know be little; don't tell others what you don't like others to tell you"

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