Almost every element can be useful to people: every living and non-living thing is made-up of the 92 natural elements. Like all elements, different metals have different properties. As such, they have different melting points, and different degrees of hardness and conductivity. The reason these differences exist have to do with the number of protons and electrons in each metal’s atoms, as well as the atomic diameter, their intensity, and tendency to react. There are dramatic differences in the properties of different metals. Gallium (31Ga) has such a low melting point (29,7 0C) that it can melt in your hand, whereas tungsten (74W), which is used for the wiring in light bulbs, has as a melting point as high as 3410 0C. While sodium (11Na) is a metal so soft it can be cut with a knife, chrome (24Cr) is so hard that it can only be cut with diamond. While potassium (19K) has an instantaneous and very violent reaction when mixed with water, silver (47Ag) does not react to water at all.

The fact that metals have different properties is a great advantage for their uses in different fields. A decrease or increase in the number of protons, a change in the speed of the electrons rotating around the nucleus, or a differentiation in the distance between the nucleus and the electrons, will change the properties of the metal.

For a metal to be “plasticized” – for it can change shape without breaking – it must have atoms that can slide against one another. Thanks to this property, it is possible to shape steel on an anvil or to wring steel construction material. Otherwise, these metals would be useless materials which could not be made into wires or sheets. Thankfully, many metals were designed to be malleable.  

Another quality given to metals is their ability to combine with other metals and form substances called alloys. These combinations develop different characteristics from their base metals. For instance, many metals have what are called “crystal gaps.” As such, they are not very strong in their pure state. But when combined with another metal to make an alloy, these gaps are filled by the atoms of other metals. The alloy thus becomes more durable. These new substances present different qualities than the individual metals that form the alloy. Some of the best known alloys are bronze (copper-tin), brass (copper-zinc), and solder (lead-tin). Alloys are commonly used for producing items with ideal physical properties for their intended field of use. For example, steel is an alloy of iron, and there are tens of different kinds of steel depending on the type and amount of other elements mixed with the iron. Although carbon is generally used when making steel, it is also possible to use metals like magnesium, chrome, vanadium, and wolfram. Thanks to being an alloy, steel has more advantageous qualities than iron, such as its hardness, being stainless, and its stress threshold.

Alloys with shape-memory Certain alloys, after being altered by pressure or heat (martensitic state), have the ability to return to their original or initial shape (austenite state) when heated. The most widely used alloy with this “shape-memory” is “nitinol,” which is an alloy of nickel and titanium. If an item made from nitinol is heated beyond its limits, it will return to its original form.

This “shape-memory” trait can be useful, including in unexpected ways, such as preventing strokes. Medical filters made from nitinol are planted in blood vessels. This filter is flattened before it is planted in the blood vessel, so when it enters the body, the body’s heat allows the nitinol to regain its original shape, thus catching any clots that pass through the vein and helping to lessen the likelihood of strokes or heart attacks. Shape-memory metals are now used as connection units, leakage preventers, pincers, and electric keys in a wide variety of industries. These metals are also used as construction materials.

Iron – from the heavens For most of human history, iron has been the commonly used metal in the world. 95% of the metals used, in weight, consist of iron. Iron is so frequently used because it is abundant in nature, cheap, and can be made into many different alloys. Iron is also integral to the human body. The amount of iron in human body is, on average, equal to the amount of iron needed to produce a common nail. It is found in the structure of hemoglobin, and helps circulate oxygen throughout the body. Perhaps due to its importance, there is a chapter in the Qur’an named Hadid – or, Iron. The 25th verse of this chapter reads, “And We have sent down iron, in which is stern might and benefits for humankind, so that God may mark out those who help (the cause of) God and His Messengers, though they do not see Him. Surely God is All- Strong, All-Glorious with irresistible might” (Hadid 57:25).

The expression “We have sent down” is also very interesting. Iron can only be formed in stars much bigger than the sun, by heat that reaches a few hundred million degrees Celsius. The nearly 15 million 0C heat in the sun is not sufficient for forming iron atoms. When stars supernova, the meteors containing iron explode out into space, and keep soaring until they are caught by the gravity of a celestial body. There are other elements that originate in deep space, too, such as Nickel (59Ni). These elements are “sent down” to us from the heavens.

Another opinion about iron being “sent down” is as follows: thousands of meteors of different sizes hit our atmosphere every day and fall to the earth as dust. The iron atoms abundantly found in such dust are the nutrition for the plankton in the world’s oceans. Plankton, which play a huge role in the entire world’s food chain, get the iron they need for photosynthesis from this space dust.   In our everyday lives, we tend to take most things for granted and ignore the amazing reality of our world. We should stop sometimes to think about how remarkable it is that some of the metals we use are produced in remote stars and then “sent down” to us by grace.

Reference http://www.ajnr.org/content/28/5/872.full

The importance of character education programs

There are some programs that are called character education for detection of problematic behavior and school violence prevention or reduction. Was, Woltz, and Drew (2006) underscored the need for character education programs through utilizing statistics concerning school violence, absence, and dropout percentages. Bohlin, Farmer, and Ryan (2001) utter that in the US, there is a rising demand in schools to provide effective character education, whose purpose is to increase moral values, respect, citizenship, social skills, etc.

One of the most significant goals of character education programs is to decrease the bullying and peer-victimization that pervade many schools (Batsche – Knoff, 1994). Hence, character education programs should be taught effectively to prevent behavior problems and help students solve their own problems, since effective character education programs can alter the climate of a school by influencing the behaviors and attitudes of the students. That is, when appropriately implemented, character education programs encourage a positive school climate, thus improve academic performance and learning (Sherblom, Marshall – Sherblom, 2006). In addition, Leming (1993) expressed that “teachers in the program classrooms reported a statistically significant two-and-one-half times reduction in problem behavior in students” (p. 68).

The need for computer-based animated vignettes

In order to cope with the aforementioned problems such as bullying, victimization, unwanted behaviors within schools, etc., character education institutions can hire more teaching staff, or teachers can work more than they have done before. However, neither hiring more staff nor working harder is an appropriate solution to help students deal with the problems encountered in schools, because students should learn to cope with the problems by themselves. Thus, they need to have the self-confidence and self-esteem to overcome inappropriate behaviors. It means that the implementation of the character education programs is crucial in terms of their effectiveness.

In this respect, there could be some efforts to facilitate social competence within the classroom and to lead to positive behavioral outcomes (Kam, Greenberg, – Kusche, 2004). Therefore, as an alternative solution, computer-based animated vignettes utilized in character education programs such as Clover, which “is a multimedia tool that empowers students to construct their own animated vignettes that meaningfully express personal experiences” (Baily, Tettegah – Bradley, 2006, p. 802) can be part of these efforts to solve students’ problems in moral and social situations by stimulating them to engage in problem solving (Bailey et al., 2006).

It is important for these programs to be computer-based, since, as Bers (2001) underscored, computers are influential tools for self-exploration. Computers are also beneficial for children in terms of socialization. Heft and Swaminathan (2002) mentioned in their study that children could interact with one another because instructors want them to work in pairs. This provokes them to ask questions to each other to solve problems. Furthermore, in the study done by Nastasi and Clements (1992), it was revealed that a computer-based program, Logo, could foster cognitive development by stimulating cognitively-based resolution of cognitive struggles.

Definitions of animated vignettes

Tettegah and Anderson (2007) describe Animated Narrative Vignettes (ANV’s) as “concrete examples of people and their behaviors, and stories about individuals, situations, and structures that can make reference to important points in the study of perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes” (p. 51). Some researchers, Zhou et al. (2003) define vignettes as ”emotion-evoking stimuli presented via audiotapes, videotapes, or realistic enactments that aim to make participants believe that the events and people involved in the stimuli are real, not hypothetical.” As understood through the definitions, animated vignettes are related to either behaviors or real visual events. Therefore, animated vignettes may be utilized in character education classes to make them more effective to reduce behavioral distortions.

Animated vignettes in character education

Bailey et al., (2006, p. 796) pointed out that when technology education is integrated within learning activities that are meaningful to students, it could be more effective. Therefore, they aimed to seek to link the delivery of technology and character education through the utilization of animated vignettes. In this process, students can gain and exercise technological skills and learn how to figure out concepts within a learning activity that is important to them while also building the vignettes via computers (Bailey et al., 2006, p. 796). Vignettes have been utilized to instruct Mathematics and Science, management skills, problem solving, and character education (Bailey et al., 2006,p. 797). In the sense of character education, Vignettes are typically used to facilitate some techniques, such as reflection, role-playing, problem solving, and ethical thinking and positive social behavior among students (Bailey et al., 2006,p. 797).

So far, this paper has discussed the importance of character education programs, the need for animated vignettes, and their definitions. Next, this paper will present the effectiveness of animated vignettes and how they can facilitate learners to recognize and reduce problem behaviors.

The effectiveness of animated vignettes

Vignettes are beneficial and effective as a teaching instrument; this is because they can provide real representations of situations, helping students solve problems (Bailey et al., 2006). In the article of Bailey et al., (2006), it is sought to link technology and character education through constructing and utilizing animated vignettes. Researchers illustrate that animated vignettes could be more beneficial when they provide three important features: meaningfulness, personal experiences, and having a dialogue.

a) Meaningfulness

Thanks to these computer-based animated vignettes, students will be able to learn via some activities that are meaningful to them. To provide effective character education, vignettes can be used as a significant tool (Bailey et al., 2006, p. 796). For example, in the study implemented by Tettegah and Anderson (2007), animated vignettes were used for gathering data. Vignettes showed an interaction between two children – “Scott, a 9-year old Caucasian boy, and Jamilah, a 9-year old African American girl; or Jamal, a 9-year old African American boy, and Erin, a 9-year old Caucasian girl) – and one teacher (Ms. Litts), and one parent (Mr. Young)” (Tettegah – Anderson, 2007, p. 52).

The vignettes were counterbalanced to determine if responses given by pre-service teachers are different from one another about the race of the victim and perpetrator. A child told the animated vignette; thus, the characters in these vignettes symbolized real people in real life. Ms. Litts (the teacher) was working with the class on a supportive learning activity, such as making paper puppets or building bridges. However, there was no difference between activities in terms of vignettes. That is, the same performances were represented in each vignette. In these processes, making paper puppets or building bridges, the teacher wanted students to work each other, like “Scott with Jamilah in the puppet making activity or Jamal with Erin in the bridge making activity, depending on the vignette” (Tettegah – Anderson, 2007, p. 52). In each scenario, the boy (Scott or Jamal) told the girl (Jamilah or Erin) that they did not want to be in the same group with the girls because of their skin color. They added that their skin color might influence them. After that, the girl’s fathers reported the event to the teacher, Ms. Litts, and the teacher was surprised, since they had talked about Martin Luther King Jr., which she believed was relevant to the topic.

