Virtue or Fairness?

Ziad Rayess stresses the value of adopting a virtuous and benevolent attitude in his book "Shortcut for a Better Life," especially for those working in public affairs or interacting with people from diverse backgrounds.

According to him, it takes more than just being fair to win people over and bring about positive change and that a duty to act virtuously toward others exists, regardless of one's religion or community. Rayess highlights that being virtuous is not only required by law for judges, but also for all human beings and can lead to generous rewards.

The Importance of Virtuous Behavior in Public Affairs:

In his book "Shortcut for a Better Life", the writer "Ziad Rayess" mentions: A few years ago, I learned how crucial it is for people to be virtuous. I find that for people who work in public affairs or whose work requires them to interact with people of all backgrounds, it is not enough to work with others fairly or equally. Such people must adopt an attitude of virtue and benevolence, because it is unwise, even on paper, to treat people as they treat you (or sometimes harm you). Many of them are oblivious, and as long as they are unaware, their behavior becomes worse and worse.

At the same time, when I say “fairness is not enough,” I worry that these words contain a violation of Islamic law. One of my friends who is familiar with this topic recently informed me that there are several verses in the Quran that encourage us to follow this path. In fact, there are interpretations that require us to be virtuous in some situations even when others harm us.

I want to draw the attention of people who work in public affairs, especially those who seek God through their work, to the fact that virtue in interacting with others is a duty, not a choice. By acting virtuously toward people, you can win their hearts and be generously rewarded by Almighty God.

I find that this behavior is one of the main characteristics that make people in this field unique, thus allowing them to be truly impactful in their field. Behaving in a virtuous way toward others is also necessary for the general population, regardless of community or religion; this is a requirement for all human beings.

Simply behaving fairly only works when the person is a third party deciding an issue between two others. It’s not the right approach if the person themselves is one of the parties. Legally, all judges must be fair. But when it comes to you, a regular person, it is a legal requirement for you to be virtuous toward all servants of God, just like the requirements of charity, forgiveness, etc.

Conclusion:

In the end, Rayess advocates in his book the importance of adopting a virtuous attitude in our interactions with others. He reminds us that fairness alone is not sufficient to create meaningful and lasting change and that it is our duty to act benevolently toward all people, regardless of their background or beliefs. We can win people over, advance our cause, and receive blessings from God by doing this. Ultimately, Rayess's message serves as a timely reminder that virtues such as kindness, empathy, and forgiveness can go a long way toward creating a better place for everyone.