BASIC CRITERIA TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE GOOD AND THE BAD

The human being is the most precious of all creatures, and he is the one that is most worthy of protection. Because he is a social being, he organizes his life in accordance with a whole body of rules and laws. In the face of these principles, which can also be called "social or moral codes", he needs to decide with his free will and then act. Divine religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) instill social and moral codes in the conscience of the individual through divine revelation. Allah prescribes the basic criteria to distinguish between good and bad and through the prophets He sends: He lets people see the application of these criteria.

Universal religions command the spread of good and elimination of evil, and they proclaim the inviolability of one's life, property and chastity. Three basic criteria underlie these points:

I.  Regarding human beings as the most honored of all creatures: 

This means to regard all human beings as great and honorable by nature without discrimination and regardless of religion, language or race. The following verse of the Quran is proof of this: "We have honoured the sons of Adam."(Al-Isra, 17:70) To love what is created for the love of the Creator is the peak of one's faith in Allah. In the words of Shaykh Ghalib:

See yourself in the right light for you are the nucleus of the worlds

You are human, you are the most cherished of all creation

You are an exalted being to whom angels were commanded to prostrate

You may not know how, but you are more mature than all other creatures and you are above all.

II. Not doing unto others what one does not want to be done to himself

III. Treating people with good morals, keeping away and having others keep away from acts and behaviors that might engender evil...

This is a fundamental rule in the sacred book of Islam, the Quran, as can be seen in the following ayah: "If any do good, good will (accrues) to them therefrom; and they will be secure from terror that Day." (An-Naml, 27:89)  Moreover, it is not deemed sufficient for one to know and practice the "good" by himself and on his own. We are also commanded to help others in committing good deeds. If we cannot commit a good deed, the next best thing is to not commit evil deeds and withdraw from words and actions that might lead one to evil. In the words of Turkish poet Mehmet Akif:

"Enjoining towards good is what the Muslim brotherhood needs to do

Brothers and sisters discourage each other from evil when they notice one"

If one shows patience and draws away from what is evil through goodness, he will be rewarded twice as much (Al-Qasas, 28:54-55). In a saying of the Prophet, this point is particularly emphasized, and we are told what to do: "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the Day of Resurrection, and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection." (Bukhari: Kitab al-Mazalim)

The most prominent quality that comes with being the most cherished/honored of all creatures is thus explained: One is not to respond to evil with evil, and at the same time, one is to draw it away with goodness to make sure that it will do no harm. Drawing away the evil with goodness will take a person to spiritual heights beyond his imagination, warm the hearts of even those who are against him and bring opportunities for warm, genuine friendships.