A UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLE

The most straightforward principle of religion and humanity is this:

Treat others in the same way that you would like to be treated.

The Prophet of Islam said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 13)

In another narration, the Prophet swore by God, saying: “By the One in whose hand is my soul, a person cannot be a true believer until he loves for his neighbour (or his brother) what he loves for himself.” (Musnad Abi Y’ala, Hadith No. 2967)

Whether a person is educated or uneducated, belongs to one class or another, or is disabled or not—in every case, they certainly know what things they like and what things they do not like. Now, if each person simply makes this principle for themselves—that whatever they like for themselves, they should do the same for others, and whatever they do not like for themselves, they should avoid doing that too—then all forms of wrongdoing in society would come to an end.

This is a universal key—it applies equally to men and women, individuals and communities, citizens and foreigners. If people adopted this principle, family life would improve, social life would flourish, national life would become harmonious, and even international relations would become smoother.

It is a master key for human ethics—a single key capable of unlocking every lock.

A person who does not discriminate between self and others is a principled person. Such a person nurtures an inner consistency—and this consistency is what makes a person truly complete.