Is Consistency a Virtue? Essay

Outline:

• The world of harmony
• The life of harmony is the foundation of happiness
• The accordance of our actions with our words
• The training of children
• Condition for a moral teacher
• Religion without life

To live a good life, the ideal life, the beautiful life, we must be at peace with all things. Our every thought, word and deed must be harmonious. To enter harmony is to enter a new world where everything is better, where opportunities are greater and more numerous, and where persons, conditions and things are more agreeable. You will not only enter a better world, however, but the attitude of harmony will relate your life so perfectly to the good things in all worlds that may exist about you, that the best from every source will naturally gravitate towards your sphere of existence. But harmony will not only cause the good things of life to gravitate towards you, but it will also cause you to radiate the good qualities in your own being and thus become a perpetual benediction to everybody.

Life harmony is the foundation of happiness and wealth and is one of the greatest essentials to achievement and real success. The mind that works in perpetual harmony does more work and far better than the possible in any other condition. To work in harmony is to promote increase and development in all the qualities and powers of the personality, while to work in confusion is to weaken the entire system and thus originate causes that will terminate in failure.

Let our actions must be in accordance with our words. To say one thing and to do another is a very dangerous thing. It creates disharmony in life. And disharmony brings nothing but sorrow and grief. The reason why happiness and prosperity is not as universal and as abundant as it might be, is because the modern rulers say one thing and do another. There is no consistency in their actions and words. They do not do what the Millat expect of them. They only pander to the press that already waits upon them.[the_ad id=”17141″]

Your deeds must be in accordance with your words. Take the training of children who are very observant and are keen critics. They notice very quickly whether their father does himself what he teaches them. He teaches them it is wrong to tell lies, for example but if he is himself untruthful, his teaching will have but of little effect. Children are great mimics they copy their parents. If the parents are really honest, truthful, kind and unselfish, or if they are dishonest, selfish and harsh, their children will imitate them. To set children a good example is far more important than teaching them any number of fine moral maxims; and a bad example will do them far more harm than any amount of sound teaching will do them good.

Any man who sets himself up as moral teacher must see to it that he does not undo all the good his teaching might effect, by a bad example. He must practise what he preaches or his preaching will do more harm than good. Holy Prophet (PBUH) warned the Muslims not to go astray from the true path. He himself set the example, and said, “Follow me.” It shows that doing is more powerful than saying. It is accepted truth that consistency is a virtue. Without it, humanity cannot enjoy prosperity and happiness.

Of what use is a man’s mosque going if he does not deal honestly with his neighbour? Of how much value are his prayers and his psalın singing if he is not pure in life and truthful in word? The day has gone by when men will tolerate a religion without life. The day is coming when religion and life will mean one and the same thing to the people. Yes, it has already dawned. The people, no longer, judge their fellows by their attendance at some place of worship or their adherence to some creed, but that man who is pure, good and upright in word and deed, whose daily conduct is honourable, noble and blameless he, to the people is the truly religious man.