After watching the vignette, participants were asked how they would respond if they were in the teacher’s position, and they wrote down their responses. In this example, participants were asked to put themselves into another person’s position through animated vignettes. As a consequence of the study, participants could place themselves into another character, and could try to consider helping their children solve the prescribed problems.

b) Personal experiences

As a solution, computer-based character education programs could be effective if animated vignettes are “based on personal experiences rather than on artificially constructed circumstances” (Bailey et al., 2006, p. 794). Students can improve both self-awareness and interpersonal skills by practicing some skills shown in vignettes. That is, they can also incorporate theory and practice in a personally related way (Barter – Renold, 2000). Thanks to this process, students are able to engage in their own ethical and social thinking. This allows students to become more engaged in their own moral and social thinking (Tappan, 1991).

To illustrate, consider this example: in the study implemented by Tettegah (2005), there was a real experience of a father, daughter, classmate, and teacher developed in the animated narrative vignettes and told by a real person. After viewing the vignettes, the educators wrote some responses for problem solving to questions like, “Who does the participant express empathy with? In whose position does the respondent imagine himself?” (Tettegah, 2005, p.383). Thanks to these questions, teachers could better understand peer conflicts related to classroom education. Responses were to involve educators and students in sharing with others to help them to be aware of conflicts that are both peer and teacher-related (Tettegah, 2005, p.383).

c) Dialogue opportunities

Through using animated narrative vignettes, it is possible to have a dialogue that will allow educators to talk over and also foster a better understanding of bullying and victimization (Tettegah, 2005). Computer-based animated vignettes are beneficial tools for discovering relationships between people (Fong – Woodruff, 2003). For instance, well-known educators are brought together to discuss issues about oppression and discrimination in their classrooms through cultural portals. In these meetings, they try to figure out how to cope with the problems in the classroom and within the school’s social environment. Using computer-based tools to find the cause of complex behaviors in the class is very useful (Tettegah, 2005). Although this seems to affect students’ problem behaviors indirectly, it may be effective in comprehending the problems and discovering some solutions to reduce problem behaviors.

Conclusion

Implementing computer-based programs to help recognize and solve problematic behaviors could be very beneficial to many schools. As emphasized above, researchers have shown that there are problematic behaviors observed in schools. Therefore, character education programs could be effective to reduce and solve these problems. Making the programs more beneficial as a means of computer-based animated vignettes helps students notice and reduce problems. They can be more effective if they are meaningful to students and if students can put themselves into the real characters in the vignettes to recognize the problems. The personal experiences underscored in the vignettes trigger students’ awareness through practicing the skills showed in the vignettes. And the vignettes can assist in generating a dialogue between educators and students to understand the issues and help develop some solutions together.

Namik Top is a PhD candidate in the Department of Educational Psychology at Texas A-M University.

References

• Algozzine, K., Christian, C., Marr, M. B., McClanahan, T., – White, R. (2008). Demography of problem behavior in elementary schools. Exceptionality, 16, 93 – 104.
• Baily, B.P., Tettegah, S.Y., – Bradley, T.J. (2006). Clover: Connecting technology and character education using personally-constructed animated vignettes. Interacting with Computers, 18, 793-819
• Barter, C., – Renold, E. (2000). I wanna tell you a story: Exploring the application of vignettes in qualitative research with children and young people. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 3(4), 307-323.
• Batsche, G.M., – Knoff, H.M., 1994. Bullies and their victims: understanding a pervasive problem in the schools. School Psychology Review 23 (2), 165-174.
• Bers, M. (2001). Identity construction environments: Developing personal and moral values through the design of a virtual city. Journal of the Learning Sciences, 10, 365-415.
• Bohlin, K.E., Farmer, D., – Ryan, K., 2001. Building Character in Schools. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA.
• Bowen, J., Jenkins, W., – Clark, E. (2004). School-based intervention for students with behavior problems. New York: Kluewer Academic.
• Fong, C., – Woodruff, E. (2003). Web based video and frame theory in the professional development of teachers: Some implications for distance education. Distance Education, 24(2), 195-211.
• Freeman, R., Eber, L., Anderson, C., Irvin, L., Horner, R., – Bounds, M. (2006). Building an inclusive school culture using school-wide PBS: Designing effective individual support systems for students with disabilities. Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities, 31(1), 4-17.
• Heft, T.M., – Swaminathan, S. (2002). The effects of computers on the social behavior of preschoolers. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 16(2) 162-174.
• Henricsson, L., – Rydell, A. M. (2004). Elementary school children with behavior problems: Teacher-child relations and self-perception. A prospective study. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 50, 111−138.
• Kam, C. M., Greenberg, M. T., – Kusche, C. A. (2004). Sustained effects of the PATHS curriculum on the social and psychological adjustment of children in special education. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 12, 66−78.
• (Heft, 2002) (Heft, 2002) (Heft, 2002)Nastasi, B.K. – Clements, D.H. (1992). Social-cognitive behaviors and higher-order thinking in educational computer environments. Learning and Instruction, 2, 215-238.
• Pace, T. M., Mullins, L. L., Beesley, D., Hill, J. S., – Carson, K. (1999). The relationship between children’s emotional and behavioral problems and the social responses of elementary school teachers. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 24, 140−155.
• Sherblom, S., Marshall, J., – Sherblom, J. (2006). The relationship between school climate and math and reading achievement. Journal of Research in Character Education, 1(1), 19-31.
• Tappan, M., 1991. Narrative, language, and moral experience. Journal of Moral Education 20, 243-256.
• Tettegah, S., 2005. Technology, narratives, vignettes, and the intercultural and cross-cultural teaching portal. Urban Education 40 (4), 368-393.
• Tettegah, S., – Anderson. C. J. (2007). Pre-service teachers’ empathy and cognitions: Statistical analysis of text data by graphical models. Contemporary Educational Psychology 32, 48-82.
• Was, C., Woltz, D., – Drew, C. (2006). Evaluating character education programs and missing the target: A critique of existing research. Educational Research Review, 1(2), 148-156.
• Zhou, Q., Valiente, C., – Eisenberg, N. (2003). Empathy and its measurement. In N. Lopez – C. R. Snyder (Eds.), Positive psychological assessment: A handbook of models and measures (pp. 269-281). American Psychological Association.

Grace is a very significant feature of the Prophet’s character. In fact, whichever characteristic of him we may consider, he was able to make the best out of them so that all of his efforts paid back many times as much. Grace relates to his benevolence, generosity, and unselfishness. While these terms are differentiated from each other by tiny nuances, they all indicate the same point. The Prophet was taught by God, thus his character developed with the morals of the Divine, which he practiced so well that He did not waste even an iota of it. Then, God Almighty returned the results of that divine morality, but with a multiplied amount. The Prophet, as being the Pride of Humanity requires, has surpassed all people – and even the angels.

In fact, this is not something reserved to him exclusively. That is, whatever someone grants on the way to God’s contentment shall return to him/her a multiplied amount. Many of the verses of the Qur’an state this fact very clearly: “Whoever comes to God with a good deed will have ten times as much” (6:160). Yes, if a person does a unit of goodness, God Almighty shall multiply that goodness by ten and return it to him/her. This is the least degree of divine favor. God Almighty sometimes multiplies by hundred or thousand. It depends to a certain extent on one’s depth of sincerity. He may multiply even by thousands, in accordance with the depth that that particular person subjectively loads on that particular practice of worship. Still, depending on the particularity of certain days and nights, or on the degree of altruism and unselfishness of that person, and on the firmness of his/her association with God, God Almighty may grant him/her a million times more. In sum, something like that may happen to every single person. However, the Prophet, we can confidently argue, benefited from this potential in full and made the best out of it to the last drop.

Grace is one’s being locked on or knotted around benevolence, or that one’s nature is completely engaged in doing favors to others. Actually, this emotion is shared to a particular extent by any human being. However, some people dull this emotion, whereas some others enhance it by a life-long process of practice. When they do this, the path of grace becomes the main road for them. By this way, they live their life always as a devotee radiating around pearls of grace, without straying in any other direction.

Due to the heavy mission he was loaded with, God favored the Prophet immensely from the very beginning. Parallel to the magnitude of this load, his nature was equipped with kernels that were able to shoulder this weighty task and responsibility. Nonetheless, he improved those kernels and extended them beyond expectations. By means of His all-covering divine knowledge, God Almighty had taken into consideration that the Prophet was going to give his willpower its due in the future, and bestowed him, at the very beginning, grandeur exceeding all other creatures.

Grace covers his character of benevolence as well as his capacity to be blessed with wonders – as he gave away in charity, God bestowed upon him His favors. As each of these incidents also served to endorse his messengership, they can certainly be considered miracles. Indeed, miracle is defined as something wonderful created by God through the hands of a prophet, particularly aimed at the confirmation of his prophethood. The Prophet’s nature, peace be upon him, was already prepared to welcome such wonders.

Grace and generosity have been among the key features of praise throughout history. It is reported in a story that Prophet Abraham owned a herd of livestock, and he had shepherds and dogs to attend them. When some angels, according to the story, could not reconcile his mission with this extensive wealth he owned, God told them to test Abraham. Angels visited Abraham in human form, and when they came close, they praised God, saying, “You are All-Glorified, All-Holy, the Lord of angels and the Spirit,” and they made sure Abraham could hear their prayer.

Each single one of these words were chosen precisely in the name of the glorification and sanctification of God. The true value of chosen words in a poem can be appreciated by true poets and experts of oratory; similarly, the very fine selection of these words would certainly be appreciated by Abraham, whose conscience was able to perceive the situation. Therefore, once he heard the angels verbalizing that utterance of glorification, he almost lost himself and said: “what a beautiful expression! Please say it once more; I will give you one fourth of this herd in front of me!” And when they did so, he offered them half of it for one more utterance. And when said it once more, he declared “I am a slave of yours, together with my shepherds!” As you see, if wealth is firmly connected with that kind of feeling, it becomes a vital support, instead of opposing the post of prophethood.

