After we saw some of the attributes that cause the degradation of human status, now let us proceed to observe the virtues that ensure the perfection of human development and are the cause of human maturity and perfection.
But before beginning this discussion we invite your attention to two essential introductions.
A - Necessity of Self-awareness
For a creature that naturally loves itself, it is absolutely instinctive to try to know its abilities and to try for their perfection. From this angle the emphasis put by Divine religions as well as religious leaders and scholars on self-awareness and self-acquaintance is for awakening the human nature.
So the Holy Quran asserts: We will soon show them Our signs in the Universe and in their own souls, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth.
And He has made subservient for you the night and the day and the sun and the moon, and the stars are made subservient by His commandment; most surely there are signs in this for a people who ponder; And what He has created in the earth of varied hues most surely there is a sign in this for a people who are mindful.
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) too has given extraordinary importance to self-awareness and has introduced it as a way for knowing God. He says: One who knew himself has known God.
The following narrations are from Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.):
1. Self-awareness is the most profitable knowledge.
2. I wonder about the one who is searching the missing thing whereas he himself is missing and yet is not searching.
3. It makes me wonder that a man does not know himself. How can he wish to know God?
4. The climax of knowledge is self-acquaintance?
5. The biggest success is for the one who succeeds in knowing himself.
6. Do you think that you are an insignificant being whereas a great world is concealed in you
Question: Why so much emphasis has been put on self-awareness in these verses and narrations?
Answer: It is because the one who understands himself knows God, thereafter he sees nothing but Him and thereby is endowed with Divine virtues.
Hence it is narrated from Imam Baqir (a.s.) that, as per a Qudsi Hadith: The Lord Almighty has said: There is no slave of mine who, through whatever I have made obligatory for him, attains nearness to me. Indeed my slave also, through, voluntary non-obligatory good deeds, comes so near to me that I like him and since I like him I become his ear through which he hears and I become his eye through which he sees and his tongue through which he speaks and his hand by which he attacks My and his enemies, the wrong doers. If he calls Me, I give answer to him and if he wants something from Me, I give it to him.
In Munaajaate Shaabaaniyah we read: Enlighten the eye of my hear, through which I observe Thee, by they Radiance until the eye of wisdom tears through the curtains of light and joins thy Great Light, and connect our souls with the sacred status of thy Greatness. O my Lord Make me one of those who answer Your Call when you call them and when you attend to them they, due to your lustre and grandeur, become unconscious.
As a conclusion, from the viewpoint of the teachings of Quran and the Family of divine Revelation, man possesses such a high status that by becoming aware of it he can reach to such spiritual heights. By studying the events of those men of God who, as a result of self-build-up, reached the high stages of human dignity upto perfection and who ruled over the physical world, you will be able to understand this fact.
B - Vies of World-famous Philosophers
1 - The enjoyment of human perfection is more pleasing than material fruits and for gaining it, man must make use of the tool of knowledge and technique of natural resources so that he may live a life of comfort and happiness.
This view is bases on the originality of matter, and genuineness of tast and the nobility of man.
2 - Human perfection is attainable by collective utilization of the gifts of nature. For attaining it, efforts should be made for common welfare.
This view is based on the originality of community.
3 - Human perfection lies in both material and spiritual progress which can be attained through self-discipline and by fighting against material pleasures.
This view corresponds with the views mentioned earlier.
4 - Human perfection is in intellectual progress that is attainable through knowledge and philosophy or logic.
5 - Human perfection is the rational and moral maturity that can be reached by learning knowledge and acquiring a graceful character.
And the last two views also are incompatible with materialism.
After these two preliminaries have been clarified, we should understand that one virtue can make man perfect like the virtue of Faith can, as it is the faith in the Lord of the universe and in His commandments that lifts man unto the heights of perfection. From this angle, all of our efforts should be to adore ourselves with this virtue. We must dig out the pearl of humanity from the mine of nature. Of course, this work is very difficult as: