29. Take The High Road

Integrity isn’t just a characteristic, but rather it is a way of living that demonstrates harmony between belief and actions. It is having firm adherence to following the right path and practicing istiqama (steadfastness) to that path. In this book, we share two lessons on why integrity is important.

The first lesson is about doing the right thing in Allah’s (SWT) eyes, even when no one’s watching. We believe that our actions, good and bad, still have consequences, whether or not someone sees our behavior. And of course, it is important to have taqwa, God-consciousness, and to know that Allah (SWT) sees and hears everything. In our first story, Amin learns the hard way why it is important to do the right thing, and that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Secondly, integrity in Islam has to do with consistency of the individual in belief and action. One must act in accordance with one’s values to demonstrate istiqama (steadfastness) to the right path. In the second story, Amira teaches her new friend, Amatullah, what it means to be authentic and why she should have consistency between her beliefs and actions.