Luqmān

وَاقْصِدْ فِي مَشْيِكَ وَاغْضُضْ مِن صَوْتِكَ إِنَّ أَنكَرَ الاَصْوَاتِ لَصَوْتُ الْحَمِيرِ

19. “And be moderate in your pace; and lower your voice; verily the most unpleasant of voices is the braying of the asses.”

Imam Hassan (as) said:

“To walk swiftly decreases the value of a believer.”

Another tradition indicates:

“It does not matter that the invitation of people and recitation of the Qur’an be uttered loudly.”

Therefore Luqman by this verse says:

In fact, in these two verses two qualities are prohibited and two qualities are enjoined. The qualities which are forbidden are self-admiration and selfishness, one of which causes man to be proud unto the servants of Allah, and the other causes man to consider himself as a complete one and, consequently, he closes the doors of development to him although he does not compare himself with another person. Although these two qualities in a man are often with together and have a common root, sometimes they also separate with each other.

Observing to be moderate in ‘action’ and speech’ are two useful commandments, because emphasizing on moderation, in pace and the tune of the sound, of a person are mentioned as two examples. Verily he who has these four qualities is a successful, happy and victorious person both amongst people and before Allah (s.w.t.). It is noteworthy that there may be some sounds in our living place which are more troublesome than the braying of asses, but no doubt these sounds are not general and common. Moreover, to be troublesome and to be uglier are different.

Whatever that a person hears and is truly the most unpleasant of voices is that very braying of an ass, to which the shouts of the proud and the foolish persons have been likened. Not only because of ugliness, the loudness and the style of the braying of an ass, but also because of its being sometimes unreasonable, for as some of the commentators have said, the sound of other animals are often because of a need or a reason, but this animal sometimes unreasonably and without having any need suddenly brays.

There may be for this reason that some Islamic narrations denote that when an ass brays, it has seen a Satan. Some commentators have said the sound of every animal is the glorification to Allah except the sound of an ass! However, the ugliness of this sound comparing other sounds does not need to be discussed. And if we see that in a tradition narrated from Imam Sadiq (as) this verse has been rendered into the sneeze with a loud voice, or into speaking very loudly, it is, indeed, the statement of a clear extension of it.

Some Traditions on Islamic Rules of Etiquette

Islamic traditions narrated from the Prophet (S) and the Imams of Ahlul Bayt (as) have been considered giving more importance unto the subject of modesty, good character, benignity in meetings, and absence of harshness in social intercourse than other things. The best and the most expressive reason in this regard are the Islamic narrations themselves, the examples of which are as follow: 1- Hadrat Sadiq (as) has been narrated from that he said:

“Allah has enjoined faith upon the man’s limbs and has divided it among them.

Among them is that He has enjoined man’s feet not to go toward sin and iniquity and to move in the path of the content of Allah. So the Qur’an says:

and it also says:

2- Another narration indicates that once the holy Prophet (S) was passing through a lane. He saw a madman around whom people had gathered and looking at him. He (S) said:

“What have they gathered there for?”

People answered:

“For a madman who has an epileptic fit.”

The Prophet (S) looked at them and said:

“This is not mad. Do you want me to introduce the real mad one to you?”

They answered:

“Yes. O Messenger of Allah.”

He said:

“The real mad is he who walks proudly, constantly looks at his side, and moves his sides with his shoulders (and shows haughtiness). This is the true mad (one), but this one (that you are looking at) is sick.”

3- A person once came to the Prophet (S) and asked him to admonish him. Then he (S) told him:

“Do meet your brother with a joyful face.”

4- Another tradition indicates that the Prophet (S) said:

“On the Day of Hereafter there will not put anything of actions in the scale of a man better than good character.”

5- Imam Sadiq (as) in a tradition said:

“Pious goodness and good character flourish houses and increase in lifetimes.”

6- Again the holy Prophet (S) said:

“The things for which my people may enter Paradise most of all are piety for Allah and good character.”

Concerning modesty we also read that Imam Ali (as) has said:

“The adornment of the honourable people is modesty.”

Imam Sadiq (as) in a tradition said:

“Modesty is the origin of every goodness and happiness. It is a high rank, and if there were a word for modesty which people understood, it would state many hidden secrets of the sequel of the affairs…And he who has modesty for Allah, He will elevate him above many of his servants…No worship is accepted by Allah and He is pleased of but that its door is modesty.”