Prophet Muhammad, too, peace and blessings be upon him, was blessed with wealth through Khadijah, his beloved wife, who was a reputable businesswoman. Nevertheless, by the second or third year following the advent of his call, they had nothing to eat. That huge fortune had almost melted for the sake of mission, spent on banquets to win the hearts of people, or to decrease the tension of conflict. But at the end, that huge fortune was used up. It was consumed to the point that the Pride of Humanity started to bind stones on His belly in order to rid himself of his hunger. You see, this generosity and grace inherited from Abraham was not something unfamiliar to the people of Mecca. And, any member of this city used to have a share from this grace, in accordance with their personal position. However, no single soul was in a position to compete with the grace of the Prophet – even before his prophethood. Indeed, God’s Messenger was the final and the most inclusive fruit of the tree of Abraham. He inherited almost the whole grace of Abraham. This grace increased after the prophethood, and God’s Messenger became an embodiment of grace and generosity.

Especially during Ramadan, as Aisha stated, God’s Messenger was like winds of grace and abundance; he used to give away everything he could to the people around him. For God’s Messenger, accomplishing the exalted mission God Almighty had loaded upon his shoulders was a blessed ideal, even an ambition. God Almighty modified and consoled him in the Qur’an by saying, “Yet, it may be that you will torment yourself to death with grief” (18:6). However, he never gave away his wealth in vain; in contrast, he appreciated doing so on the way to God’s contentment. He scattered whatever he was endowed with like seeds scattered on soil, and every single grain he scattered became an everblooming flower.

The devotees of today, who are striving for the good of all humanity “so that others may live,” are in no different a situation, as they may be considered as inheritors of the prophetic mission. These inheritors should behave in exactly the same way as the Prophet, who revived the character of generosity and grace in His own era and elevated it to its zenith. Taking him as a role model, we can invest all the resources God has given us in education, without wasting a penny. Yes, our generosity has brought about, and will bring about, results that are vitally important for the future of humanity, and so valuable as to be worth all sacrifices.

The brief history of character education

Character education remains a contentious form of education in America. The debate among ethical theorists over moral and character education dates back to colonial America (Glanzer & Milson, 2006). Once considered as part of religious teachings, this concept was altered as states began passing laws in the early 1800s, separating issues of church and state. As a result of this separation, the educational system developed non-sectarian public school policies (Glanzer & Milson, 2006), and character education was adopted by public schools in Massachusetts with the purpose of increasing literacy among children.

The Bible was used as part of the curriculum throughout 17th and 18th centuries, and was then preceded by texts written by William McGuffey. These texts were used to teach children to develop virtues such as honesty, courage, and kindness. During the 20th century however, there was a decline in the use of these texts in public schools in America due to pluralism and the philosophy of moral relativism. Over the past few years, American educators have been examining character education in schools and grants are being awarded to facilitate research in this field (Vardin A. Patricia Montessori Life, spring 2003). This study will illustrate some definitions of character education and its benefits as an intervention.

The definitions of character education

Character education is an umbrella term that has historically included a wide range of components such as traditional character education, the caring approach, and the developmental approach. The goal of character education is to teach children to consider and behave in ethical ways. Firstly, traditional character education has emphasized virtues and the magnitude of ethical issues. Secondly, the caring approach underscores the significance of identifying and improving caring relationships and infusing caring, relational, and social-emotional themes into school curricula (Howard, Berkowitz, & Schaeffer, 2004). Third, the developmental approach stresses that decision-making and social action are important; theorists who ascribe to this approach strongly advocate the power of student participation in creating a moral classroom and a larger moral community (Cohen, 2006). Ontario’s Premier, Dalton McGuinty, defines character education as “the deliberate effort to develop virtues that are good for the individual and good for society” (McGuinty, 2003, p. 15). Character eduction is sometimes defined as an approach that is comprehensive in fostering the moral development of students (Berkowitz, Marvin, & Bier, 2005). For decades, character education was inclined to focus on the importance of good character and values such as honesty, respect, friendship, and caring (Cohen, 2006). Thomas Likona (1991), a developmental psychologist, defined the goal of character education as knowing the good, desiring the good, and doing the good.

What is meant by school violence?

In terms of lawful responsibility, school violence is the violence that occurs on school grounds, on school-supported transportation, and at school-sponsored events. Nevertheless, violence committed on school grounds often derives from conflicts reflected in society. This finding indicates that the lines are blurred between school and community violence and suggests that school staff should be cognizant of the community and its issues in which a school is positioned. It is also suggested that members of society should become involved in school-based violence prevention initiatives. It is more complicated and multidimensional to define what school violence is (Furlong & Morrison, 2000).

The proposals for reducing school violence

By 1997, over two-thirds of secondary schools had either implemented some form of violence prevention program or were preparing to do so (Price & Everett, 1997). These methods have included punishment, health education and random weapons searches (Farrington, 1996). Handheld metal detectors are increasingly used to carry out random or targeted weapons searches in major public school systems. In some places in America, it seemed that there had been a significant reduction in weapons related events; however, it was later discovered that students had learned the routine days when the metal detectors would not be used (Muir 1992).

One of the most significant educational programs is character education. For example, The California Department of Education supports incorporating character education into a standards-based educational system in a variety of ways such as providing resources to build and develop character in youth; supports the core values of trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. The California Department of Education underscores that character education is a trait of effective schools. Effective schools seek to develop and reinforce character traits such as caring, citizenship, fairness, respect, responsibility, and trustworthiness through a systematic approach that includes adult modeling, curriculum integration, a positive school climate, and access to comprehensive guidance and counseling services (Elementary Makes the Grade! CDE, 1999).

The affects of character education on academic achievement

Studies have also found that character education helps increase academic achievement (Elias, Zins, Weissberg et al., 1997). Studies have acknowledged many social and academic attitudes associated with enhanced student success (Benninga, Berkowitz, Kuehn, & Smith, 2003). Academic achievement is bond to critical thinking skills (Esquith, 2003), and according to Brooks (2002), skills such as endurance, decision-making, problem solving, and critical thinking are fundamental principles entrenched in character education. Character education asserts that non-test related academic improvements are also made due to performance of a character education program. Students attending schools exerting the Child Development Program were known to have more motivation to learn and possessed closer ties to their school compared to students who attended schools not implementing the Child Development Program (Benninga, et al., 2003). Students attending Character Counts elementary schools were shown to complete their assignments more often with increased academic sincerity than students who did not attend such schools (Benninga, et al., 2003).

In order to understand character education it is imperative to understand the characteristics of the students. The schools that are strong academically and sturdy in building accomplished students are characterized by five main characteristics indentified by Elias, Zins, Weissberg et al., (1997):

1. They have a school climate articulating specific themes, character elements, and/or values.
2. They have explicit instruction in social-emotional skills.
3. They have explicit instruction in health promotion and problem prevention skills.
4. They have systems to enhance coping skills and social support for transitions, crises, and resolving conflicts.
5. They have widespread, systematic opportunities for positive, contributory service.

After considering these traits one can conclude that students attending schools performing character education programs feel respected and valued which results in reduced non-attendance (Colgan, 2003). Reduced absenteeism, produced by the increased desire to attend school, could be translated into achievement gains (Colgan, 2003). These factors together make available more classroom instructional time and an enhanced learning occasion.

Tremendous progress has been made over the past two decades in establishing effective school-based violence prevention programs. Nevertheless, programs designed to decrease violence in schools have largely focused on reducing student-to-student aggressive behavior through school-based curricular programs (SBCPs), essentially ignoring interpersonal relationships between students and adults in schools, student bonding to schools, disproportionalities in the application of student discipline, and related organizational factors that comprise the school climate.

After considering several vantage points, it is the conclusion of this study that character education is a stellar attempt to reduce school violence and for increasing academic achievement. Educators should emphasize character development, as it is a culmination of a strong union of streams of evidence about factors influencing learning. According to Nucci and Narvaez (2008), moral and character education should be considered by educators as being congruent with learning individual values and identity formation.

Character education has several positive outcomes that address the various needs of schools and communities. For example, it includes values such as tolerance, humility, modesty, and trustworthiness. Moreover, it is emphasized that cheating is a negative characteristic for every student. That is, every student should not enterprise cheating, even when they hear about it, they should not condone it. Thus, it is stressed that academic learning and performance is linked to social-emotional skill and character development, such as in recent studies aiming to understanding the functioning of the brain and its role in learning. These studies have only provided further evidence of the role of social and emotional factors in academic accomplishments (Kusche & Greenberg, 2006). These studies support the notion that every educator should take character education into account.

How could character education be applied toward prevention?

Character education may incorporate some local and state programs to help students increase achievement by developing their behaviors not just in schools, but also in contexts outside of schools. One program called “Your Environment Education Program,” is mentioned by Starr (1999). According to this program, each week, a word is chosen such as tolerance and honesty, to be discussed in the class. At least 10-15 minutes are allocated for these discussions. These discussions are meant to facilitate the comprehension of the meaning of the value by illustrating real life implications, motivational quotes, and recommending some beneficial assignments for students to complete. All of these elements enhance students’ deep understanding of the word. This program also encourages parents to help their children by providing some books containing the word for that week. Parents are also encouraged to stress the meaning of the word at home by incorporating it into daily activities that families do together. Starr (1999) states that the community in Pittsburg also promotes Your Environment Education through program media outlets, local business sponsorships as well as the mayor’s office to promote the importance of character education.

There are negative implications for not employing character education in schools when the opposite methods are considered. The evidence indicates that punishment or incarcerating large numbers of young people for prolonged periods is ineffective and counterproductive (Wilson, 1994). A major problem with using targeted weapons searches in schools is that they implicitly stigmatize those students who are screened as potentially dangerous. The sudden and unexpected arrival of security personnel with metal detectors is also intimidating, anxiety provoking, and disruptive to learning. Serious conflicts also have a tendency to erupt suddenly and to go up out of control before mediation efforts can be initiated, therefore, as long as guns and other weapons can be brought freely into schools, educational approaches alone cannot be expected to solve the problem.

Recommendations

Recommendations based on the information outlined in the study include: providing teachers, administrators and school psychologists with extensive and effective training about development; while character education program is implemented teachers should be aware of their expression toward students. For example, teachers should not give commands to students for preventing a mistake, instead it should be posed to the student as a question of morality such as why they should not engage in a certain behavior and what the consequences might be and whether or not they are willing to accept these consequences. A model should be embraced for serving students that focuses on early interventions and offers access to character education. The environment and society should be informed about character education in order to foster a place, where the students can develop their pro-social skills and improve academic quality. Last, character education curriculum should be supported with media so that while behaving, students can be easily reminded of their objectives, for example, cartoons could be used as an impactful reminder.

