Courage

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Ethics

Moral Verses
Ifk Verses • Al-Ukhuwwa Verse • Al-It'am Verse • Al-Naba' Verse • Najwa Verse • Verse of Trusts • Al-Sulh Verse

Moral Hadiths
Hadith of qurb al-nawafil • Hadith Makarim al-akhlaq • Hadith of Mi'raj • Hadith Junud al-'Aql wa l-Jahl

Moral Virtues
Humility • Contentment • Generosity • Controlling Anger • Truthfulness • Hilm (forbearance) • Asceticism • Bravery • Chastity • Insaf (Equity) • Silat al-Rahim • Wara' • Islah dhat al-bayn

Moral Vices
Hubris • Greed • Envy • Lie • Backbiting • Namima (Talebearing) • Miserliness • Disobedience to Parents • 'Ujb (self-conceit) • Sum'a • Cutting blood relation • Spreading grave sins • Ingratitude • Hypocrisy • Tabdhir

Moral Terminologies
Jihad with the self • Self-critical soul • Commanding Soul • Soul at peace • Self-reckoning • Muraqaba • Musharata • Sin • Morality lessons • Istidraj

Scholars of Ethics
Muhammad Mahdi Naraqi • Ahmad al-Naraqi • Sayyid 'Ali Qadi Tabataba'i • Sayyid Rida Baha' al-Dini • Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn Dastghayb • Muhammad Taqi Bahjat

References of Ethics

Qur'an • Nahj al-balagha • Misbah al-shari'a wa miftah al-haqiqa • Makarim al-Akhlaq • Al-Mahajjat al-bayda' • Tanbih al-khawatir wa nuzhat al-nawazir • Jami' al-sa'adat • Mi'raj al-sa'ada • Al-Muraqabat

Courage (Arabic: شجاعة, shajāʿa) is among moral virtues meaning bravery and in ethics, it is considered the middle point between fearlessness and fearfulness. In verses and hadiths, courage is mentioned as one of the four superior moral virtues and one of the conditions of prophethood, imamate and commandership in war and among the attributes of infallible Imams (a).

Courage in the battlefield, courage in fighting the carnal soul, courage in overcoming problems in life, courage in fighting moral vices and intellectual courage are mentioned among different forms of courage. Some of the fruits and signs of courage in life are truthfulness, forbearance, responsibility, leniency with friends, and steadfastness in religion. Going out of moderation and drawing towards extremism is mentioned as defects in courage.

Meaning

Courage (shaja'a) is among moral virtues meaning bravery[1]. It is considered a characteristic of human being relying on which the person does not have fear from engaging in difficult tasks[2], facing the enemy and tolerating difficulties and have stout-heartedness[3].

Shaja'a is defined as perseverance and moderation in the faculty of anger; meaning that the person would be under the command of intellect and safe from deviation toward either sides of extremism i.e. fearlessness and fearfulness. Brave (Arabic: شجاع, shuja') is known as a person having spiritual power and being stout-hearted, who controls his anger and wrath with the power of intellect[4].

In ethics, courage is considered the middle point between fearlessness and fearfulness[5]. One extremist form of courage is engaging in issues which destruct the body and the soul and should be avoided according to religion and intellect[6] as it has been explicitly prohibited in Qur'an 2:195. Another extremist form of courage is considered as fearfulness which is avoiding actions for the undertaking which one should not hesitate based on religion and intellect[7].

Position and Importance

In verses and hadiths, courage is mentioned as one of the four superior moral virtues before scholars of ethics[8]. As transmitted from Imam Ali (a), it is a virtue which is an evident and accessible victory[9].

The Qur'an 48:29 mentions it as one of the characteristics of Prophet Muhammad (s) and his companions.[10] Also, Qur'an 33:39 considers one of the conditions for reaching the position of prophethood not fearing anyone other than God and having the courage in inviting people toward God.[11] According to Qur'an 2:247, courage is one of the necessary conditions in taking the leadership of the society[12]. In other verses, believers are encouraged to have courage against disbelievers.[13] Also, courage is introduced as one of the secrets of success and victory of Muslims.[14].

In hadiths, courage is introduced as one of the moral virtues God willed to be specific to the prophets[15] and is considered among the attributes of infallible Imams (a)[16].

Jurists consider courage among the criteria of priority for the position of imamate[17], the requirements of leading the Friday prayer[18] and one of the attributes of a commander in the war[19]. They considered using musical instruments permissible to increase the spirit and courage in soldiers[20].

Forms

In religious texts, some forms are mentioned for courage based on intensity including:

  • Courage in the battlefield: it is considered as one of the forms of courage meaning that a person does not fear when facing the danger of being killed, captivity, plunder or defeat. The Qur'an has introduced courage among the qualities of Saul (Talut) for the leadership of Israelites in the battlefield.[21] Also, in a hadith from Imam al-Sadiq (a), it is mentioned that you can realize a brave person in the battlefield[22].
  • Courage in fighting the Carnal soul: another form of courage is dominating the Carnal soul and the self desire or moral courage. In a hadith from the Prophet (s), a person who dominates his carnal desires is introduced as the bravest person[23] and this struggle is called the greater jihad[24].
  • Courage in facing the problems in life: patience against problems and the ups and downs of life is considered another form of courage. According to different verses of the Qur'an, one of the precedents of God is putting a human being into different tests and problems[25]. Scholars of ethics have considered patience upon facing the problems in life as the fruit of the virtue of courage[26] and have mentioned patience a combination of dignity and courage[27]
  • Courage in fighting with undesirable attributes: another form of courage is fighting with undesirable attributes and moral vices. In a hadith from the Prophet (s), the one who can control himself upon anger is mentioned as the bravest person among all people[28].
  • Intellectual courage: courage and fighting with baseless beliefs and superstitions which pollute the society and spread due to intellectual weakness is called intellectual courage. Motahhari described the development al-Shaykh al-Tusi made in Shi'a jurisprudence as intellectual courage which was a movement against customs and tradition.

