62: Courage (Part 1) - Antidote to Cowardice
The two qualities Allah loves are generosity and courage;
The two qualities Allah dislikes are bad character and miserliness."
[Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)]
Courage and Cowardice
Intelligent human action should be intentional, purposeful and goal-directed. So, when pain, injustice or danger intrude, it is difficult to sustain a subdued equilibrium. In fact, a response of heightened awareness and extra-ordinary strength of character may be required. Lack of spirit or ignoble fear in the face of such challenge is considered cowardice.
Courage, on the other hand ...
- is the mental or moral strength to venture, challenge, persevere, and withstand danger, fear or difficulty
- is the quality of state of being that allows one to act with confidence, resolve, and self-possession in the face of uncertainty and risk.
- is the capacity to be patient amidst adversity (e.g. face a serious or terminal illness courageously)
- "comes from the heart being stable at the time of fear" [Ibn El Qayyim al-Jawzi]
There are dozens of words used synonymously with courage: audacity, fearlessness, heroism, valor, fortitude, bravery,
resolution, spirit, boldness, and, colloquially, guts [Merriam-Webster Dictionary]. Some of these
indicate particular dimensions of courage; for example ...
HEROISM suggests boldness in accepting risk selflessly,
or sacrifice for a noble cause or generous purpose
It must be noted that courage is the mastery of fear, not the absence of fear. [Author, Mark Twain]
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.
[Writer, Ambrose Redmoon]
Courage is indeed the anti-dote to cowardice.
Courage is the Cornerstone of Character
Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali stated that the most significant battles are waged within the self. Those struggles to
maintain the internal virtues that dictate how we think and how we act. The Ancient Greek philosopher, Plato suggested that
the four cardinal virtues are wisdom, courage, self-control and justice. Imam Ja'far as-Sadiq stated that the cardinal
virtues are ...
History is filled with accounts of individuals who reached deep inside themselves to find the courage of their convictions
to 'do the right thing' when all around them their peers and friends were doing otherwise. They realize that those who merely
follow the crowd usually get no further than the crowd. The person who walks alone is likely to end up in places no one has
ever been before. "Moral courage is the courage of one's convictions, the courage to see things through. The world is in a
constant conspiracy against the brave. It's the age-old struggle - the roar of the crowd on one side and the voice of your
conscience on the other." [General Douglas MacArthur]
Courage motivates one to do what is best despite the challenges. In the absence of courage, cowards would rule everything.
"All that is needed for evil to triumph, is for good people to do nothing." [Philosopher, Edmund Burke]
Courage is indeed a cornerstone of good character.
Kinds of Courage
Developing courage is an important attribute, and is manifested in a variety of ways:
- "Courage is not merely the physical strength of the body; a man may be strong but cowardly. Rather, courage is the strength that one has in his heart. In a battle, victory is brought about by both strength of the body and courage of the heart." [Ibn Taymiyyah]
- "To see what is right and not to do it, is lack of courage, it is cowardice" [Confucius]
- "The greatest test of courage on the earth is to bear defeat without losing heart" [Orator, R.G.Ingersoll]
- "Men lie, who lack courage to tell truth - the cowards!" [Educationist, Joaquin Miller]
- "It isn't the absence of conscience or values that prevents us from being all we should be; it is simply the lack of moral courage" [Ethicist, Michael Josephson]