Once, ‘A’ishah, who is a wife of the Prophet Muhammad, was asked about his way in good deeds: did he perform some actions exclusively on some particular days? She replied that, the Prophet did things like a raining cloud, which when it begins to pour knows no stopping; likewise, once the Prophet started doing something, he would do it continuously. (Narrated by Bukhari.)
‘A’ishah reported also that the Prophet said: “The good deeds which are most pleasing to Allah are those which are performed with greatest constancy, even if they amount to little.” (Narrated by Abu Dawud.)
Once, Masruq asked ‘A’ishah, “What deed was the most beloved to the Prophet?” She answered, “The regular constant one”.
‘A’ishah reported that the most beloved good deed to the Prophet Muhammad was that whose doer did it continuously and regularly. (Both narrated by Bukhari.)
While analysing such traditions of the Prophet, Allamah Shibli Nu’mani and Saiyid Sulaiman al-Nadwi note that moral behaviour—in order to be really moral—should possess constancy.
Moral behaviour ought to be persistently adopted so that it forms a habit, a kind of second nature with a man. “A second nature,” because once these acquired habits are well established, they operate as smoothly as man’s original nature.
With the exception of human beings, all the physical objects in the universe have each a particular function to which they are by nature committed.
For example, the sun can only give light; it can neither make things dark nor can it spread darkness.
The night shall always bring in darkness, it cannot give out light.
Trees blossom and bear fruit each in its own particular season, and the flowers bloom only in the spring.
In the animal world, not a single species can transgress beyond their natural limits.
But man—he is born with a free will and has been given full liberty. Human being has been given power to act as he likes.
Light and darkness, as it were, are under his control. He can be bright as day, or dark as night.
Man’s genius bears fruit in all seasons; the tree of his excellence blossoms in every season. His morality flowers unrestricted by autumn or spring—the flowers of his moral characters may always bloom.
Unlike the animals and beasts, he is not confined to a set form of behaviour or conduct, nor is he restricted to a particular mode of life.
Man has been given the freedom of choice. Indeed, this liberty has been granted to man, and such a freedom explains why he is held responsible or answerable for his conduct.
But a fine principle that should govern all moral living is the strictest adherence to whatever moral conduct a man adopts for himself.
When a person begins a good act he should do it continuously. He has to observe the law of his choice invariably and perpetually with such persistence and regularity that, in spite of having a free will, he should look like acting involuntarily under the force of a natural impulse, enabling any observer to predict that he shall commit good, or omit evil, or both.
His actions should emanate from him as light from the sun, as fruit from the tree, as fragrance from the flower. In short, as the necessary attributes of his personality—inseparable and inalienable. This is what may be called constancy and uniformity of behaviour.
Hence the significance of habit-formation for the process of education, of giving man “a second nature” and promoting conducive conditions under which good habits are acquired and strengthened.
As al-Ghazzali observes, an ethical deed creates some effect on the soul; this effect causes the body to repeat the similar deed; this deed again produces some effect on the soul; this effect is added to the previous effect which is now strengthened—and the circular process goes on indefinitely unless if the habit is removed even if with difficulty (Muhammad Abul Quasem 1978).
This principle underlies the issue of child religious education, of which al-Ghazzali notes, “If the father accustoms the child to goodness and teaches moral integrity to him, he will grow up in it and be happy in this life and in the hereafter….The father’s safeguarding of the child consists in disciplining him, refining him, teaching him good character-traits, keeping him from evil companions, [and] not accustoming him to indulgence.”
Otherwise, if what is learned in ethics is not retained in terms of moral constancy, learning and education would be futile.