However the ethical law (in relation to this) is that not...
However the ethical law (in relation to this) is that not only should we not retaliate with bad in the face of a bad deed, rather, we should repel the bad act with something nice!
In this regards, the Qur`an states: وَ إِذَا مَرُّا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَاماً “And when they pass by vain and trivial acts, they pass by with dignity.”[^4] إِدْفَعْ بِاللَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ السَّيِّئَةَ “Repel evil with that which is much better.”[^5] ** ** وَ إِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلاَماً “And when the ignorant people address them, they (simply) say, 'Peace'.”[^6] This is the ethical law.
The thirty-fourth characteristic of a true believer is that one shows respect to the elders. The issue of showing respect to one's elders and old people of the community has been mentioned quite often in the traditions. The late Shaikh 'Abbas al-Qummi narrates the following tradition in his work Safinatul Bihar: مَنْ وَقَّرَ ذَا شَيْبَةٍ لِشَيْبَتِهِ آمَنَهُ اللٌّهُ تَعَالـى مِنْ فَزَعٍ يَوْمُ الْقِيَمَةِ.
“The person who shows humility to an old person due to his old age, Allah, the Most High, will protect that person from the evil on the Day of Judgement.”[^7] In another tradition it is mentioned: إِنَّ مِنْ إِجْلاَلِ اللٌّهِ تَعَالـى إِكْرَامُ ذَى الشَّيْبَةِ الْمُسْلِمِ “Surely one of the greatest things of Allah, the Most High, is the showing of respect to the older Muslims.” ^8 The thirty-fifth characteristic of a true believer is that he shows mercy and compassion to those younger than him.
It is well known that when a person meets a, old person, he shows respect simply for the fact that the person is of old age, and when someone meets a younger person he shows him honour and respect because he has committed less sins then him(since he has been on this Earth a shorter time)! [^1]: Surat al-Naziyat (79), Verse 30 [^2]: Bihar al-Anwar, vol. 64, pg.
311 [^3]: Surat al-Baqarah (2), Verse 194 [^4]: Surat al-Furqan (35), Verse 72 [^5]: Surat al-Mu'minun (23), Verse 96 [^6]: Surat al-Furqan (35), Verse 63 [^7]: Safinat al-Bihar, under the word شيب Previous…
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