ACKNOWLEDGEMENT (I’TIRĀF)

The greatest human quality is acknowledgement. It is a foundational trait—a root from which all other virtues grow. A person who possesses the spirit of acknowledgement will naturally embody other moral qualities. One who lacks this spirit will be devoid of all virtue.

It is the quality of acknowledgement that leads a person toward faith—the very foundation of religion. What Islamic law refers to as iman (faith) is, in the language of human nature, i’tirāf—the acknowledgement of truth. When this natural tendency to acknowledge becomes faith, the journey of religious life truly begins. The practical expression of this acknowledgement is what we call the worship of God.

It is this same spirit of acknowledgement that compels a person to recognize the Prophet as a true messenger. It makes them accept the reality that the Prophet is a model to be followed and that they must align their life with his guidance.

Accepting the Quran as God’s book, and the Hadith as the Prophet’s teachings, also stems from this very spirit of acknowledgement. The drive to accept reality as it is—the force of i’tirāf—compels a person to recognize the Quran and Hadith for what they truly are.

The fulfillment of human rights also springs from this spirit. It is i’tirāf that tells a person: “Whatever rights others have over you, you must fulfill them fully.”

Respect, compassion, trustworthiness, patience, dignity, keeping promises, and goodwill toward others—all such noble human traits originate from acknowledgement.

Similarly, all negative traits are linked to a lack of acknowledgement. Rejection of faith stems from denial. Jealousy arises because a person refuses to acknowledge another’s excellence. A person commits dishonesty because they do not accept that what they possess actually belongs to someone else.