References

• Benninga, J., Berkowitz, M., Kuehn, P., & Smith, K. (2003). The relationship of character education implementation and academic achievement in elementary schools. Retrieved May 9, 2006, from the ProQuest database.
• Berkowitz, Marvin W. and Bier M.C. (2005). Character education Parents as Parents. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 64-69.
• Berkowitz, Marvin W. and Hoppe, Mary Anne (2009). Character education and gifted children. High Ability Studies, 20(2), 131-142
• Brooks, B. (2002). Increasing test scores and character education: The natural connection. Retrieved May 2, 2006, from http://www.youngpeoplespress.com/Testpaper.pdf.
• Cohen, J (2006). Social, Emotional, Ethical, and Academic Education: Creating a Climate for Learning, Participation in Democracy, and Well-Being. Harvard Educational Review, 76(2), 201-237
• Colorado State Department of Education, Denver. (2000). Shaping the future through character education: Colorado state conference on character education. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED468627).
• Clayton , C, Ballif-Spanvill, B. L., & Hunsaker M. D. (2001). Preventing violence and teaching peace : A review of promising and effective antiviolence, conflict-resolution, and peace programs for elementary school children. Birmingham Young University, Women’s Research Institute
• Durant, R. H., Kahn, J., Beckford, P. H., & Woods, E. R. (1997). The Association of Weapon Carrying and Fighting on School Property and Other Health Risk and Problem Behaviors among High School Students. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 151, p. 360–366.
• Elementary Makes the Grade! CDE, 1999, http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/gs/em/emgsummary.asp
• Elias, M. J., Zins, J. E., Weissberg, R. P., Frey, K. S., Greenberg, M. T., Haynes, N. M., Kessler, R., Schwab-Stone, M. E., & Shriver, T. P. (1997). Promoting social and emotional learning: Guidelines for educators. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
• Elliott, D. S., B. A. Hamburg, and K. R. Williams, eds.(1998). Violence in American Schools: A New Perspective. New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Esquith, R. (2003). There are no shortcuts. New York: Pantheon Books.
• Farrington, D. P. (1996). Understanding and Preventing Juvenile Youth Crime. York, U.K.: York Publishing
• Furlong, M., & Morrison, G. (2000). The school in school violence: Definitions and facts. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders. 812, p. 71-82
• Glanzer, P. L., & Milson, A. J. (2006). Legislating the good: A survey and evaluation of character education laws in the United States. Educational Policy, 20(3), p. 525.
• Howard, R, W., Berkowitz, M. W., & Schaeffer, E. F. (2004). Politics of character education. Educational Policy, 18(1), p. 188-215.
• Kusche, C., & Greenberg, M. (2006). Brain development and social-emotional learning: An introduction for educators, In M. J. Elias & H. A. Arnold (Eds.), The educator’s guide to emotional intelligence and academic achievement: Social-emotional learning in the classroom. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
• McGuinty, D. (2003). “Character education: A key part of the Ontario Liberal Plan.” Orbit, 33(2), p. 15.
• Miller,T.W., Kraus, R. F., and Veltkamp, L. J., (2008) Character Education as a Prevention Strategy for school-related Violence, T. W. Miller(ed.) In School Violence and Primary Prevention, p. 377-390.
• Muir, E. (1992). School Staff Victimization: Monitoring the Trends. School Safety (fall), p. 4-6.
• Nucci, L., & Narvaez, D. (Eds.). (2008). Handbook of moral and character education, New York: Taylor & Francis
• Price, J. H., and S. A. Everett. (1997). A National Assessment of Secondary School Principals Perceptions of Violence in Schools. Health Education & Behavior, 24, p. 218–229.
• Samples, F., and L. Aber. (1998). Evaluations of School-Based Violence Prevention Programs, In D. S. Elliot, B. A. Hamburg, & K. R. Williams (Eds.), Violence in American Schools: A New Perspective, New York: Cambridge University Press.
• Starr L. (1999). Is character education the answer? Retrieved August 1, 2008 from http://www.education-world.com/a_issues/issues047.shtml.
• Vardin A Patricia Montessori Life, (Spring 2003). Character education in America. ProQuest Education Journals, 15(2), p. 32
• Wilson, J. Q. (1994). Just Take Away the Guns. New York Times Magazine, 20 March, p. 46-47.

Some modern Western scholars would ascribe the long-lasting existence of Ottoman rule to oppression and a strong military presence. According to this view, it was fear and terror that brought authority and control over at least the Balkans, a dominantly Christian territory. Careful and accurate scholarship, however, has revealed that this was certainly not the case. The majority of historical sources and archives have so far disclosed highly advanced administrative skills in the Ottoman state affairs. The most recent scholarly works, both popular and academic, have unanimously praised and applauded the Ottomans’ cultural and social contributions to the regions they administered, as well as their equitable treatment of their subjects over long periods of time. The Ottoman experience of social and cultural life provides valuable lessons for those nations that live in these regions today: The value of putting aside ethnic, religious and cultural differences, of living together and cooperating for a better future, and the sacredness of human life and the respect for the right of others to live, as well as freedom of expression and religion all existed in this state.

Historically speaking, Western Europe has always been in contact with the Ottomans through commerce or other forms of international relations. Diplomacy in the Middle Ages and afterwards was made possible by ambassadors. These ambassadors would conduct negotiations regarding disputes and sign new agreements. The observations of these special envoys about their visits formed first-hand reliable information about the unknown “others.” For example, in the year 800 AD, on one of these occasions long before the Ottomans, Charlemagne sent an envoy to Harun al-Rashid, the Abbasid Caliph, with gifts. On his part, the Caliph also sent many gifts to Charlemagne, one famous one being a clock. In a similar vein, many ambassadors had the chance to see and study Ottoman life closely during their visits. These visits considerably increased in number with the agreement of concessions granted by the Ottomans. The ambassadors would often record their experiences as notes or letters, which have proven to be of indispensable value for us today in studying an era and civilization about which not much is known.

Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq (1520–1592) was one such ambassador for the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand. He came to Turkey and wrote about the life in Ottoman lands and their public administration practices. Busbecq grew up at Busbecq Castle as the son of the reputable Busbecq family. He studied in famous schools and like his father and grandfather he followed a career as a servant of the crown. He was first sent to England in 1554, and then appointed as ambassador to the Ottomans under the rule of Süleyman the Magnificent in Istanbul from 1555 to 1562.

For the duration of his service in the Ottoman lands, Busbecq constantly wrote letters to a friend in the Netherlands. These were later on published many times, most recently by Forster and Daniel in 1881 as the Turkish Letters. Widely accepted as one of the world’s first travel literatures, Busbecq describes public life and his adventures in the Ottoman land in the letters in some detail. One of the letters is of particular interest as it sheds light on certain historical aspects related to the Janissaries, the well-trained Ottoman guards.

The word “Janissary” had negative connotations in the West during the Middle Ages. The Ottoman Muslim conquests in Eastern Europe certainly contributed to this. However, Busbecq, after a prolonged visit to the Ottoman sultan, had the chance to evaluate the Janissaries and he developed some sympathy with them. In his letter he describes these guards as being of good character and spiritually elevated. In fact, Busbecq starts this letter with a description of these highly-educated Janissaries, how they function and their duties in the Ottoman lands, as well as their equitable and unbiased treatment of the public, poor or rich, Muslim or non-Muslim:

“At Buda I made my first acquaintance with the Janissaries; this is the name by which the Turks call the infantry of the royal guard… Janissaries are scattered through every part of the state, either to garrison the forts against the enemy or to protect the Christians and Jews from the violence of the mob. There is no district with any considerable amount of population, no borough or city, which has not a detachment of Janissaries to protect the Christians, Jews, and other helpless people from outrage and wrong.”

Busbecq goes on to comment about the gentle and polite disposition of Janissaries. In fact, he seems to be quite impressed by the simplicity and modesty of these guards, praising them highly, as can be seen in his next letter:

“These Janissaries generally came to me in pairs. When they were admitted to my dining room they first bowed, and then came quickly up to me, all but running, and touched my dress or hand, as if they intended to kiss it… After reaching the door, they would stand respectfully with their arms crossed, and their eyes bowed to the ground, looking more like monks than warriors… To tell you the truth, if I had not been told beforehand that they were Janissaries, I should, without hesitation, have taken them for members of some order of Turkish monks, or brethren of some Moslem college. Yet these are the famous Janissaries, whose approach inspires terror everywhere.”

According to Busbecq, these soldiers were ready to act even under extremely harsh conditions, accepting with resignation all that happened due to their faith. The Janissaries were certainly trained to obey their commander under the most severe of circumstances. In addition, Busbecq admired the Janissaries, who would never complain about difficulties:

“On such occasions (war or campaign) they take out a few spoonfuls of flour and put them into water, adding some butter, and seasoning the mess with salt and spices; these ingredients are boiled, and a large bowl of gruel is thus obtained. Of this they eat once or twice a day, according to the quantity they have, without any bread, unless they have brought some biscuit with them…”

Busbecq then goes on to compare the attitudes of these soldiers with their Western counterparts and admits the supremacy of the former with stunning self-assessment and criticism:

“From this you will see that it is the patience, self-denial and thrift of the Turkish soldier that enable him to face the most trying circumstances and come safely out of the dangers that surround him. What a contrast to our men! … On their side is the vast wealth of their empire, unimpaired resources, experience and practice in arms, a veteran soldiery, an uninterrupted series of victories, readiness to endure hardships, union, order, discipline, thrift and watchfulness. On ours are found an empty exchequer, luxurious habits, exhausted resources, broken spirits, a raw and insubordinate soldiery, and greedy quarrels; there is no regard for discipline, license runs riot, the men indulge in drunkenness and debauchery, and worst of all, the enemy are accustomed to victory, we to defeat. Can we doubt what the result must be?”

