The Sea of Precious Virtues

(1100s CE)

1991. The Sea of Precious Virtues: A Medieval Mirror for Princes. Translated and Edited by Julie Scott Meisami. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press.

In ancient civilizations such as those in Mesopotamia or Egypt, religions often did not include specific codes of moral conduct. The Hebrew religion, Judaism, was a notable exception. Two offshoots of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, also included strict codes of proper moral and ethical behavior. The Old Testament and the Qur'an include very specific (and similar) codes of conduct, while the Christian New Testament often illustrates these same concepts in the parables of Jesus.

Medieval Islamic literature is full of writing seeking to clarify these rules of behavior and to provide practical applications thereof. This period of literature also includes numerous examples of what were called "mirrors" for princes. One of these is an anonymous Syrian document called The Sea of Precious Virtues, compiled in the early to mid-twelfth century, which not only discusses the right way to live and the punishments for bad behavior, but also the rights of slaves and how kings should live and rule.

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Know that this is the book in which I mention the qualities and character of the pious, the saints, the abdal, the believers, and the hypocrites, and it is in seven chapters.

On the Character of the Prophets

Know that the prophets were foremost among the pious, for the mark of the pious is good character. When the believer's faith and wisdom reach perfection, and he knows the Doer in both worlds to be one person and acknowledges destiny and decree, he will know that whatever happens to him comes from God.

The prophets showed thanks for their blessings; they did not lay them up nor store them, but spent them in acts of obedience, and they saw the Benefactor in the blessing. Gratitude for blessings is indeed such; but today it is scarce. And they were patient in affliction and content with God's decree.

The first words written on the Preserved Tablet were, "Whoever is not content with My decree and cannot endure My trials, let him seek a Lord other than Me"; that is, "Say to him who is not satisfied with what I decree and cannot endure My afflictions, 'Seek another God.' "

All the prophets chose poverty. Abraham was hospitable; Jesus was an ascetic; and our prophet Muhammad would be the first to greet whomever he met; he would even greet children first. He wore one shirt both indoors and outdoors. He would go to any meal to which he was invited; when he ate breakfast he would not worry about dinner, and when he ate dinner he would not worry about breakfast, and put nothing aside, so that there came a time when there was no food in his house. If someone asked him for something he never refused; if he had it he would give it, if he did not have it he would promise it, but no one ever left him unsatisfied. He never complained to anyone of poverty; he loved poverty better than wealth. He used to read the Koran all night, and would fast three days out of the month. '^ca'ishah said, "I felt sorry for him, for his suffering and hunger, and said, '0 Prophet of God, what would happen if you asked God for the amount of your food from this world?' '^ca'ishah,' he replied, 'my brother prophets left this world in suffering; I must be as they. I am ashamed to ask my God for kingship for these few days, for the whole of this world is but a few days; it will not endure. I will be patient, that I may not be deprived of my reward in the Hereafter.' " He would tie his camel with his own hand and give it fodder, milk his sheep, and mend his shoes (himself); he would help the serving maid in the work and management of the house, and when he bought something in the market he would carry it home himself. He would take poor folk by the hand and not release them until they let go, and he granted the petitions of widows.

On Capital Sins

The chief of all sins are three: envy, covetousness, and pride; the other sins arise from these. It is said, "Four sins deprive the believer of God's mercy: cursing men, vilifying their descent, lying, and backbiting."

Abu al-Qasim Hakim was asked, "Which sin is it feared will rob mankind of faith?" He replied, "Three sins: first, not acknowledging the truth of Islam and giving thanks for being a Muslim; second, oppressing and wronging Muslims; and third, taking a false oath."

It is said, "No one is safe from three sins save a sincere believer: one is conceit, one is pride, and one is pretension." Imam Shafi^ci Muttalibi says, "Pride comprises every fault," that is, all sins contained in pride. Some people have been seen in dreams whose end was blameful, and were asked, "What have you seen?" They answered, "There are seven sins for which men's faith is taken back from them: first, envy; second, drinking wine; third, persisting in sin; fourth, boasting of sin; fifth, sodomy; sixth, slander and calumny; and seventh, that a man lie with a woman who is unlawful to him for the sake of money." The Prophet was asked, "Which sin is the greatest of all?" He replied, "Disobedience to one's parents, and abusing one's mother and father."

On Reckoning Capital Sins

Know that a sin is called capital because its punishment and sinfulness are great. The Prophet said, "Abstain from seven harmful sins, that is, sins leading to perdition: ascribing partners to God, sorcery and witchcraft, wrongful bloodshed, consuming interest, devouring the property of orphans, the flight of one Muslim from two infidels in holy war, and accusing chaste women of fornication." In another relation, "Disobedience to parents, and taking false oaths."

