Faith

ثلاثٌ من كنّ فيه استكمل خصال الإيمان:الذي إذا رضي، لم يُدْخِله رضاه في باطلٍ وإذا غَضِبَ لم يخرجه الغضب من لحقّ وإذا قدر لم يتعاط ما ليس له

 

He who has these three qualities possesses the full features of faith:

One whose contentment does not lead him to wrongdoing, whose anger does not cause him to abandon justice and whose position of power does not cause him to encroach on what does not belong to him.

 

(Tohfatul Oqul, p. 43)

 
 

 

This tradition does not mean that faith is comprised exclusively of these three features. Conversely, it means that when a person embodies these three qualities, he is believed to have all the attributes of faith. That is because each of these qualities is the result of a set other good qualities. One's affection for somebody should not lead one to wrongly support that person; one's wrath should not lead one to inappropriate reactions and to step out of the boundaries of righteousness; and being in a position of power should not lead one to do what one is not entitled to.