Thus, Busbecq sets out several universal virtues and ethical and moral principles as belonging to the Janissaries. Selflessness, humility, simplicity, integrity, and honor are among the virtues that Busbecq attributes to the Janissaries. He believes the way that individuals are ranked and merited for a job or promotion in the Ottomans is certainly of importance and may help us at least to partially explain the lofty character of the Janissaries. According to Busbecq, the merits for an important position in public service and authority should be based on character and ability, rather than privileges of birth, prosperity or social status:

“No distinction is attached to birth among the Turks; the deference to be paid to a man is measured by the position he holds in the public service. There is no fighting for precedence; a man’s place is marked out by the duties he discharges. In making his appointments the Sultan pays no regard to any pretensions on the score of wealth or rank, nor does he take into consideration recommendations or popularity, he considers each case on its own merits, and examines carefully into the character, ability, and disposition of the man whose promotion is in question. It is by merit that men rise in the service, a system which ensures that posts should only be assigned to the competent…”

These remarks are astounding, even to us today. Being awarded with a position is based on qualifications and past accomplishments rather than social status and rank. This normative statement certainly has political and social implications. Busbecq continues in his claim even further:

“Those who receive the highest offices from the Sultan are for the most part the sons of shepherds or herdsmen, and so far from being ashamed of their parentage, they actually glory in it, and consider it a matter of boasting that they owe nothing to the accident of birth; for they do not believe that high qualities are either natural or hereditary, nor do they think that they can be handed down from father to son, but that they are partly the gift of God, and partly the result of good training, great industry, and unwearied zeal; arguing that high qualities do not descend from a father to his son or heir, any more than a talent for music, mathematics, or the like; and that the mind does not derive its origin from the father, so that the son should necessarily be like the father in character, or emanates from heaven, and is thence infused into the human body. Among the Turks, therefore, honors, high posts, and judgeships are the rewards of great ability and good service. If a man be dishonest, or lazy, or careless, he remains at the bottom of the ladder, an object of contempt; for such qualities there are no honors in Turkey!”

Nobody is held responsible for the misfortunes or sins of their parents. Everybody is accountable for his or her own deeds. The lofty character of a mother and father does not pass to the children at birth. It is how a child is raised and educated that really matters in society. People who are elevated intellectually or spiritually are those who benefit themselves and society. Without a doubt these universal messages that Busbecq proclaims with honesty are ones that we wholeheartedly support.

In addition to being an indispensable source of information about Ottoman life more than four centuries ago, these letters also provide valuable lessons for policymakers. They remind us that the foundations of great civilizations and military power were lofty values and virtues. Power, when in the hands of the righteous, becomes an instrument for stability and balance. On the contrary, when in the hands of a tyrant, power causes chaos and anarchy in the world. Morality, integrity, equity and fairness, as well as merit, are some of the principles that may guide nations towards progress and prosperity. In a sense, a nation will rise when more of its members become selfless and are able to put the interests of “others” before “their own.” Societies that are made up of people who are ready to sacrifice themselves for the better good of others will indeed inherit a better world for their children. They will also be remembered forever. Those who put their own hedonistic ambitions before all else are doomed to be forgotten. Nobody will remember their lavish and inconsiderate lives or existence. The former U.S. president, J. F. Kennedy once said “Ask not what your country can do for you-ask what you can do for your country.” It may be most appropriate for us to conclude as follows: “Ask not how others can help you, but ask how you can help others.”

Osman Nal is an associate professor in finance, Texas Southern University.

Notes

1. Several uprisings by local populations in different parts of the Ottoman State occurred. But their number was very limited. In the case of the Balkans, for at least 200 years, and in the Middle East for at least 400 years, social life was very calm and stable.
2. A useful book on the Ottomans is Ottoman Centuries by Lord Kinross and Lords of the Horizons: A History of the Ottoman Empire by Jason Goodwin.

References

1. C. T. Forster and F. H. B. Daniel, eds. The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq, Vol. I, London: Kegan Paul, 1881.
2. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1555busbecq.html

The words khalq (creation) and khuluq (nature) are derived from the same root word. Khalq relates to the external form or appearance, the visible, material, and experienced dimension of existence; khuluq is concerned with the spiritual dimension, meaning, or content. An individual cannot be judged or known by his or her outer appearance, for one’s real identity lies in one’s character, temperament, and natural disposition. However many different images one may project; one’s true character or temperament eventually will reveal itself. How meaningful are the following words of an Arab poet of the pre-Islamic Age of Ignorance:

If a man has a bad quality, sooner or later it will reveal itself;

Let him continue to think that it can remain hidden.

In other words, the outer appearance is deceiving, for one’s natural disposition removes or corrects all deceptions and thereby reveals one’s true nature. Since one may acquire a second nature through education and habituation, moralists divide nature into good and bad. In the present context, we use “nature” to mean “good nature.”

The most correct standard of a good spiritual life, one that Sufism uses to describe or qualify a person, is good nature. One who has taken a few steps forward in good nature may be regarded as advanced in the spiritual life. Although miracles, dazzling stations, and superhuman actions may be acceptable when they issue from good nature, they are worthless if not combined with good nature.

When asked which believer was better on account of his or her belief, the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, answered: “The one who is better in conduct or nature.” This is natural, because God praises and consoles His most distinguished servant the Prophet Muhammad, upon him be peace and blessings, not with His extraordinary favors but with his laudable virtues and praiseworthy qualities, declaring: You stand on an exalted standard of character (68:4). His nature was the aim and fruit of his creation. Since the Prophet’s conduct embodied Islam and the Quran, when his wife Aisha, may God be pleased with her, was asked about his conduct by Sa’id ibn Hisham, she answered: “Do you not read the Quran? His conduct is (the embodiment of) the Quran.”

The verse: You stand on an exalted standard of character (68:4) shows that the incomparable conduct of the Prophet was based on the Quran. In addition to his outer and inner faculties and senses, and the material and immaterial aspects of his creation and character, the Prophet was endowed with all potentialities needed to be the most forward and greatest representative of human virtue. Developing these potentials to the highest degree possible, he attained the highest degree of human perfection.

Not content with this state, as is declared in the verse: Surely, in the Messenger of God you have a good example for him who hopes for God and the Last Day, and remembers God much (33:21), he established the most excellent example for his followers and thereby gradually transformed them into the most virtuous community of all time. With such sayings as: “The most perfect in belief among the believers are the most perfect in conduct” ; “A man can cross with good conduct the distances which he cannot with acts of worship and adoration” ; and: “The first virtue to be weighed in the Balance (in the other world) is good conduct,” and by employing the perfect, fruitful principles he brought to perfect humanity, he guided his followers to the realms where angels move.

The signs of good nature have been summarized as follows: a person possessing this quality does not hurt anybody by either word or deed, overlooks those who hurt him or her and forgets the evils done, and returns evil with good. The Prophet, upon him be peace and blessings, who is praised with the verse: You stand on an exalted standard of character (68:4), is the most excellent example of these virtues. He was not offended by the one who stood before him and told him to be just, by the one who pulled his robe from the back and hurt him, by the one who threw dust on his head and insulted him, or by the one who slandered his innocent and beloved wife Aisha. In fact, he visited each of these individuals when they became ill and followed their funeral processions. He did so because good nature was a dimension of his blessed existence.

Many people seem to be good natured, mild-mannered, and humanitarian, although good conduct and mildness are no more than affectations. When they experience a little irritation, anger, or harsh treatment, their true nature will be revealed. One who has good nature does not change his or her manners even when in a hellish state, but remains mild and shows no harshness. A heart open to good nature is like a very broad space in which one can bury one’s anger and rage. As for those intolerant and impatient ones who display bad conduct, they are, like Cain, more stupid than the raven, and can find no place to bury their anger, hatred, and ill feelings.

Let us conclude this discussion with the following couplet:

It is by good nature that a man can be perfected;

It is by good nature that the order of the world is maintained.

Notes

1. Sulayman ibn Ash’as al-Sijistani Abu Dawud, Sunan Abi Dawud, 4 vols. (Beirut, n.d.), 14; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2:250.
2. Muslim, “Musafirin,” 139.
3. Abu Dawud, Sunan, 14; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2:250.
4. Al-Haythami, Majma’ al-Zawa’id, 8:24.
5. ‘Ala al-Din ‘Ali al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, Kanz al-’Ummal fi Sunan al-Aqwal wa al-Af ‘al, 8 vols. (Beirut: 1985), hadith no. 5160.
6. Al-Bukhari, “Adab,” 95; Muslim, “Zakat,” 142.
7. Al-Bukhari, “Khumus,” 19; Muslim, “Zakat,” 142.
8. Al-Bukhari, “Shahada,” 15; Muslim, “Tawba,” 56.
9. Abu Dawud, “Jana’iz,” 1.

The children who appreciate their talents and capabilities-believing in the importance of them-and have self-confidence become active agents in their personal improvement since belief and confidence motivate them. They do not feel shy when asking questions, trying something new, or exploring. Instead of waiting for an opportunity to knock at their doors, they take advantage of present opportunities. They act with courage in exploring life and joining in every aspect of life.

If their thoughts and decisions are not valued, if they suffer from violence, are not taken seriously, if their excuses are mostly considered lies, if their confidence is generally thought of as a sign of know-it-all behavior, if their pleasure is seen as a sign of being pampered, then children will not develop self-respect and they will lose self-confidence.

Another point that should be kept in mind is that children always want to spend some time on their special interests. Yet, if it is the parents who generally decide what the child should do and do not offer other options, the child becomes deprived of his or her interest.

Since children are not very experienced, they can easily start to think that they are not capable. The most helpful action to remove this kind of feeling is to make them realize that there are some people who can understand them and have empathy with them. If the child experiences emotional support from parents, his or her chance of overcoming the anxieties of incapability and attaining a healthy character increases. On the other hand, if the parents do not pay attention to the complex feelings of the child and the reasons behind them, some new problems may arise. Things that are not significant for us may be very significant for the child; so we should not ignore the fears of a child.

When children feel incapable of dealing with a new problem, the parents should reveal their belief in their capacity to overcome the problem and show their support. When children need the parents, they should be near enough that the children can find them as soon as they look for them. However, this “closeness” should not be limited only to physical occasions. There should be emotional support, too.

The most important way for parents to supply this psychological support is to show their love to their children. Hugging, kissing and putting an arm on the child’s shoulder can be much more impressive than saying, “Do not be afraid; I am here with you!” Nevertheless, to say, “I show my support through my actions. There is no need to state it,” is not true. Expressing, “I love you!” with the tongue may not be so important for adults, but it is a magical expression that every child wants to hear. In this way, the child feels strong and every duty turns into a pleasure for them. To make children gain self-confidence, the parents should first know them from every aspect, recognize their talents, and then should establish necessary environment to improve their abilities. Moreover, it is essential to give opportunity to children to express their thoughts very often, to try to understand their feelings by asking, “What do you think? How do you feel?” to look at their face while they are speaking, to say how much you love the child, to make them feel that you care about them and value their opinion, to assign them some works and responsibilities that are compatible with their age, and to appreciate positive behaviors and successes they have demonstrated. In addition, it is important to set some time aside for the child, to chat with them, to talk about their negative behavior and how it could be corrected, not to forget special days, to establish a happy and peaceful family environment, to strengthen family relations and to make children feel that they are an inseparable part of the family. Children who are socially active are more self-confident, and they can easily join in the social environment around them. In this sense, especially less sociable children should be encouraged to attend social activities, and, if it is necessary, the parent should accompany the child, and promote them in asking for permission to speak inside a community. Also, parents should neither humiliate their child among other people nor exaggerate his or her failures. In order to help the child to establish a strong character, the fears and concerns of the child should be respected; thus, the parents should avoid severely critical or judgmental behavior, and they should not compare the child with other children. Furthermore, children should be required to do things that are appropriate to their age, especially to do homework by themselves. The parents should avoid improper types of punishment and reward.