^cAbd Allah ^cAbbas relates, "Capital sins are those whose end is conjoined with God's wrath, Hellfire, and God's curse: ascribing partners in God's unicity, for God says, 'Whoever shall give a companion unto God, God shall exclude him from paradise' (5:76); thinking oneself safe from God's wrath; disobeying parents, 'For God has made the disobedient person proud and insolent'; the wrongful shedding of blood; accusing virtuous women of unchastity; devouring the property of orphans; fleeing from battle with the infidel; consuming interest, for God says, 'They who devour usury shall not arise from the dead' (2:275); witchcraft; fornication, for God says, '(He who shall do this) shall meet the reward of his wickedness' (25:68); swearing false oaths; giving false testimony, for God has equated false evidence with ascribing partners (to Him), saying, 'And avoid speaking that which is false; being orthodox in respect to God, associating no other god with him' (22:32-33); being treacherous with respect to booty; drinking wine; neglecting prayer; violating contracts; and withholding mercy, for God says, 'On them shall a curse fall' (13:25)." The Prophet said, "Avoid fornication, for fornication involves six things, three in this world and three in the next. As for those in this world: first, it destroys beauty; (second) it shortens life; and (third) it straightens sustenance; while the three in the next world are God's anger, a severe accounting, and eternal Hell, unless God is merciful." The Prophet said, "Fornication brings poverty." In the Koran He mentioned women first when He said about fornication, "The whore and the whoremonger" (24:2), while with respect to thieving He put men first. The wisdom in this is that fornication is more (common) among women, and the beginning of fornication is with them, while thieving is more among men.

On the Rights of Male and Female Slaves

The last words the Prophet was heard to say were these: "Beware; honor your servants." It is not proper to say, "My slave (bandah)," or "My bondmaid (kanizak)," since all are slaves and servants of God; rather one should say, "My page (ghulam), my maid (jariyah)." They should not be ordered to do something they cannot; and if one lets a slave go hungry and bare, God is his adversary, unless (the slave) commits a sin that requires punishment, in which case he must be punished. Slaves should not be spoken to harshly. If a person is well off he should see that his own food and clothing and that of his slave are the same; but if he is a king or a magnificent rich man, this is not necessary.

It is related in the Traditions that no person who does not treat his slaves with respect will enter Paradise. Someone asked, "O Prophet of God, how many times in a night and a day should I forgive my slaves?" -- "Seventy times a day." In another Tradition he said, "Woe to the owner of slaves from Hell for (violating) the rights of those he owns; woe to the slaves from Hell for (violating) the rights of their owner; and woe to the wealthy from the poor and the weak." And God is All-knowing.

On the Qualities of Kingship

In the days of yore, in the Jahiliyah before Islam, no one was given kingship unless he possessed these qualities, which are seven:

First, that he support religion and faith;

Second, that he preserve his sovereignty and his domains, and that he have the power to protect them;

Third, that he choose officials and deputies who are both suitable and conscientious;

Fourth, that he command the doing of justice and equity, and restrain the wrongdoer from the wronged;

Fifth, that he protect the wealth and the treasury, and distribute wealth rightly;

Sixth, that he abhor thieves and brigands and enforce God's punishments upon them;

Seventh, that he command that his domains and towns be made prosperous.

If he truly manifests these seven qualities, then God has chosen him and he is worthy of kingship; for the root of kingship is the nourishment of faith. And he who has no religion is a Dahri and is not fit for anything.

He must be able to protect his domains through reason, faith, good planning, and competence; for this reason they say, "Woe to that city whose king is a child or a woman!"

He must also maintain prosperity, for the survival of kingship depends on subjects, and the survival of subjects on prosperity.

He must also sit and hear grievances every day, so as to requite the wrongs of the oppressed.

On Impediments to Kingship

These are six:

First, impurity in faith or belief;

Next, madness or heedlessness;

Next, negligence, senselessness, lack of judgment, lack of planning, shamelessness, and levity.

When the Persians observed shamelessness, levity, and pridefulness in a king, or ignorance and the desire for wine and pleasure, they would quickly depose him.

The ancient sages said, "The king in whom five qualities are found is not worthy of kingship:

"First, a liar; for if he makes a promise no one will believe him, and if he threatens someone and wishes to frighten him, (that person) will not be frightened.

"Second, a miser is not fit to be a king, for he will not give money to the army, and no one will advise him.

"Third, a king who is harsh and hasty is not worthy of kingship, for with each hour of harsh and hasty acts he leads the people toward destruction.

"Fourth, a king who is envious is not worthy of kingship, for he is jealous of the well-being of his subjects, and ruins them all by extortion, desiring that everything belonging to the people should be in his treasury.

"Fifth, a cowardly king is not fit for kingship, for his enemy will become bold against him."

Glossary

Imam

An Islamic spiritual leader.

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