One of the qualities of a good leader is integrity. However, to find a leader with high integrity today is like searching for “red sulphur” (al-kibrit al-ahmar), an analogy in the Arab tradition to indicate a difficult task, if not impossible. Integrity, etymologically comes from the Latin word “integer” to mean “whole, entire” or “intact”. In mathematics, we also have numbers that can be written without a fractional component and they are called “integers”. An integer is a number with no decimal or fractional part, from the set of negative and positive numbers, including zero. It is “a whole number” as opposed to a fraction. From “integer” it becomes “integritatem” (Latin) then “integrité (Old French) and it was transformed into English language some time in 1400 with another derivative “integrity”, a noun, to mean innocence, blamelessness, chastity and purity.
Integrity in modern days today refers to “the practice of being honest and showing consistence and uncompromising adherence to strong and ethical principles and values”. As we can see from its original word, integrity is embedded with the meaning of “whole, intact” and “perfect” in the sense that one’s honesty, principles, beliefs and ethical values remain intact, consistently unscratched and whole in spite of all temptations that lure one to be otherwise. One of the many opposites of integrity is hypocrisy, where, while knowing the ethical values and principles, but yet one ignores them and acts in contrary to what one claims to hold.
The great British writer, C. S. Lewis, said, “integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” While the statement is perfectly fine with the atheists or secular people with no God to oversee what they do, the people of religious beliefs, especially Muslims, who believe that God sees them wherever they are 24/7, “doing the right thing even when no one is watching” does not mean that God is not watching them. Islam is a religion that places seeking the pleasure of God as its ultimate aim in this world and encourages Muslims to do good at all times and forbids evil even when there is no one is watching them.
The “surveillance” or monitoring of other fellow human beings over one’s behaviour is not the way Islam teaches us for we do good or avoid harm not for the pleasure or displeasure of others, but rather, seeking the pleasure of God alone. Seeking the pleasure of fellow human beings in doing good things is regarded as ostentation (riya’) and regarded as haram in Islam for it is a form of polytheism (shirk).
Piety (taqwa) the characteristic that will be of the highest spiritual value and one’s worth in the Hereafter is to be having God consciousness at all times in this world, be it in public or alone in solitary. The Qur’an says: “Indeed, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the most pious of you (akramakum ‘ind Allah atqakum)” (al-Hujurat: 13).
Integrity indicates honesty in all aspects of life. It includes, among others, taking what belongs to one only and shunning away from taking things that does not belong to one, and this includes bribery. Taking bribes is one of the indicators of a person’s lack of integrity. Sadly, they are somewhat rampant in this country these days and becoming cancerous now. A Muslim should not only avoid taking bribes, but also taking things that do not belong to him. It was reported in the Prophetic Traditions that the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed by a date on the road which had fallen and his sight fell upon it and he said, ‘if it was not that I fear the dates are from the alms, verily I would eat it’. In another tradition, the Prophet saw his grandson Hasan took a date from date alms and put it into his mouth, and the Prophet removed it from his mouth and said to Hasan: “ do you know that we, the sons of Bani Hashim, do not eat alms”. What is the lesson from this tradition? Indeed, the lesson is that we, Muslims, do not take what does not belong to us even as small and trivial as a piece of a date, what more taking bribes! The Prophet (may peace be upon him) is the most pious person and he is also the person with the highest integrity as demonstrated in his life time and recorded in numerous Prophetic traditions. One who is pious undoubtedly is also a person with integrity.