Hence, children should not be belittled, and their presence should be respected; however, the parents should not expect extraordinary things, and keep in mind that the child has a different and improving character. The parents should pay attention to their school life, character education and spiritual life. Such prayers in action that are made through the tongue of necessity should also be supported with the actual prayers, and therefore parents should trust that God will arrange things for the best.

Some personalities are like bamboo, very hard, very tough; they wait, they make one wait, but eventually they compensate for their slow start very quickly.

For some people, accepting Islam or undertaking and accomplishing an exalted mission resembles growing bamboo. Why? We can best answer this question by looking at how bamboo grows: First the grass seed is sown, watered, and fertilized. No change can be observed in the seed during the first year. The seed is watered and fertilized again. The bamboo does not send forth any shoots from the soil during the second year either. The same actions are repeated for the third and fourth years too; the seed is watered and fertilized, but the resilient seed does not send forth any shoots during this period either. The farmer carries on watering and fertilizing the bamboo with great patience during the fifth year too. At last, towards the end of the fifth year, the bamboo starts to sprout and within a very short period, about 6 weeks, it reaches approximately 27 meters in height.

The first question that comes to minds here is: Has the bamboo reached a height of 27 meters in 6 weeks or over 5 years? The answer to this question is, of course, 5 years. If the seed had not been watered and fertilized for five years, if a great deal of patience and persistence had not been employed, we would not be able to talk about growth at all; indeed the bamboo would not even exist. Therefore, it is that five-year long process of waiting, slowly softening, constantly feeding the chemical and physical elements of the soil, adding water, letting the Sun warm the seed that formed the embryo of the bamboo. Of course, this did not happen spontaneously; it has most certainly happened and continues to happen because The Causer of all Causes, God, has brought all the causes together and given the order to sprout; it is His and life-giving breath that has caused the seed to grow.

Some personalities are like bamboo, very hard, very tough; they wait, they make one wait, but eventually they compensate for their slow start very quickly. This period can last anywhere from 3 to 30 years-they make others wait, or perhaps they are waiting themselves. They absorb our teardrops, our sweat, and our effort, like an infinite vacuum, until the right time comes and they rise with such speed that they overtake those that were in the lead. Like athletes, as they come closer to the finish line, their immense effort is enough to close any gaps; they finish the race first.

How long a person makes others wait or how long that person waits themselves before accepting the truth is dependent on that person’s will power, character, and their current situation. But of course, character plays a role here. If people are not nurtured by what they require, that thing which is most dominant in their character, then they will not feel satisfied. For example: If a person’s dominant character is that which is reflected in the name of God, the Affectionate and the Loving, then before they can accept anything or invite another into their heart, they need and seek love; this is the key to their making any changes. They will only relent if enough love is shown to them. If this does not happen, then they will not give in.

This can be observed in the conversion of some people to Islam. Sometimes, after a long period of investment, it can be observed, with great surprise, that these people have accepted the religion, yet this seems, on face value, to have been caused by a trivial event. Any small matter may set off this great transformation; it is not for us to know what is the key. Our concern is only to continue with the investment, to keep watering, feeding, and nurturing by representing the fundamentals of our religion . . . Most likely, those who are among the first to carry out such actions are those who expend the greatest amount of energy and those who suffer the most.

There are many unsung heroes of service; they have watered the seeds of the future with their tears and with the sweat of their brow. These people are not mentioned anywhere, nor have they ever been heard of. They do not rest, they do not take time to smell the flowers, or to eat the fruit of their labor; they make an effort merely for the sake of God. A tiny movement, the slightest effort may sometimes bear fruit; but it is not just the person who picks the fruit who will get the credit. All of those who contributed to the growth of the tree and the ripening of the fruit will be given credit. God, the Just, the All-Wise does not judge only according to physical appearance, He judges in accordance with the essence and the reality, and it is for this reason that He does not overlook anyone, He does not forget anything, and recompenses everyone’s effort completely.

The Makkans that became Muslims after the conquest of Makka on 11 January 630 (8 Hijri, 20 Ramadan), are, in a way, the bamboo of Islam. The Prophet invited them to belief over 13 years in Makka, from 610 to 622. He watered their hearts with his holy tears and the sweat of his brow. Then, he waited in Madina with patience for eight years. At last, in 630, that is to say, after 21 years had passed since the beginning of the revelation, in those rock-hard hearts that were looked after and watered by the Prophet and his honorable companions with relentless zeal and effort, the seed of belief came to life; it grew branches and blossomed and eventually produced fruit. Bamboo is said to take five years to grow, but those unbelievers took nearly 21 years to start to sprout. Thank God that they began to grow and were able to learn about Islam from the Prophet.

In conclusion, you reap what you sow. We should not aim to be the person who gathers the fruit; that is not our role. We are the one who shall tend the seed and water it with loving care. Putting effort and time into guiding others to the right path will please God; this should be our ultimate aim. Those who are prepared to wait for a person to mature, that is 21 years, patiently hoping to conquer the heart to bring that person to the right way are indeed following the way of the Prophet, the way of informing and invitation. One who embarks on this journey without patience will achieve nothing.

Men and women have different natures that are designed for the duties they are optimized to perform in this life. This difference in natures necessitates different egos as their origin. As witnessed by history, man has an exclusive ego, whereas woman has a rather inclusive ego.¹ In other words, man’s ego leads to a rather self-centered life where communities are composed of distinct individuals, whereas woman’s ego leads to a rather communal life in which the community is considered as the image of one’s self.² This comparison shows that the properties of ego are very densely packed in every male; this is shown by his individualistic character. So, it is easier to understand the nature and impacts of ego by studying men.

In order to identify the two essential aspects of the ego, consider the following questions: Why are women more likely to go to the doctor, if ill, while men drag their feet, refusing to go until it is the final resort? Why are women more likely to ask for directions when they feel lost, while men try as hard as possible not to ask for help? Why do women ask for an expert to fix or assemble something, but men keep working until they are stuck and there is no way out other than calling an expert? Why do men get angry when they are told what they should and how they should do it, both at the same time?

These questions reveal the instinct for self-sufficiency and freedom, which are two essential aspects of the ego. They are very strongly interrelated; so much so that violation of one means violation of the other, or acceptance of one requires acceptance of the other. This relation is explained as follows (Figure 1): Motivated by the instinct of self-sufficiency, the ego does not want to accept its insufficiencies, because an acceptance of insufficiencies requires being open to seeking help from other people; but, receiving help means attachment, hence a violation of freedom. Alternatively, motivated by the instinct of freedom, the ego does not want to accept a power that defines boundaries for its actions because obeying a power means acceptance of weakness, hence insufficiency.

Although men and women are not exactly the same in terms of ego, both of them still carry individuality; and this individuality has the aforementioned instincts. Self-sufficiency and freedom, when used properly, can yield loyal partners that help each other stand together in order to accomplish their life goals. When left untamed and uneducated, self-sufficiency and freedom lead to arrogance, selfishness, and so, a miserable married life. In the long run, uneducated egos become overwhelmed by these instincts and easily break off their relationships with their partners. Therefore, effort must be spent in order to moderate and guide them. 

Let’s ponder over the following example to shed some light on this matter. The forging or shaping of industrial metals requires high temperatures and/or high pressure. If the temperature is high enough to melt the metal, then it can be poured into the mold to give it the desired shape. If the temperature is not high enough, then high pressure is needed to shape the metal; however, the higher the temperature, the lower the pressure required to shape the metal.

Educating the ego means shaping the character of a person; so it involves the shaping of the ego. Similar to the above example, the education of the ego has two main energy sources: heat due to love and pressure due to fear. If the heat of love is enough to melt the ego, then it is very easy to shape the personality. For this reason, most men become a different person when they fall in love. But, if the heat of love is not enough to melt the ego, then the pressure of fear is necessary to make the needed modifications. The source of fear can change from person to person (e.g. fear of God, fear of loneliness, fear of losing dignity, etc.), and fear can manifest itself in another form, which is respect. Whatever the source of the fear is, and however this fear manifests itself, it must be aimed to protect the stability of the relation between the spouses by enabling modifications in the characters as required by the situation.

Use of the fear factor for ego education comes into the picture mostly in later periods of marriages when passionate love has faded and the actual personalities of the individuals are in play. Hence, it is especially in this part of the marriage that an extra effort is required for the successful continuity of the relationship. This effort is called the art of married life. It is an art that reveals the beauties and powers hidden in the hearts; an art that keeps the two instincts of the ego, i.e. self-sufficiency and freedom, under control and guides them. The art of married life involves human specific issues, gender specific issues, and principles needed to maintain mutual harmony. 

I. Human Nature

The subjects that are discussed in this section include the key points that are the same for both men and women.

The past life

The past life of a person has an impact on why that person acts the way they do. Therefore, individuals must learn about their partners’ life stories to achieve a mutual understanding. The knowledge of the past life has two components: the pre-birth family background, and the atmosphere consisting of the parents, siblings, and friends. The pre-birth family background has to do with the conditions that the baby is born into. The financial, social, and psychological states of the family influence the parents’ attitudes towards their child. On top of these states, the parents’ past lives compose the unspoken psychological messages given to the child. For this reason, understanding the parents is an important clue to understanding a person. The multi-component atmosphere of the surrounding people determines the conditions under which the innate personality of the person interacts all throughout their life. This interaction instructs the child what the norms and traditions of society are; these in turn motivate and limit the actions of the individual.

As a result of experiences in the past, a person develops a character,³ which becomes a wall in front of the real nature (innate character) of that person. Therefore, when you are interacting with someone, it is their acquired character that you are dealing with, rather than the innate character from birth. So, it is extremely important to learn about and understand this secondary personality in order to comply with it. The knowledge of the past also makes it easier to have patience in the face of problems and to act compassionately and wisely.