Fruits and Signs

Different fruits and signs are mentioned for courage and bravery in verses and hadiths by which a brave person is described. Patience and forbearance[29], steadfastness in religion[30], dignity[31], Ghayra[32], leniency with friends[33], telling the truth[34], God-wariness[35] and fighting with oppression[36] are mentioned among the fruits of courage.

Defects

Going out of moderation and drawing towards extremism is mentioned as defects in courage. In hadiths, disobedience[37], carelessness[38], oppression[39], hypocrisy and ostentation[40] and arrogance[41] are mentioned among defects which draw courage towards extremism.

Notes

  1. ↑ Dehkhodā, Lughatnāma, under the word shaja'a.
  2. ↑ Anwarī, Farhang-i buzurg-i sukhan, under the word shaja'a.
  3. ↑ Sharīf al-Murtaḍa, al-Rasāʾil, vol. 2, p. 274; Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, Mafātīḥ al-sharāyiʿ, vol. 2, p. 16.
  4. ↑ Miskawayh, Tahdhīb al-akhlāq, vol. 1, pp. 120, 212, 117.
  5. ↑ Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, Mafātīḥ al-sharāyiʿ, vol. 2, p. 16.
  6. ↑ Narāqī, Jāmiʿ al-saʿādāt, vol. 1, p. 242.
  7. ↑ Narāqī, Jāmiʿ al-saʿādāt, vol. 1, p. 243.
  8. ↑ Narāqī, Jāmiʿ al-saʿādāt, vol. 1, p. 243; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, al-Mīzān, vol. 1, p. 372.
  9. ↑ Laythī al-Wasīṭī, ʿUyūn al-ḥikam wa l-mawāʿiz, p. 50.
  10. ↑ Muhammad, the Apostle of Allah, and those who are with him are hard against the faithless. Qur'an 48:29
  11. ↑ such as deliver the messages of Allah and fear Him, and fear no one except Allah. Qur'an 33:39
  12. ↑ Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, vol. 2, p. 613.
  13. ↑ Qur'an 5:54 and Qur'an 61:4
  14. ↑ Qur'an 33:22
  15. ↑ Ibn Shuʿba al-Ḥarrānī, Ṭuḥaf al-ʿuqūl, p. 362.
  16. ↑ Ṣadūq, ʿUyūn akhbār al-Riḍā, vol. 1, p. 213.
  17. ↑ Abū al-Ṣalāḥ al-Ḥalabī, al-Kafi fi l-fiqh, p. 101; Ḥillī, Tadhkirat al-fuqahāʾ, vol. 9. 397.
  18. ↑ Khumaynī, Taḥrīr al-wasīla, vol. 1, p. 236.
  19. ↑ Ḥillī, Kitāb al-sarāʾir al-ḥāwī li taḥrīr al-fatāwī, vol. 2, p. 6.
  20. ↑ Kāshif al-ghitāʾ, Jaʿfar. Kashf al-ghitāʾ ʿan mubhamāt al-sharīʿa al-gharrā, vol. 4, p. 380.
  21. ↑ .Qur'an 2:247
  22. ↑ Majlisī, Biḥār al-anwār, vol. 75, p. 229.
  23. ↑ Ṣadūq, Muḥammad b. ʿAlī al-. Man lā yaḥḍuruh al-faqīh, vol. 4, p. 295.
  24. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 212.
  25. ↑ Qur'an 29:2-3;Qur'an 70: 19-22; Qur'an 89:15-17.
  26. ↑ Narāqī, Jāmiʿ al-saʿādāt, vol. 1, p. 111; Shahīd al-Thānī, al-Rasa'il, p. 62.
  27. ↑ Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī, al-Mufradāt, p. 474.
  28. ↑ Muṭahharī, Majmuʿa āthar, vol. 20, pp. 142-43.
  29. ↑ Ibn Shuʿba al-Ḥarrānī, Ṭuḥaf al-ʿuqūl, p. 226.
  30. ↑ Ṣadūq, ʿIlal al-sharāʾiʿ, vol. 2, p. 557.
  31. ↑ Āmidī, Ghurar al-ḥikam wa durar al-kalim, p. 38.
  32. ↑ Laythī al-Wasīṭī, ʿUyūn al-ḥikam wa l-mawāʿiz, p. 207.
  33. ↑ Ibn Shuʿba al-Ḥarrānī, Ṭuḥaf al-ʿuqūl, p. 226.
  34. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 234.
  35. ↑ Ṣadūq, al-Amālī, p. 20.
  36. ↑ Ṣadūq, Man lā yaḥḍuruh al-faqīh, vol. 4, p. 407.
  37. ↑ Barqi, al-Maḥāsin, vol. 1, p. 17.
  38. ↑ Laythī al-Wasīṭī, ʿUyūn al-ḥikam wa l-mawāʿiz, p. 182.
  39. ↑ Kulaynī, al-Kāfī, vol. 2, p. 239.
  40. ↑ Kufi al-Ahwazi, al-Zuhd, p. 63.
  41. ↑ Āmidī, Ghurar al-ḥikam wa durar al-kalim, p. 279.

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