The innate character

This is the God-given character or nature of the person.³ The ego realizes itself in this world through the properties of this character. The individuals who know their innate characters are happy and content in their lives. Success in married life, also, strongly depends on how well the innate character is understood and utilized in the relation. The couples must learn about their own and their partner’s innate character and act accordingly in order to achieve a satisfying and happy marriage.

Because of the past life, the innate personality might have been injured and/or suppressed. The spouses at the beginning of their relationship find the loving and accepting atmosphere needed by the innate character to reveal itself and heal its wounds. However, neither the individual nor the partner knows at the beginning how to properly use or guide these newly emerging properties. It takes time to accord them with respect to each other. So, arguments are imminent in this transitional period as a result of mal-adjusted attitudes.

If the innate character is further suppressed, instead of letting it emerge, this can cause deeper psychological and psychosomatic complications in the long run, such as aggressive attitudes towards family members, or deep and extremely long sleep as a form of self-rejection from the situation. Furthermore, the suppression of the innate character can yield uncontrolled psychological messages that are transferred to the children. These hidden messages can have positive or negative effects on the offspring depending on the psychology of the parent. Sometimes they are like underground mines, which produce much that is of benefit as they are uncovered; and sometimes they act like a second subconscious control mechanism for the person that makes up an aggressive and/or distrustful character.

Both the emergence and the suppression of the innate character have potential dangers. However, when treated properly, the emergence of the innate character is beneficial in the long run. The wise way is to try to be patient with each other so that the partners can realize their innate characters and balance them properly to become more contributing members of the family and the society.

Search for the everlasting love

Every person has a natural instinct to find an everlasting love⁴ that is going to satisfy them in all senses. This instinct is best depicted by the famous expression “live happily ever after”; something that almost never happens: the story always ends at the wedding and the rest is assumed to be irrelevant. Life is full of ups and downs, and no human is ever capable of completely satisfying the heart of another. This is because the heart demands an everlasting love if it is to be satisfied. Therefore, individuals must accept the vast volume of the heart⁴ and the limited capability of the human being. This acceptance has two implications: a person should not expect the other partner to completely satisfy their heart, and a person should not try to completely satisfy their partner’s heart. A person can at most try to do their best in this way; and as a matter of fact, they must try their best.

Hidden love agreement

Every person has a hidden love agreement. This agreement is a sub-conscious list of conditions that form during their past life. If a person was deprived of something that is required by their innate character, then they are going to look for it in their future life. Any behavior that satisfies this need carries the message of love for that person. On the other hand, the innate character of the individual also shapes the ways in which they can receive and give love, hence the language of love.⁵ Therefore, the innate character of the person and its interaction with the past life experiences determine the content of the hidden love agreement. When an individual feels that they are loved by someone, the hidden love agreement is automatically and subconsciously activated. This means that the other partner is expected to do certain things and behave in certain ways that they are not aware of. Due to lack of awareness of this hidden agreement, both partners may violate the conditions therein. The feelings of being ignored and being dissatisfied with the relationship as a result of these violations lead to conflicts and arguments. As a remedy to the situation, individuals must become aware of the existence of this hidden agreement both for themselves and for their partners, learn about their contents, and act accordingly.

Continuous development

The ego is like a seed furnished with much potential; and this potential burgeons as time proceeds. Also, the past experiences are like seeds that are sown into the soil of sub-conscience; they sprout over time. Some of these sprouts emerge during childhood, whereas some arise during adolescence and still others erupt in maturity and old age. As a result, the person that an individual encounters changes continuously as the relationship progresses. If these sprout-like changes in the personality are not followed and controlled both by the individual and the partner, they are going to grow and exercise their capabilities. These capabilities will require new things to work on and new opportunities to flourish. This situation can lead to dissatisfaction with the current state of the relationship, which may be harmful unless treated patiently.

II. Differences between Men and Women

Men and women have different laws that constitute their worlds. In order to achieve balance and harmony between the partners, the differences and similarities between these laws must be understood well.

Need for solitude

Men have a natural need for solitude,6 although it can be at different levels. This natural need is because of their individualized egos, which require freedom and self-sufficiency. Being alone is a way for man to resolve the problems in his mind, a means to free himself from the narrow limits of the routine and relax. Women, on the other hand, need company for several reasons, such as relieving their stress or carrying out an activity, which is in accordance with their more social ego. The contradiction of the needs at this point can easily cause arguments between men and women. A man will start complaining about not having enough freedom and bearing pressure being put on them at home. As a reaction, a woman will start complaining about negligence and the reluctance of her husband to give time to the family. It is extremely important for both partners to understand the other’s point of view; the woman must understand that a man whose need for loneliness is satisfied will soon come back without further effort.⁶ Men, on the other hand, must understand that a wife whose need for company is satisfied will happily let her husband alone.

Reading between the lines

Women in particular tend to use words or actions as veils to their actual sentiments. Consider the following example:⁶ In case of distress or sorrow, the wife may start picking on her husband about very simple things; she may reflect a small problem as a precursor to a gigantic problem. Upon being exposed to such attitudes, the husband may take guard and either start defending himself or try to convince his wife that she is exaggerating the situation. In either case, the wife will get the message that ‘I don’t care about your problem, your feelings are wrong,’ which is a destructive answer to her concealed request to talk. What is necessary is a little bit of patience and some time to be together and listen. There can be other instances where the actual feelings are disguised by aggressive attitudes, and it is incumbent on the man to decipher them.

Principle of uncertainty

The principle of uncertainty is well known among the quantum physicists. Considering the subject of this article, it can be interpreted as follows: it is impossible to define the state of an entity with infinite precision; the more you learn about an aspect of that entity, the less you are allowed to learn about other aspects. This principle applies to the psychology of men and women as follows. Both men and women have an instinct for uncertainty at times due to their psychological needs. However, the motive for uncertainty is different for men and women. The husband wants to seem uncertain to his wife because he wants to escape to his solitude. The wife, on the other hand, tends to exhibit uncertainty to her partner because she wants to be pursued continuously. It is clear from this explanation that the driving force for the same kind of behavior, i.e. uncertainty, is completely contradictory for each. So, if a woman assumes that the driving force for the uncertainty of her husband is the same as hers and tries to follow her husband in every mood or at every moment, then she is going to be violating the rule of uncertainty for men. If, on the other hand, a man, assuming that the needs of his wife are the same as his, leaves his wife alone, then he is going to be acting completely opposite to her expectations. Therefore, men must be treated as men, and women must be treated as women.

III. Principles of Conservation

The principles of conservation form the substrate by which the human-specific and the gender-specific characters can be exercised in harmony.

Purpose of life

A purpose in the lives of the partners may stimulate harmony in the family, especially if this is shared by both partners. A common life goal, or in other words, a unity of purpose may induce self-sacrifice and compassion for each other as required by the circumstances.⁷ For many families, raising children serves as a purpose of life and functions as a unifying factor in the family. The parents try to overcome the difficulties of outside world or problems in their relationships for the sake of their children. However, apart from the children, people can have other goals in their lives, such as volunteer, social, or religious services. Such activities are going to add meaning to or increase the quality of life, which in turn brings contentment and stability to the family.

Love

It is important to know and accept that passionate love, mature love, and compassion are not identical. Moreover, passionate love, which is the one that young people in particular seek relentlessly, is the least persistent and short-lived among the three. Mature love, on the other hand, lasts longer and it acts as the soil from which passionate love flourishes like a flower every spring. The common property of passionate love and mature love is that both require a return from the beloved. Compassion is, in contrast, the highest level of love⁸ which does not ask for any recompense from the loved one: mothers’ love for their children is an example of this. For the stability of the relationship in a family, compassion must take its essential place eventually.⁹ If compassion is not well inculcated in the hearts of the partners by the time passionate love and mature love weaken, the relationship is going to be past the limits of stability for further continuation.

Mutual respect

Couples tend to lose their mutual respect over time. This corrosive effect of time on their respect for each other is due to the ‘familiarization’ process between the partners. Familiarization takes place during the times when they learn about each other’s pluses and minuses, and when they are exposed to their private. As a result, the spouses no longer appear as exciting to one another, and they may forget how valuable they are to one another. This atmosphere is suitable for certain kinds of violations to take place, as explained below. The arguments that break out for a sensible reason may evolve into an aggressive ego competition in which the spouses unfairly criticize each other with inappropriate words. Unless resolved in peace, these conflicts may lead the spouses explaining each other’s faults or deficiencies to other relatives and/or friends. As a result, a fair argument at the beginning may grow into an unfair clash in which mutual regard for honor is violated. Every individual has a private space in the physical world and in the psychological/mental world. These private spaces can only be occupied with the consent of the individual. Filling up the partner’s desk or room space with things that don’t belong to them is an example of the violation of physical space. Forcing the other partner to feel the same feelings and share the same ideas is, on the other hand, an example of violation of psychological/mental space. Both of these violations are likely to occur not necessarily due to bad intentions, but more as a consequence of the comfort brought by mutual love. So, it is important not to push for the occupation of the individual spaces as a price for the love given to the partner. Every individual has different sensitivities at different levels. A pleasant and loving atmosphere can be felt in the family if the spouses do not violate each other’s sensitivities. It is usual that people try to be careful about the sensitivities of the people they have recently met. Yet they, unfortunately, tend to neglect those they have known for a long time and who are close. This applies to spouses, too, as they progress into their marriage. Neglect of sensitivities may result in uncontrolled nervous eruptions, which can spark unnecessary arguments. The effort to be careful about sensitivities, on the other hand, will pay off as the unparalleled peace at home. In summary, for a healthy relationship, the following three kinds of respect must be preserved: respect for honor, respect for individual space, and respect for sensitivities.

Strength of criteria

It is essential to have a sense of strength and dispensability of the rules coming from several sources, such as tradition, religion, personal sensitivities… Life can require giving up some habits or violating some rules for the sake of others. People may be obliged to make sacrifices in certain things in order to save others. In order to keep the integrity of the family and the integrity of personal character, it is best for every individual to have a reasonable order of priority when making compromises and sacrifices.

Mutual complaint evaluation

It is recommended that the individuals either prepare a list of complaints about each other and discuss it, or ask for criticism from their partners at times.⁵ This can help the partners look at themselves from an outside perspective and adjust their attitudes as required by the circumstances. However, not everybody can do this kind of exercise, since listening and accepting errors is not a ubiquitous virtue. In such cases, so as not to trigger another conflict due to criticism, asking for help from a reliable person that is respected by the other partner may be a solution at this point.

Conclusion

The egos that make up a family must act in coherence so that the solidarity between the individuals persists against the erosive inclinations of the ego that desires to attain self-sufficiency and freedom. The art of married life helps moderate and guide these inclinations of the ego for a happy and continued relationship. Every couple must strive to perform this art so that freedom and self-sufficiency do not govern the attitudes of the spouses and lead to destruction of the marriage. Acknowledgment I would like to thank my wife for her valuable views in our discussions on the subject.

Notes

1. Tannen, D., You just don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation, pp. 24-25, Ballantine Books.
2. Nursi, S., 20th Flash, Flashes, pp. 206, Sozler Publications.
3. Aydin, S., Karakter egitiminde mizac (Personality and character education), Sizinti, No:299, Dec. 2003, pp. 533-537.
4. Nursi, 3rd Flash, Flashes, pp. 29-30.
5. http://www.fivelovelanguages.com
6. Gray, J., Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.
7. Nursi, 21st Flash, Flashes, pp. 214.
8. Nursi, S., 8th Letter, Letters 1, pp. 34, Truestar Publications.
9. Nursi, S., 10th Word, Words 1, pp. 125-126, Kaynak Publications Virginia Psychology, Philosophy.

“None of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.”
W. Montgomery Watt

Michael Hart received much heated criticism from some of his readers when he listed Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, as the most influential person of all times in his book entitled The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History.

While Hart’s criteria for selection was fairly objective, for most people seeing the name Muhammad ahead of names like Mahatma Gandhi or Jesus was startling, if not outright disturbing. For people of the western world who are trying to understand Prophet Muhammad, his human character, his ethnic background, and negative stereotypes unjustly associated with him sometimes present a barrier that needs to be overcome. One of the common stereotypes about Prophet Muhammad is to view him as a pious man who dedicated his life to saving his community, the pagans of the Arabian Peninsula, from their wretched lifestyle by claiming prophethood. This view, while appearing innocent at first glance, seriously overlooks his lifetime achievements and his impact on the history of humanity.

The Implications of Two Views

It must be emphasized that being a pious person and trying to save a community by declaring prophethood is not the same, in any way, as being a real messenger of God. The first case implies that the person is essentially a liar. While many adjectives have been associated with Prophet Muhammad, “liar” has never been one of them. Indeed, he was known by his community as their most trustworthy member, al-Ameen in Arabic. Disbelievers accused him of being a magician or a crazy person, but never of lying. In the words of Montgomery Watt:

“His readiness to undergo persecutions for his beliefs, the high moral character of the men who believed in him and looked up to him as leader, and the greatness of his ultimate achievement – all argue his fundamental integrity. To suppose Muhammad an impostor raises more problems than it solves. Moreover, none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.”¹

Prophet Muhammad lived for 23 years after receiving the first revelation. His companions continuously observed the minute details of his life. Their acquaintance with him only increased their devotion to him. If there had been the smallest sign of insincerity, they would have noticed and would have abandoned him. This never happened. The early Muslim community that started with his wife Khadija and his cousin ‘Ali ibn Abu Talib (may God be pleased with them) in Makka numbered over 140,000 by the time of his death, 23 years later. Some companions were so fond of him that they even saved pieces of his beard and kept them as valuable mementos.

The issue of the authenticity of Prophet Muhammad’s message is a two-sided issue. The two sides in this case are infinitely distant from one another. On the one side is the view that he was a genuine messenger of God. On the other is the position that he was a pious person who worked to save his community from ignorance by declaring his prophethood when indeed this was not the case.

If one views the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, superficially, in the light of what history books narrate of the beginning of his life, one will not be able to perceive him and appreciate his worth or recognize his character fully. However, the religion of Islam and the world civilization of Islam have flourished from him. One should consider the narrations of history and biography books as a thin cover. This cover can be split, just as the Prophet split the moon into two with a single gesture of his finger, and this shows him as the seed and founder of this civilization. One should regard what one sees of the merely human dimension of the Prophet as being the outer covering of the seed from which the blessed tree of Prophet Muhammad has grown. It is a tree that has been watered by Divine blessings and has flourished continually through time with the help of Divine favors. Whatever one hears of the beginning of his life, of his merely human qualities and states should not lead one to get stuck there. Rather, one should immediately direct one’s attention to the degree of greatness he attained at the final point of his greatness, impossible to perceive without recognizing the hand of the Lord of the Universe.

The Fruits of the Tree of Muslim Civilization

Indeed, if we examine what fruits the tree of Islamic civilization bore, we can make the following observations: The polytheist Arabs of the Arabian Peninsula had many despicable habits that were ingrained in their culture. For instance, they used to bury their daughters in order to be saved from the embarrassments these girls might bring on the family when they grew up. Usury, adultery, racism, oppression of the weak, the worshipping of idols, oppression of women and the elderly, rampant drinking, and tribal feuds were the norm of this era. In place of these habits, Prophet Muhammad established virtues, such as charity (to the needy and the relatives), strong family bonds, universal brotherhood of humankind, truthfulness, kindness to the elderly and especially to one’s parents, caring for orphans, the observation of freedom of choice in religion, respect for animal rights, among others. His success in eliminating the vices of racism from his people’s consciences was noted by the famous British historian Arnold Toynbee:

“The extinction of race consciousness as between Muslims is one of the outstanding achievements of Islam, and in the temporary world there is, as it happens, a crying need for the propagation of this Islamic virtue.”²

It is well known to behavioral scientists and social workers that a minor habit, such as cigarette smoking, in a small community can be removed permanently only by a powerful authority with great effort. But Prophet Muhammad was able to remove numerous ingrained habits from great nations that were intractable and fanatical in their beliefs with slight outward power and little effort over a short period of time. In their place he established exalted qualities, virtues common to most world religions, which mingled firmly with their souls. He achieved many extraordinary feats like this. Thus, the Arabian Peninsula of Prophet Muhammad’s time stands as a challenge to those who refuse to see the testimony of the blessed age of the Prophet. If we were to take a hundred philosophers, go there, and strive for a hundred years, would we be able to carry out in that time one hundredth of what he achieved in a year?

Thomas Carlyle was amazed as to “how one man single handedly, could weld warring tribes and wandering bedouins into a most powerful and civilized nation in less than two decades.” He further commented:

“The lies, which well-meaning zeal has heaped round this man (Muhammad), are disgraceful to ourselves only.”³

While Prophet Muhammad performed many miracles, his greatest miracle given to him, the Qur’an, continues to inspire and guide over a billion Muslims in their lives. Many non-Muslim translators and the commentators of the Qur’an have praised it as a masterpiece of Arabic literature.

The Mirror and the Source

Another pitfall that awaits someone who is studying Prophet Muhammad”s character with a doubting or idle curiosity is that they may be unable to distinguish between the subject and the object, the source and the mirror. Such a person may not be able to distinguish between a letter of the alphabet, which has no meaning in itself and therefore draws attention to others than itself, and a word which, having a meaning in itself, attracts attention to itself. He may not be able to distinguish between what is essential to or inherent in the Divine Being and what is disseminated or manifested by Him. The Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him, is purely a created servant of God Almighty, one much more advanced than anybody else in worship and servitude to Him. We must view him as one who is the object of Divine manifestations. Whatever perfections he displays are from his Almighty Lord. No created thing, whether big or small, can be, of itself, the real source or origin of anything. But, the tiniest particle can, like a mirror, contain even the stars of the heavens, reflecting what is manifested in it of God”s magnificence. Those who are heedless of this fact may fall into the trap of viewing each thing in respect of itself, and not in respect of the origin of the light reflected in it. Prophet Muhammad was a mirror that reflected the light of the Lord of the universe. To see him otherwise is to deny the historical record of the magnificence of Islamic civilization.

Conclusion

In these difficult times of the early 21st century, people of the world have found a renewed interest in the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad. The unbiased seeker of truth has to understand the motives of those sources who present him as a pious man who lived in the 7th century Arabian Peninsula and tried to uplift his community by declaring propethood. This seeker should raise his sight from the broken egg, which is the human and ethnic background of Muhammad and view the magnificent peacock that is the servant of God who led his people from darkness to light, and continues to inspire billions. And they need to raise their sights from the seed that is the human Muhammad to the magnificent tree of Islamic civilization with its many fruits. Many enlightened intellects have done exactly this. In his work entitled Historie de la Turquie, the famed French author Lamartine wrote: —Philosopher, orator, apostle, legislator, warrior, conqueror of ideas, restorer of rational dogmas, of a cult without images; the founder of twenty terrestrial empires and of one spiritual empire, that is Muhammad. As regards all standards by which human greatness may be measured, we may well ask, is there any man greater than he?—⁴ His view was echoed repeatedly by many well-known names of the world, such as Goethe, Bismarck, Thomas Carlyle, G. Bernard Shaw, and Gandhi during the subsequent centuries: —I become more than ever convinced that it was not the sword that won a place for Islam in those days. It was the rigid simplicity, the utter self-effacement of the Prophet, the scrupulous regard for pledges, his intense devotion to his friends and followers and his intrepidity, his fearlessness, his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. These and not the sword carried everything before them and surmounted every obstacle— (Ghandi, Young India, 1922). In response to the western labeling of —anti-Christ,— the Nobel laureate George Bernard Shaw said: —I have studied him, the wonderful man and in my opinion far from being anti-Christ, he must be called the Savior of Humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it much needed peace and happiness.—⁵ The name Muhammad derives from an Arabic root which means —love.— In the Qur’an, God mentions him as a —mercy upon humankind.— But this image strikes a sharp contrast with his current image in the West in the light of recent developments. The true image of the messenger of God is shadowed by historical and recent negative associations that have created a temporary blindness to the magnificent achievements of his lifetime and to 14 centuries of Islamic civilization. To quote again the words of Montgomery Watt, —none of the great figures of history is so poorly appreciated in the West as Muhammad.— Therefore, the unbiased seeker of truth of the 21st century has a duty to study the life and the message of this great messenger with an open mind, going beyond stereotypes.

Footnotes

1. Watt, W. Montgomery, Mohammed at Mecca, Oxford, 1953, p. 52.
2. Toynbee, A.J., Civilization on Trial, New York, 1948, p. 205.
3. Carlyle, Thomas, Heroes and Hero-worship, p.19.
4. Lamartine, Historie de la Turquie, Paris, 1854, Vol. II, pp. 276-277.
5. Shaw, George Bernard, The Genuine Islam, Singapore. Vol. 1, No. 81936, Ref. 7-p16.